On Thursday, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) held a House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee hearing on the proposed GOP budget and cuts to veteran services.
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NewsTranscript
00:00:00Good morning. I call this meeting of the House Democratic Steering and Policy
00:00:04Committee to order. I'm co-chair Nanette Barragan, representing California's 44th
00:00:10Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. Today
00:00:13the Steering and Policy Committee is once again convened to expose the
00:00:17damage, the destruction, of Donald Trump's extreme agenda. An agenda that
00:00:23serves Trump's billionaire donors, not the American people. An agenda that will
00:00:28cut Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security in service of huge tax breaks for
00:00:34corporate CEOs like Elon Musk. And, as we will discuss today, an agenda that hurts
00:00:40our veterans with service cuts, mass firings, and attacks on the VA. We are
00:00:46here to listen to veterans who have been impacted firsthand by these extreme
00:00:50policies. Veterans who proudly served our nation and kept us safe. Only now to be
00:00:56let down by Donald Trump and disrespected by Doge. Democrats will not sit by and let
00:01:02these extreme policies hurt our nation's veterans and their families. The men and
00:01:09women who defended our nation deserve so much more. I yield to Leader Jeffries to
00:01:13begin today's hearing. Good morning. Let me thank co-chair Nanette Barragan, as well as
00:01:21co-chair Robin Kelly and co-chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz for once again convening
00:01:26us for this very important hearing. On this critically important issue for our
00:01:33nation, the defense of our veterans. Let me thank our witnesses. George tuning, James
00:01:40Albino, Sharda Fornerino, and Will Reynolds for your presence here today. Your voices are
00:01:50incredibly important and we are grateful for your service to our nation. Our country
00:01:58makes a sacred promise when you put the uniform on. Defend our nation. And put your
00:02:05life on the line.
00:02:09We will ensure that you are taken care of
00:02:11for the rest of your days.
00:02:16We're here today
00:02:18because the Trump administration. House Republicans are breaking that promise.
00:02:25Since taking office in January.
00:02:28Donald Trump and Elon Musk have illegally fired thousands of veterans.
00:02:35and their families have had their lives turned upside down.
00:02:46Just to provide a talking point to justify.
00:02:49The effort to give tax breaks to billionaire donors like Elon Musk.
00:02:55Federal government is the single largest employer of veterans in the United States of America.
00:03:02United States of America, making up 30% of the workforce.
00:03:07Half of whom.
00:03:09Are disabled.
00:03:12These baseless mass firings are a full scale assault.
00:03:19On the men and women who have served our country with courage and distinction.
00:03:23And if that was not.
00:03:28Egregious enough.
00:03:30So called those effort.
00:03:32Has now put.
00:03:34The VA.
00:03:36On the chopping block.
00:03:38If cut contracts for veterans housing services.
00:03:43And suicide prevention.
00:03:44A frozen hiring in the VA health care system.
00:03:50And are rolling back.
00:03:52The ground breaking pact act.
00:03:55Which means of course our veterans will now have to wait longer.
00:04:00To see a doctor or obtain.
00:04:03Medical care.
00:04:05Many House Republicans are cheering these actions on.
00:04:10Unacceptable, unconscionable and un American.
00:04:14And House Democrats will not tolerate this betrayal of our nation's heroes.
00:04:21We will continue to fight to make sure.
00:04:24That every single veteran in this country.
00:04:27Is treated with the dignity and respect.
00:04:31That you deserve.
00:04:32And are owed.
00:04:33By a grateful nation.
00:04:36It's now my honor to yield to my good friend.
00:04:40Tremendous patriot.
00:04:42And a proud veteran.
00:04:44Of the United States Army.
00:04:46Congressman Mike Thompson.
00:04:50Thank you Mr. Leader.
00:04:54Thank you Mr. Leader.
00:04:56I'm Mike Thompson.
00:04:57I serve with the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Combat in Vietnam.
00:05:02I'm the founder and co-chair of the Military Veterans Caucus.
00:05:05And I partnered with our former colleague Don Young from Alaska.
00:05:09To establish the Veterans Internship Program in the Capitol.
00:05:13Because we know that it's important to have veterans working in public service.
00:05:18It's an honor to join my fellow veterans in the House Democratic Caucus.
00:05:22For this important hearing today.
00:05:24But the reason why we're here in the first place is downright shameful.
00:05:30Donald Trump is failing our veterans.
00:05:33That's why we passed.
00:05:40It's already been said that the actions of Elon Musk and President Trump.
00:05:47Illegally firing veterans.
00:05:49And harming the Veterans Administration and the incredibly important programs that we passed
00:05:57in this Congress that were signed into law to protect veterans is absolutely disgusting
00:06:03and really misses the point.
00:06:06Veterans have a far greater likelihood of suicide than civilians.
00:06:12And what is happening right now with the wholesale dismissal of not only veterans but veterans
00:06:19administration employees is hurting their opportunity to get the help that they need.
00:06:27We passed the PAC Act to make sure that veterans exposed to toxics and burn pit exposure got
00:06:33the health care that they needed.
00:06:35And we passed the Compact Act to ensure that this issue of veteran suicide was addressed.
00:06:42But right now, because of these cuts, veterans are going to have a very difficult time getting
00:06:48connected with the services they need and it's going to cost people's lives.
00:06:54And that is absolutely unacceptable.
00:06:58And that's why we're here today.
00:07:01Make no mistake.
00:07:02By firing these veterans, Trump and Musk aren't just hurting them and their families.
00:07:07They're making us all worse off.
00:07:09The stakes are too high.
00:07:11We have to protect veterans.
00:07:13We have to protect the veterans' benefits that they earned and the programs that they
00:07:18rely on every day.
00:07:20The benefits are critically important for our veterans.
00:07:23Let's take a look.
00:07:25America makes a sacred promise to our veterans to care for them when they come home.
00:07:31Veterans represent 30 percent of the federal workforce.
00:07:34For decades, this has helped service members transition to civilian life.
00:07:38Today, Donald Trump and Elon Musk are breaking that promise.
00:07:41As of early March, more than 6,000 veterans have been fired.
00:07:45And Republicans are not stopping there.
00:07:48Republicans are shutting down the offices that connect veterans exposed to toxic substances,
00:07:53to benefits, and canceling hundreds of contracts for services that help end veteran homelessness
00:07:58and prevent veteran suicide.
00:08:00Republicans aren't looking out for veterans.
00:08:02They're only looking out for themselves.
00:08:04We can't let them get away with it.
00:08:06That's why Democrats are fighting to protect our veterans.
00:08:12Good morning, everybody.
00:08:18I'm Mark Tucano.
00:08:19I'm the ranking member of the Veterans Affairs Committee.
00:08:22It's a privilege to be with you all today.
00:08:25Thank you, Leader Jeffries, for your commitment to bringing attention to the challenges veterans
00:08:31and their families face.
00:08:33We gather here today less than 100 days into this administration.
00:08:38Today we have been thrown into unrelenting chaos.
00:08:422025 welcomed a new VA secretary who seems committed to senselessly cutting VA capabilities
00:08:51and personnel while our veterans are left looking for care and support in the confusion.
00:08:58The Trump administration's actions have been swift, rash, and unrelenting against VA.
00:09:06Worse, Secretary Doug Collins is already signaling what's next.
00:09:11An anticipated reduction in force of 83,000 VA employees.
