Our Duty to America’s Veterans
Our men and women in arms embody the ideals that founded our nation over 250 years ago. Freedom has been a steadfast commitment for generations of American veterans since the Revolutionary War.
This Veterans Day, we will remember the patriots who preceded them, as well as the over 18 million veterans who live among us. We honor the memory of every soldier, Marine, sailor, airman and Coast Guard member who served our nation by taking up arms when we needed them. The sacrifices of everyday American men and women from big and small communities, many before they were out of their teens, have earned unprecedented freedoms for our country and elevated us to the world’s bastion of liberty.
Originally called Armistice Day, Veterans Day marks the end of World War I, the “war to end all wars,” at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918.
We honor those who continue to serve. We honor those who come back to civilian life. We honor those who will carry the wounds of war for the rest of their lives. And to those who lost their lives in uniform, our words and actions can never express our appreciation for your sacrifice.
It is our duty to provide our veterans with a system that will heal their wounds and allow them to thrive. Veterans’ health care and benefits money should never be used for political objectives. VA health care must be world-class. We can never stop looking for ways to improve the services.
Our servicemen and women signed an oath to uphold and protect the Constitution and we must support and defend the rights given to our veterans.
Veterans face new risks under the 2025 tax-and-spending law. The measure imposes stricter work requirements for Medicaid and food stamps, potentially affecting millions of veterans who rely on those programs. Critics warn that many veterans — especially those with chronic health, mental health, or substance-use conditions — could lose coverage because of reporting burdens or limited exemptions.
The law cuts Medicaid spending by nearly $1 trillion over a decade, and the Congressional Budget Office projects 10 million more uninsured Americans by 2034. Democratic-led states and a few Republican legislatures have challenged the Medicaid rules in court.
At the same time, workforce reductions at the Department of Veterans Affairs have sparked concerns about longer wait times and reduced services. Critics say tens of thousands of VA employees, including medical staff, have departed, while the VA argues frontline care has not been affected and that most departures were voluntary.
Supporters counter that the law’s tax cuts benefit veteran-owned small businesses and note that the VA’s overall 2026 budget increased. That growth, however, is tied to mandatory benefits and toxic-exposure compensation programs.
Where we stand politically must not interfere with the welfare of our servicemembers. Every veteran in our nation’s history is a beneficiary of all, and we owe it to live up to the promises we’ve made to them.
