(This article appeared in the September/October 2025 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine)
In previous 2025 Home Front articles, we have attempted to warn APWU veterans about the dramatic consequences of the Project 2025 plan to privatize health care provided to veterans by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. So, at the APWU Human Relations Educational Assembly in Houston, TX in June, APWU Veterans Rights, Benefits and Information Specialist (VGRIS) Bob La Foe introduced a strategic plan for our APWU veteran leaders to motivate, organize, and fight back against attacks on veterans. We think it’s time for APWU veterans nationwide to stand up to how the Trump administration and Project 2025 are systematically destroying our health care benefits, veterans’ five and ten-point preference to federal government agency jobs, and our family survivor benefits.
It’s time to stop blinking at the walls. The Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act goes into effect Sept. 30, which is the end of fiscal year 2025, and the beginning of phase two of Trump’s MISSION Act, which became the law for veteran health care in 2018, during Trump’s first term in office. Phase two is the Project 2025 MISSION Act on steroids, basically meaning more privatizing of veteran health care. This same privatization plan has already destroyed much of our health care. So, the question remains, how does eliminating over 200,000 trained and experienced federal government jobs at the VA, and replacing them with health care systems run by artificial intelligence, and private for-profit health care providers, improve our health care experience through the VA? The correct answer is, it doesn’t. Since the MISSION Act became law, wait times for veterans to enroll and get approval to see a VA or community care doctor have taken months instead of hours or days.
How in the world is that improving veteran health care if the veteran has to wait months to see a doctor? How has the failed, privatized Veterans Crisis Line improved the emergency health care experience, especially if the daily suicide rate among veterans continues to go up instead of down? And why are we telling veterans to dial 911 if they are thinking about committing suicide? There will never be an improvement in preventing veteran suicides unless the VA returns to a fully staffed Suicide Emergency Unit at every VA nationwide. This is what more than 30,000 APWU veterans must deal with regarding VA healthcare and benefits. We need a strategic, organized plan to fight back!
Our APWU veterans are under attack. Postal Service Veterans’ Preference jobs, VA privatization, and our health benefits are being reduced or eliminated. Many leaders of federal government agencies, including the newly appointed postmaster general’s management team, will attempt to downplay the harm. Our APWU veteran leaders, along with Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) nationwide, need accurate information to separate truth and facts from lies and fiction. The AFL-CIO Union Veterans’ Council and the APWU are partners in protecting the rights and benefits of our veteran members by continuing to provide real-time, truthful updates and information. On that note, we extend a special “thank you” to former UVC Director William Attig for his eight years of dedicated service. If you are a veteran, join in our fight by signing up to our email list at apwu.org/veteran-network. ■
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