'These moves will not hurt VA health care, benefits or beneficiaries,' VA Secretary Doug Collins noted
VA Secretary Doug Collins prioritizes efficiency, healthcare flexibility for veterans
Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins joined 'Fox & Friends First' to lay out his top priorities in his new role and how he plans to make the agency more efficient.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is cutting more than 1,400 probationary workers occupying "non-mission critical positions," according to a Monday news release.
"Those dismissed today are bargaining-unit probationary employees who have served less than a year in a competitive service appointment or who have served less than two years in an excepted service appointment," the VA noted.
The cuts will save over $83 million annually, the VA indicated.
TRUMP ADMIN ORDERS AGENCIES TO LAY OFF PROBATIONARY WORKERS IN LATEST PUSH TO SHRINK GOVERNMENT
Now Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins testifies during his confirmation hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
As a result of the financial savings, the VA said it will be able to "redirect all of those resources back toward health care, benefits and services for VA beneficiaries."
"As an additional safeguard to ensure VA benefits and services are not impacted, the first Senior Executive Service (SES) or SES-equivalent leader in a dismissed employee’s chain of command can request that the employee be exempted from removal," the VA noted.
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it is cutting more than 1,400 probationary workers, which will result in annual savings of more than $83 million. (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
This newly announced round of cuts comes after the VA previously announced the elimination of more than 1,000 workers earlier this month.
"These and other recent personnel decisions are extraordinarily difficult, but VA is focused on allocating its resources to help as many Veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors as possible," VA Secretary Doug Collins said in the Monday news release.
The VA specifically said these decisions to let some employees go "will not hurt VA health care, benefits or beneficiaries" and even noted that veterans will "notice a change for the better."
"In the coming weeks and months, VA will be announcing plans to put these resources to work helping the department fulfill its core mission: providing the best possible care and benefits to Veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors," Collins said.
Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.
