Family & Home
Wisconsin US Sen. Baldwin in Onalaska listening to veterans’ concerns over potential federal program cuts
What effects are budget cuts in Washington going to have on western Wisconsin residents, including specific groups such as veterans?
US Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) talked with vets and workers who serve them, during a roundtable discussion Friday at the Onalaska Legion hall.
Baldwin heard concerns about veterans being able to use government programs, where funding is at risk, as well as “the plans that have been announced to fire up to 83,000 additional employees at the VA, which will necessarily have major impacts on our veterans’ health, and their access to disability benefits,” she said.
The Senator added that those potential firings would follow the recent dismissal of 2,400 VA employees.
Representatives of veterans told Baldwin that there are fears of not knowing what will happen to those programs, and about whether some proposed changes are even legal.
Baldwin has serious concerns about the Trump administration plans for cutting government, including firing workers.
“DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency, was created allegedly to go after fraud waste, and abuse,” Baldwin said. “But what we’re seeing actually happen couldn’t be further from that goal, and it’s creating havoc, uncertainty, anxiety frankly, for those who don’t know how it’s going to impact them and their mental health, and their physical health.”
walden
May 9, 2025 at 7:41 pm
Shameful fear mongering by Baldwin. Fear of “potential cuts” in un-named programs. Brilliant journalism.
As for the reduction of 83,000 VA employees, the VA hired over 61,000 employees in 2023 alone (the last year figures are available). Doge is reversing the Biden bloat in the VA and other federal departments. News Flash: the U.S.A is broke.
Since no actual VA group was identified this was apparently a rando group willing to play for Baldwin.
Dh
May 10, 2025 at 6:42 am
I couldn’t agree more Walden. WIZM, will you report on the good that DOGE has done?
Libertarian guy
May 10, 2025 at 9:58 pm
Yep, more hand wringing over “cuts” that either will not happen or are not likely to have any impact. Notice all the qualifying words when local and national media take up the spending cut topic. You will see words like possible, potential, etc. This same fear mongering has happened with Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, and many other government programs when all the Trump Administration is trying to stop the waste fraud, and abuse that is bankrupting the country. Its seems these days that Democrats all support waste, fraud, and abuse.
BTW, Government budgets/spending increases and then when there are reductions in the increase, they call it a cut. Hopefully the same old playbook will not apply under this administration or financial collapse is imminent. It is certainly imminent if Democrats and RINO’s remain in power.