Sen. Tammy Baldwin Warns of “Upside Down” Priorities in Looming VA Staff Reductions

Veterans in Wisconsin are worried about what might happen to their health care, mental health services, and access to benefits if the Trump Administration's plan to cut up to 80,000 jobs at the Department of Veterans Affairs goes through. As a result of the effort, called DOGE, 2,400 jobs have been cut, and an internal memo suggests that another 83,000 jobs may be cut by August.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) met with local veterans and service providers at the American Legion Post 336 in Onalaska on Friday for a roundtable discussion about planned budget cuts and how they would affect the community.

Baldwin said, "Much of what we're seeing has been done in the name of efficiency." "However, it's making people who depend on these services more uncertain and anxious instead of making things run more smoothly."

Veterans talked about delays in medical care and problems with the government. Katherine Young, a soldier who lives in Viroqua, spoke about how she had to wait on hold with the VA for more than an hour before giving up and hanging up. The woman said, "I can't spend my day waiting on hold without getting help."

As someone whose fiancé committed suicide and then had to deal with her mental health problems, Young said that cutting funding for crisis lines is both personal and dangerous. "It makes me feel strongly about it." She told him, "It makes me mad."

Baldwin said the planned cuts were due to moves to move money around to pay for tax breaks for wealthy people. "Billionaires should not get better care at the expense of veterans," she said.

Baldwin reported that about 20,000 VA jobs currently held by veterans could be cut. Veterans service officers in La Crosse and Trempealeau counties are worried that upcoming budget cuts could make veterans wait longer for care, get worse care, and face significant health risks.

Although government agencies aren't very open, Baldwin has promised to keep fighting. She said, "It is important to involve the courts, Congress, and most of all, the voices of the people."