California lawmakers and veteran groups warn federal staffing, benefit cuts would disrupt care and housing

SACRAMENTO — At an informational hearing of the Assembly Committee on Military and Veteran Affairs, military leaders, state officials and veterans service organizations warned that recent and proposed federal staffing and benefit cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs and other programs threaten veterans’ access to health care, benefits, housing and legal assistance.

“These men and women have risked their lives to keep us safe, and now the benefits they’re owed are being stripped away,” Assemblymember Schiavo, chair of the Assembly Committee on Military and Veteran Affairs, said in opening remarks. She and witnesses emphasized the potential local impact if federal staffing reductions and budget cuts proceed.

The hearing brought together the Adjutant General of the California Military Department, the state’s deputy secretary for veteran services, county veteran service officers, legal advocates and nonprofit providers. Testimony described on-the-ground consequences: longer waits for VA claims and appointments, potential layoffs at county veteran service offices (CVSOs), fewer legal advocates to help veterans secure benefits, and added pressure on community programs that place veterans in housing and deliver mental-health services.

Why it matters: Witnesses said disruptions at the VA and other federal agencies would reverberate through California’s network of county and nonprofit providers. Roberto Herrera, deputy secretary of veteran services at the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet), told the committee that CalVet and the CVSOs are already handling record claim volumes and rely on federal dollars and partnerships to connect veterans to benefits and care.

Major General Matthew Beavers, the Adjutant General leading the California Military Department, told the committee the…