Agriculture
The Trump administration cut funding for food banks and their partnerships with local farmers, leaving both groups with budget shortfalls across Virginia. From Madison County, to Petersburg, and down to Danville, Virginia, farmers and food bank patrons are going without the help they need from the government to make it through the year.
Economy
Virginia, especially Northern Virginia, has one of the highest populations of federal employees in the county. Employment offices are already reporting upticks in residents reaching out for help in a state that does not have enough other jobs to absorb them. Experts predict a ten percent federal worker cut would wipe out Virginia’s projected growth for the year and trigger a state-wide recession.
Education
Republican cuts to education are already being felt in Virginia before the Department of Education is fully dismantled. Multiple programs in Richmond have lost funding and further layoffs will hurt our most at-risk kids.
Health Care
During the Trump federal freeze in February, half of all community health centers in Virginia were cut off from federal grants. The volatility forced several Richmond-area centers to close. Continued volatility threatens access to health care across Virginia.
Medicare and Medicaid
Virginia’s Medicaid expansion trigger law meant that if federal funding decreases, as it could under the Republican budget resolution, 630,000 Medicaid recipients in the state will lose coverage. Rural hospitals would also not be able to absorb the new costs, threatening access to health care for everyone in the communities they serve. In emergencies where time is of the essence a lack of hospitals is a direct threat to the lives of Virginians.
Veterans
Virginia has the third highest population of veterans in the country and Republican cuts are threatening their access to health care while also firing them from their federal jobs across the state. VA centers in Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Salem all now face staffing shortages keeping them from providing top quality care to our veterans.
March 2025: A Southwest Virginia Produce Company Said Prices Would Go Up Due To Trump's Tariffs.
March 2025: The Trump Administration's Cuts To USDA Grants Hurt Local Farmers And Their Communities.
March 2025: Trump Administration Terminated Program That Provided Southeastern Virginia Food Bank With $300,000 To Purchase Produce From Local Farmers. According to WVEC, "On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture cut two federal programs that helped schools and food banks buy food directly from local farms. According to Christopher Tan, the CEO of the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore, these cuts come after the Trump Administration froze federal funding in January, making things even more challenging for them. 'We’re gonna try to make every dime count that we have, and we always do,' Tan said. Tan said the funding that was officially cut is for a program called the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program. Within this program, food banks were given federal funds to purchase products from local farmers. According to Tan, these cuts could also affect farmers since this federal funding was a part of their income. 'It’s difficult for food banks. We’re already stretched really thin, so with any kind of cut, there’s only one thing to cut: food,' Tan said. Tan said the cuts will impact the food bank by losing over $300,000, making it more difficult for them to provide produce for people in the community facing food insecurity." [WVEC, 3/11/25]
March 2025: Central Virginia Food Banks Warned Of “Significant” Impact For People In Need And Farmers After Trump Cut USDA Funding. According to WVIR, "One of the big cuts in federal funding has made its way to dinner tables in central Virginia. The USDA has eliminated a program that provided food banks and pantries with money to buy food produced within a 400-mile radius. According to Jane Colony Mills, Executive Director of Loaves & Fishes in Albemarle County, the effects of this decision mean changes from farm to table. 'The tragedy is we’re not only undercutting people with not enough money to buy their own nice, fresh food, but also the people who are growing it,' Mills said. Thanks to the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement, Loaves & Fishes was previously able to fill some of their shelves with produce and beef from nearby farms. 'A lot of the food that we give out is secondhand, because we’re getting it from the grocery stores after they’ve pulled it from their shelves,' Mills said. 'This was first quality food that federal funding made it possible for us to buy from local producers.' But now, those grants have been cut, and Loaves and Fishes is no longer purchasing that food. 'It had a great benefit in two ways,' Mills said. 'It helped feed people...and it helped support the producers, the growers.' Les Sinclair, Communications & PR Manager for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, says the effects of federal funding cuts to this point have been relatively small, but still significant. 'It was really important product though,' Sinclair said of the LFPA grants. 'It was meat and eggs and proteins that we don’t usually purchase, so that it was provided through these grants was really helpful for our guests.' Now, Sinclair says it’s up to donors to fill those gaps as demand continues to reach a historic high." [WVIR, 3/12/25]
