A disabled veteran who was recently dismissed from his position at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Palo Alto Health Care System and got an invite from a South Bay congressman to attend President Donald Trump’s congressional address Tuesday received an email just hours before the event informing him that he got his job back.
Daniel Sandecki, who suffered an injury during his 10 years of service in the U.S. Army, was one of the 2,400 federal VA workers nationwide who lost their jobs last month in one of Trump’s attempts to cut federal spending.
Sandecki was hired last October as an emergency management specialist for VA Palo Alto Health Care System, a highly competitive position he landed after a seven-month hiring process. The job involves managing crises and ensuring continuity of care during emergencies such as power outages, earthquakes and fires.
“I basically obtained my dream job after working about 15 years to build the training, experience, and knowledge to be able to be competitive for this position,” he said in an interview.
Four months into his new job, he received an email notifying him that his position was terminated immediately for “performance-related issues,” Sandecki said.
Ten other employees at VA Palo Alto Health Care System also lost their jobs.
Dismissed by DOGE
Sandecki’s firing is part of a broader trend in the Trump Administration to reduce government spending through getting rid of thousands of federal jobs. The Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, headed by billionaire Elon Musk, is tasked with determining which federal entities or jobs to cut.
Sandecki’s situation led to U.S. Rep. Sam Liccardo, D-San Jose, inviting him to Trump’s address to Congress on Tuesday.
“We invited Daniel to be present with me as my guest for the joint session Congress,” Liccardo said in an interview. “I wanted Donald Trump to see the face of someone who suffered the impacts of his policies. … My mom told me that you never run from bullies. You’ve got to stare them down in the face.”
According to the VA, determinations of who to terminate include positions that are not deemed “mission-critical,” as well as employees who have served less than a year in a competitive service appointment.
These firings are estimated to save the VA more than $181 million, according to news releases the department put out last month.
Liccardo noted that Sandecki’s firing could be illegal since disabled veterans who are federal workers are shielded under law from layoffs in the federal government, known as reduction in force actions. Veterans who suffered a service-related injury are supposed to be given strong protections against federal layoffs.
“He was injured in the line of duty,” Liccardo said. “So there would be a violation of law to terminate him in the way they did.”
‘This is amateur hour’
On Tuesday morning, Liccardo posted a video to social media from Washington, D.C. In which he spoke about Sandecki’s firing and how Sandecki would be his guest later that evening at Trump’s congressional address.
Two hours later, Sandecki was notified that his termination was rescinded and he was getting his job back.
“The Trump Administration terminated Daniel Sandecki three weeks ago, but they quickly reversed course after public outcry,” Liccardo said in a statement. “We are relieved that Daniel — a man who has served our country both in uniform and as a mission-critical VA employee — will return to his post. But we will not quickly forget how recklessly he was fired.”
Liccardo blamed DOGE for doing exactly what it is purported to combat. The mistakes made by the agency in determining what federal jobs to cut is only sowing more inefficiency and chaos.
By rescinding Daniel’s termination, DOGE admits that he should never have been fired in the first place. This isn’t saving any money—it’s chaos. pic.twitter.com/LOERmhLGwV — Rep. Sam Liccardo (@RepLiccardo) March 5, 2025
“This is amateur hour at the White House. A bunch of reckless rookies at DOGE have fired more than 2,400 employees in the VA system,” Liccardo said. “By rescinding Daniel’s termination, DOGE admits that he should never have been fired in the first place. This isn’t saving any money, it’s chaos.”
Liccardo thinks that Sandecki’s abrupt rehiring following the circulation of his video on social media shows it is possible to fight back against unlawful actions committed by the federal government.
“Donald Trump and Elon Musk are flailing and failing,” Liccardo said. “Their retreat illustrates that advocacy is working. We must keep beating the drum and speaking out against their unconstitutional executive orders.”