Re-Opening the Government Shows Respect for Veterans

Washington, D.C.—Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) issued the following statement from Secretary Robert Wilkie, former Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Co-Chair of American Security at AFPI, regarding the ongoing government shutdown:

“Every day the government stays shut down, veterans are left waiting. Men and women who served our country may not get the healthcare, mental health support, or suicide prevention resources they’ve earned and that we owe them. Homeless veterans could face delays in housing and rental assistance, and disability benefit claims could be stuck in limbo. These are real people, real families, who sacrificed for all of us—and right now, the system they rely on is not serving them. Re-opening the government isn’t politics; it’s basic respect to those who served.”