U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins defended plans to slash tens of thousands of jobs from the VA system during a visit to the VA Medical Center in Battle Creek on Monday.
The Battle Creek facility employs roughly 2,100 people and serves more than 40,000 veterans.
The Trump administration is looking to cut 70,000 to 80,000 VA jobs nationwide, as part of its efforts to reduce the size of the federal workforce.
Collins told reporters cuts can be made without affecting VA patient care, by focusing on employees not working directly in patient care.
“They’re not touching a veteran. They’re not doing the things that these folks here at the Battle Creek are doing every day,” said Collins.
Collins insists the job cuts will “not affect the patient care.”
But veterans’ groups worry that reducing the VA workforce will negatively affect patient care and services.
“The (Veterans of Foreign Wars) supports the elimination of waste, fraud and abuse in our government,” said VFW National Commander Al Lipphardt, in a written statement released earlier this month.
But Lipphardt added the VFW wants the Trump administration to reconsider its planned workforce reduction plan. He said he prefers the administration to use a scalpel, not a chain saw, to make the cuts.
“Our leaders in Washington, D.C., must “Honor the Contract” we all signed when we joined the military,” said Lipphardt.
The job cuts at the VA are targeted to be complete by August.
There are currently more than 470,000 employees at the VA.
