The Department of Veterans Affairs is facing its first-ever net workforce loss, with more than 40,000 employees leaving in fiscal 2025, nearly 90% of them healthcare workers, a Democratic watchdog report warns.

The report, released by Democratic staff on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, finds the staffing decline has disrupted primary care for an estimated 1.2 million veterans who lost their assigned provider, pushed mental health wait times beyond legal limits in more than a dozen states, and contributed to rising errors in benefits decisions as claims processors are pressured to prioritize speed over accuracy.