Trump Administration Puts Veteran's Rights and Benefits at Risk
Recent Executive Orders Have Significantly Impacted Veterans
Section 3 Chapter 20 of Project 2025 suggests significant changes to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and veterans’ benefits.
Recent executive orders have significantly impacted veterans, particularly those employed by or receiving care from the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA)
- The federal hiring freezes have affected the VA’s ability to fill critical roles. Additionally, over 1,000 new workers at the VA have been dismissed due to the recent layoffs. This could lead to longer wait times for appointments and reduced access to care and benefits for veterans.
- An executive order eliminating remote work and mandating return to office has disrupted VA operations, having a direct impact on the provision of veteran benefits due to the fact that a large number of claims processors were hired in remote roles to implement a large expansion of benefits under the Honoring our PACT Act.
- Additionally, many of the highly trained workers who answer calls to the veteran crisis line face losing their jobs, affecting veterans in need of urgent assistance.
- Schedule F grants the VA the authority to reclassify numerous employees, including veterans, into a new category that lacks the civil service protections afforded to other federal employees. This leaves them vulnerable to termination if they refuse to show political allegiance to Trump.
The Project 2025 agenda would:
- Cut health coverage for veterans and reduce the quality of care they receive. Many veterans under 65 rely on Medicaid; Project 2025 calls for capping Medicaid funding to states and giving states the power to deny coverage of particular services. (page 467)
- Cut benefits for disabled veterans by reducing the number of health conditions that count for getting these benefits. This could mean some veterans might lose their benefits, and others who haven’t applied yet might not be able to get them at all. (page 649)
- Make it easier for scammers to prey on veterans by abolishing the CFPB, which helps protect veterans from financial scams and fraud. Veterans are top targets for claim sharks, identity theft, loans scams, and investment fraud, and since 2011, the CFPB has handled over 400,000 complaints from service members. The agency has also recovered $183 million for veterans who were harmed by these violations. (page 838)
- Exacerbate veteran homelessness by eliminating the “Housing First” policies that have helped thousands of homeless veterans get housing, drug treatment, and mental health care. Since 2008, this program has provided housing for over 81,000 veterans and could help 35,000 more. (page 509)
- Fire thousands of veteran civil servants: Project 2025 calls for the President to be able to fire thousands of federal workers who have served across administrations of both political parties. Veterans make up ~30% of the federal workforce, so mass firings of federal workers would mean firing many veterans, including: VA healthcare staff, CBP officers, national park service rangers, and DOD civilian employees. (page 535)