if you slash the budget unilaterally as it s been proposed you re going to have a detrimental effects to veterans. reporter: while in the air force he won t to war in kosovo in 1999. today at the epa he says he fights a different battle as a water quality analyst. veterans account for almost a third of the 2 million federal workers. in 2015, more than 1,200 employees at the epa for veterans. when military leave service and are looking to get jobs out in the civilian sector, one of the places they look to acquire a job is with the federal workforce. reporter: that s because the federal government prioritizes hiring veterans. while on the trail, trump repeatedly pledged his support for vets. we re going to take care of the vets, believe me. we must also do more to help our veterans find jobs. reporter: critics of the cuts say those statements don t square with the proposed budget. they re not going to be