Chuck Veltri
“The Secretary of Veterans Affairs plans to reduce the Veterans Administration to 2019 staffing levels ‘without’ affecting healthcare or benefits.”
This was the headline months ago in most major newspapers. Since then, plans have been put in place to reduce over 30,000 Veterans Affairs (VA) workers, many of whom are veterans, through retirements, attrition, and termination. The current Administration insists that the cuts are for workers who are in unproductive, non-essential jobs, but they provide no proof that this is the case. A crisis is taking shape in the healthcare system that was designed to help those who sacrificed so much for our country.
In 2022, Congress passed the PACT Act that extended care to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances such as Agent Orange (Vietnam) and Burn Pits (Iraq). Subsequently the VA hired 61,000 new employees to prepare for the implementation of the PACT Act. These employees are now considered non-essential and will be terminated. This will clearly affect healthcare and benefits for veterans.
Our country has always made a commitment to provide healthcare, benefits, and support for all our veterans. Cutting VA funding and staffing levels breaks that promise.
Reduced staffing would lead to reduced care for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), war wounds, and brain injuries in all areas where the VA is uniquely qualified to assist.
Cutting funding for staff would eliminate programs critical to the mental health of veterans at a time when veteran suicide is at an all-time high.
Life support initiatives such as helping homeless vets, providing a transition to civilian life, providing job training, education, and housing may be cut off leaving our vets behind and in trouble.
VA hospitals and clinics are underfunded and understaffed. Job elimination ensures further staffing problems and care delays. Outsourcing care increases costs dramatically!
The VA healthcare system is stressed. Waiting rooms are full, appointments are months out, and care for an ever-increasing number of veterans is not up to the standard our veterans deserve.
The grim reality is that VA healthcare cuts hurt veterans and their families. The Administration’s current efforts are contrary to past efforts to support veterans. Instead of cutting, we believe the focus should be on modernizing the VA system and its facilities, expanding care to veterans, reducing bureaucracy, and keeping our promise to veterans.
The PebbleCreek Democratic Club has established a Veterans Affairs Committee to provide the support our community and veterans need. Our first effort is Vets for Education. We are collecting school supplies for schools desperately in need in our community. We have already delivered over 3,100 items to Agua Fria High School and Lattie Coor Elementary and will continue to provide supplies through September. We encourage all Democratic Veterans to join us. If you are interested, call Chuck Veltri at 623-363-3168.