Kelly, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Reinstate Veterans Who Were Fired in Trump and Musk’s Indiscriminate Federal Employee Purge

This week, Arizona Senator and Navy combat veteran Mark Kelly (D-AZ), along with Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Andy Kim (D-NJ), introduced the Protect Veteran Jobs Act to reinstate veterans who were fired from their jobs as part of President Trump and Elon Musk’s indiscriminate purge of federal employees. Veterans make up more than 30 percent of the federal workforce and it is estimated that Trump and Musk have already fired more than 6,000 of those men and women who have served in uniform. 

“We made a promise to veterans that after they serve our country, they will get the support they’ve earned. What Trump and Musk are doing is breaking that promise,” said Kelly. “After putting their lives on the line for our country, these veterans recommitted to serve our country again, and the government shouldn’t turn its back on them. Those who have been carelessly tossed aside by this administration should be reinstated.” 

“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. The message of our bill is simple: Give our heroes their jobs back. If Republicans really care about our Veterans, they should stop enabling Trump and Musk’s chaos and support our legislation.” 

“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,” said Senator Kim. “These veterans not only stepped up to serve our country in uniform but chose to continue their public service in our federal workforce. How dare anyone bring this chaos onto them and endanger them and their families’ livelihoods in such a way.” 

Along with Kelly, Duckworth and Kim, the Protect Veteran Jobs Act is cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Dick Durbin (D-IL).  

The bill is the Senate companion to legislation introduced in the House by Representative Derek Tran (D-CA-45), H.R. 1637. In addition to reinstating Veterans impacted by Trump and Musk’s mass federal layoffs, the legislation would also require the Trump Administration to report to Congress on a quarterly basis the Veterans who have been removed from federal employment and provide justification for their removal.  

The Protect Veteran Jobs Act is endorsed by VoteVets, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), AMVETS, the Union Veterans Council, AFL-CIO, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). 

Click here to see full bill text.