U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) has introduced legislation he said will protect veterans from past and future federal layoffs.
The Putting Veterans First Act would reinstate — with full benefits and back pay — all veterans and military spouses who worked in the federal government and all VA employees who were fired, demoted, or suspended.
Blumenthal, the top Democrat on the Senate VA committee, said the legislation would also prevent a VA hiring freeze if it would result in reductions in benefits or care for veterans.
“This bill is a call to action at a moment of crisis for all of our veterans,” Blumenthal said. “The VA system of health care and benefits has been disastrously and disgracefully put on the chopping block by the Trump administration.”
The legislation also prohibits DOGE from accessing or changing any veteran or VA data.
The legislation has 19 Democratic and Independent co-sponsors, including Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). It would need Republican support to pass.
An estimated 6,000 veterans have been laid off across the federal workforce, 2,500 employees at the VA have already been fired, and last week, the department announced it would cut an additional 70,000 employees.
Department leadership defended the cuts, saying they wouldn’t impact veterans’ healthcare or benefits. VA Secretary Doug Collins said the cuts would redirect money to veteran-facing healthcare, benefits and services.
A federal judge on Thursday ruled the Trump administration's layoffs of probationary federal government employees illegal — and ordered the administration to rehire them temporarily.
