Source: White House plans to expand mass layoffs to IRS and Veterans Affairs – The Guardian US

Summary:

Overview of Planned Layoffs

  • The Trump administration, in collaboration with Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency” (Doge), is planning significant layoffs at the IRS and Veterans Affairs (VA).
  • These actions are part of a broader strategy to reduce the size of federal agencies.

IRS Workforce Reduction

  • The IRS plans to cut up to 50% of its 90,000 employees through layoffs, attrition, and buyouts.
  • Women and people of color make up a significant portion of the IRS workforce, at 65% and 56% respectively.
  • Former IRS Commissioner John Koskinen warns that such reductions could render the agency “dysfunctional.”
  • Approximately 7,000 probationary employees were already laid off in February.
  • There are plans to reassign IRS employees to the Department of Homeland Security to support immigration enforcement.

Veterans Affairs (VA) Layoffs

  • The VA intends to lay off up to 83,000 employees by the end of 2025, aiming to revert to 2019 staffing levels.
  • The cuts will affect all parts of the department, according to a leaked internal memo.
  • More than 25% of VA employees are veterans themselves.
  • The VA workforce had increased under the Biden administration due to the 2022 Pact Act, which expanded healthcare for veterans exposed to toxic substances.
  • Representative Mark Takano criticized the planned layoffs as a betrayal of veterans.

Broader Implications

  • The layoffs are part of a larger effort by the Trump/Musk administration to reduce federal agencies that provide essential services.
  • USAid has already been significantly downsized, impacting global aid efforts.
  • The legality of these mass firings and buyouts is questionable, with some actions facing legal challenges.
  • The federal workforce, excluding military and postal workers, consists of approximately 2.4 million people, with only 20% based in Washington DC and nearby states.