Rable: Elon Musk and the GOP attack veteran jobs and healthcare
The fallout of Trump’s actions and those of the rest of the GOP-controlled Congress continues to pile up. While President Donald Trump has given unrestricted access to the unelected billionaire Elon Musk, Congress has done nothing to protect some of the most vital pillars of our government.
I have written before about cutting funding to Medicaid/Medicare/Social Security for the Avalanche-Journal and how that directly impacts hundreds of thousands of our fellow West Texans. But Elon and the GOP didn’t stop there. For the past two weeks, they have directly attacked our veterans and their health care.
While Elon has run rampant, he has stayed true to his word. His most significant impact has been a hiring freeze and the layoff of thousands of federal employees. I understand that many Republicans elected Trump to do just this, but I don’t think his base realized just how much this would negatively impact veterans working in federal jobs and at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, veterans comprise around 30% of the 2.2 million-strong federal workforce. Blindly dismantling the federal workforce ignores the reality that many of these workers are veterans with unique skills used to keep the federal government running and manage its resources. Even the President of the National Federation of Federal Employees fears that nearly half a million veterans may lose their jobs. This, while inflation continues to drive up prices, could crush veterans and their families.
Not only are Elon and Trump attacking veterans’ careers, but the hiring freeze has also stopped any efforts to expand VA access and process claims. The opening of new clinics has been halted due to the VA’s inability to hire more staff. On Feb. 13, DOGE forced the layoff of 1,000 VA employees, and then on Feb. 24, the VA had to let go of another 1,400 employees. The VA provides essential services to veterans, especially rural veterans in our region who have benefited from having a VA facility here in Lubbock. Without the care and services provided by the VA, veterans today will battle the same harsh conditions that veterans of Vietnam and earlier generations faced when struggling to deal with their injuries sustained in service to their country. Not that a draft dodger with bone spurs would understand the sacrifice of these Patriots.
To add insult to injury, the Senate decided not to pass a non-binding resolution of the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act (PACT Act). This continuation called for uninterrupted funding to veteran healthcare connected to burn pit toxins. All but one GOP Senator voted against the continuation. They cannot even be bothered to help the very service members they sent to war.
According to the Census Bureau, there are 12,773 veterans in Lubbock County. If these cuts continue, our neighbors and friends will be left without healthcare and support. We should call on our representatives to put aside partisan politics and do what is right: honor those who served.
(Kyle Rable is a U.S. Army veteran, Lubbock County Democratic Party Secretary and Texas Tech PhD Student)
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