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Mothers Against War spokeswoman Sonia Santiago demanded on Thursday that the Veterans Administration be exempted from budget cuts following the dismissal of thousands of VA employees.
“We strongly condemn the dismissal of these federal employees from the Veterans Administration. This harmful agenda is driven by President Donald Trump and his advisor, Elon Musk, with the aim of privatizing services and benefitting private sector industries,” Santiago stated in a written statement.
According to Santiago, these staff reductions jeopardize the health and lives of veterans in Puerto Rico, who already face challenges in accessing both physical and mental health services. She also noted that this measure will negatively impact the families of former military personnel who depend on these services.
“The Department of Defense has an annual budget of $887 billion for the fiscal year 2024-2025. Why not reduce spending on weapons and military equipment? Why not cut funding allocated for military recruitment? The answer is simple: the priority is not the military or veterans, but rather the continuation of a war agenda for geopolitical control by the United States and its allies,” Santiago added.
The organization is calling for an immediate halt to the layoffs at the Veterans Administration and is urging that, instead of reducing services, they be expanded and improved in quality to adequately serve the veteran community in Puerto Rico.
