Veterans Affairs Staff Denounce OPM E mail Amid Elon Musk’s DOGE Push

• The newest OPM e mail telling federal staff to stipulate their accomplishments has roiled Washington.
• For Veterans Affairs staff who spoke to BI, the directive is yet another DOGE-related frustration.
• About 2,400 staffers from the company have been fired in latest weeks.

When Elon Musk introduced final Saturday that federal staff must reply to an e mail detailing their work accomplishments from the previous week or danger termination, it was the newest transfer within the White Home DOGE Workplace’s push to upend US authorities.

Veterans Affairs secretary Doug Collins — a former Georgia congressman — mentioned in a video final Thursday that well being take care of veterans wouldn’t undergo amid effectivity reforms, pushing again in opposition to what he mentioned have been “whoppers” about DOGE-related impacts on the division. Roughly 2,400 staff on the company have been fired in latest weeks, together with 1,400 on Monday.

A number of staffers on the Division of Veterans Affairs informed DOGE’s efforts have created a excessive degree of uncertainty and stress inside a division tasked with offering essential providers for the nation’s veterans.

“So many individuals haven’t any clue how that is impacting us,” one VA social employee mentioned. “We spend plenty of time managing our employees’s feelings with every OPM e mail. I worry folks will start to resign after which our veterans are those who will undergo.”

The social employee additionally mentioned staffers are being “harassed” by the Workplace of Personnel Administration.

“It has been nonstop since January 20,” the social employee mentioned of the OPM’s directives.

A VA nurse — who was instructed by a facility chief to reply to the OPM e mail — mentioned it “lacked any context, clarification, or correct official formatting, making it indistinguishable from a rip-off e mail.” The nurse famous that earlier than President Donald Trump took workplace final month, official communications usually got here from VA e mail accounts, whereas now they’re coming from OPM accounts.

“The concept a billionaire oligarch can resolve over social media that staff should undergo obscure, coercive calls for — or lose their jobs — is each disturbing and unacceptable,” the nurse added.

One other VA worker informed BI that the newest OPM e mail is a “direct assault” on public servants and chided authorities leaders for what he mentioned was an absence of management in probing DOGE.

“Why are our elected officers permitting an unvetted company such unchecked energy, with none seen oversight or accountability?” the worker mentioned. “The navy acknowledges the detrimental results of extended high-stress operations. Federal staff have been residing it for the previous month.”

Many of the VA staff spoke of how the OPM’s actions are taking away from the give attention to veterans.

One other VA nurse informed BI that they feared essential analysis trials can be in jeopardy after Trump issued a federal hiring freeze.

“I really like caring for veterans however now fear every day whether or not I am going to nonetheless have a job,” the nurse mentioned. “My coronary heart additionally breaks for all of the anxious veterans who at the moment are coming in questioning if they will nonetheless get care on the VA, if there will probably be anybody left to care for them.”

The Division of Veterans Affairs has roughly 400,000 staff, with 170 VA medical facilities and practically 1,200 outpatient facilities throughout the nation.

In January, following Trump’s hiring freeze government order, the division mentioned there can be exemptions for important roles.

Earlier in February, the Division of Veterans Affairs fired over 1,000 staff — which included probationary staff — and mentioned the transfer would enable it to redirect $98 million in financial savings in the direction of well being care providers for veterans.

After the dismissals, 36 Senate Democrats — together with Senate Veterans Affairs Committee rating member Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut — pressed the division to rehire each fired probationary worker.

Nonetheless, on Monday, the Division of Veterans Affairs dismissed 1,400 further staff whom they mentioned occupied “non-mission essential” probationary roles. This comes as probationary staff throughout a number of federal businesses have turn out to be targets for terminations in latest weeks.

“These and different latest personnel choices are terribly tough, however VA is targeted on allocating its sources to assist as many Veterans, households, caregivers, and survivors as doable,” Collins mentioned in an announcement on Monday.

“These strikes won’t harm VA well being care, advantages or beneficiaries. In actual fact, Veterans are going to note a change for the higher,” the secretary added.

The division mentioned on Monday that the majority of its 40,000 probationary staff weren’t included in the newest job dismissals as a result of they occupied essential roles.

Nonetheless, main Senate Democrats have continued to push again in opposition to the cuts on the Division of Veterans Affairs.

In a letter helmed by Blumenthal and signed by 35 of his Senate colleagues final Wednesday, they disputed Collins’ assertions that the cuts would not “negatively impression” take care of veterans.

“Openings for brand spanking new clinics have been delayed as a result of VA can not rent the required employees to open their doorways. Service traces at VA hospitals and clinics have been halted,” the lawmakers mentioned on the time. “The record of real-life unfavorable impacts of this Administration’s directives is expansive and rising on daily basis.”

Blumenthal — who mentioned he now regrets voting to substantiate Collins in what was an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote in January— railed in opposition to the newest sequence of cuts on the division.

“Make no mistake, these actions are destroying the belief veterans have in VA and can do long-term injury to VA’s skill to recruit and retain proficient docs, nurses, and others eager to pursue a profession serving veterans,” he mentioned in an announcement on Monday.

Enterprise Insider reached out to the Division of Veterans Affairs and DOGE for remark.