The VA announced it would cut more than 1,000 jobs on Thursday to save $93 million a year.
Nationwide layoffs at the Veterans Administration are impacting Atlanta’s VA Health Care System though the local VA did not say how big an impact or how many local workers were part of those layoffs.
Some terminated employees are asking why they were chosen.
The Trump administration announced it would lay off those employees late Thursday.
The new VA Secretary is former Georgia Congressman Doug Collins. He said this was a tough but necessary decision.
Former U.S. Army First Sergeant Nelson Feliz, Sr. was among those receiving a termination email.
“We’re mistreated,” Feliz told Channel 2′s Richard Elliot. “We’ve been betrayed.”
The “Notice of Termination” email from the VA to Feliz stated, “The agency finds, based on your performance, that you have not demonstrated that your further employment at the agency would be in the public interest.”
“I was a first sergeant. My job was to take care of troops, making sure they were paid, fed, and slept. Why is this happening to us? I’ve been here too long for this to be happening,” Feliz said.
Feliz said he’s been a VA employee for more than 12 years but just started in a new position in which he’s still in his probationary period, the layoff selected probationary employees for termination.
In its press release Thursday and sent again to WSB late Friday, the VA said the more than 1,000 layoffs would save $93 million a year, which would then be redirected to veterans’ health care, benefits and services.
Secretary Collins posted a video on the VA website Thursday denying persistent rumors that the cuts would extend to benefits.
In that video, Collins said he welcomes the work of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
“I’m telling you what. We’ve got DOGE representatives here that are doing what they’re supposed to be doing, and that is looking at our contracts, making sure that we have the best run facility for efficiency to make sure, who? The veteran gets the care that they need,” Collins said.
WSB has reported on a number of problems and issues faced by the Atlanta VA healthcare system for years.
Feliz said he knows of several people losing their jobs, and they all feel blindsided.
“Why? Why do this? We call this a Pearl Harbor,” Feliz said.
Feliz did file the paperwork to retire in 2027, so he’s appealing the termination.