March 2025: Danville Food Bank Experienced “Potential Crisis” After Trump Administration Ended USDA Programs That Made Up For Shortfall In Food Donations. According to WSET, "God's Storehouse, a food bank on Memorial Drive in Danville, is grappling with a potential crisis as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) plans to cut funding for a program that supplies more than half of it products. Executive Director Karen Harris said this news couldn't have come at a worse time, as they are already experiencing a decline in donations. The food bank relies heavily on two means: Donations and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, where farmers sell their products to the Department of Agriculture, which then distributes them to food banks. However, the Department of Agriculture announced that they do not plan to carry out a second round of funding for that program this year. 'We already don't get enough food to support the people we do serve, so we always have to supplement that with our donated and purchased food,' Harris said. 'I'm just anticipating that we're going to see some cuts in the amount of USDA food we do get.' Harris noted that 60 percent of those who visit God's Storehouse qualify for food from the Department of Agriculture, including individuals relying on food stamps, Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income. Donations have also hit historic lows, with an 8 percent decrease this year compared to last year." [WSET, 3/13/25]
March 2025: Petersburg Foundation That Helped Combat City’s Food Desert Problem Stated They Would Have To Cut Back Service After Trump Administration Cancelled USDA Program. According to the Petersburg Progress-Index, "Petersburg’s status as a food desert has made the loss of this program all the more devastating for the community. [...] River Street Education was using LFPA funds to donate locally-grown produce to six free food distribution organizations in the community before the program’s termination was announced. 'It’s affecting us greatly,' said Karen Brown-Davis, who runs the Justin J. Davis Heart Foundation. 'We are a very small local non-profit so we don’t get a lot of government funding.' Last year, the foundation distributed over 17,000 pounds of free produce purchased from local farmers with LFPA funding to more than 8,900 people at over 30 pop-up events, everywhere from health fairs to schools to senior homes. Hundreds of people — usually a mix of regulars and new faces — showed up to each event, Brown-Davis said. 'People follow us on social media and they come wherever we go,' she said. 'Now they’re asking when we’re going to have another event. We haven’t scheduled one because our budget just can’t sustain them anymore.' The foundation also manages two community fridges that they keep stocked with free produce in North Dinwiddie and South Chesterfield, Brown-Davis added. Due to the cuts, they will have to drastically limit their events and rely on community partners and donations to keep their community fridges stocked. 'We definitely can’t meet the same needs that we were meeting,' Brown-Davis said." [Petersburg Progress-Index, 3/13/25]
March 2025: Trump Administration Spending Cuts Forced Rappahannock County Nonprofit Helping Rural Farmers With Water Quality And Soil Erosion To Cancel Programs. According to the Culpeper Times, "Farmers and landowners in Rappahannock and nearby counties — as well as conservation programs — are feeling the effects of a federal freeze being implemented by the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative of the Trump administration tasked with slashing federal spending. Key programs of Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR), a conservation group dedicated to protecting the Rappahannock River watershed, have had to shut down recently. The group received word Feb. 11 from one of its funders, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), that $1.5 million in grant money was 'frozen.' A NFWF email stated: '...we cannot process disbursements related to your grant until the federal government unlocks the account … We advise you to cease all activities on your grant.' 'We’ve had to pull back on a number of projects with our partners that would improve water quality and prevent erosion on rural agricultural properties in the Rappahannock River Basin,' said Bryan Hofmann, FOR's deputy director. 'All of these canceled projects had signed contracts and the organizations who relied on them may not be reimbursed. That’s going to hurt a lot of people,' he said." [Culpeper Times, 3/7/25]
March 2025: Trump Administration Spending Freeze Was Having “Chilling Effect” On Madison County Sustainable Farming Nonprofit. According to the Culpeper Times, "The federal funding freeze has also had a chilling effect on the American Farmland Trust (AFT) which promotes environmentally sustainable farming practices in the Piedmont region. AFT receives private funding but also receives federal dollars. Jacob Gilley, who lives in Madison County and is AFT’s Mid-Atlantic senior technical livestock and grazing specialist, said just the possibility that funds might be terminated has affected some of the programs he’s leading. 'We were the recipients of a $30 million federal Department of Agriculture grant to promote climate-friendly grazing and land management practices for cattle producers,' said Gilley. 'Funding hasn’t been canceled, but we are being cautious about moving forward because of the possibility that it could be withdrawn. 'The challenge is how to keep farmers interested in participating in the program when there are so many unknowns,' Gilley said 'We’ve worked to build a lot of trust in the agricultural community but with these uncertainties, I worry that producers will be reluctant to participate in the future.’” [Culpeper Times, 3/7/25]
May 2025: Norfolk, Virginia, Business Owner Said Trump's Tariffs Were “The Second Covid For Business.”
April 2025: Virginia Small Business Bored Rebel Lost Manufacturing Opportunities Due To Trump's Tariffs.
