In response to proposed cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs by the federal administration, Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo issued the following statement:

“This week, my father died as a result of his exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. Actions by the federal administration to make cuts at the Department of Veterans Affairs directly puts veterans like my dad in danger. As chair of the Assembly Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, the daughter and sister of veterans, and an Assemblywoman representing a community with a large veteran population, I am furious and deeply concerned by the VA cuts being proposed by the federal administration.

Let’s be clear, cutting staff at the VA means cutting services and healthcare for veterans. There’s no way around it. The PACT Act, finally signed into law in 2022, meant some veterans made sick from Agent Orange or burn pits would finally have access to care and support that was previously denied from the VA. The influx of those new patients meant the VA needed to increase staff, and they still faced a backlog. To cut staff, just a couple of years later, is a slap in the face of those veterans who fought for their right to care after sacrificing so much for our country.

Such deep cuts to the department’s workforce threatens veteran lives. Period. These cuts have the potential to cause irreversible and widespread damage to veterans across the country, including right here in California. In addition to 27% of the department’s workforce being veterans themselves, facing possible unemployment from this reckless political action, veterans and their families stand to lose access to vital and life-saving services like healthcare, mental health access and the ability to speak to someone at the Veterans Crisis Hotline.

It is unconscionable that this administration would put the very people who risked their lives to protect us unnecessarily in harm’s way, when what they deserve is our protection and support. I will fight everyday to ensure our veterans and their families have the services they need to thrive, which includes calling on the federal administration to swiftly reverse these cuts and leading solutions in California to support and protect veterans.”