WASHINGTON – Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), a Marine Corps combat veteran and member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, joined a group of Democratic senators urging the Trump Administration to protect the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) from deep staffing cuts at Veterans Affairs (VA) and return to office orders that will impact this critical service for veterans in crisis. The letter comes as reports show that the VA has fired 2,400 employees, including VCL staff, threatening lifesaving mental health services for Arizona’s 500,000+ veterans.
“We write to you out of concern for the ability of the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) to continue to provide critical support to veterans and their loved ones. Over the past month, the Department of Veterans Affairs has fired more than 2,400 federal employees, including dedicated health professionals who man the phones at VA’s suicide crisis line,” wrote the Senators in a letter to VA Secretary Doug Collins.“We urge you to take immediate action to ensure the Veterans Crisis Line is not disrupted by layoffs or other executive orders.”
In addition to demanding answers about the Trump Administration and Secretary Collins’ plan to protect this vital service for veterans, the Senators also requested the VA immediately consider an exemption for the vast majority of VCL workers who were hired and work remotely. A January 20th executive order that directed federal departments to end remote work arrangements would mean deep disruptions and workforce reductions at the VCL, directly impacting support for veterans in crisis.
“You affirmed during your confirmation process your commitment to addressing the epidemic of veteran suicide and to reaching at risk veterans,” the Senators continued. “Risking the loss of access to immediate, life-saving mental health resources is not congruent with that promise. This is a critical time to ensure the VCL has the operational environment to support its substantial call volume and to support our veterans and save lives.”
Read the full letter HERE.
Senator Gallego has been pushing back against the Trump Administration for cutting VA staff, saying it’s just to give tax breaks to his billionaire friends. During a Senate hearing, he pushed a Trump nominee about how federal layoffs have affected veterans. The Senator also criticized Trump and Musk for firing an Air Force vet and a Marine vet from the Phoenix VA—both had been there for nearly a year, managing 1,500 veteran caseloads, with solid performance reviews.