How Doug Collins’ Attack on the VA Workforce Betrays Veterans and Public Servants Alike
Last week, VA Secretary Doug Collins released a video declaring that the Department of Veterans Affairs “does not exist to employ people. It exists to serve people.” His remarks, combined with claims that the VA has been mismanaged before his tenure and now requires drastic reform, have sent a wave of demoralization across the VA workforce.
The federal government does not exist to employ people.
Veterans Affairs Secretary, Doug Collins
Doug Collins’ message suggests that the VA has been operating inefficiently, justifying the administration’s push to reduce staffing. But his broad-brush criticism ignores the reality of VA employees – dedicated public servants who provide some of the highest-quality healthcare in the nation. Meanwhile, as Collins lectures about fiscal responsibility, the administration has no issue funneling billions in federal contracts to billionaires like Elon Musk. After all, the federal government isn’t here to employ middle-class workers – it’s here to enrich billionaires. Just ask Musk, who now leads the ironically named Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), overseeing spending cuts while quietly pocketing billions in taxpayer-funded contracts.
While Doug Collins decries government waste, Musk’s DOGE appointees have been quietly collecting six-figure, taxpayer-funded salaries, despite Musk’s initial promise that these positions would be unpaid volunteer roles (Politico, 2024). The hypocrisy is glaring: the administration claims to be cutting costs while ensuring that billionaires and their allies continue profiting off the very system they claim to be reforming.
The Human Cost: VA Employees, Many of Them Veterans, Left Behind
Doug Collins’ rhetoric suggests that the VA has been mismanaged and must be drastically restructured. But his broad-brush criticism ignores a critical reality: the people who make up the VA workforce. These are not bureaucrats sitting idly at desks – they are doctors, nurses, claims processors, and caregivers who dedicate their careers to serving those who have served our nation. Many are Veterans who found new purpose in helping their fellow service members.
The VA workforce has grown over the past decade, not because of waste, but because of necessity. The expansion of benefits under the PACT Act, which provides care for Veterans exposed to toxic substances, has required more personnel to meet the growing demand. From 2015 to 2023, the VA workforce increased by over 20%, reflecting the increased need for services among Veterans (VA.gov, 2023). Meanwhile, Veteran satisfaction with VA healthcare has risen, consistently outperforming private-sector alternatives in quality of care, safety, and accessibility (RAND Corporation, 2023; JAMA Network, 2022).
So, if VA services are improving and demand for them is growing, why is Doug Collins advocating for mass layoffs?
The Real Agenda: Privatization at the Expense of Veterans and Employees
The answer is clear: Doug Collins, like many before him, is laying the groundwork for privatization. By demonizing the VA workforce and cutting staff, he creates artificial inefficiencies that justify outsourcing Veteran care to the private sector. This is not about serving Veterans better – it’s about diverting taxpayer dollars to private corporations that have long sought to profit off VA healthcare.
This is not speculation. The Mission Act, passed in 2018, has already funneled billions into private-sector healthcare, despite studies showing that VA care is not only cheaper but also provides better outcomes (Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute, 2023). The VA’s $300 billion annual budget is a goldmine for private healthcare executives, and Collins is simply helping them stake their claim.
False Promises of Efficiency
Doug Collins’ claim that these cuts will make the VA “more efficient” is blatantly false. A federal agency struggling to fill 40,000 vacancies cannot function better by eliminating another 90,000 positions. These cuts will result in longer wait times, reduced services, and increased workloads for remaining employees – pushing more Veterans to seek care in the private sector, where they will face higher costs and lower-quality care.
Moreover, his attack on VA employees will have a ripple effect beyond the department itself. When 90,000 federal workers lose their jobs, communities suffer. Many of these employees are Veterans who rely on their VA salaries to support their families. They are middle-class Americans, not the billionaires Doug Collins and his allies prefer to support through government contracts.
A Flood of Appeals from Fired Federal Workers
The consequences of these mass firings have already begun to unfold. The Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) has reported a staggering 2,100% increase in appeals from terminated federal employees since the administration took office. Over 4,800 complaints have been filed, overwhelming the watchdog agency tasked with ensuring fair treatment for federal workers (Reuters, 2025). Many of these employees are challenging improper dismissal procedures, arguing that the administration failed to follow proper protocols.
The Office of Special Counsel (OSC) has also intervened, seeking to reverse the mass firing of over 5,000 probationary employees at the Department of Agriculture. The OSC argues that these dismissals violated civil service protections, as no individual performance assessments were conducted (Politico, 2025). This wave of legal challenges exposes the administration’s disregard for federal employment laws and highlights the human cost of these politically motivated purges.
Erosion of Veterans Services: Therapy in Open Cubicles
In addition to mass layoffs, the administration’s rigid return-to-office policies have resulted in alarming consequences for VA mental health services. Reports have surfaced that VA social workers are being forced to conduct therapy sessions with Veterans in open cubicles due to a lack of private offices, compromising confidentiality and violating ethical standards (Popular.info, 2025).
Mental health professionals have raised concerns that these conditions fail to meet the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements, eroding trust in VA care. Many therapists have reported that Veterans are hesitant to open up about PTSD, depression, and suicidal ideation when they know their conversations could be overheard. The situation underscores the administration’s disregard for both VA employees and the Veterans they serve.
Who Benefits? Billionaires and Private Healthcare Interests
While Doug Collins claims the VA “does not exist to employ people,” his administration has no issue funneling billions into private contracts for the ultra-wealthy. Elon Musk’s companies alone have secured over $22 billion in federal contracts (Government Accountability Office, 2023), yet Collins sees VA employees as the financial burden. The hypocrisy is glaring: the administration attacks public servants while enriching billionaires.
Meanwhile, Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) have not called for massive VA layoffs. In fact, VSOs such as the Disabled American Veterans and the American Legion have consistently advocated for expanding VA resources to meet growing demands. If the VA were truly failing Veterans, these organizations would be leading the charge for change. Instead, they continue to defend the VA as the best source of care for those who served.
The Bottom Line: Doug Collins’ Betrayal of VA Employees and Veterans
Doug Collins’ attack on the VA workforce is more than just a policy decision – it’s a betrayal. It undermines the very people who have dedicated their lives to caring for Veterans, many of whom are Veterans themselves. It prioritizes corporate profits over public service. And worst of all, it jeopardizes the quality of care that millions of Veterans rely on every day.
This is not about efficiency. This is not about better care for Veterans. This is about dismantling an institution that works, so that billionaires and private corporations can profit.
Veterans and VA employees alike deserve better. It’s time to call this plan what it is – a deliberate effort to gut the VA and hand it over to the highest bidder. The stakes are too high to ignore.
