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Pelosi meets veterans at SF VA facility for Purple Heart Day
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi honored veterans at the SF VA Medical Center Thursday. She says she will fight to preserve the VA system that has seen tens of thousands of job cuts under the Trump administration.
SAN FRANCISCO - Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with staff and veterans at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center to honor them on Thursday's Purple Heart Day.
"A day of action to improve the policies, improve the budget...to stop the privatization that the Republicans are advocating for," Rep. Pelosi said.
The Trump administration and its Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, are implementing plans to cut tens of thousands of jobs, and this week, revealed plans to end most union contracts.
San Francisco Army veteran John Carter Fisher says the VA services have been essential for his physical and mental healthcare.
"I'm so scared the veterans after me aren't going to get that because of Trump and DOGE," Fisher said.
Some veterans say they are seeing the impact already.
"The veterans are being cut short all over the place, cut services. Even in Eureka they're having a hard time keeping doctors," said Michael Pixley, a Eureka Navy veteran.
"I had trouble scheduling an appointment for a procedure because a doctor decided to leave the VA," said Stan Baker, a San Francisco Army veteran.
Baker said another veteran's surgery was canceled due to staffing shortages.
"The doctor came in and said they were going to have to cancel his surgery because they didn't have the staff," Baker said, adding that the doctor said staff were not allowed to stay on overtime.
Baker had a sticker on his jacket expressing his concerns.
"It says stop firing vets because many of the people who are being let go or being fired, not just in the VA but in the federal government, are veterans," Baker said.
Two Republican senators have introduced a bill calling for veterans to be allowed to get treatment at medical sites outside the VA system.
"Republicans are for privatizing as much of the federal government as possible, and actually getting as much of the services out of the government's hands because it's always run inefficiently," John Dennis, California Republicans Chair of Chairs, said.
Pelosi said she and other Democrats plan to fight to strengthen VA services, and retake the House during the mid-term elections to try and block the Trump administration's cuts.
"We will win the House. That has been my focus, to win the House," Pelosi said. "In three months, I'll be able to tell you how many seats we are going to win."
"We will have our A-team out there and we will make sure the public knows the difference between the two parties," Pelosi said.
"The Democrats have painted themselves into a corner," Dennis said. "If an issue is 80-20, they take the 20% side just because Trump takes the 80% side, and they're just out of step with the American people."