Trump and Republicans are Slashing Veterans Benefits and Services
Veterans served and sacrificed; now they’re being sacrificed by Trump, Elon Musk, and Congressional Republicans. Democrats at all levels are fighting for the benefits and services that Veterans earned and deserve.
Cutting staff at the Department of Veterans Affairs will make it more difficult for veterans to access the health care, benefits, and resources they need.
Republicans aim to cancel contracts and slash more than 80,000 jobs at the Veterans Administration, roughly a sixth of its workforce.
U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in a statement:
“Now, Trump and Musk are also paralyzing countless operations at VA hospitals across the country by essentially freezing their purchase cards–preventing them from buying more supplies for hospitals, operating shuttles for patients, covering lodging for veterans, and much more. This is a totally senseless and reckless move that is creating more chaos for VA providers and their patients.”
Senator Murray added: ‘Firing VA employees will–among much else–likely force veterans to wait longer:
To see health care providers;
To have their disability claims adjudicated;
To have someone to pick up their calls at the Veterans Crisis Line;
To have burial and funeral expense reimbursement requests processed;
And much more.”
“A number of staff supporting the Veterans Crisis Line–which provides 24/7, confidential crisis support for veterans and their loved ones–were among those fired by Trump and Musk.”
Reckless, unjustified firings at federal agencies.
Many veterans serve their country twice by working in federal government agencies such as the Dept. of Defense, the VA, Dept of Transportation (35% of staffers are vets), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (28%) and the General Services Administration (27%).
While the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs have the most veterans—employing more than 435,000 in total— vets are a critical component of every federal agency’s workforce.
Other top employers of veterans by percentage include the Department of Transportation (34.6% veterans), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (27.9%) and the General Services Administration (26.5%). Before the Trump cuts, 2024, more than 700,000 veterans worked in various federal departments and agencies – making up nearly a quarter of the federal government’s entire civilian workforce.(Pew Research Center)
Cutting Medicaid will disproportionately affect Veterans.
Nearly 1 in 10 working-age veterans receive Medicaid, with 40% of them having Medicaid as their only health coverage. Approximately 1.75 million veterans have Medicaid as a source of coverage. This coverage ensures that veterans get the primary and specialty health care they need when they need it. > (Military.com)
Defunding research critical to veterans’ health and wellbeing.
Trump has stopped research projects across the nation that were helping veterans. For example, cuts to the Harvard Medical School alone, wiped out research into veterans’ suicide prevention, toxic particle exposure and prostrate cancer screening. A study of 500,000 vets designed to illuminate the links between diet and chronic disease was affected. (NYTimes)
On Saturday, May 24, Clackamas County Democrats Clackamas County Dems is sponsoring a Hands Off Veterans' Benefits Rally from 12:00 – 2:00pm at the Clackamas Town Center in Happy Valley (corner of Sunnyside and I-205). We'll have tables with info and raffle tix for sale. Veterans Organizing Veterans will have a table as well. Attendees are encouraged to bring signs, flags, and a spirit of community pride. Let’s stand together this Memorial Day Weekend to honor those who’ve given so much. All are welcome!