The Department of Veterans Affairs has temporarily suspended billions of dollars in contract cuts after an uproar that critical veterans health services were harmed, lawmakers and veterans service organizations said Wednesday.

WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs has temporarily suspended billions of dollars in planned contract cuts following concerns that the move would hurt critical veterans’ health services, lawmakers and veterans service organizations said Wednesday.

The pause affects hundreds of VA contracts, which Secretary Collins described a day earlier as nonessential consulting agreements.

Sensitive financial and health data belonging to millions of veterans is at risk of being stolen or otherwise compromised, a recently fired federal employee who led cybersecurity efforts for VA.gov told the AP.

A cybersecurity expert who until recently led efforts to protect sensitive veterans data on VA.gov warns that sensitive information for millions could be at risk after DOGE suddenly fired him. (AP Vid

A former Department of Veterans Affairs cybersecurity official warned that the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) access to the department’s information threatens sensitive data stored within the organization.