Wisconsin Democrats condemn Elon Musk-driven initiative to fire VA employees
Following the termination of more than 1,400 Department of Veterans Affairs employees on Monday, including some in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Democrats condemned the widespread firings.
It's the second round of terminations at the Department of Veterans Affairs since President Donald Trump took office last month, bringing the total of VA employees who have lost their jobs to about 2,400. It's estimated that nearly 6,000 veterans have been laid off from the federal workforce overall.
The terminations are part of the Department of Government Efficiency's initiative to eliminate waste, bloat and abuse from the federal workforce. Elon Musk, the wealthiest man on earth, heads the department, also known as DOGE.
The deadline to undertake these large-scale reductions in force is "no later than March 13, 2025," according to a memorandum from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget sent to the heads of executive departments and agencies Wednesday.
More: What we know about the firings of federal workers at Zablocki VA Medical Center
As part of what it's calling the Agency Reduction in Force and Reorganization Plans, or ARRP, executive and agency leadership are being urged to significantly reduce full-time positions by "eliminating positions that are not required." The memorandum underscored Trump's hiring freeze orders, noting that any new employee hire must be preempted by the termination of four employees.
It also aims to renegotiate the provisions of collective bargaining agreements, the backbone of labor unions.
"The federal government is costly, inefficient, and deeply in debt," the memo from OMB Director Russ Vought and OPM Acting Director Charles Ezell says. "At the same time, it is not producing results for the American public. Instead, tax dollars are being siphoned off to fund unproductive and unnecessary programs that benefit radical interest groups while hurting hardworking American citizens."
The Journal Sentinel previously reported that Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee, which employs about 2,000 people, lost at least 10 probationary employees by Monday evening, about three of whom are veterans. All federal workers are subject to a yearlong probationary period before becoming career employees. The positions ranged from medical supply technicians to program support assistants, according to Local 3 AFGE president Michele Malone, the union that represents Zablocki.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley called the terminations at Zablocki baseless and emphasized that veterans and their families "deserve the most quality health care and supportive services that are available to them." Crowley encouraged veterans and their families to access Milwaukee County Veterans' Services for services and to apply for benefits.
"We will always stand with the heroes who served and sacrificed to uphold the freedoms we all cherish," Crowley said.
Elsewhere, several employees at Madison VA Medical Center received termination notices from the Department of Veterans Affairs, but it's unclear how many lost their jobs. The Madison VA had not responded to a Journal Sentinel request for information as of late Wednesday.
Despite the turmoil these terminations are having on the already short-staffed VA medical centers, data published on DOGE's "Wall of Receipts" show that nearly 40% of the federal contracts Musk claims to have canceled aren't expected to save the government any money.
'Donald Trump and Elon Musk are trying to make room in the budget for tax breaks for billionaires, paid for by ripping the rug out from our Veterans and forcing the hard-working doctors, nurses, and staff at the VA out the door,' Baldwin said in a statement Tuesday. 'It doesn't get much lower than this. The Department of Veterans Affairs needs to reverse this decision and live up to our responsibility to take care of those who served us.'
Joining Baldwin's criticism, U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, a Milwaukee Democrat, U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, a Madison, Democrat, and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers condemned the firings Tuesday.
"To the richest man in the world and President Trump, VA services and veterans are waste, fraud, and abuse. I strongly disagree," Moore said in a statement. "These indiscriminate firings completely undermine our commitment to our veterans. Instead of firing veterans, it is time to fire Elon Musk."
Pocan told the Journal Sentinel Tuesday that VA employees expressed concern that cuts could "slow down people's access to service, their healthcare." He said some in the VA think the government will also scrutinize the disability status of veterans.
Evers told the Journal Sentinel that the Trump administration's decision to fire federal families who have families to feed and bills to pay was reckless.
"Indiscriminately firing thousands of our veterans and people who help care for them is appalling. We make a promise to our veterans and their families that we will always be there and support them when they return to civilian life — that's an obligation we should take seriously," Evers said. "Baselessly firing our veterans is a slap in the face to them and the families who've sacrificed so much for all of us."
In a statement that did not directly address the firings, U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, a Janesville Republican, extolled veterans for their service to this country.
'Our men and women who have worn the uniform and sacrificed for our nation deserve the absolute best care when they return home," Steil said. "In Congress, I've prioritized access to care for veterans and will always work to ensure that our veterans receive the treatment they deserve and the benefits they've earned.'
U.S. Senator Ron Johnson couldn't be reached for an interview regarding veteran firings, but he told Fox Business's Elizabeth MacDonald last week that, regarding the recent firings of 7,000 Internal Revenue Service employees, he strongly approves of Musk and DOGE plans.
"They are uncovering and exposing to the American public the grotesque levels of waste, fraud and abuse, but we need to turn that exposure into law, we need to turn that into spending reductions," Johnson said, who posited that the best action for our economy was to return to pre-pandemic spending levels.
Lawrence Andrea from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Joey Garrison of USA TODAY contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Democrats slam cuts to Wisconsin VA medical centers
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