00:09:18Now this reduction would shrink staffing back to 2019 levels before the passage of the Honoring
00:09:26Our PACT Act, the most significant expansion of veterans' health care and benefits in a generation.
00:09:33Think about that.
00:09:35Secretary Collins wants to erase the gains of the PACT Act, a law that has been a resounding success.
00:09:42This success required VA to hire more employees to handle the influx of claims and saw more veterans
00:09:49coming into VA health care.
00:09:51The PACT Act allowed millions of veterans to receive long-overdue care, care that they earned.
00:09:58The cuts the Secretary is planning will make the PACT Act ineffective.
00:10:04How can claims be processed and care be delivered if VA isn't adequately staffed or equipped?
00:10:11We never expected the PACT Act to be a one-and-done solution.
00:10:17It focused on covering servicemembers exposed to toxins and hazards abroad and in conflict.
00:10:25But many servicemembers and their families also experience toxic exposure at home.
00:10:32This is why Senator Blumenthal, a ranking member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs,
00:10:37and I hosted over 20 veteran service organizations and advocacy groups for our roundtable earlier
00:10:44this week.
00:10:46We discussed toxic exposures that affected servicemembers and their families while they were stationed
00:10:52right here in the United States, in their homes, their bases, and their daily lives.
00:10:59We heard stories about exposure to radiation, fuels, contaminated water, mold, and forever
00:11:06chemicals.
00:11:08We heard from servicemembers diagnosed with cancer together, military parents who've taken
00:11:17their children to more doctor's appointments than they could count, and military firefighters
00:11:22whose protective gear, worn every day, is now known to carry devastating long-term effects
00:11:29on their health.
00:11:31Advocates and members alike left the room with a deeper understanding of the challenges servicemembers
00:11:37and their families face, and an affirmed commitment to expanding their care.
00:11:44Unfortunately, this Administration's cuts and the Secretary's campaign to dismantle VA
00:11:51make forward progress nearly impossible.
00:11:54How can we widen the scope of care when they're tearing down the very system veterans rely on?
00:12:01I'm talking about the Veterans Administration.
00:12:04Just last week, VA suffered another devastating cut.
00:12:09The elimination of the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase Program, otherwise known as VASP.
00:12:16VASP was created to stop foreclosures for veterans with VA-backed loans, offering critical breathing
00:12:24room to families in financial distress.
00:12:28What VA would do is buy struggling loans, modify the terms, and keep veterans housed.
00:12:35The VASP program had already given 17,000 veterans a lifeline, keeping veterans in their homes.
00:12:43At the time of the cut, 15,000 veterans were in the program, leaving them in limbo.
00:12:50Further, VASP was also set to help 80,000 more veterans.
00:12:56Because of the Republicans' decision, thousands of veterans and thousands more of their family
00:13:01members are facing the uncertainty of foreclosure and worrying about the roof over their heads.
00:13:09Trump's VA pulled the rug out from under veterans at risk of losing their homes, gutting a life-saving
00:13:17program without warning or justification.
00:13:22I am proud to join my Democratic colleagues here today to shine a light on these cuts our
00:13:28veterans have been facing.
00:13:30I look forward to hearing from our veteran panelists today about the challenges and problems they
00:13:36have seen under the Trump administration.
00:13:39As Republicans push tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy and stand-by VA while VA is being dismantled,
00:13:47we will continue to fight for our veterans as fiercely as they fought for us.
00:13:51Let me say this.
00:13:53Democrats in the House are not sitting idly by.
00:13:56We are already working on legislation to statutorily preserve the PACT Act, protect the toxic exposure
00:14:02fund, and shield the VA workforce that delivers these critical benefits.
00:14:08Veterans should never again be asked to sacrifice their care to balance the budget.
00:14:15And first I want to recognize the service and patriotism of every veteran here today.
00:14:27To everyone in this room who has sworn to defend our nation, our people, and our Constitution,
00:14:35we thank you for your selflessness, for representing the best of our country, and for speaking up
00:14:43on behalf of your brothers and sisters in uniform.
00:14:48The virtue and courage and honor we see from our service members, they're all qualities we
00:14:55hope to see in our national leaders.
00:14:58Above all, we hope to see them in our commander-in-chief.
00:15:03But what have we seen instead?
00:15:06A man who views service to others as a weakness, a man who ran away from the draft, and even now
00:15:13runs away to his golf course instead of saluting and honoring fallen soldiers.
00:15:20He admits he doesn't get why anyone would die for their country.
00:15:25And he acts like it, firing 80,000 VA workers, treating the VA like a slush fund for the billionaire
00:15:32class, dismissing veterans as pawns in a political game.
00:15:37Well, veterans are not staying quiet.
00:15:42They're speaking out.
00:15:43They're doing what they do best, fighting back, and defending the dignity and respect that
00:15:50our heroes and their families have earned.
00:15:54And today, it is my distinct honor to introduce one of those heroes, our expert witness, George
00:16:02Chunning.
00:16:03A graduate of West Point, George has served in Afghanistan as an infantry officer.
00:16:10After concluding his time in the military, he continued his public service as a White House
00:16:17presidential innovation fellow, as a senior advisor at the VA, and always as a relentless
00:16:25advocate for veterans and their families.
00:16:29George, thank you for your extraordinary work.
00:16:33We thank you for your service.
00:16:35And thank you for taking the time to join us today.
00:16:39You are recognized.
00:16:40George Chunninger- Good morning, and thank you for this opportunity.
00:16:44As a great introduction, I am a U.S. Army veteran, and I served as an infantry officer in Afghanistan.
00:16:51I'm a lifelong veteran advocate and currently serve as a senior advisor at the Union Veterans
00:16:56Council, the organization that supports the over one million veterans in the labor movement,
00:17:01to include federal, state, and local government employees.
00:17:04Often, when we talk about veterans impacted by government services, we think of the Department
00:17:09of Veterans Affairs.
00:17:10But other parts of the federal government play a vital role in the health and well-being
00:17:14of veterans as well.
00:17:15This is especially true in veteran employment.
00:17:19This is currently the largest assault on veteran employment in our lifetime.
00:17:24Not just at the VA, but also the veterans and veteran spouses serving in other agencies
00:17:29like the DOD, DHS, and the FAA.
00:17:31There have been already tens of thousands of DOGE and Trump-related layoffs and furloughs
00:17:38so far this year.
00:17:41Veterans making up nearly 30 percent of the federal workforce.
00:17:44That means 6,000 veterans have already lost their jobs, including the thousands of disabled
00:17:49veterans that have also lost their livelihoods.
00:17:53I am a military transition success story.
00:17:56I was honorably discharged from the Army and was fortunate to participate in educational
00:18:01opportunities and find a good-paying job.
00:18:04The vast majority of federal workers are also success stories.
00:18:08These are the people that did it all right.
00:18:11They served honorably in the military, they went to school to earn degrees and certifications,
00:18:16and chose to raise their right hand again in the service of our nation.
00:18:20Now they are enduring cruelty and, at best, indifference from the very top of their chains of command.
00:18:27These are public servants and the best of America.
00:18:31All of the major veteran service organizations have fought to ensure that veterans have pathways
00:18:35into the federal workforce since the 1970s through advocating for veteran preference and
00:18:40hiring and the expansion of educational resources.
