Paul Lawrence, the Trump administration's nominee for deputy secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, pledged Wednesday to look into recent firings at the VA and ensure that veterans' health and benefits information is protected from incursions by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.
In his confirmation hearing before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Lawrence was peppered with questions from lawmakers about the recent firing of 1,000 probationary employees at the VA, including researchers, and the activity of DOGE representatives at the department.
Lawrence, who served as the VA's under secretary for benefits under the first term of President Donald Trump, explained he had no access to the internal workings at the VA given that he has not yet been confirmed, and added that he believed what has been stated by the VA in news releases -- that the firings affected only personnel who were not considered "mission critical."
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Since the purge of thousands of government workers began Feb. 14, employees across the federal government, including at the VA, have come forward saying they received termination notices despite having been civil servants for years; received notices citing poor performance even though they had stellar reviews; or were in jobs that supported critical activities such as the Vet Centers and the Veterans Crisis Line, which provides support to suicidal service members and vets.
Sens. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill.; Angus King, I-Maine; and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., all asked Lawrence for his opinion on the terminations. He said he believed them to have been done by "a very thoughtful approach ... in a sense that the jobs were not mission critical," citing a VA news release.
"[The layoffs were] designed not to affect the provision of health care and benefits, and there was a safeguard where the first-level [Senior Executive Service] supervisors could opt somebody out of that process," Lawrence said.
When provided with examples of questionable terminations, Lawrence said that those examples were "inconsistent with what I have read," but added that he would look into the dismissals, including the layoffs of researchers conducting scientific studies on veterans health issues.
Lawmakers on the panel also raised concerns about the activities at the VA of DOGE, which began Feb. 4. According to the VA, a DOGE official is reviewing the department's contracts, operations and information technology systems.
But the presence of DOGE, which is guided by Musk, a Trump senior adviser and the world's richest man, has raised concerns over the safekeeping of veterans' health information and data.
Amid deep cuts, firings and unprecedented incursions at federal agencies, Musk and his DOGE team have already dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, and frozen its funding -- all without the consent of Congress. The moves triggered a court-ordered injunction that required the aid freeze to be lifted, though the administration appeared to be ignoring that order on Wednesday, according to Reuters.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., asked whether Lawrence would ensure that veterans' private information would be protected.
"This is a much easier answer. The answer is 'no, you do not have access to that information,'" said Lawrence, adding that such data is "strictly guarded."
"There is a restricted process to do that. For example, I could not look at veterans' information. I cannot look at someone on this committee. The secretary cannot do that without going through a very difficult [process]," he said.
Lawrence is a former Army captain who served as under secretary for benefits from 2018 to 2020 following a lengthy career in management consulting for a number of accounting and consulting firms. He has published several books on management and government and lent expertise to the chapter on the Department of Veterans Affairs in Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation think tank's guidebook for a conservative presidency.
In his opening remarks, Lawrence cited the success of the Veterans Benefits Administration under his watch, which included reducing the disability claims backlog to slightly more than 60,000 -- it currently stands at more than 950,000 following passage of the PACT Act, which greatly expanded benefits -- guaranteeing a record number of home loans and conducting telephone town halls to talk directly to veterans.
He said he will use that experience, along with his foundation as a veteran and consultant, to ensure that eligible veterans get their benefits and services.
"If confirmed, I will be a tireless advocate for the men and women who fought for liberty," Lawrence said.
North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, who chaired the confirmation hearing in the absence of Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., whose return to Washington, D.C., was delayed by weather, said Lawrence's experience would benefit the department.
"In the end ... you bring the kind of perspective that I believe is needed to settle down and address maybe even some of the legitimate concerns that [have been expressed]," Tillis said.
The committee must vote on Lawrence's nomination before it is forwarded to the full Senate for approval. During his earlier nomination process as under secretary for benefits, Lawrence received approval by voice vote in both the committee and the Senate.
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