January 28, 2025

Duckworth Slams Trump’s Dangerous Pause on Federal Grants That Will Hurt Veterans, Underscores Importance of Maintaining VA as Medical Center Home for Veterans Seeking Care

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) who still receives her own health care services through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)—slammed President Donald Trump’s dangerous executive order that bypasses Congress and freezes billions of dollars in grants that help fund programs run by VA and that offer lifelines to millions of Americans, including those who sacrifice for our country. In her remarks, Duckworth also underscored the importance of robust communication between VA and community care providers, calling for VA to remain the “medical center home” for all Veterans, including those who choose—as is their right—to seek care in the community. Video of Duckworth’s remarks and questions can be found on the Senator’s YouTube.

“It’s ironic that while policymakers and citizens came together today to discuss expanding access to care for Veterans, Donald Trump was actively preparing to restrict their access to care this evening,” said Duckworth. “After all that our Veterans have sacrificed, we should be doing everything we can to make it easier for our heroes to receive the timely, high-quality care they’ve earned through their service. Yet, Trump’s dangerous executive order would jeopardize critical and life-changing VA grants that support community-based suicide prevention efforts, rural telehealth access and more. Congress alone has the ‘power of the purse,’ and I hope my Republican colleagues will have the spine to oppose Donald Trump in the face of this cruel, chaotic and unconstitutional order that would hurt everyday Americans, including Veterans.”

Despite campaigning on the promise that he would look out for our Veterans and working families, Donald Trump’s dangerous and unlawful executive order would halt critical, life-changing VA grants that our nation’s heroes rely on. Among the VA efforts that would be impacted by this illegal federal grant freeze include those that aid in the VA’s mission to help homeless Veterans in need of shelter, provide community-based suicide prevention resources, support rural Veteran telehealth access and transportation services, promote the hiring and retention of nurses at state Veterans’ homes, improve specially-adapted housing assistive technology and much more.

Throughout her tenure in Congress, Duckworth has been a fierce supporter of and an effective legislator for our Veterans. During the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee’s confirmation hearing for President Trump’s VA Secretary nominee Doug Collins last week, Duckworth pressed Collins to oppose any effort to privatize VA health care, which would place many Veterans at risk of receiving less effective and less cost-efficient care. In her remarks, Duckworth underscored that VA health care professionals are better positioned to provide the best care possible for our Veterans due to specialized training that informs providers with a unique understanding of Veterans’ experiences and comprehensive medical needs—something that is not replicated in the civilian health care system. 

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