By The Skanner News | The Skanner News Published: 09 March 2025
Friday, Representative Travis Nelson (D-N & NE Portland), Representative Thuy Tran (D–NE Portland), Rep. Shannon Jones Isadore (D-NW Portland), Representative Paul Evans (D-Monmouth and Independence) and Rep. Grayber (SW Portland and East Beaverton) spoke out against the federal administration’s plan to eliminate over 80,000 positions nationwide at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
This will have a devastating impact on the frontline workforce, including nurses, doctors, mental health providers, and many more medical and non-medical professionals supporting the veterans of this nation.
“My own brother is a veteran that served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is a disabled veteran and, like so many others, has depended on the VA for critical support,” said Rep. Nelson (D–N & NE Portland). “This is not about politics or party lines. A divestment of this magnitude should not be acceptable to any American. We know that the sacrifices made by veterans continue long after their service has ended, and our commitment to them should be just as enduring.”
“I know how vital accessible health care, mental health services and the VA’s specialized expertise are,” said Rep. Thuy Tran (D-NE Portland). “Cutting 80,000 positions now—when veteran suicides are tragically at a 20-year high—would undo our progress. Veterans deserve more than gratitude; they deserve a government fully committed to the care they’ve earned.”
“I am proud to be a U.S. Marine Corps veteran,” said Rep. Shannon Isadore (D – NW Portland and Cathedral Park). “When I put on my uniform to put my life on the line, it was because the government had my back. For someone who has never served a day in uniform to so abruptly write off these jobs as government waste is a callous betrayal.”
“The plan to fire 80,000 US Department of Veterans Affairs personnel is nothing less than a stab in the back to each, to every, servicemember who raised a hand, took the oath, and put country ahead of everything else,” said Rep. Evans (D- Monmouth and Independence). “I am gob smacked that the Party of McCain and Teddy Roosevelt has become what it has. It’s very nearly treason by another name.”
“Oregon’s Department of Veteran Affairs, under the leadership of Director Nakeia Daniels, is focused on providing service to our state’s veterans, whether that’s housing support, accessing benefits, or mental health services,” said Rep. Grayber (SW Portland and East Beaverton). “The legislature is committed to continuing to support those efforts”.
Internal memos suggest potential VA budget cuts that could shrink the workforce by up to 20 percent, further straining essential services amid critical veteran suicides, long wait times, and mental health challenges. With over a quarter of VA staff being veterans, these cuts threaten both vital care and job security for those who served, putting millions at risk.