Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs plans to cut 800,000 jobs. It plans to cut 80,000. This article has been updated with the correct information. CityView apologizes for this error.
A lot is changing at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs under President Donald Trump. The president signed an executive order earlier this month to reform aspects of the department, including providing care for homeless veterans in Los Angeles and reducing wait times for VA appointments.
The VA also plans to cut 80,000 jobs and has already cut hundreds of professional service contracts, impacting fields such as information technologies, which has concerned VA workers and veterans across the country.
Veterans, advocates and policy experts are gathering at Studio 215 in downtown Fayetteville on May 20 at 5:30 p.m. to discuss the changes and how they impact veterans in North Carolina and across the country.
The event, titled “Voices for Veterans,” will feature two panels with question-and-answer sessions. The first is on cuts to the VA and other policy changes under the Trump administration and the effects on veterans and military families. The second is on current threats to U.S. democracy and how veterans play a role in preserving it.
The panels will include speakers like Grier Martin, chair of the North Carolina Veterans Affairs Commission and a retired soldier from the Army Reserves, and N.C. Rep. Eric Ager of Buncombe County. Members from Veterans for Responsible Leadership, a nonpartisan super PAC that supports political candidates in local, state and federal races, will also speak.
Voices for Veterans is hosted by Cardinal & Pine, a left-leaning North Carolina-based news organization that launched in 2020 to cover the state. It’s one of several newsrooms across the country operated by COURIER, a national left-wing media company.
Billy Ball, managing editor of Cardinal & Pine, told CityView that the event came out of conversations he and the newsroom’s reporters have had with veterans across the state.
“These cuts are hitting home,” Ball said. “We’ve talked to these veterans. They’re having their appointments scrambled, if at all. I’ve spoken with VA nurses and folks who are saying, ‘We’re like chickens with our heads cut off right now.’”
Cardinal & Pine wanted to bring together people concerned about veterans and the VA in a casual conversation so participants can voice their worries among peers, Ball said.
Those interested in attending the event can register on Cardinal & Pine’s website. Registration is free. A livestream will also be provided for those who cannot attend in person.
CityView Reporter Morgan Casey is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Morgan’s reporting focuses on health care issues in and around Cumberland County and can be supported through the News Foundation of Greater Fayetteville.
