The Trump Administration is planning to cut more than 80,000 jobs at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as part of a massive reorganization. U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Missouri, defends the plan, saying the former Biden Administration bloated the size of the VA.
“I think, really, across the board, I think what the (Trump) administration is trying to get back to are pre-COVID funding levels, and we’re spending $2 trillion more than we have right now each and every year,” Schmitt told Missourinet. “It’s just not sustainable.”
Schmitt said he doesn’t expect there to be any interruptions in services to military veterans, which include healthcare and other vital needs.
“I know it’s a priority to make sure that our veterans are taken care of, so we don’t expect any interruption in those kinds of services,” he said. “But the truth of the matter is, over the last few years, Joe Biden has just added a tremendous amount of bloat across the board in the federal government.”
State Rep. Stephanie Boykin, D-Florissant, told Missourinet the VA workforce cuts would be “devastating” to veterans in Missouri and nationwide.
“A majority of those VA workers are healthcare providers,” she said.
According to Military.com, the Biden Administration engaged in a “massive hiring spree” after the passage of a 2022 law that expanded VA benefits for millions of vets exposed to toxic substances while deployed. The new hires were brought on to handle an expected influx of new patients and benefit claims.
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