Common Defense Veterans Fight Back Against Republican Cuts to Veterans Care

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 21, 2023

MEDIA CONTACT: Jacob Thomas | jacob@commondefense.us

WASHINGTON – Speaker McCarthy and House Republicans are using the threat of default to force through draconian cuts to veterans healthcare. Common Defense and our veteran members across the nation are appalled at the brazen attempt by House Republicans to gut vital care that veterans depend on. The Department of Veterans Affairs has highlighted in detail how the Republican’s budget proposal will hurt our nation’s veterans.

“Veterans benefits are not like social security disability benefits, but rather more like a workers compensation program. Veterans earned this compensation the day they raised their right hand, swore an oath, and signed a check payable to the United States for any amount up to and including their life. In exchange, we were trained and deployed to the furthest corners of the globe to fight, bleed, and die in the name of freedom, democracy, and the American way of life,” said Naveed Shah, Army veteran and Political Director of Common Defense.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has specifically shown how the 22% cuts will harm America’s veterans:

• Threaten Medical Care for Veterans.

• Undermine Access to Telehealth.

• Increase Wait Times for Benefits.

• Prevent Construction on the Health Care Facilities that Veterans need.

• Cut Housing for Veterans.

• Increase Food Insecurity for Veterans.

• Deprive Veterans of mental health services, substance use treatment, and other health services.

• Eliminate Job Training and Other Support  for Homeless Veterans.

Common Defense strongly opposes the budget cuts put forward by Speaker McCarthy and House Republicans and urges them to stop trying to play cheap political games with our economy and veterans care. 

“I suffer from chronic PTSD due to my service in the military. The VA has been lifesaving in providing me treatment. The cuts proposed by Republicans would directly affect the care and treatment that I and my fellow veterans desperately need. We cannot let them get away with this.” —Jacob Thomas, USAF Veteran & Communications Director for Common Defense

“The medications I receive from the VA to handle my autoimmune diseases and depression cost over $9k a month. I have a team of doctors that work together that are already understaffed. These cuts would directly affect my quality of life to the point of being incapacitated and no quality of life. I will not let them get away with this at any cost.” —Skyleigh Heinen, Army Veteran and Common Defense Member

“As a veteran who suffers from chronic gastrointestinal issues, the care I receive at the VA is critical to being able to live a somewhat normal life. I know that I am not alone. Many veterans like me, depend on VA healthcare to not only manage current medical conditions, but to provide preventive care to secondary conditions related to our service.  Republicans have no idea what the implications will be for their proposed changes.  This is not how you take care of those who raised their right hand in honor of serving this country.” —Janice Jamison, Air Force Veteran and Training Director for Common Defense

“Cuts to my VA benefits would have a real impact on my ability to receive care for my skin cancer, PTSD, and immune disorder. I'm not alone, millions of veterans rely on the services that would be affected. I'm tired of being used as a bargaining chip. Haven't we earned that much?” —Moises Montalvo, Army Veteran and Common Defense Member

###

Common Defense 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.