In a concerted effort to connect with veterans in Congressional District 6, Senator Ruben Gallego led a Veterans Town Hall in Casa Grande, focusing on the myriad issues confronting veterans today. Gallego's town hall, the fourth of its kind, drew attention to the challenges from VA cutbacks to the controversial deployment of the National Guard in U.S. cities during Trump's term, according to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.
At the gathering, Gallego underscored the uptick in fraud targeting veterans and urged those present to seek assistance from their local Veteran Service Organizations in order to dodge scams. In this discussion, representatives from the Arizona Attorney General’s Office were on hand, offering resources and aid to the attendees. Earlier in the year, backing the Veterans Fraud Reimbursement Act, Senator Gallego advocated for measures that would safeguard the financial interests of defrauded veterans, especially those with disabilities.
Gallego didn't hold back on his criticism of the VA cuts proposed during the Trump era, which threatened to slash the workforce by 75,000. As obtained by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office press release, Gallego said, "There was never a report or plan or anything. They just said, we’re going to cut 75,000 people." He attributed the rollback of VA cuts in July to concerted pushback but noted that cuts to veteran services still loom.
The town hall also delved into a new investigation of fellow Arizona Senator Mark Kelly by the Department of Defense concerning his participation in a video briefing military members on their rights regarding illegal orders. "What they were saying was perfectly sane and in line. What we need to understand is not what it says about them. It’s what it says about Donald Trump that he thought what he was hearing was illegal," told Gallego to the attendees, as reported by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office website. Gallego emphasized the importance of maintaining a clear separation of powers within the government.
Regarding the deployment of the National Guard, Gallego strongly voiced his opposition, suggesting the action may be illegal and not within the military's proper role. "You shouldn’t be using the military to answer all your questions or all your problems," Gallego expressed according to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office website, advocating for civil law enforcement to be handled by local governments as opposed to the military.
To kick off the town hall, Gallego presented a proclamation to Marine Corps League VFW Post 1677, marking the Marine Corps' 250th anniversary, and acknowledged the Marine community in Arizona for their continued service. This proclamation was the fifth Gallego has presented to local Marine Corps posts throughout the year, as per the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.
