John Plahovinsak
It was an extremely busy week for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). First, DOGE placed 875 VA contracts scheduled for termination.
Later, the VA announced that 80,000 VA employees would be dismissed in the immediate future, joining the 2,400 VA employees already fired in the month of February. Finally, DOGE reinstated 300 VA contracts of 875 VA contracts it initially wanted to terminate earlier in the week.
However, a VA representative indicated that the contract terminations and the personnel cut “will not negatively affect Veteran care, benefits or services.” These actions, according to the VA spokesperson “were identified through a deliberate, multi-level review.”
On February 23, 2025, VA Secretary Doug Collins pledged to 400 members of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) at their Washington DC Conference that any actions undertaken by the VA “will not negatively affect veteran care, benefits or services.”
This same pledge was given by Secretary Doug Collins to the American Legion at their Conference two (2) days later.
Now, Republican Congressman Greg Murphy is being both forthright and honest about the situation. He defended the “austerity” measures that the VA was employing by the firing of 83,400 VA employees and the contract terminations.
The goal established for the VA is to return to the 2019 staffing levels of 399,957 employees, down from the 470,000 VA employees that were employed in January of 2025.
According to Murphy, the firings of the VA employees were because the VA “over-hired” staff during the previous administration. “We really need to get the nation’s finances under control,” he said. “This is a national emergency to try to get our finances under control.”
When asked by CNN Reporter Brianna Keilar if Rep. Murphy, a physician himself, would guarantee that veterans benefits and care would not be affected by the firings of VA employees, Representative Murphy stated, “No, I can’t guarantee anything.”
Rep. Murphy is a third-term Congressman and one of the thirty-five (35) representatives that are on the House Veterans Affairs Committee. On March 3, 2022, he voted in favor of the PACT Act and his Congressional District includes Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.
The “over-hired” VA staff includes 61,000 employees hired by the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) in 2023 to administer the PACT Act. According to the VA, over one (1) million veterans enrolled in the VA healthcare system and applied for benefits that they earned after the PACT Act was passed into law.
My Opinion: I have not seen or received a complete listing of the 585 VA contracts that are still scheduled for being terminated by DOGE or the VA Secretary. However, Reporters Gretchen Morgenson and Laura Strickler have obtained a copy of the Report.
According to these reporters, many of the scheduled-for-termination VA contracts could be construed as “central to patient safety.” For example, three (3) contracts deal with “sterility certification for VA hospital pharmacy operations; facility air quality, and safety testing to prevent transmission of infections.”
Other VA contracts deal with “sterile processing services to decontaminate equipment and medical instruments; providing required certification and accreditation for stroke centers; and follow-up care for cancer patients.”
Another contract pertains to monitoring the safety of radiation equipment used for cancer treatment and the safety of the officers using the equipment.
If this radiology equipment is in violation, “hospitals would likely have to shut down,” according to a VA official. “You cannot have a hospital that does not have a radiology department.”
Another contract that has been classified as “non-mission critical” deals with the National Center for PTSD. This is the VA Center that is the world’s leading research and educational center on post-traumatic stress disorder.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal said VA Secretary Doug Collins was being “reckless” to cancel contracts. “Make no mistake, cancelling these contracts will cause harm to veterans and VA care and benefits,” Senator Blumenthal said.
“And it is completely unacceptable there has been no transparency, accountability, or consultation surrounding these contracts,” stated Blumenthal.
“By intentionally concealing from Congress the full list of contracts cancelled,” concluded Blumenthal, “Collins makes clear his intentions to use these terminated services as numbers for his press release, with zero regard for veterans.”
On February 23, 2025, VA Secretary Collins said he would work with veteran service organizations (VSO), like the Disabled American Veterans, in making changes at the VA. I was there and I heard him.
To my understanding, VA Secretary Collins has not consulted with any VSO in making decisions on cancelling VA contracts. I agree with Senator Blumenthal, that there has been no transparency, no accountability, or no consultation surrounding these contracts.
BioSketch: John Plahovinsak is a retired 32-year Army veteran who served from 1967 to 1999. He is on the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Department of Ohio’s Legislative Team. He can be reached at: plahovinsak@msn.com.