VA Urged by DOGE to Cut 435 Programs Last Year Totaling $1.1 Billion: OIG

Military.com ^ | Sep 26, 2026, 6:00 AM ED | Nick Mordowanec

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The contracts were “terminated for convenience,” according to a new VA OIG report, but officials said they had "no negative impact."

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) once led by trillionaire Elon Musk encouraged the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to scrap hundreds of contracts last year totaling approximately $1.1 billion, according to a new government watchdog report.

The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) report issued Tuesday was described by the watchdog as a review of contracts "terminated for convenience," or contracts that the government ended "because it was in its best interest."

The OIG determined that VA terminated 435 contracts for convenience, valued at approximately $1.1 billion, out of 2,210 reviewed contracts. Requested by the aforementioned senators to specifically review the cancellation of contracts, the OIG found that the cancellation request process under review involved individual contract actions.

Analysis stemmed from a June 13, 2025, request made by Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, the ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and committee member Senator Angus King of Maine.

Lawmakers' Requests

The lawmakers asked the OIG to review the cancellation of VA contracts that began after Jan. 20, 2025, or after DOGE was instituted, to identify which contracts were canceled, reduced in scope, stopped, or allowed to expire as part of this cancellation effort.

"As defined in the FAR [Federal Acquisition Regulation], a contract may encompass multiple contract actions including delivery orders, task orders or purchase orders," the report says. "This means that in some cases, parts of a contract (rather than an entire contract) were terminated."

The remaining 1,775 contract actions the OIG reviewed were reinstated or never terminated for convenience, with the watchdog adding that may indicate that they were also being considered for termination before officials ultimately kept...

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TOPICS: Military/Veterans
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[Mariner]

I go to the VA regularly here in Norcal.

As far as I can tell it’s the best care available anywhere in the world.

FAR better than regular insured care.

[Big Red Badger]

I Agree with You
I’m North Arizona!
If Your a VET contact them and
They will Hound You to improve
Your circumstances!
.
I Guarantee It

[Zathras]

1.1B/year!

[rexthecat]

I’m a 100% disabled VA vet dealing with two agent orange cancers. The VA has been amazing. The care I receive is state of the art. I have nothing but praise for the organization.

[maddog55]

Go to Atlanta VA...you’d be better off doing your own heart transplant. Ranked in the bottom 10% worst VAs in the country for years.

I live in North Georgia and have refused every appointment they try to get me to go to .it’s over 90 miles away thankfully. Takes months to get a referral from them for community care. Local VA clinic is good but I go where I want when I want and get in within a week or so. We have great insurance to cover the wife and I.

[Justa]

Imo a lot of these are outreach programs. Like getting veterans involved in water polo, etc. But they have a lot of really great and committed programs and people so I hope those don’t take a hit. I’ll have to check back in a bit. Got an MRI tonight. Hospital will be empty but the MRI operator will be in there -machines can run 24/7. So they do.

Now, they could slow down building projects. Our perfectly good New Port Richey VA clinic, circa 1970s was replaced with a big, more glass, tall ceilings VA with a parking lot designed by multiple committees it seems. Shorter for me to park in normal parking and hobble across the entrance road then follow their maze to the handicapped parking. The 3 handicapped spots on the building’s side are always full. Duh a VA hospital, half the frickin ppl are handicapped.

[roving]

I can say the same thing where I live in northwest Illinois.