Currently, over 230,000 Virginians are employed by the federal government. But that number is rapidly decreasing as President Donald Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency, headed by major campaign donor and billionaire Elon Musk, seeks to eliminate “waste” within the federal government. Under this guide of eliminating waste, the Trump administration has recently fired a large number of probationary employees — workers who are in their first or second year of the job or have recently switched positions. These uncertain times are particularly impactful for Virginia because it has the second most federal workers of any state.
Due to these new policies, many federal workers in Virginia face the threat of unemployment, putting them and their families in jeopardy. While the numbers are still developing, Youngkin recently stated that Virginia has seen over 1,000 new unemployment claims related to such workforce cuts. Due to the number of federal workers and veterans living in Virginia, the repercussions of these federal firings will be particularly significant for the state. In reaction to these policies, state officials must take legal and local actions to assist those struggling.
Trump’s vision for DOGE has been denounced by the Virginia delegation because it threatens to uproot and disrupt the lives of the federal workers and economy in the state. In response to these challenges, the Trump administration has given federal agencies a deadline with quick turnaround to create plans to move their offices to cheaper parts of the country. Given that Virginia’s economy depends heavily on federal jobs, making arbitrary cuts is a direct threat to families, businesses and state tax revenue. Forcing employees to choose between uprooting their families or losing their livelihoods is not just callous — it is economically reckless.
The long-term impact of these policies will not be felt by workers alone. In addition to federal workers, Virginia is also among the states with the highest percentages of veterans. The government is obligated to provide them with protection and equal opportunities for the sacrifices they have made for their country. However, these budget cuts undermine that commitment. Among personnel that have been laid off are the 2,400 workers from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, which works to provide health, financial and education services for veterans. In some cases, this has left the agency unable to hire the medical personnel needed. This issue could lead to increased medical emergencies with insufficient staff to handle issues. The over 600,000 veterans living in Virginia face serious threats to their jobs, benefits and healthcare, threats which further disadvantage a group that struggles to find these services already.
The administration’s cuts will also affect the University specifically. The reduction of the Department of Education threatens both employees and students at institutions of higher education across the country. For instance, there is concern that the cuts may interfere with the Free Application for Student Aid or Pell Grants, which provide funding for students in need. Additionally, the research done at the University and the other institutions across the state creates advancements in the fields of medicine, environmentalism, technology and more. These developments help families and communities all over Virginia and also now face the chopping block. In short, federal budget cuts will impact all Virginians.
Even while the cuts are negatively affecting many people in Virginia, Gov. Glenn Youngkin has praised the Trump administration’s efforts to cut back on spending and increase efficiency. Paradoxically, Youngkin also recognizes the severe damage these policies will cause for Virginians. He has recently announced a new job-finding resource, “Virginia Has Jobs,” a website that works to connect workers to “over 250,000 jobs.” Yet, the website is not a quick fix for unemployment. It holds information for federal workers, including resume tips on how to translate governmental experience to non-government terms, but for tangible employment opportunities, all it has are links to Indeed and LinkedIn. It is clear that such efforts are a band-aid solution to the otherwise contradictory rhetoric that Youngkin has maintained regarding the Trump administration’s policies. Youngkin’s measures are mainly performative and cannot sufficiently eliminate the instability that now intrudes into many Virginians’ lives.
State-level officials do not have the power to completely protect Virginians from the effects of Trump’s policies. However, the state government is not completely helpless against the Trump administration’s policies. A California judge partially blocked the firings of workers from specific agencies, including the National Park Service, the National Science Foundation and the VA. Moreover, several states are suing Trump over his decision to cut the Department of Education staff in half. They claim that his actions exceed his authority and violate multiple policies. While still in the early stages, this lawsuit is a concrete action of defiance that shows that states do have the power to take a stand against Trump.
The Virginia state government needs to step up and provide more for the people suffering from the budget cuts. Specifically, local officials should take a firm position in support of their communities, addressing the problem at the source. This may look like protecting access to healthcare more tangibly. This may look like opening up various opportunities in their own offices or other similarly concrete actions. During this time of instability and apprehension, local and state officials must work to protect the interests of the people living in Virginia and ultimately, its economic backbone.
Carly Burstein is a viewpoint writer who writes about politics for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily.com.
The opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of The Cavalier Daily. Columns represent the views of the authors alone.
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