Nearly 100 workers gathered outside the Brooklyn VA Medical Center last week to demand fair treatment and stronger labor protections, protesting what they called an attack on veterans’ services and the federal workforce by the Trump administration.
Members of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Locals 862 and 1667 lined the sidewalk with picket signs, denouncing the Trump administration’s plan to eliminate 80,000 positions at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Addressing the crowd at the March 26 rally, Everett Kelley, national president of AFGE, condemned the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts spearheaded by Elon Musk.
“We gather here at Brooklyn VA Medical Center not just as individuals but as a united front against the relentless attack on our veterans and the dedicated workers who serve them,” Kelley said.
Kelley criticized the DOGE initiative, accusing it of prioritizing efficiency at the cost of care.
“They say it stands for the Department of Government Efficiency. I say it stands for the Department of Government Evil,” he said. “This is not about efficiency, this is evil.”
Eric Bunn Sr., AFGE’s national secretary-treasurer, said the layoffs — expected to take effect by August — are part of a broader effort to dismantle public services.
“These attacks on VA aren’t random, they’re part of a broader assault on public services, services you earned and you paid for,” Bunn said. “You paid for the benefits with your blood, sweat and sacrifice. You paid for Social Security and Medicare with every paycheck, now they want to snatch it away from you and hand it over to their rich friends.”
“When veterans are forced to wait for longer lines, that’s betrayal,” Bunn added. “When veteran employees are shown the door, that’s a disgrace. When billionaires profit off of broken promises, that’s a national shame.”
Established in 1952, the Brooklyn VA has a long history of providing critical healthcare services to veterans. In 2022, the facility — a part of the larger Veterans Affairs New York Harbor Healthcare System — was saved from potential closure after sustained advocacy from veterans’ groups, lawmakers and the community.
Dr. Kendrick Roberson, AFGE’s national vice president, highlighted the VA’s essential role in medical care and innovation, noting that 70 % of U.S. medical doctors have trained at VA facilities. Roberson also pointed out that the VA pioneered healthcare advancements such as the first nicotine patch and research on the shingles vaccine.
“There is no other entity that has the ability, the network or the care team to provide the wraparound services that the VA provides, and yet this Trump administration is attempting to dismantle the VA and other federal agencies from the inside,” Roberson said. “It is going to take people power to protect this nation from billionaires and oligarchs who seek to destroy our government and undermine our care for veterans.”
The Trump administration maintains that the cuts are necessary to streamline operations and restore 2019 staffing levels, with VA Secretary Doug Collins vowing that veterans’ health care and benefits will not be affected.
However, critics, including Democratic lawmakers and veterans’ groups like those at Wednesday’s rally, warn that the reductions will lead to longer wait times, reduced access to care, and a breakdown in services for millions of veterans.
In a statement to Brooklyn Paper, VA Press Secretary Pete Kasperowicz said that would not be the case.
“VA will run through a deliberative process and find ways to improve care and benefits for veterans without cutting care and benefits for veterans,” Kasperowicz said. “We’re not talking about reducing medical staff or claims processors, we’re talking about reducing bureaucracy and inefficiencies that are getting in the way of customer convenience and service to veterans.”
In additional, Kasperowicz said “all VA mission-critical positions are exempt from cuts, and hiring continues for more than 300,000 essential positions.”
In the meantime, organizers of the March 26 showing urged attendees to stay united.
“Keep fighting Brooklyn, don’t give up,” Kelley urged the crowd.
Update (April 1, 9:50 a.m.): This story has been updated to include additional comment from VA Press Secretary Pete Kasperowicz.