00:18:44This latest attack on government employees is damaging a vital pathway for future transitioning
00:18:50service members and their families to find meaningful employment when they leave the military.
00:18:56It's also causing collateral damage to service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses that support government
00:19:02teams and services.
00:19:04Traditionally, it is those veteran business leaders who know best how to make VA better,
00:19:10since they are often on the receiving end of those same services.
00:19:15So far, 20 out of the 28 canceled contracts at VA were for service-disabled or veteran-owned
00:19:22small businesses, and more contracts have been canceled since then with more planned.
00:19:27Now we have thousands of laid-off veterans and counting, a group of people that are traditionally
00:19:33at lower relative risk because of their successful transitions and stable, well-paying careers.
00:19:40But the support that is traditionally available for those veterans that need a hand up is also
00:19:44under attack.
00:19:46It is the perfect storm for communities across the country.
00:19:49Deterioration of veteran services, while we know this large group of people will need
00:19:53those same services now more than ever.
00:19:57Many of us in the veterans community celebrated the passage of the PACT Act and the expansion
00:20:01of care which it enabled.
00:20:03However, with the stated goal to return to 2019 staffing levels, the VA will struggle to
00:20:08fulfill the promise of the PACT Act and provide care to the nearly 800,000 veterans that have
00:20:13enrolled in VA since its passage.
00:20:16This isn't just a Washington, D.C. issue.
00:20:18The majority of federal workers live and work outside of D.C. and hundreds of communities across
00:20:24the nation will feel the impact of these layoffs, while local VA clinics will suffer from a deterioration
00:20:31in services and staffing challenges.
00:20:33There have already been several reports of increased wait times at VA, and in some cases, the administration
00:20:39has not responded to requests asking them to quantify those increased wait times.
00:20:44I served as a White House Presidential Innovation Fellow and was detailed to the Department of
00:20:48Veterans Affairs during both the Trump and Biden administrations.
00:20:52My cohort of private sector technologists joined the government to help teams innovate and
00:20:57modernize services.
00:20:59These teams helped transform veteran experience at VA and cut wait times, all while expanding
00:21:04access to care.
00:21:05There is a right way to uplift and enable government employees to find efficiencies in their work.
00:21:12Wholesale layoffs, denigration of service, and the removal of predictability from government
00:21:16tools are not it.
00:21:18To close, these challenges are not short-term and they are not going away.
00:21:22More layoffs are planned this month at VA and across government.
00:21:25The Union Veterans Council will continue to closely monitor veteran employment and the impacts
00:21:31to veteran services.
00:21:32Thank you again for the opportunity, and I'd be happy to take questions.
00:21:36Thank you, George.
00:21:38Thank you for your service to this country and to your fellow vets.
00:21:42Your termination is a tremendous loss for the VA and the millions of veterans that this
00:21:47administration is supposed to serve.
00:21:50In addition to serving as a co-chair of the Steering and Policy Committee, I'm the ranking member
00:21:53for the Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the entire VA.
00:21:57It is very clear from that vantage point that Donald Trump isn't trying to help veterans,
00:22:02he's undermining them, full stop.
00:22:05So far, this administration has jeopardized the implementation of many VA programs by instilling
00:22:10chaos and uncertainty in how the VA is managed.
00:22:13They've fired 6,000 veterans, implemented a hiring freeze, and attempted to fire thousands
00:22:18of staff, some of whom work to ensure that veterans obtain the benefits that they deserve.
00:22:24I'm particularly concerned about how this will impact the implementation of the PACT Act,
00:22:29as you mentioned, which expanded VA health care benefits for veterans who were exposed to
00:22:34toxic substances while deployed abroad.
00:22:37And let's not forget the announced future plans to fire 83,000 more VA employees.
00:22:44That is breathtaking.
00:22:46So my first question is, what do you think this administration's actions will mean for
00:22:51PACT Act benefit recipients?
00:22:53Thank you for the question.
00:22:56I agree, it will have immediate impacts.
00:23:00We mentioned wait times, and one of the ways that VA will try to make up for longer wait
00:23:07times is an expansion of the VA community care network.
00:23:11So sending veterans to private clinics for care.
00:23:17There are several issues with that, and I'll name one.
00:23:20Private care providers are not held to the same standard of veteran experience and military
00:23:25specific competencies that VA physicians are.
00:23:29This is particularly with high-risk veterans with post-traumatic stress, those that have
00:23:34suffered military sexual trauma, traumatic brain injury, and those with amputations.
00:23:40Physicians in the private sector don't know what to look for, don't know what to ask about.
00:23:44Veterans will continue to suffer from these debilitating conditions even if they are seeing a physician
00:23:50at the time.
00:23:51Right, and veterans consistently say that they really prefer and gain comfort from the vast
00:23:59number of veterans that are treating patients at the VA and have familiarity with the variety
00:24:06of issues and also the culture.
00:24:09So there's such a tremendous difference between just funneling veteran patients into community
00:24:15care.
00:24:16Beyond the PACT Act, do you think Trump's policies are leading to missed or delayed benefits
00:24:21for veterans?
00:24:22And what are the risks that come from these firings, cuts, and uncertainty for them?
00:24:26That's a great question.
00:24:28We have spoken with veterans and service providers that have talked about already delays.
00:24:36We're still, of course, gathering that information.
00:24:39It's been challenging to see the full result, particularly in this short amount of time.
00:24:47But we will see that.
00:24:50Particularly with the PACT Act implementation also, it's hard to imagine a world in which
00:24:57the VA could serve those additional hundreds of thousands of veterans that are now receiving
00:25:01benefits and care while removing the staffing that was brought in to support that.
00:25:07So I think we will see that bear out very shortly.
00:25:12Thank you for your service.
00:25:13Good morning, Mr. Tuning.
00:25:16I'm Gil Cisneros.
00:25:17I represent California's 31st District.
00:25:20I enlisted in the Navy right out of high school.
00:25:22I was fortunate enough to later earn a Navy ROTC scholarship and earn my commission.
00:25:27I later on used my VA benefits to get my GI Bill to get my master's degree in urban education
00:25:34policy.
00:25:35But in 2021, I had the honor of a lifetime.
00:25:38I was appointed by President Biden to serve as the Undersecretary Defense for Personnel
00:25:42Readiness, where I got to serve and work with our military service members and families.
00:25:48But in that capacity, I also served as the co-chair of the Joint Executive Council for the
00:25:55VA and the Department of Defense.
00:25:59I want to thank you for your service and everything that you're doing for your advocacy for veterans
00:26:05across the country.
00:26:06I'd like to ask you a few questions on a more personal level.
00:26:11Is there anyone you previously worked with who's still helping the VA innovate and modernize
00:26:16services?
00:26:18What will the results from the administration removing these dedicated teams that focused
00:26:24on modernization strategy for the VA, what impact will that have?
00:26:27Thank you for the question, sir.
00:26:30To be honest, I don't know many people still there.
00:26:33Many have been laid off or chose to leave that hostile environment.
00:26:40But for the former colleagues that are still there, it was a challenge before funding cuts.
00:26:48Anything in government is hard and usually hard for a reason.
00:26:51But removing a lot of the resources, particularly the outside, service-disabled, veteran-owned small
00:26:58businesses that supported those modernization efforts, it will be very challenging to continue
00:27:04that work, particularly in an environment where you're seen as not a valued member of the team.
