The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) initially planned to cut 83,000 jobs but reversed this decision following widespread backlash from veterans, veterans service organizations, and members of Congress. The revised plan now involves laying off 30,000 employees by the end of September 2025, including doctors, nurses, and about one-third of the affected workers who are veterans themselves. Critics argue that these cuts will exacerbate already long wait times and reduce access to care and benefits for veterans. Several lawmakers have introduced legislation, such as the Protect Veteran Jobs Act, to halt these reductions and emphasize the importance of retaining VA staff to ensure quality care. Separately, the Trump administration has also been criticized for firing approximately 1,350 employees at the U.S. State Department, including civil servants and foreign service officers, raising concerns about national security and diplomatic capacity. Lawmakers and officials have called for an immediate halt to these mass terminations and pledged to support affected employees. The ongoing staff reductions at both the VA and State Department have drawn bipartisan condemnation for potentially undermining critical government services and veteran care.