KSNV: North Las Vegas VA hospital staff protest job cuts, fear impact on veteran care

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Employees at the VA Hospital in North Las Vegas are voicing concerns over recent job cuts by the Department of Veterans Affairs, which they fear could lead to a reduction in services for military patients.

This week, the VA dismissed more than 1,000 employees nationwide as part of an effort to eliminate waste, a move that has sparked protests from union members worried about the potential impact on veteran care.

Nevada Congresswoman Susie Lee joined the protest on Friday, expressing her frustration with the federal budget cuts. "Are you pissed off? I'm pissed off!" Lee said, warning that the job cuts at the VA are just the beginning. "They're coming after your Medicaid, they're coming after Medicare, they're coming after your social security," she added, criticizing what she described as illegal executive orders from the Trump Administration.

"The President cannot come in and cut appropriated funding. What this is doing is sowing chaos across the federal government," Lee said.

Veteran Robert Olson, who served more than 20 years in the United States Air Force, shared his concerns about the potential decline in care. "I do, that's my major concern," Olson said when asked if he worried about the quality of his care. "They say oh we're all for vets, yea in words, not actions. You discard veterans because you no longer need them. A lot of vets need that help."

Linda Ward-Smith, President of the American Federation of Government Employees and a registered nurse at the VA, emphasized the impact of the cuts. "We took an oath to serve and protect the people. To now have our government go against us, it's heartbreaking to my members," Ward-Smith said. She noted that the VA is already down thousands of positions nationwide and that the hiring freeze has made exceptions for doctors and nurses but not for those who process claims and benefits for veterans.

The cuts at the VA are part of a broader plan by the Trump Administration to reduce the overall federal workforce.

While some at the rally agree that eliminating waste is important, they question how and where these reductions are being implemented.