00:27:12We hear a lot of reports of physicians and technologists and service providers at VA that feel under attack
00:27:20by their chains of command, and that makes it an incredibly challenging workplace in the best of times.
00:27:28There's no question about it, Donald Trump's actions have caused an incredible harm to the VA.
00:27:37Do you think there's any recovery from this?
00:27:40Is there any action that they could take in order to help improve the extreme actions that Donald Trump took?
00:27:50I do.
00:27:51Government teams that I've worked with are incredibly resilient.
00:27:55A lot of the lessons learned over the years of modernization will remain in the system.
00:28:01And so I am hopeful that the work will continue.
00:28:05But for the teams currently there, it'll be incredibly challenging.
00:28:09But I am hopeful that the systems that are built will survive and continue to thrive.
00:28:15Well, thank you again.
00:28:16Thank you for being here.
00:28:17Thank you for the service.
00:28:18And thank you for your answers.
00:28:22Good morning.
00:28:24I'm Eugene Vindman.
00:28:25I represent Virginia's 7th Congressional District.
00:28:27George, it's good to see you again, and thank you for being here.
00:28:31Right now, Republicans are forcing critically low staffing levels at VAs across the country,
00:28:36including the newly opened Veterans Clinic in Fredericksburg, a $350 million facility,
00:28:43which is supposed to be the nation's largest VA.
00:28:46Can you share with us what that means for veterans who need care?
00:28:49Absolutely.
00:28:50Thank you for the question.
00:28:52Again, I think I'd go back to the, with the reduced staffing levels, VA will send veterans
00:28:58into the community to private physicians.
00:29:01And I, I highlighted the, the veteran experience and military competencies challenge.
00:29:05Another challenge is also, as a, as a former innovation fellow, on the healthcare data side.
00:29:12Many private clinics that veterans will be sent to operate with different electronic health
00:29:19records, and oftentimes do not share post-appointment or updated medical data with VA.
00:29:26So oftentimes it's the burden on the veteran to update their VA physician on what treatment
00:29:34they received or what conversations they had in the, in a private clinic.
00:29:38And so this means veterans will have incomplete medical files.
00:29:42And, you know, veterans don't deserve that burden, and their long-term health will suffer
00:29:47from those inaccuracies, particularly those with common chronic conditions that veterans face.
00:29:52So you're saying that, uh, these changes will significantly harm the ability of veterans
00:29:57to receive the care they need?
00:29:59Yes, sir.
00:30:00Uh, that's unacceptable.
00:30:03Um, as a 25 year army veteran, Iraq war veteran with 72,000 veterans in my district,
00:30:11uh, I'm going to fight like hell for my brothers and sister, sisters, veterans, uh, Republicans
00:30:17should too.
00:30:18And so thanks, George, for being here today and rock of the morn.
00:30:23Thanks, Eugene.
00:30:24And thanks to, uh, leader Jeffries and the steering and policy team.
00:30:28And of course, George, thanks for you.
00:30:30Thanks to you for your service, for being here, and being willing to express what is happening
00:30:35to our veterans and our veterans administration.
00:30:38I'm Jimmy Panetta.
00:30:39I'm a representative from the 19th congressional district in California.
00:30:43And like my colleagues that sit up here today and like you, I served in the military, I
00:30:48served in the U.S. Navy, and I served in Afghanistan from 07 to 08.
00:30:52I was an intelligence officer with a special, uh, operations team, uh, assigned, uh, there
00:30:58and looking into eastern Afghanistan and then some.
00:31:02I served with Americans of many different backgrounds, like we all did.
00:31:06But the thing that kept us together was that we had a mission.
00:31:09We were dedicated to country before self.
00:31:13As a nation, I firmly believe, I think many of us, all of us up here firmly believe that
00:31:20we have a commitment, we have a responsibility to serve those who served us.
00:31:26But this administration is going against that commitment.
00:31:30It's not living up to its responsibility that we have as Americans, because it's cutting
00:31:36the VA.
00:31:37It's firing veterans.
00:31:39It's firing workers and harming our veterans community.
00:31:45Providing for our veterans should not be a question of partisanship, of politics.
00:31:51It should be a, what it, what we do as policy and for our humanity, for our American society.
00:31:59These men and women have sacrificed too much for our country to be ignored, to be cast aside
00:32:06by this president and Elon Musk.
00:32:09We all know, we firmly believe that that is wrong.
00:32:12But don't take my word for it.
00:32:15Don't take our word for it.
00:32:16That's why we're here today.
00:32:17So let's hear from veterans who shared with us their own thoughts.
00:32:22Hi, I'm Anthony, and I'm a combat wounded veteran.
00:32:26I served in the United States Marine Corps Infantry, where I suffered a service-connected
00:32:30disability.
00:32:31I'm an Army veteran of 23 years.
00:32:33I, like so many other veterans, utilize one of America's largest healthcare systems, the
00:32:41VA healthcare system.
00:32:43The VA saves lives and helps veterans like me.
00:32:47The VA has been instrumental to helping me continue to live a quality life and be able
00:32:54to provide to society and our community.
00:32:57If it weren't for the care I received through the VA, I don't know where I'd be today.
00:33:01Like so many veterans around this country, I'm extremely worried and disgusted by the attacks
00:33:07from the current administration on VA healthcare.
00:33:11I am very concerned about the current administration's policies and how they are impacting veterans all
00:33:19around the world.
00:33:20And I got to tell you, the Veterans Administration is under attack, and as such, so are veterans.
00:33:25Without the VA, my life would not be what it is now.
00:33:30Many veterans will suffer.
00:33:31Their families will suffer.
00:33:33They will suffer in their physical health.
00:33:36They will suffer in their mental health.
00:33:39To all VA employees and healthcare workers that have our backs, we want to have theirs.
00:33:46I'm asking you to stand up and to really help us protect the Veterans Administration and protect
00:33:52the VA.
00:33:53I was trained to fight and uphold my oath, and I ask that Congress do the same.
00:34:00Hold your oath and fight for us.
00:34:21I'm Salud Carvajal.
00:34:22I'm a United States veteran.
00:34:24I serve on the House Armed Services Committee and I'm ranking member on the Coast Guard and
00:34:30Maritime Subcommittee.
00:34:32We are joined today by James Albino, who most recently served as Executive Director of the
00:34:38VA's Center for Minority Veterans.
00:34:43That is, until he was fired by Donald Trump, alongside the Director of the Center for Women
00:34:48Veterans, Lourdes Tiglal.
00:34:52As a Marine, I know firsthand these programs were absolutely critical for ensuring all veterans
00:34:59are cared for, regardless of their background.
00:35:03As Americans, we have a basic obligation to honor every single hero who fought for our rights
00:35:10and our freedoms.
00:35:12And that's what these programs did.
00:35:14But James was removed from his post within the first ten days of the Trump Administration.
00:35:22Ten days.
00:35:24This is outrageous.
00:35:26That shows you where Donald Trump's priorities are.
00:35:29Going after public servants who take care of our veterans and going after veterans themselves.
00:35:35Trump's VA is canceling critical projects left and right, and veterans are being let down
00:35:44and shut out.
00:35:46This cannot continue.
00:35:49You and the other veterans joining us today represent the best of America.
00:35:54And we will not stop fighting for you.
00:35:58James, thank you for being here to tell your story.
00:36:01You are recognized.
00:36:03Thank you, Congressman.
