VA Secretary Doug Collins dismissed concerns about the cuts, claiming that benefits would not be reduced but rather improved and made more efficient.

Despite Collins' assurances, many healthcare workers, including Nurse Ann Marie Patterson-Powell, expressed skepticism, emphasizing that reduced staffing would lead to nurses taking on non-patient care tasks.

Critics of the cuts, including RN Mildred Manning Joy, noted that 25 percent of the targeted workers are veterans themselves, framing the cuts as a direct attack on those who have served.

A significant protest against proposed job cuts at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) took place outside a veterans hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on March 30, 2025, drawing several hundred participants.

Nurses in North Carolina protested on April 2, 2025, against the proposed cuts, highlighting that they are already performing non-nursing tasks due to staffing shortages.

During the protests, several union leaders and elected officials, including Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist and U.S. Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Debbie Dingell, criticized the Trump Administration's actions.

Barton, a veteran and union leader, stressed that the proposed cuts would compromise essential support roles, which are critical for maintaining hospital operations and patient safety.

Internal memos indicate that the job cuts are expected to take effect by August 2025, aiming to reduce the VA workforce from approximately 470,000 to below 400,000.

The VA plans to cut between 72,000 to 80,000 workers, a move that could severely impact patient care already strained by staff shortages.

The VA's plan to return staffing levels to 2019 figures is seen as inadequate, especially given the recent enrollment of 400,000 new veterans in the system.

The ongoing privatization of veteran care, initiated by previous legislation, has led to billions being diverted from the VA, raising concerns about the future of direct care services.

Critics argue that veterans' care should not be compromised for efficiency gains, emphasizing the moral obligation to support those who have served.