April 2025: Falls Church, Virginia, Small Business Owners Struggled With Trump's Tariffs.
February 2025: Workers Fired In Trump's Mass Terminations Spoke Out At A Virginia Town Hall.
February 2025: A Virginia Worker Spoke Out After Being Fired From "Dream Job" At The IRS.
National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association Offered Assistance To Federal Workers Laid Off In Trump's Mass Layoffs.
March 2025: Virginia National Parks Cut Visitor Hours After Trump Layoffs. According to Axios, " Some of Virginia's national parks that have seen layoffs amid the Trump administration's purge of federal employees are starting to cut hours, per an Axios review. Why it matters: The firings have left fewer workers to do critical jobs ahead of the busy summer travel season. By the numbers: More than 750 U.S. national park workers have been laid off this year, per an unofficial tally shared with Axios by a park ranger. Shenandoah National Park was among the hardest hit in the nation, per the tally, with 15 workers cut (it's tied for first with Florida's Everglades National Park), plus: Assateague Island (4), Colonial Park in Jamestown (3), Maggie L. Walker's Jackson Ward home (2) Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania military parks (1), George Washington Birthplace (1) Appomattox Court House (1) and Manassas National Battlefield Park (1)." [Axios, 3/31/25]
March 2025: The Trump Administration's Layoffs Caused Unemployment Claims To Rise In Virginia.
February 2025: Virginia's Republican Governor, Glenn Youngkin, Applauded The Trump Administration's Mass Layoffs, Saying, “I Do Expect That Some Virginians Will Lose Their Jobs.”
March 2025: Fairfax County, Virginia, Executive Warned That Federal Government Cuts Would Impact Virginians.
April 2025: Contractors In Virginia “Appear To Be Feeling The Effects” Of Trump Spending Cuts After Laying Off Over 450 Employees. According to FFXNow, "Contractors in Fairfax County appear to be feeling the effects of the Trump administration’s ongoing campaign to slash federal funding. Mitre Corporation will lay off 442 employees primarily at its Tysons headquarters campus on June 3, while Reston-based Leidos will eliminate 29 workers based in its Lincolnia office, effective May 30, according to notices that both companies filed this week with the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement. For Mitre, the layoffs represent 4.9% of its 9,400-person workforce and will include positions at other locations as well as its headquarters at 7525 Colshire Drive in Scotts Run, the Washington Business Journal reported yesterday (Thursday).” [FFXNow, 4/4/25]
February 2025: Virginia Contractor Laid Off Nearly 400 Employees After Trump Slashed Spending. According to FFXNow, "Fairfax County is home to approximately 79,000 federal workers and thousands more private contractors. According to the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, the federal government had canceled more than 4,000 contracts nationally, including 106 in Northern Virginia, as of Feb. 27. According to the WBJ, more than a dozen government contractors in the D.C. area have announced layoffs in recent weeks, primarily ones that funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Tysons-based Credence Management Solutions, which had a $800 million contract to support USAID’s global health work, laid off nearly 400 employees by early February, the WBJ reported." [FFXNow, 4/4/25]
Association Of Mature American Citizens Highlighted That More Than 90,000 Federal Workers Resided In Northern Virginia And That Virginia Was Home To More Than 140,000 Federal Workers, As DOGE Layoffs Affected Several Government Agencies. According to the Association of Mature American Citizens, “As Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) layoffs strike various government agencies, Virginia Republicans and Democrats both believe fallout from the firings could aid them in the upcoming gubernatorial and House of Delegates elections. On the Republican side, political operatives are optimistic that the firings will create a mass exodus of federal bureaucrats from the DMV (D.C., Maryland, and Virginia) area that could tilt the needle in the direction of the presumed Republican candidate, current Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears. Over 90,000 federal workers live in Northern Virginia, with over 140,000 total federal workers in the state.’” [Association of Mature American Citizens, 2/28/25]
HEADLINE: “Hundreds Of Virginia Workers File UI Claims Tied To Federal Workers.” [Virginia Public Media, 3/6/25]
March 2025: Arlington Employment Center Experienced 45% Increase In Residents Seeking Help After Trump Mass Firings. According to ARLnow, "Amid mass federal layoffs, local businesses and resource centers are responding to a surge in Arlington residents seeking jobs. While business owners say they’ve received a flood of inquiries from people now out of work, the Arlington Employment Center has seen a 45% year-over-year increase in people accessing services. 'I can tell you that we are getting, I mean, just astronomically more [applications] than we’ve really ever gotten before,' Sarah White, owner of Lost Dog Cafe on Columbia Pike, told ARLnow. 'The applications are pouring in.'" [ARLnow, 3/13/25]
