WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) and Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) today sent a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Douglas Collins demanding accountability for recent mass layoffs at the agency and calling on the administration to uphold its commitment to veterans’ health and well-being.

A recent series of indiscriminate VA layoffs “will harm our nation’s veterans…” Golden and King wrote. “... Across-the-board layoffs exacerbate an already tenuous workforce shortage where employees are being asked to work overtime to cover unfilled positions.”

Over the last month, 2,400 VA employees — many veterans themselves — have been abruptly laid off across the country. The latest round of firings last week included seven employees at the Togus VA Medical Center in Augusta. 

While termination emails commonly explained that the decision was due to the employee’s “poor performance,” often these same individuals consistently received exemplary reviews throughout their careers at the VA. 

In their letter, Golden and King specifically called on the VA to explain what steps were taken to ensure layoffs would not impact veterans’ care, what processes were used to determine “poor performance” after positive internal reviews, and whether additional layoffs are expected. 

As members of the House Armed Services Committee and Senate Armed Services and Veterans Affairs Committees, respectively, Golden and King will continue advocating for the critical care America’s veterans earned through their service.

A copy of the lawmakers’ letter can be found here, and is included below in full:

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Dear Secretary Collins

We write with the utmost concern regarding a series of directives being carried out by the Trump Administration and the Department of Government E?ciency (DOGE) that will harm our nation’s veterans.

In early February, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) laid off 1,000 employees in positions that were deemed “non-mission critical.” Recently, the VA laid off another 1,400 employees on similar grounds. Across-the-board layoffs exacerbate an already tenuous workforce shortage where employees are being asked to work overtime to cover unfilled positions.

The VA has fired qualified employees who provide essential services to veterans for alleged “poor performance” yet, many of the fired employees were described as meeting and exceeding the duties of their job description in their reviews. Additionally, many of the employees who have been fired are veterans themselves.

With regard to those concerns, we ask you to provide us with answers to the following questions by March 7:

1. The VA has publicly stated that the recent layoffs will have no effect on veterans’ healthcare. What steps has the agency taken to determine that these actions will have no adverse impact?

2. Poor performance has been commonly used as the reasoning for the firings. What processes are used to reconcile differing performance opinions between the DOGE and the VA’s supervisors?

3. Does the VA plan to terminate additional employees within the next 90 days? If so, what criteria will be used and how many employees are at risk of being terminated?

We expect the Trump Administration and the DOGE to uphold its commitment and continue to prioritize the health and well-being of our veterans.

We appreciate your immediate attention to this important matter.

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