Overview

• The Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency initiative aims to cut 83,000 VA positions—about 15% of its workforce—to streamline federal operations.
• Over 5,000 veterans rallied on the National Mall alongside more than 200 companion events nationwide on June 6, marking the 81st anniversary of D-Day.
• The proposed budget would slash VA medical services funding by $12 billion while increasing support for private-sector care by 50%, raising privatization fears.
• Protesters decried planned reductions in mental health, suicide prevention and LGBTQ+ outreach roles and condemned the administration’s ban on transgender service members.
• VA Secretary Doug Collins asserts the layoffs will boost efficiency without affecting veterans’ benefits, a claim veterans’ advocates strongly dispute.