The Christian Science Monitor: DOGE’s Plans To Reduce The Workforce Was Expected To Disproportionately Affect Virginia Since The Commonwealth Was Home To Federal Workers And Contractors, And Secretary Hegseth’s Budget Cuts Could Impact The “Sizable Military Presence In The Southeast Corner” Of Virginia. According to The Christian Science Monitor, “The Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative to cut up to $2 trillion in federal spending led by billionaire Mr. Musk, has promised federal layoffs to achieve that goal. Thousands of federal employees have already been fired, and more cuts are coming: A memo issued Wednesday by the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management instructed department and agency heads to prepare for ‘large-scale reductions in force’ and to develop reorganization plans by March 13. And Virginia, one of the few states to hold elections this fall, will be disproportionately affected. The commonwealth is home to one of the country’s largest federal workforces, behind only Washington, D.C., and California. Most of the state’s federal employees and contractors live in the counties surrounding the nation’s capital. But there is also a sizable military presence in the southeast corner of the state, which could be impacted by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s own recent request for budget cuts. Democratic leaders say the layoffs will be felt throughout the state, as friends and family members lose their jobs and trigger a domino effect through Virginia’s economy, just as the state’s elections are heating up.” [Christian Science Monitor, 2/28/25]
Washington Post: DOGE’s Aggressive Cost-Cutting Was Expected To Impact Virginia, Which Ranked The Third-Highest In Number Of Federal Workers And First For Federal Contract Spending. According to the Washington Post, “While Earle-Sears has statewide name recognition, the endorsement of outgoing Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) and more than $2 million on hand in campaign cash, her new primary rivals could force her to more tightly embrace Trump in a state where he has been broadly unpopular but still holds the GOP primary electorate in his sway. Trump lost Virginia all three times he ran for president. Although his performance improved last year (he lost by 6 points) over 2020 (10 points), DOGE’s aggressive cost-cutting is not expected to enhance his popularity in a state that ranks third-highest in number of federal workers and first for federal contract spending.” [Washington Post, 2/27/25]
Newsweek: “Virginia, Home To More Than 140,000 Federal Employees, Will Be Ground Zero For The Effects Of Trump's Cuts.” According to Newsweek, “Virginia, home to more than 140,000 federal employees, will be ground zero for the effects of Trump's cuts, which are part of the task force dubbed ‘Department of Government Efficiency,’ (DOGE) led by Elon Musk. In the first month of his second term, DOGE has fired thousands of federal employees. Republicans celebrated the cuts, which they believe will make the government more effective by shrinking the federal bureaucracy. Critics say many federal employees who perform critical work are now left without a job. [...] Roughly 144,483 federal employees live in Virginia, according to a December 2024 report from the Congressional Research Service. Only California and D.C. proper, both of which are solidly Democratic, count more federal government staffers. This means Virginia is one of the states likely to be most affected by the DOGE cuts. The exact number of federal employees who have been fired or laid off since Trump's return to office is unclear, though the Associated Press reported that thousands have already been let go as of February 21” [Newsweek, 2/24/25]
Virginia Public Media: As Of March 6, 2025, The Virginia Employment Commission Confirmed At Least 501 Virginians Made “Initial Unemployment Claims Tied To Federal Employers” Amid The Federal Workforce Cuts. According to Virginia Public Media, “At least 501 Virginians have made initial unemployment claims tied to federal employers, a Virginia Employment Commission spokesperson told VPM News on Thursday. The count comes as the federal government's plans to slash jobs remain hazy — and as economists and policymakers try to sift through data to plan for the possible economic fallout. Last week there were a total of 168 confirmed initial Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees claims, and 136 were continued UFCE claims, said Kerri O’Brien in an email.” [Virginia Public Media, 3/6/25]
University Of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center Economist João Ferreira Argued That Federal Workforce Cuts Would Reduce Household Spending, Impact Relocations To Other States, Impact Real Estate, And Impact Contracting, Including In Professional, Scientific, And Technical Services. According to Virginia Public Media, “João Ferreira, an economist with the University of Virginia's Weldon Cooper Center, said that the effects have layers: reductions in household spending, relocations to other states, real estate shocks and impacts on contracting, particularly in professional, scientific and technical services. ‘This is a sector that has grown a lot in the DC area and also in Virginia… fueled by the contracts they had with the federal government,’ he said. ‘If they start seeing that these contracts are starting to shrink, this might also have an additional layer of impact that can create more difficulties.’” [Virginia Public Media, 3/6/25]
