Nearly 600 Canceled Contracts Included Those Helping Veterans Exposed to Burn Pits Access Health Care and Benefits
WASHINGTON DC - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined 16 Senate colleagues to demand the Trump administration reverse its cancellation of 585 contracts with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), including those that help veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxins access lifesaving health care.
This care is guaranteed under the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act (PACT Act), which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and has provided care and benefits to more than 1 million veterans in Oregon and nationwide.
In a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins, the senators wrote, “Carrying out such arbitrary cuts and contract cancellations under the excuse of eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse is exactly the form of cynical action that prioritizes talking points about wasteful government spending rather than helping the veterans who have honorably served the American people. Any actions to hamstring implementation of the PACT Act – which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support – betrays our veterans and fully disregards congressional intent.”
The lawmakers concluded, “Any actions to hamstring implementation of the PACT Act – which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support – betrays our veterans and fully disregards congressional intent. We ask that you take immediate action to protect and preserve all relevant programs, employees, and contractors in support of PACT Act implementation and ensure they remain unharmed by any further plans by you and DOGE.”
Contracts targeted for cancellation by the Trump administration help provide the necessary personnel and resources to conduct outreach to eligible veterans, screen applicants, and process claims. The senators demand that Trump reinstate all PACT Act contracts and commit to preserving all PACT Act-related programs in the future. Previously, they also denounced the administration’s proposed cuts to VA’s workforce, stressing the harm to veterans’ health care in Oregon.
In addition to Wyden and Merkley, the letter was led by Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and signed by Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Alex Padilla (D-CA).
El texto completo de la carta es aquí.
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