Hundreds rally outside Milwaukee VA to protest job cuts ordered by Trump administration and Musk

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- On Friday evening, March 7, several hundred people gathered outside the Milwaukee VA medical center to show support for veterans and VA workers that could be affected by federal cuts.

The Trump administration announced plans to slash the VA workforce by 15%.

People at Friday's rally said those cuts will make an already-difficult situation much worse.

The new VA secretary announced this week they will cut 70,000 to 80,000 positions because they say it will eliminate waste.

But the boots on the ground in Milwaukee say veteran care will be devastated.

Monica Luecking-David is an education nurse at the Milwaukee VA. She compared the cuts to being in battle, telling us, "If you're on the battlefield, and your commander takes away a third of your weapons and a third of your staff, and then tells you to reorganize, you can't do it."

Luecking-David said she and many of the veterans she cares for feel like they're being abandoned.

At the rally, hundreds of people turned out to oppose President Trump, Elon Musk, and their job cuts plan.

The Milwaukee Area Labor Council's president, Pam Fendt, said, "And veterans are going to suffer for it. And we're here to stand up and say 'no' to that as a community."

Several labor unions rallied in support of the housekeepers, food service workers, transportation professionals, therapists, custodians, facilities workers, and many more who help veterans receive care at the VA.

All of them feel essential, including carpenter Russell Schneider, who choked up as he told the crowd, "As the son of a veteran, I know how critical the VA is. It's personal for me."

This week, new VA Secretary Doug Collins said the cuts ordered by Trump and Musk would cut waste and inefficiency. In a video message, he said, "We'll be making major changes, so get used to it."

Collins said the money saved by the cuts would be redirected to better provide services.

But those inside the Milwaukee VA say those cuts will only add fuel to a fire they're already struggling to contain.

Luecking-David said, "It's a struggle. Nurses are tired, they're overworked, they're overwhelmed."

Moments before the rally kicked off, Governor Tony Evers announced Wisconsin is joining a lawsuit against the Trump administration to stop the firing of federal workers.

In addition to the labor side of the issue, many people are also concerned about how the quality of care could be impacted.

US Army Veteran Neil Efird told us, "I get super service. I can't imagine it could be any better."

Despite the staffing and funding challenges, Efird says he couldn't be happier with the care he receives.

His wife, Cynthia, said, "They're talking about 80,000 people out of the VA alone? And a quarter of those would be veterans? It's just disgusting, just disgusting."

Fellow Vietnam Veteran Russ Hibbard prefers the care at the VA. "I have Blue Cross-Blue Shield for my wife and I both. But I come here for my care. I'm coming here because I like it here."

Hibbard worked at the Milwaukee VA before retiring, and said the system is already strained.

"They're understaffed. They're underfunded by Congress. And that is it, period."

He added, "They have two full-body MRIs, and they have one partial-body MRI. Not a dozen like Froedtert has, or St. Joseph's, or any of the other hospitals like that."

VA Secretary Collins and other top brass promised the VA will still provide veterans and their families the care they need.

But many in the trenches worry people will be left behind.

Monica Luecking-David said, "The VA has been begging for resources to continue providing the best care anywhere." She added, "We warned them that veteran care would suffer without adequate staff."

The VA is conducting a department-wide assessment of operations. There's no word yet on how many people in Milwaukee could lose their jobs.

But about 4,500 people work there right now, and many of them are veterans themselves. Cutting 15% of that workforce equates to 675 people getting fired.