George Mason Professor And Director Of The Center For Regional Analysis Terry Clower Estimated That “For Every Federal Job Eliminated Or Relocated, The Regional Economy Would Lose 0.4 Jobs” And Highlighted That Virginia’s Job Openings Did Not Line Up With Federal Workers’ Skill Sets. According to Virginia Public Media, “Terry Clower, director of the Center for Regional Analysis and a public policy professor at George Mason University, said data from online job postings aggregated by economic consultancies indicates Virginia’s job openings don’t line up with the skill set of Virginia’s federal workers. [...] Clower, the George Mason professor, estimates that for every federal job eliminated or relocated, the regional economy would lose 0.4 jobs.” [Virginia Public Media, 3/6/25]
University Of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center Predicted That A 39,000 Job Cut Could Trigger A Recession In Virginia And That A 10% Federal Workforce Cut Would Result In A Loss Of 39,178 In State Employment. According to Virginia Public Media, “But estimates also vary. According to the Weldon Cooper Center, a reduction of 39,000 jobs would mean a recession in Virginia. The center calculated that a 10% reduction in federal civilian jobs, or 18,000 people, would mean a loss of 39,178 in total state employment — wiping out its previous projection of 30,000 new jobs in the commonwealth in 2025.” [Virginia Public Media, 3/6/25]
The University Of Virginia Predicted That A 10% Federal Workforce Cut Would “Wipe Out The State’s Projected 2025 Job Growth.” According to Virginia Public Media, “A UVA analysis says cutting 10% of federal jobs would wipe out the state's projected 2025 job growth.” [Virginia Public Media, 3/6/25]
Virginia Public Media: The Exact Number Of Federal Workers In Virginia Was “Elusive” As The U.S. Census Reported 315,000 Virginian Federal Workers In 2023, Whereas The Bureau Of Labor Statistics Reported 189,000 Virginian Federal Workers In 2023 And The U.S. Office Of Personnel Management Reported 145,000 Virginian Federal Workers In 2024. According to Virginia Public Media, “Even the exact number of federal workers in Virginia is elusive. The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey said that in 2023, 315,000 federal workers resided in Virginia. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (an agency under the U.S. Department of Labor) said the number of jobs — specifically, places of employment physically located in Virginia — was 189,000 the same year. And the independent U.S. Office of Personnel Management said the number of jobs was 145,000 in 2024. The census data is even more complicated by the fact that sometimes people report working for the federal government when they in reality may be working for contractors, said UVA’s Ferreira.” [Virginia Public Media, 3/6/25]
Boston Globe: “Few States Stand To Be More Affected Than Virginia” From Trump And Musk’s Rapid Federal Workforce Cuts. According to the Boston Globe, “As President Trump and his ally Elon Musk continue their push to rapidly dismantle the federal government through deep cuts to its workforce, few states stand to be more affected than Virginia, home to over 340,000 federal workers, from the suburbs just across the Potomac River from Washington to the military communities of Hampton Roads. And no state might illustrate the potential political backlash to the Department of Government Efficiency project quicker than Virginia, which is one of two to hold its gubernatorial and legislative elections the year after a presidential election. Virginia is always closely watched as a bellwether for a newly-elected president’s political fortunes. But this year, it’s also a test of Trump and Musk’s bid to radically reshape the government. Democrats intend to keep pressing Earle-Sears and Republicans, though the steady stream of news out of Washington about mass layoffs and programs on the chopping block ensures they won’t have to work hard to keep the issue before Virginia voters.” [Boston Globe, 3/4/25]
Boston Globe: The Federal Government Played A Key Role In Virginia’s Economy, And Virginia Was Home To A Large Share Of Federal Workers And Several Major Military Bases, Including 83,000 Active Duty Military Personnel. According to the Boston Globe, “It’s difficult to overstate the federal government’s impact on the Virginia economy, even far from the Beltway. The US metropolitan area with the highest share of federal workers outside of Washington is Hampton Roads, which spans the cities of Virginia Beach and Norfolk, home to several major military bases that collectively account for 83,000 active duty military personnel. Richmond, the state capital, also has a large number of federal workers. In the congressional districts spanning these regions, federal employees can account for anywhere from one in 10 to one in six of the population.” [Boston Globe, 3/4/25]
March 2025: Trump's Cuts To The Department Of Education Were Hurting Virginia's K-12 Schools And Colleges.
February 2025: Virginia HBCUs Lost Funding Due To Trump Cutting Grant Programs.
