VA shifts explanation as agency dismisses over 1,000 employees; Iowa cuts unclear

The US Department of Veterans Affairs has dismissed more than 1,000 probationary employees just weeks after assuring stakeholders that a federal hiring freeze would not impact operations, raising questions about consistency in the agency’s messaging. Iowa has two major VA health systems in Des Moines and Iowa City. 

The Veterans Affairs department claimed in January that despite federal personnel purges, things would be fine. The VA had a list of employees who were exempt to President Trump’s January 20 federal hiring freeze. Agency spokesperson Justin Hardt stated, “Because of the targeted hiring-freeze exemptions announced last week, we don’t anticipate any negative impact on hospital performance as a result of the hiring freeze.”

The exemptions were specifically designed to allow the department to continue filling “essential positions” providing healthcare and other vital services to veterans, according to a VA press release.

However, on February 13, the agency announced the dismissal of over 1,000 probationary employees, characterizing the move as a cost-saving measure that would redirect approximately $98 million annually toward veteran services. And currently they’re mum on how many of those cuts in Iowa.

“At VA, we are focused on saving money so it can be better spent on Veteran care,” VA Secretary Doug Collins said in the announcement. “To be perfectly clear: these moves will not negatively impact VA health care, benefits or beneficiaries.”

The dismissals affect employees who have served less than a year in competitive service appointments or less than two years in expected service appointments and are not covered by collective bargaining agreements.

The VA maintains that the dismissals target non-mission-critical positions, noting that the “vast majority” of the department’s 43,000 probationary employees were exempt from the cuts because they serve in essential roles.

When asked about the local impact on Iowa’s VA system, the agency did not respond by press time. 

The agency has promised to announce plans for redirecting the saved funds in “coming weeks and months,” according to the February press release.

These personnel actions come amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to reduce federal workforce numbers across multiple agencies. The VA employs approximately 400,000 people nationwide and serves more than 9 million enrolled veterans annually.