The Department of Veterans Affairs provides health care and support services to nearly 16 million veterans and their families. Beyond its medical services, the VA also partners in conducting research focused on veterans' health, resulting in breakthroughs that can benefit the wider population.
However, proposed budget cuts from the Department of Government Efficiency, initiated during President Donald Trump's first 100 days, could jeopardize these vital services.
Some veterans face lasting challenges from their military service, particularly those who served during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, where many returned with traumatic brain and spinal injuries. In response, the VA has launched extensive medical research aimed at treating those injuries.
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"They are looking into a whole bunch on brain health, including PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and neurodegenerative diseases," said Elizabeth Stout, who is with the National Association of Veterans Research and Education Foundations.
Their members work on medical research with the VA, and Stout said most people may not be aware of the breakthroughs that have come out of this federally funded research.
"After World War II, you had the pacemaker come out, and the first successful liver transplant occurred at the Denver VA in 1963. Researchers also contributed to the development of the nicotine patch and identified the GLP-1 receptor in the 1990s—now seen in products like Ozempic and Wegovy," she said.
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While these innovations were initially developed with veterans in mind, they have translated into breakthroughs benefiting all Americans.
Currently, though, DOGE, led by Elon Musk, is proposing layoffs that could impact more than 80,000 VA employees.
"We saw the firings at the VA crisis centers and the VA hotline, and I think that really woke a lot of veterans up to understand that this is a veterans issue facing our community," Will Attig, with the Union Veterans Council, told Scripps News in February.
The proposed cuts extend to research-related hiring freezes and funding reductions that could impact ongoing medical research. Stout said NAVREF estimated a potential loss of $35 million in funding for VA research.
"Research can't be turned on and off like a light switch," she said. When asked whether the nation owes it to veterans to maintain funding for this research, Stout replied, "Absolutely. They go out and protect our country at their cost, and when they come home, we should continue to take care of them and provide all the benefits they deserve."
The proposed cuts could not only hinder future research opportunities but also disrupt ongoing medical trials that involve veterans. According to DOGE's "Agency Efficiency" rankings, the VA ranks 19th among federal agencies.
