Scrimping on Veterans' Medical Care is Un-American

Floor Speech

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Mr. LATIMER. Mr. Speaker, this past December, the Department of Veterans Affairs released a proposal to cut 25,000 openings nationwide for much-needed nurses and medical staff.

In the New York City area, this would mean a loss of approximately 380 positions. While the VA claims these are unneeded openings left from the pandemic, its own inspector general reported last August that 94 percent of VA facilities reported severe staffing shortages for medical officer occupations, and 79 percent of facilities reported severe shortages for nurses.

It is baffling, but 250 years on, this Nation still struggles to reconcile the way that it treats the men and women who fought for our country after they have traded their swords for plowshares. The same can be said for the caregivers who tend to their wounds, both physical and psychological, in the years after their service.

Scrimping on veterans' medical care or diverting its availability is un-American, and it sends the message to our citizens that this government will not keep its part of the bargain.

I demand that this government invest in the VA system rather than seek its demise. The brave men and women who sacrificed to defend our country deserve better.

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