Duckworth Statement on Second Wave of VA Layoffs, Including Veteran Crisis Line Workers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of both the U.S. Senate Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs Committees who still receives her own health care services through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)—issued the following statement after Donald Trump’s VA laid off an additional 1,400 employees, including workers with the Veteran Crisis Line (VCL), after laying off more than 1,000 employees earlier this month:
“Donald Trump has fired more Veterans than any other Administration in our lifetimes. With yet another indiscriminate purge at the VA, Trump is leaving devoted public servants jobless—many of whom are Veterans themselves—and continuing to inflict needless pain on our nation’s heroes. Contrary to what VA Secretary Collins says, there are no ‘non-critical’ VA positions when it comes to ensuring Veterans receive the care they’ve earned—including at the Veteran Crisis Line.
“After I pushed Secretary Collins to reinstate workers with VCL in the wake of the first VA purge, I’m outraged to learn that more VCL workers were caught up in the latest firings—and worse yet, that Secretary Collins continues to double down and deny that he ever inflicted any damage on the department at all. Well, that’s a lie. I heard from several workers who all play pivotal roles in helping ensure the hotline can best serve our Veterans in their darkest moments. Claiming that only those who answer the phones are essential is an insult to the service and commitment to our heroes of so many who ensure that someone is ready to listen and help in a moment of crisis.
“Donald Trump promised to look out for our Veterans, but every day he allows Elon Musk—the world’s richest man—to fire VA employees or any Veteran in an effort to fund tax cuts for billionaires, he is proving he has no problem selling out our heroes if it means a chance to line his own pockets.”
Last week, Duckworth joined U.S. Senator and SVAC Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and a group of 34 Democratic Senators calling on Department of VA Secretary Collins to immediately reinstate the more than 1,000 VA employees terminated earlier this month who serve Veterans and their families nationwide, including critical employees addressing Veteran suicide working at the Veterans Crisis Line.
Additionally, Duckworth led her fellow Democratic SVAC colleagues in demanding that the Trump Administration and unelected billionaire Elon Musk immediately restart operations at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in order to protect our nation’s heroes from financial predators.
If you are a VA employee or Veteran impacted, please reach out to the Senate Veteran Affairs Committee by filling out this form.
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