WASHINGTON – Today, during a Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), a Marine combat veteran, raised serious concerns over the Trump Administration’s cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that threaten veterans’ mental health care. He also reiterated his blanket hold on Trump’s VA nominees until the Administration reverses course on its drastic cuts:
“I placed a blanket hold on all President Trump’s nominees to the VA, especially following the fact they are cutting 83,000 jobs because I just don’t see how it is possible for the VA to fire so many employees without it affecting care for veterans, especially health care,” said Senator Gallego.
Watch Senator Gallego’s questioning HERE.
He also emphasized that the administration’s plans to cut 83,000 jobs from the department would impact the VA’s ability to retain and recruit mental health professionals in the future.
“It is hard to get some of these therapists into this job. Some of them can be much better paid in the private sector. So losing therapists to these arbitrary cuts, in my opinion, is going to be very detrimental to the mental health of these men and women,” said Senator Gallego.
Gallego also asked for clarity on the deadline the VA has set for these cuts, highlighting that the Phoenix VA received a directive to reduce their workforce by 15% by July 1st. The witnesses failed to provide answers about which positions are being eliminated, when, or how veterans’ care would be protected.
Sudden cuts – especially when it comes to a mental health care clinic, VA clinics, suicide prevention – could be extremely damaging,” added Senator Gallego.
Senator Gallego then asked the VA officials to commit to ensuring that the administration’s cuts do not affect VA mental health providers. The officials did not commit to this.
4/29/25