Senator Paul Honig, co-chair of the legislature’s Veterans’ and Military Affairs Committee, released the following statement Wednesday in response to estimates that President Donald Trump’s administration had fired nearly 6,000 military veterans from the federal government:
“It’s shocking to have to say this, but here goes: it is unacceptable that the Trump administration has fired thousands of military veterans from the federal government in the last several weeks,” Senator Honig, D-Harwinton, said. “These are men and women who put everything on the line for our country, and we owe them better than an abrupt termination of their careers. We owe them better than the fear and anxiety that comes with depleting the family savings just to put food on the table. We owe them better than unemployment benefits and a frantic search for a new job.
“As Senate chair of the state legislature’s Veterans’ and Military Affairs Committee, where we’ve been doing our best to improve the lives of Connecticut veterans, it is disheartening to watch the federal government casually inflict so much damage on a population to whom we owe so much. These firings are wrong and they should be reversed immediately.”
Senator Honig’s statement is a response to data released Tuesday by U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat who serves as ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, of Florida, which estimated that the Trump administration and billionaire Elon Musk had fired 5,857 veterans from a variety of federal agencies.
“Our veterans make significant sacrifices in service of our country, but those sacrifices do not seem to matter to President Trump and unchecked billionaire Elon Musk,” Congresswoman DeLauro said. “They are an essential part of our federal workforce, bringing their expertise to every single agency. Republicans are turning their back on them, allowing Musk to fire at least 6,000 veterans and leave them with no way to feed their families or keep a roof over their heads. This move should outrage anyone who respects our veterans and servicemembers and believes our promises to them should be upheld. We have repeatedly asked the Trump administration for additional information on the exact number of veterans they have fired and what they plan to do to support them. The American people deserve answers.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Hugh McQuaid | Hugh.McQuaid@cga.ct.gov