00:36:06Thank you, Members.
00:36:07Again, my name is James Albino, and until recently, I was the Executive Director for the
00:36:12Senator of the-
00:36:13Do you have your microphone?
00:36:14Turn on your microphone.
00:36:16Hello?
00:36:17Yes.
00:36:18I went close in.
00:36:19Okay.
00:36:20My name is James Albino.
00:36:21Is that better?
00:36:22My name is James Albino.
00:36:24Until recently, I was Executive Director of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Center
00:36:27for Minority Veterans.
00:36:28I have more than 20 years of federal service.
00:36:30I am a Navy veteran, a tin can driver.
00:36:34That's a naval destroyer.
00:36:35For those Army folks, it's a metal thing that goes in the water.
00:36:40And I am the son of a World War II veteran himself, a member of the famed 65th Infantry known
00:36:46as the Boring Caneers.
00:36:47I am also the father of an aspiring Navy SEAL and military doctor sitting over there.
00:36:53Those are my kids.
00:36:57On my ninth birthday, a small, dimly lit apartment in the South Bronx was a melancholy backdrop
00:37:03for a get-together that would forever shape my life's mission.
00:37:07The glow from a single candle, a modest birthday cake, a modest birthday cake, illuminated our
00:37:13family's living room.
00:37:15But outside, a much brighter, more tragic light shone.
00:37:19It was April 4th, 1968, the day Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated.
00:37:24The South Bronx, like much of the country, erupted in a fiery protest and unrest.
00:37:29The tragic light was the burning building one alley over from ours.
00:37:33It was a stark moment of truth for me as a nine-year-old of the desperate need to fight for social justice, advocacy, and service to others.
00:37:42There are very few circumstances where this struggle is more important to our social fabric and our national security than that of guaranteeing the rights, the benefits, and services earned in blood, tears, and sacrificed by our veterans.
00:37:58In my role as executive director of the center, I have been privileged to lead initiatives that address the needs of our black, brown, and LGBTQ plus veterans.
00:38:10And after three years of successfully doing that, I was placed on administrative leave and soon to be terminated by the new administration on January 29th.
00:38:19This came three years into my statutorily required term of six years.
00:38:24The following day, when I reported to work, I was initially barred from the building, from entering the VA headquarters.
00:38:30Then I was unceremoniously escorted to my office by an armed guard where I had limited time to collect my personal belongings, return my equipment, and then escorted back out, flanked by the unarmed guard.
00:38:43All of this took place in front of my stunned staff.
00:38:46However, today's discussion is not about me.
00:38:49Today's discussion is about the millions of black and brown veterans here who have experienced disparities and inequities in the delivery of benefits and services for decades at the VA.
00:39:01When I rejoined the VA in July 2021, I made it a point to talk to all my staff and the advisory committee of minority veterans that supports our office.
00:39:12Almost to a person, they all told me that my biggest challenge would be to address the VA's research regarding grant rate disparities for black, brown, LGBT, and other underserved veterans that are seeking mental health disability compensation.
00:39:29These grant rate disparities have been well documented since at least 2004 and reflect the fact that minority veterans do not receive the benefits they earn when they seek help from the VA.
00:39:41The research is unequivocally clear that black, Hispanic, women veterans, LGBTQ veterans receive less in compensation.
00:39:50In many cases, more than $100 less a month and are double digit percentages less likely to be approved than their white male counterparts for compensation.
00:40:02The kind of work that my team at the center has done to address these disparities is embodied in one example, a tool we call the veterans insight visualization and analysis or Viva tool.
00:40:14The working model of the tool provides a unique and straightforward approach to visualizing data that is generally siloed within the various VA offices.
00:40:23This tool as expected revealed broad disparities like previous research that we've had, disparities that have been well studied in multiple internal and external research.
00:40:35One example of the tool's usefulness is that we conducted a geospatial analysis of the veteran population in Baton Rouge and found that the largest minority veteran population in the area were black veterans living in North Baton Rouge.
00:40:49Well, all of the VA facilities are in South Baton Rouge 30 miles away with no public transportation connecting the two communities.
00:40:57Improved analytics like this close the disparities gap by better targeting our engagement program and helping us address the inequities directly in the communities.
00:41:07But that work is now shut down entirely.
00:41:11When I filed a whistleblower complaint related to that with the independent office of the special counsel, or OSC, they referred the investigation to the VA.
00:41:19Then the president filed the special, fired the special counsel himself and replaced him, oddly enough, with his current VA secretary in an acting role.
00:41:29It's worth mentioning that nearly 40% of the OSC's pending investigations are related to alleged VA misconduct.
00:41:37Today, the office of the special counsel investigation is being conducted by the very agency that is being investigated.
00:41:44The current leadership has dismantled the internal structures that provide checks and balances throughout the VA.
00:41:50Specifically, the Veterans Benefit Administration, Office of Equity Assurance, and neutered the Office of the Inspector General.
00:41:57Curiously, we are told by the VA secretary that none of this is necessary because the VA has always treated veterans fairly and equally.
00:42:06Well, for years, actually decades now, multiple VA research studies, including two MITRE studies in 2021 and 2022, and an Accenture study in 2017, and a GAO study in 2023,
00:42:21disclosed the disturbing reality that black, brown, and underserved and LGBT veterans have for years been deprived, defrauded of benefits and services they earned in blood, earned in tears, and earned in sacrifice.
00:42:35Whole families, whole families, caregivers, survivors, and indeed entire communities have been impoverished as a consequence of this long-known, well-researched, documented inequities.
00:42:47One of the most egregious of these is that of veterans in my homeland of Puerto Rico that have a 29% grant rate versus a national average of 72%.
00:42:58That's an alarming 40% difference for one of our nation's most underserved communities.
00:43:03Congress must act to hold the current VA leadership accountable.
00:43:11Let's not wait one more day to do what is right for the men and women that defend our country.
00:43:16Gracias, thank you, and I'll take questions.
00:43:25Thank you, James.
00:43:26Sure.
00:43:27I think first we're going to introduce our other witnesses.
00:43:29I'm so grateful to you for being here today, to everyone who's joined us from all across the country.
00:43:37I'm proud to be standing shoulder to shoulder with my colleagues here, and I'm very proud to be introducing one of our witnesses this morning.
00:43:43I'm Maggie Goodlander.
00:43:44I represent New Hampshire's 2nd District here in the People's House.
00:43:47I'm a daughter of a Navy veteran.
00:43:50I served in the Navy, and today it's truly my honor to introduce a fellow Navy veteran who's with us for this important hearing, Sharda Fortarino.
00:43:58Sharda, you are a registered nurse, and nurses are the most trusted profession in America today, and for good reason.
00:44:04You served our country in uniform, and for more than two decades, you have been serving everyone who served us as a nurse at the VA.
00:44:17You know, we know that the Veterans Health Administration represents 90% of the VA workforce, and we know that cuts to the VA mean cuts to veterans' health care.
00:44:28It means an undermining of the sacred promise and the sacred obligation that we owe to our veterans, as expressed in the PACT Act, and in the work that everyone sitting here today wants to do on your behalf.
00:44:40You're a proud union member at a moment when unions are under the greatest assault that we've seen in this country in a generation.
00:44:50We are here and grateful to you for everything that you're doing, for your courage to speak up and to speak out.
00:44:58Thank you, and you are recognized, Sharda.
