I’m not a veteran. I haven’t worn the uniform.

But members of my family have—and II have immense respect for the types of sacrifices they’ve made, and the impact war had on them decades later.

So when I hear that the Trump administration is floating a plan that would slash the VA budget, gut critical services, and eliminate up to 80,000 jobs, I take that personally. Every American should.

This isn’t “draining the swamp.”
It’s abandoning the very people who signed up to protect this country.

You don’t have to look far to see what these cuts would mean:

• Fewer clinics. Fewer doctors. Longer wait times.

• Mental health services slashed. PTSD treatment delayed or eliminated.

• Veterans in crisis turned away or told to “come back later.”

These are the same veterans politicians love to use in speeches, parades, and flag-waving campaigns. But when it’s time to actually fight for their care? Suddenly the budget’s too tight. Suddenly they’re just a line item.

And what’s Darrell Issa doing about it?

Absolutely fucking nothing.

Issa’s been in office long enough to have done something—anything—for veterans in CA-48. Instead, he’s stood silently by while his political allies threaten to dismantle the one system specifically built to serve those who’ve served us.

Worse, he’s supported privatization schemes that would hand over veteran care to for-profit companies, putting shareholder profits over veterans’ health.

Let’s be clear: you can’t claim to support the troops while stabbing them in the back the second the cameras are off.

Mental health care isn’t a luxury. It’s a lifeline—especially for veterans who face astronomical rates of PTSD, depression, and suicide. Cutting these programs isn’t “tough budgeting.” It’s a betrayal.

If Darrell Issa won’t fight for the people who fought for us, then it’s time we fight for them by replacing him with someone who will.

You shouldn’t have to wear a uniform to know what loyalty means.

I may not be a veteran—but I know what a broken promise looks like.

And I won’t sit quietly while the lives of thousands of veterans are impacted.  They’ve been through enough.