Veteran Affairs

Most Recent Updates

VA Fires 1,000 Employees as Part of Trump’s Trimming of the Federal Workforce

What does it do?

• Provide Health Care Services: Operates one of the largest health care systems in the country (the Veterans Health Administration), offering preventive care, mental health services, surgeries, rehabilitation, and specialized care for veterans.
• Manage Disability Compensation: Administers disability compensation programs to support veterans who suffer from service-related injuries or illnesses.
• Oversee Education Benefits: Offers education and training benefits (such as the GI Bill) to help veterans, service members, and their families cover tuition, housing, and other education-related expenses.
• Facilitate Home Loans: Guarantees home loans and provides related mortgage assistance to help veterans buy, build, or adapt homes.
• Support Employment and Vocational Rehabilitation: Provides services and programs to help veterans secure and maintain gainful employment, including job training and career counseling.
• Coordinate Pension Programs: Administers needs-based pension benefits for wartime veterans and survivors who meet certain income and age or disability requirements.
• Offer Life Insurance: Provides low-cost life insurance options to service members, veterans, and their families.
• Manage National Cemeteries: Through the National Cemetery Administration, the VA maintains national cemeteries, provides burial services, and honors veterans with memorial benefits
• The Trump administration proposes reducing USAID to only a few hundred jobs, eliminating thousands of federal positions.
• Foreign aid contractors—employing tens of thousands of Americans—would also be hit hard by funding cuts, potentially going out of business
• Some contractors have already furloughed staff due to funding uncertainties
• Even if funding is later restored, some companies may not recover, making future aid distribution more difficult