First-term Rep. Derek Tran, Democrat of California, joined Daily Kos to discuss his new bill, the Protect Veteran Jobs Act.
Tran, whose district is home to more than 18,000 veterans, is a former employment attorney and a veteran—giving him particular expertise regarding President Donald Trump’s mass firings of federal workers.
The Trump administration, along with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, has fired an estimated 6,000 veterans in the government purge. Tran’s bill requires each agency to send to Congress a report every three months on veterans who were fired for accountability on who DOGE is targeting.
Though it’s unlikely to pass the GOP-led House, Tran’s bill sends a clear message about having veterans' backs.
The interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Daily Kos: There's been an estimated 6,000 veterans fired by DOGE. How have these layoffs impacted not only your decision to condemn it, but to go as far as introducing legislation to reverse it?
Rep. Derek Tran: Yeah, this administration is dishonoring those men and women who have donned the uniform to serve our country. I see it as my duty to stand up and fight for them. This is the right thing to do. They had our backs when we needed them, and now it's our turn—my turn—to have their back.
DK: The bill mandates quarterly reports from federal agencies on the number of veterans that are fired, and also the reason why they were fired. What prompted you to include this, and what insight do you hope to gain from it?
Tran: For me, it's about doing my job as a legislator and making sure that I perform the oversight and the checks and balances on this administration. Having them report to us, to Congress, on the terminations of veterans, it gives us a better control of what's going on with the administration.
DK: The bill also proposes reinstatement for veterans dismissed “without cause” since Trump was sworn in. How does the bill define “without cause?” If it was passed, what process will be used to determine which vets are reinstated? Is it 100%?
Tran: Yeah, it deals with common sense and if we're looking at terminating and laying off employees, let's do it in a manner that’s surgical and not reckless. Let's look at their job performances. A lot of these veterans that I've been speaking to have stellar work performances, and they've done nothing but dedicate themselves to this country, serving in uniform and now serving in a federal job, and that's what they want to continue doing.
Protesters outside of the John D. Dingell Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Detroit on Feb. 28, 2025.
DK: As a veteran and former employment attorney, can you elaborate on what you think these veterans are going through, psychologically and financially, after being fired when they served their country?
Tran: Look, it's hard, right? You've dedicated your life to serving, and now you're serving in a different capacity—you're serving as a civil servant. And your livelihood is at stake, your financial livelihood is at stake. Your job and everything that you viewed as the most important thing to you has been taken away from you.
I've spoken to a veteran just earlier today who was working for the USDA. He was 11 months and one week in, and he got terminated without cause. He's got reviews and letters after the termination from his supervisor saying he was an excellent employee. Why are we letting him go?
These are the decisions that are being made by this administration that I cannot support. He's just months away from being homeless, unfortunately, because he's living off savings right now. That's not how this country should take care of their veterans.
DK: Due to staffing shortages from this mass purge, it could impact disability, health care, even the Veterans Crisis Line for those at risk of suicide. How do you think this bill aims to mitigate all of that?
Tran: It’s holding the administration accountable for their actions. We have an opportunity here for President Trump to act on his constant, “I love veterans. We're there for veterans.” Here's your chance, President Trump, to support this bill, to bring them back into the federal workplace. They've done so much for our country. It's now our turn to take care of them. It's that simple for me. It's so bipartisan.
DK: Have you heard any Republicans who are willing to publicly come out and support the bill?
Tran: Not just the Republicans are pro-veterans. Democrats and independents are pro-veterans as well. I've worked very hard to make sure that I crossed the aisle. I'm talking to my Republican colleagues. A couple of them told me that they think it's a great deal, but the time's not right for them to jump on. I don't know what that truly means, but it's unfortunate that they can't step up and be there and have the backs of our veterans.
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