As the nation’s longest-ever government shutdown continues, veterans and their supporters are raising their voices over what they call damaging effects on critical services.
Dozens gathered Saturday outside the Southern Arizona VA Medical Center for what organizers called The People’s Deployment — a rally protesting the shutdown and recent federal budget cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“Right now, they’re trying to privatize it, and to boot, they had a layoff,” said Army veteran Henry Trejo. “And now they have a furlough with the government shutdown.”…