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Senate committee presses VA on recent firings, planned workforce cuts and cancelled contracts
Summary
Senators pressed VA officials over the department's recent dismissal of roughly 2,400 probationary employees, a planning figure cited of as many as 80,000 cuts, and the cancellation of hundreds of contracts — asking for written analyses, metrics and a committee briefing before further reductions proceed.
At a Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs hearing, lawmakers sharply questioned Department of Veterans Affairs officials about recent workforce actions and contract cancellations that members said risk delaying veterans' care and benefits.
Vice Chairman Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) told the panel the VA "is in crisis. It is literally a 5 alarm fire for the VA," and said he will introduce legislation, the Putting Veterans First Act, to rescind recent firings and require performance-based termination standards and appeals for affected employees.
The committee focused on three related concerns: the VA's recent release of roughly 2,400 probationary employees; a planning factor that has been reported publicly and in internal documents authorizing review of staffing reductions up to about 80,000 positions; and the department's decision to cancel or not renew several hundred contracts, some senators said were central to patient safety or to implementation of prior laws.
Why it matters: Senators said the changes could affect the department's ability to implement…
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