22Apr
Washington, DC – Today, Common Defense, the nation’s largest veteran-led grassroots organization, participated in the roundtable discussion titled, “Securing the Path Forward: Safeguarding Veterans’Information in the Digital Age.” The discussion was hosted by the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and their Ranking Member, Congressman Mark Takano. As part of the discussion, Common Defense presented data illustrating how the VA continues to shift resources away from veterans and paving the way for privatization.
These findings presented are part of Common Defense’s national VA Not for Sale campaign, an effort led by veterans who have seen firsthand how attempts to dismantle the VA put lives at risk and undermine the promises this country made to those who served. When private interests are allowed to chip away at the VA, veterans pay the price with longer wait times, reduced access to specialized care, and fragmented services.
“I wholeheartedly believe VA needs the latitude to innovate and grow. I am not opposed to innovation; I believe advancements in technology should not come at the expense of veteran privacy and am concerned by the potential for private profiteering at the expense of our veterans,” said Ranking Member Takano. “Veteran data should be protected from the ill intent of private industries, our economic rivals, and our global adversaries. In the right hands, veteran data can be harnessed to improve veterans’ VA experience and health outcomes. But in the wrong hands, it can jeopardize veteran safety, our economic standing, and our national security. The VA should be protecting veterans, wherever they seek services, not giving billionaires free rein to commercialize veteran data to shore up their bottom line, full stop.”
“As veterans, we’ve spent years relying on the VA. As for myself, the VA has been a lifeline for quality care, literally. I am currently going through cancer treatment, and it is the toughest fight of my life. I wouldn’t be here without the VA’s life-saving care,” said Jose Vasquez, Executive Director of Common Defense. “Our country made a promise to those of us who served, and privatization is not part of that deal. We’ll keep pressing until the VA has the resources, staffing, and stability veterans earned.”
During the meeting, Common Defense’s data director Dr. Alex Rich presented evidence and perspectives from his extensive experience as a former special operations pilot, crash investigator, public health researcher, and federal emergency response leader during the COVID-19 pandemic. His remarks focused on:
- The critical importance of safeguarding veteran health data in an era in which data breaches and ransomware attacks are all too common
- The dangers associated with bringing the Silicon Valley culture of “moving fast and breaking things” into veteran healthcare
- The importance of ensuring that AI-based health tech supports the workflows of the medical professionals who care for our veterans without becoming a hindrance or a distraction from their vital mission
Please find photos of the briefing between Congressman Mark Takano and veterans here.
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Common Defense Civic Engagement (501c4) (CDCE) is a grassroots, veteran-led organization that was founded in 2016. We empower veterans to stand up for our communities against the rising tide of racism, hate, and violence, to organize against the entrenched powers that have rigged our economy, and to champion an equitable and representative democracy, where “liberty and justice” truly is for all. For too long, politicians from both political parties have attempted to use veterans as unwilling political props, and Common Defense serves as a home for veterans to organize and speak for themselves and support the candidates who truly share our values.