The Department of Veterans Affairs is pushing back against reports from the media and members of Congress that Veterans Crisis Line staffers were among the 1,000 probationary VA employees who were let go last week.
"No crisis-line responders have been laid off, and VA continues to take multiple steps to ensure all mission-critical positions are exempt from the federal hiring freeze and layoffs," a VA spokesperson told Connecting Vets in a statement this week.
However, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill) told reporters on Wednesday that several crisis line employees who were told they were being let go were only reinstated after her office became involved.
“After I raised these cases to the VA, and spoke out about them, it sounds like thankfully at least some of these employees will be rehired,” Sen. Duckworth said.
The Veterans Crisis Line, a 24/7 toll-free hotline number established in 2007 with 14 responders provides support and services to suicidal veterans and boasts 1,100 responders in three call center locations. As of January 2025, the call center had received more than 8.4 million calls and 447,000 text messages and made more than 16 million referrals to VA suicide prevention coordinators. The line has also made more than 369,000 dispatches of emergency services.
According to a Feb. 13 release announcing the layoffs – part of President Donald Trump's initiative to dramatically shrink the size of the federal government – those laid off included non-bargaining unit probationary employees who have served less than a year in a competitive service appointment or who have worked less than two years in an excepted service appointment.
The VA spokesperson argued the layoffs "will not negatively impact VA health care, benefits or beneficiaries."
"The personnel moves will save the department more than $98 million per year," the spokesperson stated. "And VA looks forward to announcing in the near future how it will redirect all of those resources back toward health care, benefits and services for VA beneficiaries."
In a letter to VA Secretary Doug Collins, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and 35 other Democratic senators argued the cuts to the workforce would impact services and called for the employees who were fired to be reinstated.
“Not only will this latest action put veterans’ care and benefits at risk, but it further confuses, demoralizes, and threatens a VA workforce we need to fulfill our nation’s sacred promise to our veterans and their families who have already sacrificed so much,” the lawmakers wrote.
Blumenthal, who was also on the call with reporters on Feb. 19, said the appeals process for the terminated employees has been compromised because Collins is also serving as both the head of the Office of Special Counsel and as VA secretary.
"It's a clear conflict of interest and denies VA employees any effective right of appeal, so we're going to stand up for them," he said.
Collins argued the money saved would be better spent.
“At VA, we are focused on saving money so it can be better spent on Veteran care. We thank these employees for their service to VA. This was a tough decision, but ultimately it’s the right call to better support the Veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors the department exists to serve,” Collins said in a news release after the Feb. 13 layoffs.
Blumenthal also said he would not vote to confirm Collins as VA secretary if he had to do it over again.
“He has betrayed the promises that he made to me during his confirmation hearing,” he said. “And maybe my vote was understandable, in light of those promises. I took him at his word. But I regret it now because he has not only broken those promises, he’s failed to respond to my 20-plus inquiries, completely failed to respond to my and my colleagues’ inquiries.”
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, contact the Veterans Crisis Line to receive free, confidential support and crisis intervention available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Dial 988 then Press 1, text 838255 or online here.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.