Duckworth announces legislation protecting VA jobs

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) on Wednesday said she is introducing two bills aimed at protecting jobs at the Department of Veterans Affairs, amid broad efforts by the Trump administration to reduce the agency’s workforce.

The first piece of legislation is “The Protecting Veterans in Crisis Act,” which would require VA Secretary Doug Collins to report to Congress before making any cuts to the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL). The bill comes after numerous VCL workers were terminated in error earlier this year, but many were rehired following significant backlash to the move.

“VA Secretary Collins may promise to rehire VCL workers he wrongfully fired, but here's the bottom line: He should be transparent with Congress,” Duckworth, a combat veteran, wrote in a post on X, announcing the legislation.

The post follows testimony earlier Wednesday, when she pressed Collins on the “lack of transparency” surrounding the firings at the mental health crisis hotline for veterans.

“The firing of these mission-critical employees was shrouded in a lack of transparency that cannot be tolerated,” Duckworth said in a statement after the hearing.

“If Secretary Collins wants to make cuts to the Veterans Crisis Line, he should report them to Congress so we can ensure these cuts won’t weaken the VCL’s mission. The lives of our Veterans in crisis depend on this lifeline—and I’ll keep pushing to defend it,” she continued.

Duckworth also announced Wednesday she is reintroducing the “VA Employee Fairness Act,” which would restore collective bargaining rights to VA health care workers, “so they can speak out freely against any problems they’re facing at the VA.”

“This Admin cannot continue to slash and burn the VA in the dark,” Duckworth wrote in a post on X.

The move comes as the VA confirmed plans to cut tens of thousands of employees in the coming months amid an effort to restructure the agency and drastically reduce the size of the workforce.

Duckworth last month introduced legislation, “Protect Veteran Jobs Act,” to reinstate thousands of veterans who were fired amid Trump administration cuts at the VA.