CLEVELAND — As the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) plans to slash thousands more jobs this year, the question we've been asking for nearly a year remains: how will it impact Northeast Ohio?
RELATED: Second wave of VA layoffs hit: VA won't confirm how many in Northeast Ohio
Under President Donald Trump, the VA laid off thousands of employees, but the department has refused to share data with News 5 as to how many of those were employed in Ohio.
In March 2025, a Cleveland-based VA psychometrist who wished to remain anonymous shared with me that at the time, more than 40 employees had been fired in the area, including her.
RELATED: Cleveland VA employee recently laid off shares details of 'unjust' mass firing
Now, as the VA tells me it is developing plans to eliminate about 25,000 open and unfilled positions, U.S. Representative Shontel Brown (D-OH) is asking that the department reveal concrete data as to how Ohio will be affected.
Brown sent a letter to VA Secretary Doug Collins demanding information this month.
"The Trump administration had already terminated thousands, dozens of thousands of workers, and the Stokes VA Center is one of the largest in the country. I can't imagine that the cuts that they are proposing right now will not have a negative impact on the veterans. Often, this administration talks a good game. They talk about caring for veterans. They talk about caring for people, and their actions have repeatedly proven to be otherwise," Brown said in the letter.
While the VA has adamantly said layoffs do not include patient-facing, mission-critical positions, Brown paints a different picture.
She says the net losses for veteran-facing employees across the VA were estimated at over 12,100 in the fiscal year of 2025 (FY25).
"Specifically, you (VA Secretary Doug Collins) have lost over: 3,002 registered nurses, 1,556 medical support assistants, 1,068 physicians, and 1,905 veteran claim examiners," Brown notes in her letter.
She fears that with more cuts on the horizon, veteran care will crumble.
"I don't want to sound hyperbolic, but this could be a matter of life and death. When you have a facility like Stokes that has 500 beds, and has already lost thousands of doctors and nurses and staff already, there needs to be some accountability as to what you're doing, why you're doing it, and I'm going to hold them to that," Brown said.
I reached out to the VA for information regarding the upcoming plan to cut 25,000 jobs.
VA Press Secretary Pete Kasperowicz said the jobs are mostly Covid-era roles.
"All of these positions are unfilled and most have not been filled for more than a year, underscoring how they are no longer needed," Kasperowicz said.
I asked him what positions fall under Covid-era roles, but never got a response.
I've also asked what the impact will be in Northeast Ohio.
He told me, "No VA employees are being removed, and this will have zero impact on Veteran care. Additionally, all VA medical facilities are continuing to fill vacancies as needed."
Kasperowicz did not explain how the upcoming position elimination will specifically affect VA facilities in Northeast Ohio.
"They just continue to do things without sharing any data, any facts or any rationale about the decisions that they're making. I am demanding some transparency and accountability," Brown said. "The power of the pen as a member of Congress has proven to have some impacts and some responsiveness from this administration. I still believe in the Constitution."
Brown said from the conversations she has had with veteran constituents have led her to believe mental health services are taking a major hit because of the recent layoffs.
She's requesting data from the VA that shows the following:
- Occupation
- Job title
- Grade and step level
- Veteran status
- Disability status
- Military spouse status
- Years in service at VA
- Facility/location
- Reason for departure
- Whether the employee was retirement-eligible
- Whether the employee participated in the Deferred Resignation Program (DRP)
- Whether the employee participated in the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA)
- Whether the employee was terminated
- Whether the employee resigned
Brown is also requesting detailed data on the number and type of veteran appointments canceled or rescheduled due to staffing shortages at the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System since Jan. 1, 2025.
She's given the VA a deadline of Feb. 6.
"I just don't trust this administration. We just want the facts. I don't want to get into a fight with the administration. I just want the facts. We want transparency and accountability," Brown said.
I'll Follow Through once the deadline passes.
