FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 3/6/2025
Minnesota DFL Veterans and Family Member Caucus Vehemently Opposes President Trump’s Administration Cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
The Minnesota DFL Veterans and Family Member Caucus stands united in vehement opposition to the recent actions taken by President Trump’s Administration that threaten the well-being of our nation’s veterans. The recent policy and personnel decisions by the White House and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which include firings, contract cancellations, and hiring freezes, have severely undermined the core missions of the VA, jeopardizing the services and support that veterans depend on.
These actions have already started to have devastating effects on the VA’s ability to deliver essential health care and benefits to those who have served our country. Furthermore, the potential for an additional 83,000 job cuts would reduce total VA staff to 2019 levels, a situation that fails to account for the increased demand for health care and benefits that arose after the passage of the PACT Act in 2022. The PACT Act was designed to expand access to care for veterans exposed to toxic substances, and instead of bolstering the VA’s workforce to meet these needs, the Administration’s cuts threaten to roll back progress and diminish the quality of care available to veterans.
It is crucial to recognize that roughly 25% of federal employees are veterans themselves. If these potential cuts are implemented, we could see over 20,000 veterans or more just within the VA lose their jobs. This is not just a statistic; it represents our neighbors, our friends, and our family members who have selflessly dedicated their lives to serving our country. The prospect of sending veterans into unemployment is both heartbreaking and unacceptable.
In Minnesota, we are particularly concerned about the impact of these cuts on the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Minneapolis, which has established a vital relationship with the University of Minnesota medical school. This partnership has allowed veterans to access some of the finest specialists in the region while also providing invaluable training opportunities for medical students. Any reduction in personnel or budget would endanger this special program, limiting our veterans’ access to high-quality care and negatively impacting the future of medical education in our state.
The Minnesota DFL Veterans and Family Members Caucus is resolutely opposed to these harmful cuts in personnel and budgets. We understand that our veterans deserve better than being pawns in a political game. We stand committed to protecting our veterans now and in the years to come, ensuring that they receive the support, care, and services they have rightfully earned through their service.
We call upon all Minnesotans and our national leaders to join us in advocating for the well-being of our veterans. Together, we must push back against these detrimental policies and work towards a future where every veteran has access to the care and support they need. Our veterans fought for us, and now it is our turn to fight for them.
Minnesota DFL Veterans and Family Members Caucus
