With the 2024 presidential election drawing near, veterans are scrutinizing how each candidate intends to deal with the issues regarding VA benefits and services. Former President Donald Trump is running for office again, but he has made proposals closely linked to Project 2025 that have caused an uproar in the veteran community. On the other hand, Vice President Kamala Harris has a distinct blueprint for veterans’ needs, promising to grow and secure pivotal allowances. Below is a comparison between both candidates’ standings on veterans’ allowances and service delivery.
Federal Workforce Cuts and Impact on Veterans
Project 2025, a conservative initiative aimed at radically transforming the federal government, is one of the central elements of Trump’s proposed policies. The plan includes cutting the federal workforce by 50% in the first year and 75% over four years. This raises alarm bells for veterans, as they constitute approximately 30% of federal employees, with 300,000 veterans currently working for the government.
Many of these veterans are employed in agencies targeted for cuts or complete disbandment, including the Department of Education and the Department of Homeland Security. They provide critical financial security to veterans and a sense of purpose after their military service. Cutting these positions will likely have the most profound adverse effect on veterans, as it may lead to a significant loss of income for those who depend on such federal roles.
On the other hand, Harris’ plan aims to protect veterans working within the federal government through retention of the existing workforce as well as supporting programs. Her proposals, therefore, are focused on increasing job opportunities for them instead of reducing them; she prioritizes initiatives that ease the transition from military to civilian life.
Privatization of Veterans’ Health Care
Trump’s pushing for more “healthcare choices” for veterans is another point of contention. There are many veterans’ organizations that contend that this is a thinly veiled attempt at privatizing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), even though it sounds nice. As such, privatization could result in a shortage of staff as well as limited access to vital services because private providers may lack the knowledge required to meet the unique needs of veterans.
In Trump’s first term, nearly 2600 VA employees were fired, predominantly lower-level employees, stressing an already underfunded system. This was met with strong opposition from Veterans Service Organizations, who argued that privatization would weaken VA’s capacity to provide comprehensive specialized care.
On the contrary, she has pledged to strengthen the VA by increasing funding, hiring more staff, and expanding access to care during her terms as Vice President. Her emphasis remains on ensuring quality, timely care from VA professionals who understand their specific requirements for veterans.
Changes to VA Disability Benefits
Project 2025 brings about several revisions regarding VA disability benefits, some of which may not be good for veterans. Among the proposals are: scrapping of simultaneous eligibility for disability and retirement benefits; restricting the scope of disability coverage; and halting enrollment in low-priority healthcare services. The aim is to save billions, but it will leave ex-servicemen without essential assistance.
Project 2025 is also critical of key laws such as the 1991 Agent Orange Act as well as the 2022 PACT Act. Both of these laws have been pivotal in providing treatment for veterans who were once exposed to toxic substances throughout their military service periods. Loss of such financial lifelines could have a catastrophic effect on veterans who depend on them for healthcare and financial consistency.
However, Harris’ platform advocates for the preservation and extension of VA disability benefits. She has stood with the PACT Act and other important laws that ensure compensation to veterans for injuries or illnesses sustained in the line of duty.
Promises and Skepticism
While Trump has pledged to redirect money from other programs like undocumented immigrants’ housing benefits towards supporting veterans, there is skepticism on whether these promises would translate into meaningful improvements for veterans. His first term recorded little progress in addressing the continuing staff shortages and inefficiencies at the VA.
In contrast, veterans’ care is one of the key pillars of Harris’ campaign. She promises to hold VA employees accountable while providing the necessary resources to deliver on those commitments.
As veterans brace themselves to vote in 2024, it would be pivotal that they take note of the stark differences between Trump’s and Harris’ proposals for VA benefits.
