Over the past month, VA has cut 2,400 positions, and VA Secretary Doug Collins said this week the department plans to slash more than 70,000 jobs. The goal would reduce VA staffing to 2019 levels, three years before the historic PACT Act expanded benefits to more than a million veterans sickened by exposures to toxins.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has repeatedly promised that the quest to shrink the federal government will not harm veterans or their care.
“We’re going to make the department work better for the veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors,” Collins said this week.
But VA employees from across the country said the cuts and a climate of fear are already hurting veterans.
⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠀⠀⠀⢰⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⣀⣀⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡏⠉⠛⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠀⠀⠀⠈⠛⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠿⠛⠉⠁⠀⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⠿⠿⠿⠻⠿⠿⠟⠿⠛⠉⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣸⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣄⠀⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣴⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠏⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠠⣴⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⠀⠀⢰⣹⡆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣭⣷⠀⠀⠀⠸⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠃⠀⠀⠈⠉⠀⠀⠤⠄⠀⠀⠀⠉⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⢿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢾⣿⣷⠀⠀⠀⠀⡠⠤⢄⠀⠀⠀⠠⣿⣿⣷⠀⢸⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡀⠉⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢄⠀⢀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠉⠉⠁⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢹⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⣿⣿It’s finally habbening.
How the hell would that have even be possible? Fuckin’ republicans and their fuckin’ magical thinking. Jesus fuckin’ christ
It never was. They want the cuts to force veterans to seek care elsewhere so they don’t have to pay. If they die waiting all the better.
Suffering is a Republican hallmark.
Yeah to be clear. I don’t mean the people who planned this. This was always the intent. I mean the people who bought the lie and voted for it. They’re the ones out here doing magical thinking
Probably the same kind of people that think that people that just happen to have money (little d and fElon) are smarter.
Any promises by republicans or related to republican policies are lies.
I’ve gotten VA newsletters where he has had to say rumors aren’t true and nothing is going to impact benefits, and they are completely unconvincing.
I watched the employee town hall on Friday,
Basically leadership doesn’t know anything but plans to comply with the orders by the coup.
We lost a probationary developer at our site who was the only one maintaining a program that helps with clinical studies. And we also have a hiring freeze right now…
Veterans are overwhelmingly Trump supporters. So they won, they can get over it.
Please refrain from lumping all veterans into one group. I’m a veteran that relies on the care I receive from the VA and I am not a trump supporter. Just as thinking all the liberals and minorities that live in red states deserve the suffering they didn’t vote for is barbaric, so is this
I’m from Hungary. I have no love for Orban and did what I could to depose him (for all thr nothing it availed to), but I also welcome all the retribution we get for allowing him in power for so long,even if it hurts me personally as well.
Respectfully, despite what your former despot has done, I do not believe you deserve punishment for his actions. That is collective punishment and is a war crime.
I’m a patient at the VA and half the dipshits waiting for an appointment there are still wearing their red MAGA klan hoods.
I don’t fucking get it. I was active duty during his first term, and he fucked us over every chance he got.
Anyone who served and supports Trump is a special kind of stupid beyond the standard Trumpanzee idiot.
Feel free to tell them directly how they’re getting fucked, in a polite way of course. Idk if anything will wake those people up from their alternate reality though.
I’ve gotten into a couple arguments, but it’s like talking to a brick.
They really do live in a complete fantasy.
Yeah, it’s sad. Even worse when reality confronts their fantasy and they keep choosing fantasy.
It’s hard to come up with a good analogy. It’s kind of like someone watching a crocodile bite their leg off and then hobbling back to the same lagoon so they can get bit again. Then, instead of blaming themselves or the crocodile for the situation, they blame black people.
I suspect it’s a brand thing with insecure men (and the women infected with the same toxic nonsense). I mean, what is the alternative, be a total pansy and vote for Democrats? /s