April 2025: DOGE Canceled Thousands In Grants For Lynchburg, Virginia’s Children’s Museum. According to WSET, “Lynchburg's interactive children's museum, Amazement Square, could lose thousands of dollars for two of its initiatives due to DOGE cuts. Amazement Square took to Facebook on Wednesday to share that the Institute of Museum and Library Services had canceled their grant payments to for ‘Everyone is Special’ and ‘Steam Library Makers’. … [Museum staffer Lexi] Newman shared that the ‘Everybody is Special’ initiative was launched at the same time the museum opened in 2001. … ‘This is programming that allows students and adults with disabilities access to arts and STEM programming that they usually do not get in the current classroom,’ Newman said.” [WSET, 4/18/25]
Martinsville School District Superintendent Expressed Concern After Trump Administration Cut Department Of Educating Funding. According to BTW21, "Recent cuts within the U.S. Department of Education are raising concerns for local school leaders, including Martinsville Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Zebedee Talley Jr. The cuts, which recently dismantled the National Center for Education Statistics , have left many in the educational community worried about the future of student assessment and data-driven decision-making in U.S. schools. The NCES was responsible for compiling the 'Nation's Report Card,' a key tool used to compare student learning across the country. The decision to eliminate the center has been described as a significant blow to educational transparency and accountability. According to BTW21 News, the Department of Education's decision to cut 130 employees from the program has further fueled the uncertainty surrounding the future of educational assessments. Dr. Talley, who has spent 47 years in education, shared his concerns about the unprecedented nature of these cuts. 'To be honest, we don't know, this has never been done before, but it could be horrific,' he said. 'I believe in the power of public education; I grew up in poverty, and public education is the great equalizer. I think we must do all we can across this nation to support our public schools and giving young people a chance to be educated.’” [BTW21, 3/17/25]
March 2025: Chesapeake Nonprofit CEO Warned Trump’s Department Of Education Layoffs May Impact “Most At-Risk Kids.” According to WVEC, "Massive staff cuts are underway at the U.S. Department of Education as President Donald Trump's administration announced the agency's workforce is being cut in half. Some Hampton Roads nonprofits say the planned federal firings may not only impact those roughly 2,000 Education Department employees. [...] Thaler McCormick, CEO of nonprofit ForKids in Chesapeake, says the drastic reduction of the U.S. Department of Education prompts questions about the level of care and the potential impact to the region's most at-risk students. 'At the federal level, they're doing an awful lot of work impacting the most at-risk kids — specifically kids with special education needs, and children with homelessness and housing instability,' McCormick said. 'Part of their role is doing national research, to make sure kids in Virginia have the same opportunities as kids in Ohio.'" [WVEC, 3/13/25]
February 2025: Federal Funding Was Cut To Multiple Richmond, VA Education Programs. According to Virginia Mercury, "Virginia’s capital city, Richmond, is already feeling the effects. Federal funding cuts hit a Youngkin-backed lab school initiative, and a Virginia Commonwealth University program designed to place teachers in hard-to-staff schools lost critical funding. " [Virginia Mercury, 2/22/25]
February 2025: Half Of All Community Health Centers In Virginia Were Cut off from Federal Grants In The Trump Freeze. According to VPM, "Half of Virginia’s community health centers have been cut off from federal grant money, forcing some to stop providing certain services and others to close branches. The commonwealth has 31 Federally Qualified Health Centers with over 200 locations — a majority of which serve rural areas with limited access to medical care. Annually, about 400,000 Virginians rely on the care provided by these nonprofit, community-based centers, according to the Virginia Community Healthcare Association. [...] The Capital Area Health Network, which operates seven FQHC facilities across Greater Richmond, sent an email to patients Tuesday morning announcing it would close several locations and transfer patients to other locations. 'Due to unforeseen federal restrictions under the new Presidential administration we were forced to consolidate our operations last week,' the email read." [VPM, 2/4/25]
February 2025: Richmond-Area Health Clinics Were Forced To Pause Operations After Trump’s Spending Freeze. According to VPM, "Half of Virginia’s community health centers have been cut off from federal grant money, forcing some to stop providing certain services and others to close branches. The commonwealth has 31 Federally Qualified Health Centers with over 200 locations — a majority of which serve rural areas with limited access to medical care. Annually, about 400,000 Virginians rely on the care provided by these nonprofit, community-based centers, according to the Virginia Community Healthcare Association. [...] The Capital Area Health Network, which operates seven FQHC facilities across Greater Richmond, sent an email to patients Tuesday morning announcing it would close several locations and transfer patients to other locations. 'Due to unforeseen federal restrictions under the new Presidential administration we were forced to consolidate our operations last week,' the email read." [VPM, 2/4/25]
