California Attorney General Rob Bonta at the Capitol, 2022 (Photo: Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with attorneys general from seven other states, has filed Freedom of Information Act, FOIA, requests seeking details on how many Veterans and their spouses were terminated as part of the Trump Administration’s recent federal workforce reductions. The requests, sent to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, OPM, and the Office of Management and Budget, OMB, seek to determine the extent of the dismissals and their impact on Veterans and their families.
The federal government is the largest employer of Veterans, with former Service Members making up approximately 30% of the federal workforce. Bonta criticized the dismissals, stating they have disrupted critical services and harmed households relying on federal employment.
“We won’t let the President’s ruthless decision to fire employees, including many U.S. Veterans and their spouses, go unchecked,” Bonta said. “Not only is this decision shortsighted, but it has caused turmoil across states nationwide by disrupting critical services and impacting the households of U.S. Veterans and their families. Our Veterans have risked their lives for our safety and freedom, and they deserve better.”
The FOIA requests seek specific information, including the number of terminated federal employees entitled to Veterans’ preference in employment, data on the termination of Veterans and their spouses, and correspondence related to the impact of these dismissals, particularly regarding Executive Orders 14210 and 14217, which directed mass workforce reductions.
Bonta joins attorneys general from Arizona, Maryland, New York, Minnesota, New Mexico, Rhode Island, and Washington in demanding transparency on the terminations. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes emphasized the public’s right to know if a targeted removal of Veterans and their spouses has occurred within the federal workforce.
In response to these workforce cuts, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Andy Kim (D-NJ) introduced the Protect Veteran Jobs Act on Monday to the Senate. The legislation seeks to reinstate Veterans who lost their federal jobs due to what Duckworth described as an “indiscriminate purge” led by President Donald Trump and businessman Elon Musk. According to estimates, over 6,000 Veterans have been terminated.
“Donald Trump and Elon Musk have fired more Veterans than any Administration in our nation’s history—it is a stunningly cruel betrayal of the men and women who bravely answered the call to serve our country in uniform,” said Duckworth. “Veterans who choose to continue their service to our country in the federal workforce deserve our utmost gratitude, but instead this Administration has kicked thousands of our heroes to the curb and left them without a paycheck.”
Kim agreed with Duckworth, stressing the importance of supporting those who have dedicated themselves to public service. “At a moment of great distrust and broken politics, we should be uplifting those who embody the value and strength of service, not putting them out of a job,” he said.
The Protect Veteran Jobs Act has garnered support from several Senate Democrats, including Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Blumenthal (D-CT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), (D-MN), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Tim Kaine (D-VA). The bill’s supporters are urging Republican lawmakers to back the legislation and restore employment for affected Veterans.
Author: Rikki Almanza
Rikki is a Web Content Coordinator for the American Legion, Department of California. With a deep-rooted connection to the military, a spouse who is a Navy veteran, a father who served in the Air Force for 25 years, and a grandfather who proudly served, Rikki is committed to using her skills and knowledge to provide valuable assistance and resources to servicemembers and veterans.