Paris, France—The opinion piece below is by Anna Marie Mattson, granddaughter of a WWII veteran, Texas absentee voter, resident of France, Chair of the Democrats Abroad France Veterans and Military Families Caucus, and Co-Founder and current Steering Committee Member of the Democrats Abroad Global Veterans and Military Families Caucus.
President Donald Trump’s irrational firing of America’s top military officers and thousands of loyal federal employees must be condemned in the strongest terms possible. With no public explanation from the White House and no serious Executive Branch oversight by Congress, the only things we hear coming from the Administration are the “need” to “rid” the military and federal bureaucracy of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, and the “need” to make our Armed Forces “more lethal.” Needlessly firing experienced, qualified leaders for political reasons will harm our military readiness and make Americans less safe.
As someone who has never served a day in uniform, it’s not surprising that Donald Trump does not understand the benefits of having a diverse military and federal workforce. Still, it is surprising that thousands of veterans have been let go from many important federal government positions. It is outright despicable that the President of the United States would so carelessly ignore our nation’s diverse employees, such as those who assist with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care and those trying to prevent veterans’ suicidal behavior by staffing the critically-important Veterans Crisis Line. We’ve heard countless times from this chaotic Administration on how “there will be no cuts to veterans’ benefits or services.” It’s not rocket science to see that firing thousands of federal workers at the VA will inevitably lead to a worse situation affecting veterans.
Veterans, service members, and military-connected families need the United States government to address the real issues at hand: increased child care access, improved health care services such as women’s reproductive care, clean and modern military housing, and more. Contrary to M.A.G.A. claims, our nation is not less safe because of transgender persons serving in uniform, books on Black History Month on military installations’ library shelves, or persons of color holding flag officer ranks. To be clear, DEI is good for the VA, the Department of Defense, and America. It ensures that perspectives from all walks of life are represented at the bargaining table. I will not be distracted from Trump’s baseless claims, and the VMF Caucus will continue calling out each absurdity coming out of the White House.
U.S. citizens living abroad, both civilian and military, are highly encouraged to check their voter registration status and request their ballot for any upcoming elections in their home voting state in which they are eligible to vote.
The VMF Caucus, proudly consisting of veterans, military family members, and strong allies of veterans and military family causes, has approximately 1,300 members located in dozens of countries.
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