Axios Richmond: The Trump-Endorsed GOP Budget Resolution Was Passed In The U.S. House, Which Would Cut Medicaid And Impact The Nearly 630,000 Medicaid Recipients In Virginia, Including The 85,000 Recipients In The Richmond Area And All The Families Who Live Below The Federal Poverty Line. According to Axios Richmond, “U.S. House Republicans passed a budget resolution last week calling for up to $2 trillion in spending cuts — a move nearly impossible to do without cutting Medicaid. [...] By the numbers: If that were to happen, nearly 630,000 Virginians would lose coverage, according to the latest data from the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services, which oversees the state's Medicaid program. More than 85,000 live in the Richmond area. Nearly all are below the federal poverty level, which is about $25,000 for a family of three. Threat level: Julian Walker, a spokesperson for the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association, told Axios any changes to Medicaid expansion funding ‘would have a significant impact in Virginia on patients, on providers, on access to care and on the economy.’ And hospitals, especially rural ones, would be unable to front additional costs. Zoom in: The federal budget resolution calls for $880 billion in cuts over 10 years for the committee that handles health care spending, including Medicaid. Reality check: The proposal still has a long way to go before it reaches the finish line, and there's a chance it could become law without major Medicaid cuts. President Trump — who's pushed the GOP budget plan — has said Medicaid won't be touched, but that ‘we are going to look for fraud,’ Axios' Caitlin Owens reports.” [Axios Richmond, 3/3/25]
According To The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association, Changes To Medicaid Expansion Funding Would Affect Virginian Patients And Providers And Would Hinder Access To Care And The Economy As Rural Hospitals Would Not Be Able To Afford The Additional Costs. According to Axios Richmond, “Threat level: Julian Walker, a spokesperson for the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association, told Axios any changes to Medicaid expansion funding ‘would have a significant impact in Virginia on patients, on providers, on access to care and on the economy.’ And hospitals, especially rural ones, would be unable to front additional costs.” [Axios Richmond, 3/3/25]
March 2025: Trump Administration Fired Veteran Working For Defense Logistics Agency. According to WWBT, "Monday was supposed to mark an achievement for army veteran Morgan Hyde. She worked at the Defense Logistics Agency for nine months. However, she said it’s been tense at the office for the past few weeks. So, when her boss called her in, she knew it wasn’t good. 'And he told me that you’re going to be getting an email, this is what the email is going to say, and you have this amount of time to get your belongings, turn in your badge, and go home,' she said. Not too long after, she received an email stating that she was being terminated for reduction in force and performance. 'Which is a complete lie based on the fact that I had just received a performance award,' Hyde said. Hyde joins thousands of federal workers nationwide who have been laid off as part of the White House and Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to shrink the federal workforce. The federal government is the largest employer of veterans.” [WWBT, 3/4/25]
March 2025: Trump Administration Cancelled Up To $425 Million In Funding For Virginia Public Health Agencies. According to VPM, "The federal government is withdrawing up to $425 million in grant funding for several COVID-related programs operated by the Virginia Department of Health. The cuts have already led to ongoing layoffs and the early cancellation of existing contracts across the state. The decision of President Donald Trump’s administration to eliminate $11.4 billion in federal funding for COVID-related programs comes just a week after the nation marked the five-year anniversary of the pandemic’s beginning. (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency — and program funding tied to that emergency status — in 2023.) [...] The Virginia-relevant grants impacted by these new cuts had been providing funding for infectious disease testing through the state’s epidemiology lab, COVID-19 related child immunization and vaccines programs, and initiatives addressing health disparities among high-risk and underserved populations related to the pandemic. The programs were tentatively set to continue receiving federal funds for at least one more year." [VPM, 3/27/25]
March 2025: Virginia Health Department Began Laying Off “Community Health Workers, Nurses, And Epidemiologists” After Trump Cuts. According to Axios, "The Virginia Department of Health is facing layoffs after the Trump administration announced it's cutting $11.4 billion in COVID-related funding nationwide, Axios has learned. The big picture: VDH officials told Axios the agency was notified Tuesday that 'several' of those grants will be terminated early, affecting 'current staffing and ongoing projects.' They didn't say how many people will be losing their jobs, provide details on what the grants were funding, or say how much federal funding was nixed. [...] Community health workers, nurses and epidemiologists statewide have already begun receiving termination notices, several current and former VDH employees tell Axios. Axios is not naming them because they weren't authorized to speak on behalf of the agency. One worker who was laid off tells Axios that VDH's central office sent out an email Tuesday night about the grant changes. By Wednesday morning, people were laid off and locked out of the system. The email, obtained by Axios, also announced a hiring freeze 'as we assess the available resources and priorities.'" [Axios, 3/26/25]
March 2025: Virginia Veterans Laid Off In Trump Firings Were In Limbo As Courts Weighed Their Terminations.
