Proposed federal cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs have drawn criticism in Southern Arizona, where thousands of veterans rely on the VA for health care, stability and support.

In March, the Trump administration announced plans to cut 80,000 VA jobs, some of which are held by veterans.

Tucsonans gathered outside the Tucson VA Medical Center last Friday to protest the proposed cuts, holding signs and standing at both exits.

The protest was organized by Southern Arizona Community Activists and scheduled ahead of Monday’s visit by VA Secretary Doug Collins. During his stop in Tucson, Collins said the goal is to cut 15% of the department’s staff.

A 2021 report shows that more than half of all U.S. veterans requested at least one benefit from the VA, the majority seeking health care. That same year, usage of health care benefits increased by 16%.

Adrian, a native Tucsonan who served in the Air National Guard and was honorably discharged, said the proposed cuts will impact the most vulnerable.

“It'll be a domino effect. When (workers) lose their job, it could lead to losing their housing, mental health crises, which they won't be able to get care for,” Adrian told Tucson Spotlight. “We should take care of our veterans. We should take care of our citizens and anybody that's willing to work.”

Laura Hudson’s husband, Patrick Hudson, is a Vietnam veteran who has been receiving services from the VA for 40 years.

“I'm a daughter of a veteran, a sister of a veteran, and a wife of a veteran, and I know the struggles that they go through after service,” she said. “The VA takes care of the men and women who have served us, and they're the best. It's the people that make the difference. I believe the people in the VA system here have elevated the VA to where it is in the nation. (They’re) the heart of it.”

Protester Susan said she has relatives who are veterans, including one who took their own life.

“Support veterans better, not worse,” she said. “We should respect them and take care of them even better than we do (now), instead of (having) mass layoffs.”

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for veterans under age 45, with rates increasing among those who use health benefits. This is in part because those requesting services are more likely to have low incomes, poor health and higher rates of depression and anxiety.

Local representatives, union leaders and veterans spoke at the event. Former Pima County Supervisor and Congressional District 7 candidate Adelita Grijalva said cuts to the VA system would harm veterans by reducing access to essential resources.

“This system is already stretched,” she said. “The proposed cuts of 15% across the board are going to be devastating to so many that rely on the VA benefits and services, especially to our rural communities.”

She referenced her late father, Congressman Raúl Grijalva’s, final press statement: “(This) is not efficiency. This is abandonment.”

“We are abandoning our veterans who were there for us when we needed them, and it is our responsibility, our moral obligation, and something that we've already funded,” Grijalva said. “Let's enhance and fulfill the benefits that our veterans earned and deserve. We need to remember … that our veterans deserve us to have their back, because they were there when we needed them.”

Andrés Cano, who was recently appointed to serve out the remainder of Grijalva’s term on the Pima County Board of Supervisors, said there are over 85,000 veterans in Pima County and more than 700,000 visits to the Tucson VA every year.

“I spoke with a veteran from the Vietnam War who told me about the quality care that he gets here at the VA,” Cano said. “Any cut that is going to impact people's livelihoods, their health and our community's well-being is something that we should absolutely be opposing.”

David Morales, a Vietnam veteran and member of the Disabled American Veterans Tucson Chapter, said he’s had good experiences with the VA health care system in Tucson, but also called for a system that is “of, by, and for the people.”

“I believe in America, that's why I fought for America,” Morales said.

A 2021 report shows that more than half of all veterans, roughly 9.8 million, requested at least one benefit from the VA, with most seeking health care. Usage of health care benefits increased by 16% between 2020 and 2021.

Chuck Weaver, president of the American Federation of Government Employees’ Tucson chapter, said reducing the workforce will increase the load on already short-staffed VA hospitals across the country.

“They're working 12-hour shifts. They're working without (a) break, they're missing their lunch,” Weaver said. “The anxiety level is high, and that causes burnout amongst the staff. It causes mistakes to be made. When something goes wrong, who gets to blame? The little guy.”

An executive order by the Trump administration ended the payroll deduction of union dues for most federal employees, leaving union groups in financial limbo and taking away workers’ ability to collectively bargain.

“This blatant union-busting maneuver undermines the essential contributions of federal workers vital to our government's function,” said Cecilia Valdez, chair of the Pima Area Labor Federation. “This is not an assault on federal workers. It's an attack on all working people across the nation.”

Topacio “Topaz” Servellon is a freelance journalist out of Tucson. Contact them at topacioserve@gmail.com.

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