Shonah Hunter

Mill Hall

Veterans served our country and we need to serve them by assuring that the benefits they have earned continue to be available. Recently, 2,400 federal VA staff were fired, and on March 4, a leaked internal VA email stated that an additional 80,000+ VA federal employees will be eliminated in the coming months (APNews.com). Clinton County ranks number one in all 67 Pennsylvania counties for the percentage of VA claims filed and processed. Forty percent, or 1,027 of our veterans in the county have a disability rating with the VA. In 2024, $11 million in claims flowed into the county. Elimination of many VA employees may reduce veteran service, which may have serious impacts on our local veterans, and for those in surrounding, rural counties.

Nationwide, the Department of Veterans Affairs employs more than 486,000 people (PewResearch.org), mostly for the Veterans Health Administration — a major health care system with a network of hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes that provides care to over 9.1 million veterans. In Clinton County, 2,125 (83%) of county veterans use the VA Health Care services (CCVA report). Cuts to personnel serving in health care may impact service to our veterans, especially in this area where our veterans already travel to Altoona or Williamsport for care.

The personnel cuts in all Federal jobs also affect veterans the most, because 28% of the federal workforce are veterans (this does not include active-duty military). Although this may not impact our county directly, it is a concern that veterans are being impacted more than the general population. In spite of these concerns, this week Alina Habba, a White House adviser, said that military veterans affected by the layoffs of federal workers may not be “fit to have a job at this moment.”

Recently in Lock Haven, we held a peaceful rally in the newly-constructed and dedicated Veterans Park to bring attention to these concerns. It is important that we honor our veterans by continuing to provide the same, or an improved level of service in support of their health care and other benefits. If cuts are proposed, they need to be a result of thorough analysis and consideration of veterans’ needs and services, and not a chainsaw resulting in dire consequences to our veterans. We need to make our voices heard to our elected officials by contacting their offices and asking them to carefully consider how any cuts to VA personnel and veterans’ services will impact our local men and women, who have served our county with commitment and dignity. Waiting until after legislation is passed, or decisions are made, is too late. If cuts are proposed, we need to react and make our voices heard to prevent rollbacks to critical services.