Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, along with other Senate members, have introduced the Putting Veterans First Act in response to job terminations within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) under the Trump Administration and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). This legislation seeks to reverse what many view as a harmful decision impacting veterans and federal employees. "The Putting Veterans First Act would ensure these unduly fired employees are returned to work and ensure that service for veterans is not interrupted for one day longer," Wyden stated on his official page.
A leaked internal memo from the senators' offices revealed that the Trump administration planned to dismiss over 80,000 VA employees, including about 20,000 veterans, who make up 25 percent of the workforce. "There is no making sense of the Trump Administration’s cruel, reckless plans to fire over 80,000 VA employees, many of them veterans themselves. Our veterans and military families deserve the full measure of our appreciation, not this stunning betrayal by President Trump," Merkley said in a release from Senator Ron Wyden's website.
The act, led by Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, includes several key provisions. It aims to reinstate unjustly terminated veterans and military community members, improve VA care, benefits, and employment, and increase transparency and oversight regarding VA staffing, claims backlog, and waiting times. The legislation also seeks to protect veterans’ sensitive information from DOGE and unappointed officials, while evaluating the fiscal impact of DOGE's contract cancellations within the VA. Notably, the bill also focuses on mental health care for current and former civil servants and career assistance for those affected by the mass layoffs.
Veterans make up 30 percent of the federal workforce, a historical trend that this legislation aims to protect against budget cuts from the previous administration. The senators’ efforts reflect a broader conversation about duty and justice—values the Putting Veterans First Act seeks to uphold for those who served the country. As the bill progresses, it could offer both a solution for the VA and a reaffirmation of the commitment to veterans.
