During Thursday's Democratic Steering and Policy Committee hearing, Rep. Robin Kelly asked Nurse Sharda Fornnarino what she would say to Donald Trump and Elon Musk regarding nursing and VA cuts.
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00:00I hate to break the chain of all the veterans, but I'm Robin Kelly from the 2nd District of Illinois, and I'm not a veteran, like everybody else you've heard from, but the Co-Chair of Steering and Policy, but have Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Army in the family. My cousins grew up in Newburgh, but they all went Navy for whatever reason.
00:20But anyway, James, what would your message be to other veterans fired from civil service or struggling to access case through the VA?
00:30Sure. I think, thank you. I would recommend that they use the local resources, the local networks, to make their voices heard. We built this VA over a lot of sweat and tears and sacrifice for many, many years, and we just can't allow it to be dismantled like that.
00:50And we talk about the veteran themselves, but you have to understand, when veterans are not getting their benefits and services, the family suffers, the caregiver suffers, the community suffers.
01:03Think of the community wealth loss if veterans are not getting their compensation for many, many years at a time. That has a profound effect on the community.
01:15So if the community has to stand up for the veterans themselves, because it's not just the veterans that are impacted.
01:20And it's such a good point that you raise. Sharda, as a worker who advocates for your fellow nurses, what would you say to Donald Trump and Elon Musk if they were listening?
01:29You don't have to say all the things you're thinking of.
01:34Keep it clean. You saw that look on my face, right? I'm from New York.
01:43I would tell them no matter what they do, we're not going to give up on the VA. We'll continue to organize and fight back against their attacks.
01:53You know, our nurses are really proud to work at the VA. We take care of so many different facets of patients, you know, somebody that gets chemotherapy, their traumatic brain injury to educating them for their treatment plans, stuff like that.
02:08So, I mean, we are, I feel very privileged to give back to my community. And so do all my fellow co-workers. I feel like I already know what their intentions are, right?
02:24They want to privatize the system without ever having to walk into the VA and really speak to these patients, these veterans that have served our country.
02:35I can tell you when they go to the private sector, they love coming back to the VA. You know, if I have to tell them, oh, I have to refer you out for certain care, they say, well, how long do I have to wait in the VA?
02:50I tell them and they want to, they're like, I'll stay. So, I mean, clearly we're doing something right. I would say, listen to us. We're the nurses on the front lines. You know, we're trained to provide direct care.
03:05to these vets and there's no better place for them. Thank you. Thank you so much, Sharda. Thank our witnesses, our guests.
03:13Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.