00:45:01Hello, and thank you.
00:45:04Thank you to Speaker Jeffries for inviting me to participate in this conversation today.
00:45:09I'm grateful to be here in front of the Steering and Policy Committee with union leaders, advocates, and veterans.
00:45:17My name is Sharda Fornarino, and I'm a member of the National Nurses United, the largest union and professional association of registered nurses in this country.
00:45:28Just so you know, when I joined the military afterward, I did use my GI Bill as well, and became a nurse through my GI Bill, earned my bachelor's degree.
00:45:41Like many of our other veterans use that benefit.
00:45:46I've been a nurse for 25 years, and I work in an outpatient surgical unit where I provide care for our nation's veterans.
00:45:54My fellow nurses and I are honored to work with our veteran population, and our veteran patients value the care that they receive in our facilities, but we fear for the future of the Veterans Health Administration.
00:46:08For many years, nurses have faced understaffing in our facilities.
00:46:13The 2014 Choice Act and the 2018 Mission Act allowed for billions of dollars to be taken away from the VA and into our private sector.
00:46:24Like George had mentioned, going out to the community.
00:46:28When the Trump Administration announced the firings of probationary employees, we were left scrambling, unsure on how we would manage even the worst staffing crisis.
00:46:39Nurses and providers were left out of the probationary employee cuts, but we still saw the catastrophic impacts to patient care.
00:46:47Due to cuts to dietary staff, some nurses were delivering meal trays when they should be tending to patients.
00:46:54Additionally, nurses have not been easily able to access critical supplies and equipment because of cuts in the stockroom staff.
00:47:03And now we're hearing that VA Secretary Doug Collins is proposing reduction in force for up to 80,000 positions.
00:47:10That's unimaginable.
00:47:12How will we continue to operate?
00:47:15In the short term, our vets will experience longer wait times, have their treatments delayed,
00:47:21and we would likely see reduced access to specialized care.
00:47:26In the long term, our patients will have harder time accessing any care at all, leading to increases in emergency room and even death.
00:47:36Patients care will suffer, but proponents of privatizing the VA will get what they want.
00:47:49Compromised care that will lead to closures of VHA facilities and more veterans placed into private sector in the community.
00:47:57We cannot let that happen.
00:47:59nurses know that the best place for our veterans to receive care that they need is in their VHA.
00:48:07We have been on the front lines stopping these cuts.
00:48:10We have spoken out for our co-workers who have been fired and for our veteran patients who have been impacted.
00:48:17We have to use our collective voice and power to demand an end to these attacks at the VA.
00:48:23And the Trump Administration fears RN's collective power because it protects us from retaliation when we speak out to protect our veteran patients and our co-workers.
00:48:34Let me be clear.
00:48:35We will continue to advocate for our patients.
00:48:38But our ability to organize and collectively bargain is at risk.
00:48:43The Trump Administration's recent executive order targeting federal workers' rights to bargain is egregious.
00:48:50Union advocacy and representation allows nurses to focus to what we do best, caring for patients.
00:48:58This will make it even harder for us to speak up and resolve safety concerns.
00:49:03We cannot allow this to happen.
00:49:05And we need your help if we're going to stop the dismantling of the VHA.
00:49:11The fight to protect the VHA and the workers who serve our veteran patients is at a critical moment.
00:49:17The VA Secretary will soon come in front of the House Appropriations Committee to discuss his budget proposal and workforce cuts.
00:49:25We need you to use your power to push back.
00:49:28We appreciate your work and look forward to continuing our fight together for a fully funded and safely staffed VHA system.
00:49:36And to restore and protect all workers' right to organize and collectively bargain.
00:49:41We thank you again for your time today.
00:49:44Thank you, Sharda, for your compelling testimony.
00:49:47I'm Congressman Ted Lieu.
00:49:49I previously served in active duty in the U.S. Air Force.
00:49:52Then I served an additional 16 years in the Reserves.
00:49:56I am infuriated at the assault by the Trump Administration on our nation's veterans.
00:50:02The Trump Administration has engaged in the largest firing of veterans in U.S. history, firing thousands of veterans who have been doing outstanding jobs as federal workers.
00:50:12The Trump Administration and Republicans are proposing deep cuts to the VA.
00:50:17And the Trump Administration has already eliminated a number of critical positions at VA hospitals, reducing the health care that we provide to our veterans.
00:50:27And this has got to stop.
00:50:29It is my distinct honor to welcome William Reynolds to today's hearing.
00:50:34Will is a public servant at heart.
00:50:36After graduating from West Point, he was deployed to Iraq where he was injured by an IED.
00:50:43But Will recovered and came back stronger than ever.
00:50:46He went on to compete as a gold medal champion in the Invictus Games and has become a fierce advocate for men and women in uniform and for our veterans.
00:50:54He has also worked directly to improve health care access for service members and veterans.
00:50:59That work came to a halt when this administration's massive cuts to VA took effect.
00:51:05At a time when extremist policies are undermining veterans' care and their benefits, we need to hear directly from leaders like Will.
00:51:12We need your leadership and we look forward to your testimony.
00:51:15Good morning and thank you for the recognition.
00:51:19I'm happy to be here not only for myself but also on behalf of the many veteran-owned business owners, service-disabled veteran-owned business owners,
00:51:28and those that support our public and private partnership space in the veteran and military supporting organizations.
00:51:35As mentioned, my name is Will Reynolds, a U.S. Army retired captain, and I'm a proud veteran who hails from New York and resides now in Maryland.
00:51:42I went to public schools in New York State and attended the Academy, as you heard, and also United and the University of Rochester,
00:51:48which is one of the great business and medical education institutions in our country.
00:51:53Ultimately, I served in the U.S. Army infantry.
00:51:57My story begins much earlier as a first-generation immigrant whose elder siblings were born in the country of Guyana, South America,
00:52:04and whose parents were recruited to this country as medical providers to help break down the race disparities in medical care,
00:52:11which we hear are still happening today in our veteran's affairs.
00:52:15My father then went on to be a medical research partner at the once international juggernaut of Kodak.
00:52:21Every American and every veteran has a unique story that shows how they navigate this world and our society.
00:52:28Mine was one of knowing the importance of our international community,
00:52:33being eternally grateful for the opportunities that this land of the free provides all of us in the American dream,
00:52:40and demonstrating that reverence to that American ideal through service,
00:52:45which is a common bond that many of us have as veterans.
00:52:48Those ideals led me into service and inspired me to join the military and veteran-serving organizational landscape,
00:52:54and ultimately working with companies to support the federal health landscape,
00:53:00which has become a familial path of service.
00:53:04Service and health were kind of a family business for me,
00:53:08and as many of us seek to do, we go into our family businesses.
00:53:13After a decade of serving in the active duty, I had the pleasure over the last decade and a half
00:53:18of contributing to that institutional knowledge towards improving the care, benefits, and services of our military and veteran population.
00:53:28The work of my company and those that I supported primarily focused on transforming operations to improve patient care,
00:53:35deliver IT solutions like electronic health records and non-clinical case management systems,
00:53:40and strengthen supply chains that target veteran suicide and homelessness prevention.
00:53:47As I did this work, it was never lost on me the immense investment that the American people make for the care of our military and veteran community,
00:53:56but only because our country asks a lot of our all-volunteer military force.
