Disabled veteran fired as part of Trump administration's efforts to shrink the government

Thousands of federal workers have been fired from agencies across the government from the Department of Transportation to the National Park Service and more.

President Trump says he wants to trim the fat in government bureaucracy and increase efficiency. But in doing so, workers with exceptional performance reviews are getting fired.

Among them is Raphael Garcia, an army veteran who worked with the U. S. Department of Veteran Affairs in Washington state up until last week.

“I'm still taking a lot of it in [and] kind of adjusting mentally,” Garcia says. “But I'm still committed to serving my veteran community and going from there and showing support for my federal workers out there.”

 Can you talk to us a bit about your role in the VA? What did you do? 

“I served as the only management analyst at the Seattle Regional Office's disability rating activity site. I essentially made sure that our system ran operationally to optimize the customer experience so that veterans and their families receive their benefits without unnecessary delays.”

 You penned an essay shortly after receiving your termination notice where you note that you're concerned about how these cuts to government jobs will impact the VA's overall ability to serve veterans. Talk to me about that concern.

“The way I kind of see it, thousands of veterans could now face even longer wait times for benefits they desperately need. The loss of institutional knowledge and the strain on an already overburdened system could lead to more errors, delays, and ultimately harm to the very people our government is meant to serve. To me, this isn't just about numbers. It's about ensuring our veterans and citizens receive timely and dignified care.”

You served in active duty for a little less than eight years. How long have you been connected to the VA?

“I  was actually first connected to the VA back in November of 2016, where I volunteered a little over 1,000 hours with the Jefferson Barracks, VA Medical Center in St. Louis with their physical therapy department working directly with VA patients.”

Given all that, how does it feel to be let go?

“ It's been a heart-wrenching experience. I swore an oath to serve our country both as a soldier and later at the VA. It feels as if the very institution entrusted with caring for those who have served to be discarded without this meaningful notice felt a bit disheartening, especially as all of us, we've worked countless unpaid extra hours. I've at times sacrificed my own medical appointments just to keep our division functioning so it's sometimes it pains me to see our system being undermined. After all, this is my fellow veteran community that I was helping to serve.”

How do you square Trump’s statements that he wants to help veterans with what you say are now these cuts that make you concerned about the VA?

“ I'm all for preventing fraud, waste and abuse, but the positions they are cutting were employees that were newly hired on because there was a dire need for these specialized roles to be filled in the first place. They could have at least started with employees that weren't meeting performance standards or given departments the opportunity to address their efficiency concerns up the chain instead of a blind, top-down cut.

So what's next for you? 

“For me, I've contacted my Congress members. I joined a group class action appeal with a firm in D.C. And I'm also awaiting an official decision on a pending reconsideration appeal to be retained as a VA employee.”

This interview was edited for clarity.

Hafsa Quraishi produced and edited this interview for broadcast with Peter O'Dowd. Allison Hagan adapted it for the web.