TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — As the nation’s longest-ever government shutdown continues, veterans and their supporters are raising their voices over what they call damaging effects on critical services.
Dozens gathered Saturday outside the Southern Arizona VA Medical Center for what organizers called The People’s Deployment — a rally protesting the shutdown and recent federal budget cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“Right now, they’re trying to privatize it, and to boot, they had a layoff,” said Army veteran Henry Trejo. “And now they have a furlough with the government shutdown.”
Trejo said the shutdown’s ripple effects have already disrupted his care at the VA. “I had a couple of canceled appointments, late appointments, which never happened in the last three or four years,” he said.
The People’s Deployment is being led by Vets Forward, a Tucson-based advocacy group focused on protecting and expanding veterans’ benefits. Executive Director Ricardo Reyes said the shutdown and budget disputes are hurting both retired and active service members.
“These are programs that veterans rely on,” Reyes said. “These are programs that even active duty rely on.”
The protest drew local leaders as well, including Congresswoman-elect Adelita Grijalva, who voiced support for the veterans and pledged to push for stronger protections in Washington.
“That’s why I’m fighting every day to get sworn in and be this community’s voice in Congress,” Grijalva said. “I’m ready to fully fund the VA and expand access to healthcare, not cut it.”
The shutdown, now entering its fifth week, has furloughed hundreds of thousands of federal workers and disrupted services across multiple agencies. While the Department of Veterans Affairs remains partially funded, many veterans say the ripple effects — from delayed medical appointments to uncertainty about benefit payments — are causing growing anxiety.
Organizers said The People’s Deployment will continue through the weekend, with events scheduled Sunday in Sierra Vista and Monday in the Phoenix area.
“We’re not just standing up for ourselves,” Reyes said. “We’re standing up for every veteran who depends on these programs.”
——
Eddie Celaya is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born in Tucson and raised in the Phoenix area, Eddie is a life-long Arizonan and graduate of the University of Arizona who loves the desert and mountains and hates the cold. Previously, Eddie worked in print media at the Arizona Daily Star. Share your story ideas with Eddie at edward.celaya@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook or Instagram.
----
STAY IN TOUCH WITH US ANYTIME, ANYWHERE