March 2025: An Army Veteran In Virginia Was Laid Off From The Defense Logistics Agency In Trump's Mass Layoffs.
February 2025: Pregnant Veteran Was Fired In Trump's Layoffs From Her Position At The VA Hospital In Hampton, Virginia.
February 2025: Disabled Trump-Supporting Veteran Was Fired From Federal Government Job In Virginia. According to WTOP News, "A Virginia couple is hashing out their next steps after the husband, a disabled veteran and information technology technician with a federal agency, was fired Monday, as part of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to shrink the federal workforce. [...] The termination is complicated by the fact that last November they supported Donald Trump when he sought the White House for a second term. 'I voted for Donald Trump. But this is not what I was expecting,' he said. 'We didn’t think they were going to take a chainsaw to a silk rug.'" [WTOP News, 2/19/25]
March 2025: Veterans In Hampton, Virginia, Raised Concerned Over Cuts To The VA.
February 2025: The Trump Administration Fired Dozens Of Employees At The VA Hospital In Richmond, Virginia.
March 2025: Trump Administration Fired At Least 20 Employees At The VA Center In Salem, Virginia. According to WSLS, "Leaders at the Salem VA Medical Center sought to reassure local veterans that recent layoffs at the center should not have a major impact on patient care. [...] Employees told 10 News that at least 20 positions have been cut at the Salem facility. Stackhouse would not confirm exact numbers but said that besides two recreational therapists, most of the positions were not involved directly with patient care. The positions that were cut were employees considered probationary, mostly with less than a year on the job. 'They’re still no longer employees with us; however, we have submitted for exceptions or a request to bring those folks back,' Stackhouse said. 'We have not received the determination of our request at this time.'” [WSLS, 3/5/25]
February 2025: 50 Employees Were Fired By Trump Administration At Richmond, Virginia VA Center. According to CBS 6 News Richmond WTVR, "Former employees of Richmond's Veterans Administration Medical Center who were laid off are preparing to challenge their dismissals in court. The workers met with local union leaders on Friday to file a grievance regarding the unexpected layoffs, which have now resulted in the termination of 50 staff members as part of broader federal budget cuts." [CBS 6 News Richmond WTVR, 2/28/25]
February 2025: Trump Administration Fired Employee Responsible For Keeping VA Hospital Floors Clean In Richmond. According to CBS 6 News Richmond WTVR, "Chucky Lee, who worked in Environmental Management at the VA Medical Center, shared a similar sentiment. 'The first line of defense in a hospital is the cleanliness of the hospital itself. And my job was actually doing floors,' said Lee. 'People see that first when they come into the hospital: the floor is shiny, and if it's dirty, you know it. We were supposed to have 14 people in our crew. We only had nine before these layoffs, and two of us got laid off, so we only had seven. That's half of what we need to do our job. And they can't, they can't possibly do it now.'" [CBS 6 News Richmond WTVR, 2/28/25]
February 2025: A Virginia Army Veteran Said Her Mammogram At The VA Medical Center In Hampton, Virginia, Was Canceled Amid The Trump Administration's Cuts At The Agency.
February 28, 2025: A New Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic In Fredericksburg, Virginia, Held A Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony, But The Trump Administration’s Firing Of 2,400 VA Employees And The Agency’s Hiring Freeze Threatened The Facility’s Full Potential. According to the Fredericksburg Free Press, “Friday afternoon, officials boasted about the 471,000-square-foot facility being the largest VA outpatient clinic in the nation. ‘It is larger than 10 [hospitals] in the VA’s inventory,’ said Jonathan Benoit, acting Veterans Integrated Service Network 6 director. ‘When people drive by here, they think it’s a hospital.’ Benoit informed those who complained in the past about the lack of parking at the VA in Richmond that there are 2,600 parking spaces available at the Spotsylvania County facility, which is located at 10432 Patriot Highway, and opens on Monday. But U.S. Sens. Mark Warner (D-Virginia) and Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) and U.S. Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-7th District) reminded the several hundred people in attendance that a major hurdle stands in the way of the facility reaching its full potential — the firing of approximately 2,400 VA employees and the hiring freeze at the agency enacted by President Trump’s administration.” [Fredericksburg Free Press, 2/28/25]