00:54:02I know that as the United States honors its promise to care for those who have borne the battle and gets it right for that cohort,
00:54:09it can then extrapolate those lessons from that network to the broader population so that we can continue to advance as a country.
00:54:17This is the VA's fourth mission, to improve the nation's preparedness for response to war, terrorism, national emergencies,
00:54:25and natural disasters by developing those plans and taking action to ensure continued service to our veterans,
00:54:33as well as to support the national, state, local emergency management, public health, and safety of our homeland security efforts.
00:54:42Like any organization, the VA can always be more efficient, but there are inherent risks in the rapid changes
00:54:49that the current administration and DOGE may not have fully considered as they circumvent the normal processes and procedures.
00:54:57For instance, the company that I lead, Server Advisory Group, in partnership with my SBA mentor company, Rios Partners,
00:55:03had numerous contracts that were helping veterans.
00:55:06This included providing technical support for patient safety measures so that veterans can have the best medical care available to them,
00:55:14and clinicians were aware of those critical safety guidelines,
00:55:17ensuring the VA meets its statutory obligations under Title 38,
00:55:22and providing essential compliance oversight, workforce management, and administrative support,
00:55:27and also transmitting critical information to allow immediate actions to respond to and address veteran homelessness.
00:55:35The rapid destabilization of services like these set VA backwards.
00:55:40It denies support to our American veterans and makes it harder to execute the fourth mission.
00:55:46When and if called upon.
00:55:49There must be more efficient ways to deliver and administer the care benefits and services for our nation's veterans
00:55:56than the course that the administration and DOGE has pursued to date.
00:56:01I urge that the VA change course and take the sort of well thought out pressure tested and risk mitigated approach
00:56:09that has always ensured no veteran or community is left behind.
00:56:13Without such a calculated approach, we are destined to see spikes in veteran suicide and homelessness,
00:56:20something that the VA has made great strides against in the last years.
00:56:24That's not acceptable to me, and it should not be acceptable to any Americans today.
00:56:28I look forward to hearing your questions.
00:56:33Thank you very much.
00:56:35My name is Chrissy Houlihan, and I represent the 6th Congressional District in Pennsylvania.
00:56:40I'm a third-generation veteran.
00:56:42I served in the Air Force, and the Coatesville VA is in my district serving 28,000 veterans.
00:56:49None of us are here, are suckers, and none of us are losers.
00:56:53So thank you very much for joining us today.
00:56:56You may not know this, but as a result of the new administration,
00:56:59congressmen and women now have to get special permission from the executive branch
00:57:03to visit VA hospitals in our own districts, which just blows my mind.
00:57:10And as a consequence, I've had to find my community other places
00:57:14because I've struggled with getting permission to have those meetings.
00:57:18My first question is for Sharda.
00:57:20As somebody who is on the inside, on the front lines of patient care,
00:57:24can you please help us understand what the VA's recent firings and funding freeze means
00:57:28for the quality of care that veterans receive within the VA?
00:57:37Well, the VA provides very specialized and unique care to the veterans,
00:57:41and, you know, I have one of which is very honored to provide that care.
00:57:47The recent firings and funding freeze is compromising that care.
00:57:52And because critical staff has been fired and nurses are performing additional tasks
00:57:57on top of doing patient care.
00:58:00If we don't fix this, veterans are going to have increasingly difficult time
00:58:04getting that specialized care that they need.
00:58:07They'll experience longer wait times, and some may even see treatment delays
00:58:12or even their treatments canceled.
00:58:15The private sector is not the solution, and studies have shown back in 2022 and 2023
00:58:24that veterans receiving care at the VA has a lower 30-day risk of mortality.
00:58:31Research and nurses will tell you the best place for veteran care is in the VA,
00:58:38and our vets deserve better, and so do our nurses.
00:58:42Thank you, Sharda.
00:58:43My second question is for James, and again, thank you for your service as well,
00:58:47and ten years of service to the VA, too.
00:58:49At the VA in Coatesville, we have a Women's Veteran Care Center,
00:58:53and we also have a really award-winning center for recovery for women as well.
00:59:00Given the long-term view of this system, can you talk about how Donald Trump
00:59:03and Elon Musk are undermining the progress that the VA has been making
00:59:07in addressing needs of women and minority veterans?
00:59:12We know, we have data that says that women, black, brown, and LGBTQ veterans
00:59:17have lower trust scores of the VA just in general versus the general population,
00:59:22and that lower trust has been built up over many years for many reasons,
00:59:27and we don't need to go into that.
00:59:29But if you're going to come back and then cut the services,
00:59:32make it more difficult to get an appointment,
00:59:35not have a welcoming community to embrace these veterans,
00:59:39the trust is going to diminish even more.
00:59:41I don't know that we're going to recover from this in terms of trusting the VA.
00:59:46We already have problems with many women that have suffered military sexual trauma,
00:59:51will not come into the VA because they get harassed at the VA.
00:59:55LGBTQ plus veterans underutilize services.
00:59:59Certain racial ethnic minorities underutilize their services.
01:00:05AAPI veterans tend to use 61% of the services available to them,
01:00:11or somewhere around there.
01:00:13So we have a low trust as it is now, and if you diminish or destroy the fabric that we have today,
01:00:20it's going to get worse, and I don't know that we'll recover from that.
01:00:23Good morning, everybody. I'm Congressman Pat Ryan representing the 18th District of New York,
01:00:30home to our alma mater, Captain Reynolds, among other great places,
01:00:36including the Castle Point VA, where I am a patient along with 40,000 other American heroes that I have the honor to represent.
01:00:43I served two combat tours in Iraq, and I will be damned if we all, as Americans,
01:00:49allow the Trump administration, a draft dodging coward, to disassemble and dishonor our veterans.
01:00:56And I just want to thank you all for being here this morning.
01:01:00We have 20 inpatient beds at my own VA now closed because of his hiring freeze.
01:01:04Not hypothetical, but real, and we all know the impacts that that will have.
01:01:09James, thanks for being here.
01:01:11I also want to just, as a dad of two young kids, commend you and your wife on your well-behaved children.
01:01:18I've got to get tips from you on that later.
01:01:21Melatonin.
01:01:23I appreciate that.
01:01:27You've talked about this a little bit already.
01:01:31And I appreciate what you said, which is this isn't about you, it's about our veterans.
01:01:35But can you talk about what it's felt like for you, given all you've done, all the sacrifice you've made,
01:01:41to walk into the VA that day and be treated that way?
01:01:45Thank you for that. That's a great question.
01:01:48It was discouraging.
01:01:50We had spent three years rebuilding the trust that minority and black, brown, LGBTQ veterans had been dismissed for some time.
01:02:00Spent three years doing that, developing more targeted approaches.
01:02:04We conducted veterans' unity villages, for example, with the NAACP International Conference.
01:02:10And we brought the VA to the community. That was our effort.
01:02:14So we would have mobile units, NCA, all the facilities.
01:02:20We basically created a mini VA inside their conference.
01:02:24And when the Deputy Secretary at the time addressed the general session, and she said,
01:02:30how many of you in here, there's about 9,000 people in the room, how many of you here are veterans?
01:02:36Half the room stood up, right?
01:02:38And if we don't bring the VA to the community, they're not going to come to them.
01:02:43So having built that trust over time, having built the relationship with LULAC and NAACP and other organizations,
01:02:51I fear that if that doesn't continue, we're going to go back to an environment of distrust.
