Trump’s Agenda Could Erase Hard-Won Gains for Veterans

The recent identification of 400 Iraq War veterans potentially exposed to chemical weapons has brought renewed attention to the critical role of the Veterans Exposure Team-Health Outcomes Military Exposures (VET-HOME) program. This initiative, launched under the PACT Act of 2022, offers specialized care for veterans suffering from military environmental exposures, providing essential telehealth evaluations and personalized care plans. That progress is now under threat. 

If the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) were privatized under policies proposed by former President Donald Trump, programs like VET-HOME could be dismantled, leaving veterans without the specialized care they need.

During Trump’s presidency, his administration’s push to expand private health care through the VA Mission Act sparked significant controversy. Trump framed the legislation as increasing “choice” for veterans, but many major veterans’ organizations saw it as a step toward privatization. They feared that expanding private care options would divert resources from VA facilities, undermining the quality of care that veterans rely on. This tension between the desire for more choices and the need to protect the integrity of the VA’s specialized services has only intensified over time.

The situation has been further complicated by the recent Supreme Court decision to dismantle “Chevron deference,” which allowed federal agencies like the VA to interpret ambiguous laws within their jurisdiction. The Chevron doctrine, established by the high court in 1984, empowered the VA to implement complex laws passed by Congress, ensuring that veterans received the support they needed. With its removal, every interpretation the VA makes is now open to judicial review, creating a legal quagmire that could delay or deny essential services to veterans.

This shift in the legal landscape poses a severe risk to the VA’s ability to function effectively. The VA must be able to adapt to new challenges and make quick decisions about how best to serve veterans. Without Chevron, the VA is vulnerable to an onslaught of legal challenges that could disrupt its operations and erode the quality of care it provides. This instability plays directly into the hands of private health care interests, which have long sought to privatize the VA and gain access to its substantial budget. 
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The potential privatization of the VA would have devastating consequences for veterans. The VA is specifically designed to address the unique health care needs of those who have served, including treatment for combat-related injuries, mental health support, and care for conditions like PTSD and toxic exposures. A privatized system would likely struggle to provide the same level of specialized care, leaving many veterans without access to the services they need.

Any privatization of the VA would fundamentally undermine the promise America has made to its veterans. The VA is more than just a health care provider; it is a community and a support system for those who have sacrificed for our nation. Privatizing the VA would not only dismantle this community but also place profits over the well-being of veterans. This is not just a policy issue — it is a moral one. We owe it to our veterans to ensure that they receive the best care possible, not just the care that is most profitable.

The PACT Act, which has expanded health care and benefits to millions of veterans, is a testament to what a well-funded and well-managed VA can achieve. Since the law’s passage, the VA has launched the largest outreach campaign in its history, resulting in over 740,000 veterans enrolling in VA health care — a 33 percent increase compared to previous periods. The VA has also received more than 4.4 million claims for disability compensation benefits over the past two fiscal years, driven by expanded eligibility for presumptive conditions under the PACT Act.
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The VA’s groundbreaking efforts to reach out to veterans through digital tools, a national advertising campaign, and thousands of community events have paid off. Trust in the VA has reached an all-time high of 80.2 percent, a significant increase from the 55 percent recorded in 2016. The VA’s commitment to bringing care to veterans, rather than making them come to the VA, has been a game-changer, improving access and reducing wait times.

However, all of this progress is now at risk. With the dismantling of Chevron deference, the VA’s ability to interpret and implement laws is under threat. If the VA loses its authority to make new rules, it could become entangled in endless legal battles, leaving veterans caught in the crossfire of privatization efforts and regulatory paralysis. This legal uncertainty threatens to undo the progress made under the PACT Act and could lead to a VA that is no longer able to meet the needs of the veterans it was created to serve.
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The future of the VA hangs in the balance. A second Trump administration, combined with the loss of Chevron deference, could cripple the VA’s ability to serve those who have sacrificed for our nation. We must protect the VA from privatization and ensure that it remains the cornerstone of care for those who have served. The stakes are too high to do otherwise. Our veterans deserve nothing less.

Michael Embrich is a veteran, former member of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs’ Advisory Committee on the Readjustment of Veterans, and former congressional staffer.