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Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) joined Rep. Derek Tran (CA-45) to be an original co-sponsor of HR 1637, the Protect Veteran Jobs Act. This follows a fact sheet published by the House Appropriations Committee detailing the firing of almost 6,000 veterans from the federal government, including over 2,500 veterans from the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. 

“With over 50,000 veterans in our community, I’m keenly aware of the incredible sacrifices our servicemembers make for our country,” said Congresswoman Escobar. “It is shameful that Donald Trump and Elon Musk have indiscriminately chosen to fire almost 6,000 veterans under the guise of ‘government efficiency.’ All veterans should be outraged by this decision that leaves thousands without a job or the means to feed their families.”

The Protect Veteran Jobs Act would allow for the reinstatement of any veteran who was removed or dismissed from federal employment without cause since Trump took office on January 20, 2025. The bill would also require new reporting requirements to Congress of any veterans who have been removed from federal positions and the justification for such removal on a quarterly basis going forward.

The federal government is the single largest employer of veterans in this country, making up 30 percent of the nearly 2.3 million civilian federal workforce. The so-called “Department of Government Efficiency’s” (DOGE) stated goal to eliminate 75 percent of the federal workforce could mean that up to 500,000 veterans could lose their jobs. 

The fact sheet created by the House Appropriations Committee can be found here, which details how many veterans Donald Trump and Elon Musk have fired so far.

This analysis is an estimate based on publicly available sources. The Administration has failed to respond to any questions requesting details about the firings.