U.S. Senate lawmakers are demanding that President Donald Trump exempt all positions at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs from a hiring freeze.
In an executive order the day of his inauguration as the 47th president, Trump instituted an immediate hiring freeze across the federal civil service. In the lawmakers’ letter to Trump, the senators raised concerns that unless the VA were exempted from the hiring freeze, delivery of health care and benefits to veterans across the country could be delayed or otherwise negatively impacted.
U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia are included in the letter. Kaine is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the father of a son who served in the military.
“As written, this Memorandum could dramatically impair the ability of veterans across the country to get the care and benefits they desperately need,” wrote the senators. “It could also delay or deny various other services across VA – from burial services to job training to assistance for homeless veterans to life-saving assistance from the Veterans Crisis Line.”
The lawmakers wrote that VA benefits would be exempt from the hiring freeze, but later they learned the hiring freeze will include the Veterans Benefits Administration and “dramatically impact the processing of disability claims, growing the backlog and making it more difficult for veterans to access their earned benefits, including those promised in the PACT Act. Additionally, there is no explicit exemption for employees serving the more than 9.2 million veterans enrolled in VA health care.”
Following concerns from senators and veterans, the VA announced certain positions would be exempted from the hiring freeze. However, the order continues to require the Veterans Benefits Administration to take additional steps before filling vacancies, which would dramatically impact the processing of disability claims. The order also does not exempt certain support staff who provide important inpatient services at VA medical centers, including housekeepers, cooks and boiler room employees.
Warner and Kaine have both long advocated for ensuring access to health care, housing, employment and other benefits for veterans and military families. In December 2024, they joined colleagues in a unanimous vote to pass the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, which will cut down wait times for veterans seeking health care and improve pay for VA health care employees. In September 2024, Warner and Kaine announced more than $4.5 million in federal funding for veteran suicide prevention efforts in Virginia. In August 2022, they helped pass the PACT Act to expand benefits for veterans who were exposed to toxins as a result of their military service.
Wednesday morning, Warner posted on X: “Trump’s unlawful federal funding freeze is paused for now, but we’re not letting up… we’re fighting back with lawsuits and more. I’m wary of this so-called “buyout” idea too. We can’t let President Trump stiff Virginians.” In a video, he said Trump does not have a good track record of paying his employees.
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Rebecca Barnabi
