Musk’s DOGE Hangs American Veterans Out to Dry, Cutting VA Programs and Food Assistance

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• The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employs nearly 500,000 people and serves almost 9 million veterans. Elon Musk authorized massive cuts to the VA while leading DOGE, planning for 30,000 jobs to be cut. 

• DOGE claimed the cuts were for "nonessential consulting" but a review showed they included critical services like cancer care and suicide prevention programs.

• DOGE also has plans to cut the SNAP program by $186 billion over a decade.

• These SNAP cuts could impact 1.2 million veterans who rely on the program for food assistance.

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Protest in New York over Elon Musk's layoffs of the VA

Under Elon Musk, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) plotted and implemented significant job cuts within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The impacts of these cuts are being felt by veterans across the nation.

VA Job Cuts and Potential Crisis

The Department of Veterans Affairs is facing cuts that will result in around 30,000 additional job losses. In an internal memo, there were orders for the VA to comply with DOGE to cut 80,000 jobs but that number has since been reduced due to public pushback. Still, experts warn that such reductions will leave VA hospitals in a state of crisis, affecting staffing levels and the quality of care provided to veterans.

While the administration claimed these were for "nonessential consulting," a review of the cut contracts revealed that many were for critical services. These included contracts for cancer care, toxic exposure assessments, and suicide prevention programs.

An internal VA email showed that these cuts ended up affecting things like chemotherapy and imaging services. Rosie Torres, the executive director of Burn Pits 360, expressed her concern, stating that with funding suddenly stripped from these contractors, "there are growing concerns veterans will face delays, denials and disruptions in accessing critical services."

Adding to the distress among veterans is the VA’s expansive network, which comprises nearly 500,000 employees across 170 hospitals and 1,200 clinics. The scale and complexity of the VA make it particularly challenging to implement job cuts without risking serious service interruptions for nearly 9 million veterans who depend on its medical services. A staff member in Pennsylvania warned of the “severe and immediate impacts” of such job cuts, stating that some veterans might lose access to lifesaving clinical trials.

Christopher Purdy, founder and CEO of The Chamberlain Network, delivered the sentiments of many veterans when he said, “Veterans were told our service would be honored, that we’d be taken care of when we came home. The same lawmakers who made those promises are backing budgets that would gut the systems veterans rely on.” This sentiment captures a growing divide between veterans' expectations and the policies they are now facing.

Cuts to SNAP and Food Assistance

Moreover, DOGE’s plans are mounting more pressure on military families, with 25% of active-duty service members reporting food insecurity. This is a stark contrast to just 10% of the overall population facing similar challenges. As a result, many military families depend on programs such as SNAP and food stamps. 

However, DOGE has been making plans to cut these programs, including cutting SNAP by $186 billion over the next decade and making it more difficult for people to qualify. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, this is “the largest cut to SNAP in history.” This directly impacts up to the 22,000 service members that receive SNAP benefits. The numbers get worse for veterans, where around 1.2 million veterans depend on SNAP for food.