Reps. Castro, Tran Lead 40+ Democrats Demanding Immediate Action to Reverse Mass Firings of Veterans, Military Spouses
WASHINGTON — This week, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Congressman Derek Tran (CA-45) led 41 of their colleagues to demand that the Trump administration halt the mass firings of veterans and military spouses from federal agencies and reverse previous terminations. In a letter sent yesterday, lawmakers expressed outrage at the administration’s callous disregard for military families and instructed the Office of Personnel Management to provide comprehensive data on the specific number of veterans and military spouses affected by the administration’s illegal mass layoffs.
This letter comes after reports that the Trump administration is planning to cut over 80,000 jobs from the Department of Veterans Affairs – eliminating key positions that were created to assist with implementation of the 2022 Honoring Our PACT Act.
“The federal government bears a fundamental responsibility to provide stable, meaningful career paths for these high priority groups — a responsibility that stems from both our national security interests and our obligations to military families. We urge the Trump Administration to reverse the mass firings of veterans and military families and halt further job cuts to protect those who have dedicated their lives to serving our country,” the lawmakers wrote.
“Recent mass terminations not only violate our commitment to those who served, they actively undermine the strength and quality of our federal workforce. Veterans and military spouses bring invaluable leadership experience, diverse perspectives, and proven dedication to public service that enhances government performance at every level. Additionally, federal employment has been essential to addressing veteran unemployment levels and the economic instability that affects military families. The Administration's indiscriminate firing of probationary employees threatens to reverse decades of progress in building a strong and capable federal workforce. We are alarmed by the Administration’s sweeping termination of probationary employees conducted without transparency or concern about its impact on veterans and military spouses. These widespread dismissals send a clear message to thousands of veterans and military spouses: the government they defended now views them as disposable,” the lawmakers continued.
The full letter can be viewed here.
Additional members signing the letter include Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Joe Courtney (CT-02), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), Eric Sorensen (IL-17), Greg Landsman (OH-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Greg Casar (TX-35), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large), Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), Ted W. Lieu (CA-36), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Judy Chu (CA-28), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Marc A. Veasey (TX-33), Jesús G. "Chuy" García (IL-04), Al Green (TX-09), Dina Titus (NV-01), Laura Friedman (CA-30), John B. Larson (CT-01), Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), J. Luis Correa (CA-46), Sam T. Liccardo (CA-17), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Ro Khanna (CA-17), and Salud Carbajal (CA-24).