Congressman Castro Slams Trump-Musk Plan to Sabotage PACT Act Implementation with Mass Firings at the Department of Veterans Affairs

March 05, 2025 Congressman Castro Slams Trump-Musk Plan to Sabotage PACT Act Implementation with Mass Firings at the Department of Veterans Affairs WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement in response to reports that President Trump and Elon Musk plan to fire more than 80,000 employees who work at the Department of Veterans Affairs, including tens of thousands of employees who were hired in recent years to support implementation of the 2022 Honoring Our PACT Act: “San Antonio is home to more than 90,000 veterans who risked everything to serve our country. I challenge Trump and Elon Musk to come to San Antonio and explain why tax cuts for billionaires matter more than their lives. Trump’s plan to fire tens of thousands of VA employees is illegal, and I will not support a budget that makes harmful cuts to VA programs or services. “Three years ago, sick and dying veterans had to come to Washington to shame Republican senators into passing the PACT Act. If Trump’s plan moves forward, VA employees who were hired to help veterans with their PACT Act benefits will be thrown to the curb. People will suffer because Republican lawmakers are too scared to stand up to Trump’s attacks on our veterans.” Print Email Tweet