ICYMI: Senator Murray, VA Researchers, Employees, Contractors in WA State Slam Trump & Elon’s Plans to Decimate VA With Further Mass Layoffs, Harm Services Veterans Rely On
ICYMI: Murray Statement on Trump & Elon Plans to Decimate the VA, Firing 80,000 Employees and Putting Veterans’ Care in Grave Danger
*** VIDEO of Senator Murray’s Remarks and Questioning HERE***
Washington, D.C. — Today, at a Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing to consider pending nominations, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, questioned Lieutenant Colonel James Baehr, nominee to be the General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and Captain Richard Topping, nominee to be Chief Financial Officer at VA. Senator Murray pressed the nominees on the Trump administration’s plans to fire over 80,000 VA employees, and how those cuts will harm veterans’ earned benefits and services. Senator Murray also underscored her concern with how this administration is picking and choosing which laws to follow instead of reviewing compliance with every law Congress passed to ensure care for veterans.
Senator Murray began by emphasizing the sacred oath we make to our veterans, that we will take care of them when they return home, and questioning Mr. Baehr on the impact of mass firing tens of thousands of employees at VA. “I, and many of us, are very concerned about Trump’s plan now to fire over 80,000 VA employees and how that would seriously disrupt veterans being able to access not just their obviously, education benefits, but their disability benefits, their home loan benefits, all that they’ve earned.”
“Do you support those widespread cuts to VA’s workforce?,” Murray asked Mr. Baehr.
Mr. Baehr dodged the question, saying: “I’m not at the VA and have no role in any of those choices or decisions. As an individual who uses VA myself, of course I want to ensure we have the best services and benefits—I also as a veteran want to see the VA improve and I think this entire committee does as well. So, I would review the law, and I would advise the Secretary on following a legal path and pursuing his vision for putting the veteran at the center of all that we do, if confirmed.”
Senator Murray followed up, “Do you think that firing 80,000 people will make it more or less difficult for veterans to get access?”
“I have not looked at the situation myself,” Mr. Baher replied, dodging again. “And I don’t know—I have just read the public reporting on it. I understand there is some exempt positions. The Secretary said that he is focused on care for veterans and making sure veterans don’t lose care or benefits. So, I don’t know where those opportunities for efficiency, or not, exist in this system. My role, if confirmed, would be to ensure that everything we do is lawful and compliant with Title V, Title 38, and other rules and regulations.”
Senator Murray continued, asking Mr. Topping and Mr. Baehr on the ability of DOGE and the Trump administration to pick and choose which laws to follow: “I would just remind all of us that this is a people organization and if we fire 80,000 people, it’s going to be really challenging and difficult—if not impossible—for our veterans to get the care and benefits that they’ve earned… This Committee has worked to pass a lot of really important pieces of legislation that require vital changes at the VA. That includes the Caregivers Program that passed when I was chair of the Committee, as well as the Deborah Sampson Act and of course the PACT Act, which just passed recently. During Secretary Collins’ nomination hearing, he testified that he agreed with providing vital health care and benefits to veterans, and that we have to get it right.”
“However, I just have to say—I have really serious concerns that this administration now is picking and choosing which laws to follow, which means not living up to the promises we have made our veterans and really ignoring the intent of Congress. For example, we know that VA is doing a review to determine whether it is fully compliant with the MISSION Act, but not reviewing compliance with any other piece of legislation. Mr. Topping let me just start with you, is the PACT Act less important that the MISSION Act?”
Mr. Topping responded, “Senator, I think all the legislation passed by this Congress is important.”
“Should VA pick and choose which laws to follow?” Senator Murray pressed.
Mr. Topping replied, “Senator, I think like any organization with limited resources, time, and capabilities, there is always a prioritization, none is more or less important. But I think what the Secretary said he’s doing is—he’s focused on maximizing efficiency, redeploying those resources so they’re front-facing and essential of veterans, and ensuring that the veteran remains at the center of everything that we do. I am not there, I am not exactly sure how the prioritization works, but I understand what the Secretary has articulated his goals to be.”
Senator Murray turned the same question to Mr. Baehr, to which he replied: “I believe that the VA should follow all the laws, and if confirmed I would advise the Secretary on how he can fulfill his role in the best course of action with all the laws and regulations that are passed by Congress.”
“I just have a few seconds left and I just want to ask you, Mr. Baehr, do you think it’s legal for DOGE to have access to veterans’ personal information?” Senator Murray followed up.
Mr. Baehr responded, “Senator, again, I am not at VA, and I am not familiar with what is going on. I’m just operating with what I have read in the public news. And there are… significant protections for veterans’ information. All three veterans before you, our information is in VA, so we are certainly sympathetic. I don’t want anyone looking at my podiatry records or other…”
“Personal, financial, health, all of that,” Senator Murray interjected. “So, if the Department is given directives by DOGE, or by the White House, that you believe are illegal, will you follow those directives?”
“I will always pursue the Constitution and follow the laws. I don’t believe I will be given illegal directives, but I will always follow the law,” Mr. Baehr replied.
Senator Murray was the first woman to join the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and the first woman to chair the Committee—as the daughter of a World War II veteran, supporting veterans and their families has always been an important priority for her. Senator Murray has been a leading voice in the Seante speaking out forcefully against President Trump and Elon Musk’s mass firing of VA employees and VA researchers across the country and Elon Musk and DOGE’s infiltration of the VA, including accessing veterans’ sensitive personal information. In recent weeks, Senator Murray and her colleagues sent letters to VA Secretary Doug Collins demanding that the VA swiftly reverse moves to cut VA researchers, as well as multiple letters pressing Secretary Collins to sever Elon Musk and DOGE’s access to any VA or other government system with information about veterans, and protect veterans, their families, and VA staff from unprecedented access to sensitive information. Senator Murray grilled Trump’s nominee for VA Deputy Secretary, Dr. Paul Lawrence, on the mass firings of VA employees and VA researchers, and voted against Doug Collins’s nomination to be VA Secretary in early February, sounding the alarm over reports of DOGE at the VA and making clear that the Trump administration’s lawlessness was putting our national security and our veterans at risk.
A fact sheet outlining how Trump and Musk are endangering Veterans’ care is HERE.
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