Kaine pushes bill to reverse veteran layoffs, slams Trump’s federal workforce policies

by Markus Schmidt, Virginia Mercury
March 12, 2025

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., is one of three Democratic lawmakers spearheading a legislative effort to reinstate thousands of veterans who were fired from federal jobs as part of President Donald Trump administration’s mass layoffs of government employees. 

Kaine, whose home state of Virginia has one of the highest populations of veterans in the country, introduced the Protect Veteran Jobs Act alongside U.S. Sens. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill.,  and Andy Kim, D-NJ, in an effort to reverse what they called an indiscriminate and unfair dismissal of those who have served.

The proposal comes in response to layoffs through billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that disproportionately affected veterans, who make up nearly 30% of the federal workforce. According to federal data compiled by Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee, DOGE has fired more than 6,000 veterans from federal positions. 

“President Trump has fired more veterans in his first few weeks in office than any U.S. President. This is unacceptable,” Kaine said in a statement. “These men and women have made tremendous sacrifices in service to our nation, and now they are being kicked to the curb by a president who has previously called service members and veterans losers and suckers.”

Kaine has been one of the most vocal critics of Trump’s federal workforce policies, particularly those affecting veterans. Last week, he invited Fairfax resident Jason King, a disabled veteran fired from his position in the Federal Aviation Administration’s safety division, as his guest to Trump’s joint address to Congress to highlight the issue.

The Protect Veteran Jobs Act seeks to reinstate veterans who lost their jobs in these layoffs, ensuring they regain access to stable employment and benefits. Additionally, it mandates the White House submit a quarterly report to Congress detailing the number of veterans removed from the federal workforce and providing justifications for their dismissals.

The legislation has gained the support of several Senate Democrats, including Dick Durbin, Ill., Richard Blumenthal, D-Ct., Mark Kelly, D-Az., Amy Klobuchar, D-Mn., and Cory Booker, D-NJ, among others. In the House, a companion bill was introduced by U.S. Rep. Derek Tran, D-Ca.

Co-sponsor Duckworth, a combat veteran, has also strongly condemned the firings, saying that veterans deserve opportunities to transition into the civilian workforce without fear of politically motivated dismissals.

Several advocacy groups have also lined up behind the bill. VoteVets, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), AMVETS, the Union Veterans Council, AFL-CIO and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) have all endorsed the legislation, calling the mass dismissals an injustice to those who have served.

“Firing veterans who perform essential duties isn’t government efficiency, it’s cruel,” VoteVets said in a statement. “Service members deserve opportunities to transition back into the workforce and should be guaranteed support — not the added stress of unemployment.”

Virginia, home to the Pentagon, multiple military bases, and one of the largest veteran populations in the country, has been particularly affected by the federal layoffs. Many veterans in the state take on federal civilian jobs as a continuation of their public service, making job security in the sector a critical issue for Virginia’s economy.

The AFGE, which represents federal workers, blasted the mass firings and called for urgent action. 

“We should be celebrating Americans willing to wear a second uniform in service to their country. Instead, they are being treated to insults, chaos, and pink slips,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said in a statement. 

With strong backing from veterans’ organizations and Democratic lawmakers, the legislation now faces the challenge of gaining bipartisan support in a divided Congress. Its fate will likely depend on whether Kaine and his co-sponsors can convince Republican colleagues that reinstating these veterans is a necessary step in honoring their service and stabilizing the federal workforce.

Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.

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