Rep. Sykes Lends Her Voice, Support to Cleveland VA Staff Protesting Mass Termination
More than 2,400 Employees have been Terminated by the Department of Veterans Affairs since February 13th
AKRON, OH — U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes (OH-13) issued the below statement following the protest outside the Cleveland VA Medical Center today:
“The Department of Veterans Affairs supports thousands of veterans in NE Ohio who served our country bravely. To turn our backs on our veterans by decimating the workforce that fulfills the promise of their care, after they protected us at home and abroad, is shameful.” said Rep. Sykes. “Whether they are surgeons, nurses, cafeteria workers, or security guards – each one of these employees, often veterans themselves, plays a critical role in providing health care to veterans and their cherished loved ones. It is not simply absurd that the Trump administration would, seemingly blindly, terminate thousands of employees from the VA – it is unconscionable. Without these workers, the VA cannot function properly, leaving an untold number of veterans with diminished care. This senseless purge needs to end. The services these workers provide to our communities is paramount.”
The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System provides health care services at 17 locations in northeast Ohio. Facilities include our Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center and 12 community-based outpatient clinics in Akron, Calcutta, Canton, Lorain, Mansfield, New Philadelphia, Parma, Ravenna, Sandusky, Warren, Willoughby, and Youngstown. It also operates five medical mobile units in the Cleveland area to provide care to Veterans who can’t easily visit one of our facilities. To learn more about the services each location offers, visit the VA Northeast Ohio health services page.