My grandfather, a WWII veteran, was one of my greatest heroes growing up. I joined the military, in part, because of his example of true patriotism and love for this country. Because of his example, I believed that service to our country would always be honored with care and commitment — a promise embodied in the work of Veterans Affairs.
Recently, I opened the news and, with a heavy heart, read that the Trump administration is moving to slash 80,000 VA jobs nationwide, gutting the crucial system that veterans — including myself — rely on for healthcare, disability benefits and support.
This decision would return the VA to pre-2019 staffing levels — when the system was already overwhelmed by an aging veteran population. Before the PACT Act expanded services, veterans faced denied claims, excessive wait times, staff shortages and backlogged disability claims that stretched on for months or even years. Rolling back to those staffing levels ignores the past and repeats the same failures all over again…