Richard Blumenthal on Mass Firings at the VA: The Impact of Musk, Trump and Sec. Collins Has Been ‘Monumentally Destructive and It Is Stupid’

BLUMENTHAL I thank Senator ░░░░░░░░ for opening this tremendously ░░░░░░░░ segment of our argument ░░░░░░░░ case against this budget ░░░░░░░░ I am here to ░░░░░░░░ about veterans what they ░░░░░░░░ and what they are ░░░░░░░░ denied what they have ░░░░░░░░ and what is being ░░░░░░░░ away I rise to ░░░░░░░░ veterans who deserve our ░░░░░░░░ for their service and ░░░░░░░░ sacrifice Very often we ░░░░░░░░ to appreciate who our ░░░░░░░░ are They re members ░░░░░░░░ our family our neighbors ░░░░░░░░ friends My two sons ░░░░░░░░ have served one as ░░░░░░░░ Marine Corps officer in ░░░░░░░░ the other as a ░░░░░░░░ SEAL They are role ░░░░░░░░ as veterans of previous ░░░░░░░░ were role models for ░░░░░░░░ two sons And they ░░░░░░░░ like America Men and ░░░░░░░░ increasingly women Different races ░░░░░░░░ backgrounds national origins Some ░░░░░░░░ immigrants And what is ░░░░░░░░ to all of them ░░░░░░░░ that they share a ░░░░░░░░ The bond among veterans ░░░░░░░░ unique And they are ░░░░░░░░ a smaller portion of ░░░░░░░░ population Less than one ░░░░░░░░ of Americans are veterans ░░░░░░░░ even families of veterans ░░░░░░░░ more and more they ░░░░░░░░ in multiple deployments That ░░░░░░░░ what we ve seen ░░░░░░░░ these last wars in ░░░░░░░░ and Afghanistan multiple deployments ░░░░░░░░ demanding on them and ░░░░░░░░ their families We know ░░░░░░░░ families serve as well ░░░░░░░░ veterans And so the ░░░░░░░░ of the Veterans Affairs ░░░░░░░░ structure or VA is ░░░░░░░░ important now or at ░░░░░░░░ as important as ever ░░░░░░░░ in keeping our word ░░░░░░░░ our promise to those ░░░░░░░░ that we will leave ░░░░░░░░ veteran behind in jobs ░░░░░░░░ education in skill training ░░░░░░░░ yes in health care ░░░░░░░░ VA Health Care Administration ░░░░░░░░ the gold standard for ░░░░░░░░ country and veterans know ░░░░░░░░ They deserve it Today ░░░░░░░░ are in a crisis ░░░░░░░░ veterans care It s ░░░░░░░░ crisis of this administration ░░░░░░░░ making It s a ░░░░░░░░ inflicted wound It is ░░░░░░░░ bleeding wound And I ░░░░░░░░ here to echo the ░░░░░░░░ of the Veterans of ░░░░░░░░ Wars When he asked ░░░░░░░░ in one of our ░░░░░░░░ stop the bleeding stop ░░░░░░░░ bleeding in our services ░░░░░░░░ veterans through PACT Act ░░░░░░░░ and benefits in our ░░░░░░░░ hospitals around the country ░░░░░░░░ veterans crisis lines in ░░░░░░░░ to keep them in ░░░░░░░░ homes stop the bleeding ░░░░░░░░ 2 400 have been ░░░░░░░░ and 83 000 jobs ░░░░░░░░ on the chopping block ░░░░░░░░ secretary has said they ░░░░░░░░ going to go We ░░░░░░░░ here to sound the ░░░░░░░░ and reverse this self ░░░░░░░░ ongoing destructive cruelty and ░░░░░░░░ I would like to ░░░░░░░░ that it is malign ░░░░░░░░ not purposeful malevolence But ░░░░░░░░ way or the other ░░░░░░░░ impact of Elon Musk ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump and yes ░░░░░░░░ Doug Collins has been ░░░░░░░░ destructive and it is ░░░░░░░░ I m going to ░░░░░░░░ a word that I ░░░░░░░░ my children never to ░░░░░░░░ a four letter word ░░░░░░░░ U M B It ░░░░░░░░ dumb There is no ░░░░░░░░ or reason to firing ░░░░░░░░ 000 members of the ░░░░░░░░ workforce about a third ░░░░░░░░ them veterans when at ░░░░░░░░ same time there are ░░░░░░░░ 000 openings for the ░░░░░░░░ kinds of positions surgeons ░░░░░░░░ nurses counselors schedulers janitors ░░░░░░░░ re all part of ░░░░░░░░ team And including claims ░░░░░░░░ for the PACT Act ░░░░░░░░ Dole Act and other ░░░░░░░░ of benefits that they ░░░░░░░░ earned and they deserve ░░░░░░░░ next year but now ░░░░░░░░ is no sense in ░░░░░░░░ people for the very ░░░░░░░░ that the VA is ░░░░░░░░ to recruit makes no ░░░░░░░░