Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On The MAGA Republican Project 2025 Agenda Threatening Veterans’ Health Care

Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on Republicans’ efforts to undermine the VA and slash veterans’ health care as part of the radical policies outlined in Project 2025. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Right now, Long Island’s only VA Medical Center – the Northport VA – and many other VA medical centers across the country are being threatened by the MAGA Republican plan known as Project 2025.

It’s the only VA on Long Island, serving over 100,000 vets across Nassau and Suffolk counties. I know how good it is because my father, who passed away two years ago, got good treatment at the VA. He was a World War II vet. Long Island has so many veterans, so many people who served their country who are getting older now. They desperately need that Northport VA for their healthcare.

If Republicans take power, the Project 2025 plan is just itching to become law, and it would have a disastrous impact on the VA and create chaos for vets not just across Long Island – but across America, especially those now receiving health benefits that we fought so hard to win.

Project 2025 has a fancy website, it has a fancy book, it has a lot of glitter.

But this plan is far from gold – far from gold. It is a pile of corroded ideas that have never become law – because of how unpopular they are – including undermining the VA.

And deep in this plan is a mandate to defund the Northport VA on Long Island. The plan would also slash veterans’ benefits. It seems to repeal the PACT Act, which we just passed overwhelmingly, bipartisan, and said that our veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan who were exposed to burn pits and got cancers and other illnesses, could get help from the VA. This plan, this Project 2025, is so intent on slashing government programs for the very rich who represent this plan, so they can pay fewer taxes. It’s outrageous. Outrageous.

Now, when faced with questions on these proposals, MAGA Republicans are running away, claiming they don’t know anything.

MAGA Republicans even announced they fired the guy who authored all this drek. But sorry, you can fire all the people you want: these are the goals.

It was put together by lots of Donald Trump’s former employees, and as one of its leaders, somebody who wants to slash all kinds of government programs up and down the line because the very rich people that they seem to represent don’t want to pay any taxes. They don’t care about the rest of us. So, MAGA Republicans, again, they can fire anyone they want. We know the goals, they just revealed it. They were proud of Project 2025 until it was revealed that it had so many bad things in it.

So, I am here sounding the alarm on this little-known project for all the members of this chamber and pledging that, under my majority, the VA will not be depleted, veterans’ benefits will be protected, and the Senate floor will not consider programs and proposals that undo years of bipartisan progress on veterans’ affairs, health care, and on funding our hospitals.

The plan would revive the effort to shut down Long Island’s Northport VA. This is what Project 2025 says: “the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee lacked the political will to act on the White House’s nominations of commission members, and this ultimately led to termination of the AIR – the Asset and Infrastructure Review. The next Administration should seek out agile, creative, and politically acceptable operational solutions.”

Those here in this chamber know exactly what AIR was – a hard-right plan to defund the VA system.

We bipartisanly said no way – and we saved our VA hospitals.

Well, Project 2025 doesn’t want to just revive AIR – but implement it. Defund the VA hospitals – that’s what it says.

Look, over nine million veterans are enrolled in the VA health care system meaning that these proposed cuts and policy changes will affect a massive amount of people. But for Northport and the vets on Long Island, this would be the end of care as they know it.

They would have to travel to New York City for basic care, or more complex care. The waiting lines and the waiting lists -- veterans have to wait long enough for health care – would get even greater.

And as I said, it is over one hundred thousand vets – vets I’ve stood with, vets I launched a petition with. I will not – will not – let this VA close or be defunded.

So, for all of you here, look close. Which one of your critical VA hospitals does MAGA want to shutter?

Project 2025: a bunch of bad ideas that hurt working people, vets, and others who served this country.

MAGA fired the guy who ran it – but they are still intent on the plan. They are still intent on decimating and closing this great hospital.

Make no mistake about it.

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