01:02:57Thank you. Thank you.
01:02:59Captain Reynolds, thank you again for being here.
01:03:03Duty, honor, country.
01:03:05And we're incredibly, incredibly proud of you and the continued service.
01:03:11You talked about this as well a little bit.
01:03:13But can you explain to folks that might not be patients of the VA, might not be veterans getting this care?
01:03:18What are these cuts, the Doge and Musk and Trump cuts, that your business was providing, like the contract specifically canceled?
01:03:26What does that mean to the veteran that had been receiving that care?
01:03:30Can you help bring some color to that for us?
01:03:32Absolutely. Thank you for the question.
01:03:34We all know the big efforts to bring together the two systems on the left and the right, the DoD and the VA,
01:03:40with their interoperability of their health records.
01:03:43My company was able to provide a lot of that support to military health systems for three years
01:03:49as they successfully deployed that health record system.
01:03:53And then, naturally, we moved over to the VA to help with the same support as they were embarking on that same deployment.
01:04:00The VA is a much larger system, more fractured system, so it was a more complex deployment.
01:04:06So, naturally, it had more support and a higher contract value to help with that deployment.
01:04:12The VA has been slower at its deployment, so we're now delayed in achieving that interoperability with the military health systems.
01:04:19And although the VA wants to accelerate the deployment, they no longer have that same support structure for it.
01:04:25So, it's inevitable that they will see more patient safety incidents and a slower deployment, despite wanting to roll out the system faster.
01:04:35I hate to break the chain of all the veterans, but I'm Robin Kelly from the 2nd District of Illinois, and I'm not a veteran, like everybody else you've heard from,
01:04:45but the co-chair of steering and policy, but have Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Army in the family.
01:04:52My cousins grew up in Newburgh, but they all went Navy for whatever reason.
01:04:56But anyway, James, what would your message be to other veterans fired from civil service or struggling to access case through the VA, to access care through the VA?
01:05:08Sure, I think, thank you.
01:05:10I would recommend that they use the local resources, the local networks, to make their voices heard.
01:05:17We built this VA over a lot of sweat and tears and sacrifice for many, many years, and we just can't allow it to be dismantled like that.
01:05:27And we talk about the veterans themselves, but you have to understand that when veterans are not getting their benefits and services,
01:05:35the family suffers, the caregiver suffers, the community suffers.
01:05:40Think of the community wealth loss if veterans are not getting their compensation for many, many years at a time.
01:05:50That has a profound effect on the community, so the community has to stand up for the veterans themselves,
01:05:55because it's not just the veterans that are impacted.
01:05:58And it's such a good point that you raise.
01:06:00Sharda, as a worker who advocates for your fellow nurses, what would you say to Donald Trump and Elon Musk if they were listening?
01:06:09You don't have to say all the things you're thinking.
01:06:12Keep it clean.
01:06:13You saw that look on my face, right?
01:06:15I'm from New York.
01:06:17I would tell them no matter what they do, we're not going to give up on the VA.
01:06:25We'll continue to organize and fight back against their attacks.
01:06:30You know, our nurses are really proud to work at the VA.
01:06:33We take care of so many different facets of patients.
01:06:36You know, somebody that gets chemotherapy, their traumatic brain injury to educating them for their treatment plans, stuff like that.
01:06:45So, I mean, we are, I feel very privileged to give back to my community.
01:06:53And so do all my fellow co-workers.
01:06:57I feel like I already know what their intentions are, right?
01:07:01They want to privatize the system without ever having to walk into the VA and really speak to these patients, these veterans that have served our country.
01:07:12I can tell you when they go to the private sector, they love coming back to the VA.
01:07:18You know, if I have to tell them, oh, I have to refer you out for certain care, they say, well, how long do I have to wait in the VA?
01:07:27I tell them and they want to, they're like, I'll stay.
01:07:30So, I mean, clearly we're doing something right.
01:07:35I would say, listen to us.
01:07:36We're the nurses on the front lines.
01:07:38You know, we're trained to provide direct care to these vets and there's no better place for them.
01:07:47Thank you so much, Sharda.
01:07:48Thank our witnesses, our guests.
01:07:50Thank you for your service and your commitment to our country.
01:07:53To my colleagues who have served in uniform and served to protect our country, thank you so much for your continued service to Congress and for your service to our country.
01:08:02America's veterans have taken an oath to defend our country and put their lives on the line.
01:08:07The very least we can do is look out for our nation's veterans when they finish their service.
01:08:12But right now, Donald Trump is crashing the economy.
01:08:15Out of thin air, he's created an economic disaster.
01:08:18And while reckless tariffs could drive us toward another Republican recession, his plan to take benefits away from hardworking Americans will add to the pain and create more hardship.
01:08:30In fewer than 100 days of Donald Trump's presidency, we have seen drastic cuts to the VA and veterans benefits.
01:08:39Democrats worked hard to pass the PACT Act and to provide the largest expansion of veterans benefits in generations.
01:08:46But there is a concerted effort by Donald Trump to roll back the progress we have made to honor our commitment to veterans.
01:08:54And that's why today's hearing was so important, shedding light on the president's extreme agenda to hurt our nation's veterans and their families.
01:09:04It's an agenda that has laid off more than 6,000 veterans, is making it harder for them to access benefits and care, and is undermining the health care system that they rely on.
01:09:15It's an agenda that is un-American and just plain wrong.
01:09:19But make no mistake, we are not going to sit by and let Donald Trump get away with these reckless attacks on the VA and the Americans that they serve.
01:09:29We are demanding better, and we are prepared to use every tool at our disposal to fight for veterans who have earned these benefits today and the millions more veterans across this country who rely on this care.
01:09:44Thank you so much for being here and for your service to our country.
01:09:47Donald Trump's extreme policies aren't just tanking our economy and making life harder on the American people.
01:09:53Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and extremists appointed in their administration are specifically targeting our nation's veterans.
01:10:01They are denying veterans the care they deserve by defunding VA hospitals, closing offices, and taking a chainsaw, as we saw, to programs like Social Security.
01:10:11They are breaking the promise, as you've heard, of the PACT Act, freezing funding, stopping hiring.
01:10:17They have fired thousands of veterans workers from important jobs in our government, jobs that make sure Americans get their benefits on time, that air travel remains safe, and so, so much more.
01:10:29With more than 16 million veterans in America, you would think, or at the very least hope, that Donald Trump and Elon Musk have their best interests at heart.
01:10:39But they don't.
01:10:41Instead of standing up for those 16 million veterans, Trump and Musk are standing up for the handful of billionaire donors that are bankrolling the Republican Party.
01:10:50And just as they do that, they are triggering a reckless economic disaster right before our eyes.
01:10:56Democrats stand with our veterans and the American people.
01:10:59We believe in protecting hard-earned benefits, not prioritizing a billionaire's bottom line.
01:11:06We know that we owe a debt to each and every single man and woman that has served our nation in uniform.
01:11:12Donald Trump may not care about repaying those debts, but Democrats absolutely do.
01:11:17That is our job, as you've said.
01:11:19George, James, Charter, and Will know this.
01:11:22We will not stop fighting for you, and just thank you so much for taking the time to be here today.
01:11:27Thank you so much for today.
01:11:28Thank you so much.
01:11:30Thank you, Ms. Walter Popper, from