Blumenthal Unveils Sweeping Veterans Bill Aimed at Reversing Damage From Trump Administration's Egregious Cuts at VA, Assault on Veterans

Top Democrat on the VA Committee announces comprehensive Putting Veterans First Act to protect veterans, military spouses, and VA employees targeted in DOGE’s cuts
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – In response to President Donald Trump’s mass terminations of federal veteran employees and egregious attempts to slash Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) care and benefits, Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today unveiled hisPutting Veterans First Act—comprehensive legislation to protect veterans, military spouses, and VA employees indiscriminately targeted in the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) cuts at VA and across the federal government.
“My proposed bill is a call to action at a moment of crisis for veterans. VA’s system of health care and benefits has been disastrously and disgracefully put on the chopping block by Elon Musk and Donald Trump. Their heartless and heartbreaking cuts, freezes, firings, and other malign directives will destroy lives and livelihoods if unchecked. We must stop them.
“They are slashing and trashing the VA with their plans to further cut more than 80,000 VA employees and tens of thousands of veterans. The real life impacts of Trump and Musk’s harmful policies on our nation’s military and veteran community are undeniable and growing. These reckless actions are damaging the economic security and morale of our military and veteran families, the federal government’s ability to recruit and retain high-quality talent, and our national security. That’s why I am introducing comprehensive legislation to ensure our government reverses course and puts veterans first—not tax cuts for billionaires. Veterans and their families have willingly sacrificed everything for this country, and they deserve a government that treats them with the dignity and respect they deserve,”said Blumenthal.
Among its many provisions, Blumenthal’sPutting Veterans First Actwould:
REINSTATE AND PROTECT MEMBERS OF THE VETERAN AND MILITARY COMMUNITY INDSCRIMINATLEY FIRED BY DOGE WORKING AS FEDERAL EMPLOYEES
PROTECT THE QUALITY OF VA CARE, BENEFITS, AND EMPLOYMENT
INCREASE TRANSPARENCY AND OVERSIGHT OF VA STAFFING, CLAIMS BACKLOG, AND WAIT TIMES DATA
PROTECT VETERANS’ PRIVATE DATA FROM DOGE AND UNELECTED BILLIONARIES
DETERMINE THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF DOGE’S RECKLESS CANCELLATION OF CONTRACTS AT VA
PROVIDE CRITICAL MENTAL HEALTH CARE FOR FORMER AND CURRENT CIVIL SERVANTS
PROVIDE EMPLOYEMENT ASSISTANCE FOR MEMBERS OF THE VETERAN AND MILITARY COMMUNITY FIRED FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN TRUMP’S MASS TERMINATIONS
Blumenthal will formally introduce this bill later this week. A link to the bill’s full section by section can be foundHERE.
Veterans make up 30% of the federal workforce, with approximately 640,000 veterans working in federal agencies. For decades, Administrations of both parties have made hiring veterans and military spouses to work in the federal government a priority—including President Trump’s previous Administration. Just this week,an internal memo leaked the Trump Administration’s plans to cut more than 80,000 VA employees, which would include at least 20,000 veterans, who make up 25% of VA’s workforce.
As Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Blumenthal has staunchly rebuked the Administration’s mass terminations of veterans and VA employees since day one. Ahead of President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress and in light of the President’s egregious attempts to slash VA employees and services, Blumenthal and a group of his Democratic colleagues took to the Senate floor last week to ask for unanimous consent to pass aresolutioncondemning the mass terminations of employees serving veterans and their families at VA and calling for those jobs to be reinstated. The resolution’s passage was blocked by Senate Republicans.
Last month, Blumenthal and a group of Senate Democrats alsocalled onPresident Donald Trump to cease his attack on our nation’s heroes and immediately reinstate all veterans who have been illegally fired in his Administration’s mass terminations of federal employees with their full back pay and benefits. The Trump Administration’s mass terminations have already led to the unprecedented firing of more than an estimated 6,000 veterans. The Administration has refused to provide Congress with information detailing the exact number of veterans fired. In addition, many of these terminated employees had exemplary performance records and multiple years of work experience in government service.
-30-