Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins has held the job for just five days, but he has already swiftly embraced President Donald Trump’s demand for spending reform and cuts at the nation’s federal agencies.
Just today, it was reported that Collins ended a costly contract with Politico for specialty news and targeted millions of dollars in funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
Following Trump and Elon Musk’s cuts to Politico spending by USAID, Collins said he slashed two contracts to Politico Pro that cost the department $178,000 a year, a stunning price for news subscriptions.
Ran across a $178,000 contract VA had with Politico and we promptly canceled it. That money can be better spent on Veterans health care!
— VA Secretary Doug Collins (@SecVetAffairs) February 10, 2025
“Ran across a $178,000 contract VA had with Politico and we promptly canceled it. That money can be better spent on Veterans health care!” he wrote on X.
In addition, Collins dumped nearly 60 employees who were solely focused on DEI programs, saving over $8 million a year in salary and benefits.
A VA spokeswoman said the department was spending an average of more than $136,000 a year per employee, and one was making more than $220,000 per year, just $26,000 shy of what Collins earns.
Ready to get to work for America’s Veterans. Thank you to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas for swearing me in this morning. A tremendous honor! pic.twitter.com/PKPwfAzYSX
— VA Secretary Doug Collins (@SecVetAffairs) February 5, 2025
Collins is also moving quickly to scrub $6.1 million in “DEI-related trainings, materials, and other consulting services.”
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A former House Republican from Georgia, Collins told Secrets on Monday, “It’s a new day at VA. We’re putting veterans at the center of everything the department does, focusing relentlessly on customer service and convenience. We’re working every day to find new and better ways of helping VA beneficiaries. That means cutting wasteful spending and redirecting resources toward programs that benefit veterans, families, survivors and caregivers.”
Even before Trump returned to the White House, he pledged to eliminate woke programs and his secretaries have moved fast to make good on that promise. The defense and VA departments have led the way so far.