Press Release: Sen. Gallego (D-Arizona) protests firings at Department of Veterans Affairs

Indianz.Com > News > Press Release: Sen. Gallego (D-Arizona) protests firings at Department of Veterans Affairs

Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona). Official U.S. Senate photo

STATEMENT: Senator Gallego to Place Blanket Hold on Veterans’ Affairs Nominees Until Sec. Collins Reverses Firings

As a Marine Corps Combat Veteran, Senator Gallego personally understands the importance of the VA’s efforts to provide health care for veterans and their families

Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Indianz.Com

The following is the text of an April 1, 2025, news release from Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona) .

WASHINGTON — Today, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) announced he will place a blanket hold on all nominations to the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) following news of the Trump Administration’s plans to eliminate over 83,000 jobs from the Department.

The cuts to the VA reflect an abandonment by the Trump Administration to provide critical health care services to military veterans. The actions of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) can already be felt in Arizona.

For example:

13 specialty care providers in the PHX VA Claim Exam department were terminated.
The Carl T. Hayden Phoenix VA medical center was given a directive to fire 15% of their staff by June.

These cuts must be reversed, and until the Department does so, as well as commits to abandon it’s plans to unilaterally layoff over 83,000 VA employees, Senator Gallego will keep his hold on nominees in place.

“As a veteran who used VA care, I know intimately the importance of having a health care system our veterans and their families can rely on,” Senator Gallego said. “Secretary [Doug] Collins and DOGE cutting 83,000 jobs from the VA is extremely concerning, and for that reason, I will place a blanket hold on all VA nominees until Secretary Collins commits to abandoning this sloppy attempt to cut benefits and services for our nation’s veterans.”