The Biden administration is under scrutiny for prioritizing medical care for noncitizens and illegal immigrants at the expense of service members and veterans. Inadequate care, restricted access to medical treatments, a complex filing process, and lengthy wait times are fueling the ongoing veteran suicide crisis. These issues impact military readiness and recruitment, evident in the collapse of recruiting numbers over the last four years in America’s military branches.
Senate Veterans Affairs Committee member Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost, R-Ill., have raised concerns about redirecting resources from wounded warriors and veterans to noncitizens.
Since 2021, over 7 million illegal aliens have been encountered at America’s borders, both at official ports of entry and between them. This overwhelming volume has strained federal agencies, requiring resources from other agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs to help cover costs and/or workload.
VA Deputy Assistant Secretary Terrence Hayes claimed, “At no time are any VA health care professionals or VA funds used for this purpose.” While this statement may be true, Hayes carefully chose his words to sidestep the question by specifically mentioning health care professionals. While the administration denies diverting funds directly from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the reality is VA administrative personnel are being diverted to process noncitizen claims and ensuring payments for noncitizen care instead of addressing long-standing problems that lower the quality of care for veterans.
Despite improving wait times and mental health care access, veterans still wait almost three weeks to see a medical professional. This shortage affects VA processing times and appointment availability. Over 300,000 claims are backlogged, and more than 950,000 claims are pending for service members and veterans awaiting their final benefits package.
Following the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, the Biden administration directed the Department of Homeland Security to coordinate efforts across the federal government and redirect resources to support vulnerable Afghans under Operation Allies Welcome. These policy changes come when veteran care facilities like Walter Reed National Military Medical Center are understaffed and overburdened.
As part of this directive, a medical ward and staff at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center were reallocated to treat Afghan nationals evacuated to the United States. Service members were moved to other areas throughout the hospital for recovery. While no wounded warrior went without care, our nation’s heroes are being pushed aside to prioritize individuals from other countries.
For over 20 years, the veteran community has faced a suicide epidemic due to an inadequate understanding of post-traumatic stress disorder, a lack of access to mental health care, and limited resources—with no signs of improvement. From 2001 to 2021, the United States lost 133,857 veterans to suicide, with no year reporting fewer than 6,000 successful attempts. Veterans are 1.6 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population, making it the second leading cause of death among veterans under 45.
But this is only half the story, as an additional 20 veterans die every day from non-suicidal self-inflicted injuries—with the most commonly reported being overdose deaths. Factoring in these self-inflicted deaths over the same period reveals the true scale of the VA’s failures in addressing suicide within the veteran community.
Moreover, failing to fulfill our nation’s promises reduces the likelihood that people will choose a military career and that service members and veterans will recommend military service to others, making this a national security issue affecting U.S. military readiness and recruitment.
Today’s Army recruits, over 80% coming from military families, see a direct link between the government’s failure to follow through for veterans and its impact on their own families. Benefits rank as the second-highest reason for joining the service (26%). Since 2014, the Army has not met its recruitment goals. In fiscal year 2023, the military services collectively missed recruiting goals by approximately 41,000 recruits, despite lowering those goals as well as their recruitment standards.
Bureaucracy, understaffing, and poor accountability at the VA already meant fewer veterans received necessary care. Now, add the fact that we are prioritizing the health care of noncitizens over them, and we are leaving our nation’s heroes unsupported. Sadly, in many cases, these individuals resort to suicide.
If resources are diverted from veterans under the Biden administration, Congress must reaffirm its commitment to supporting veterans by supporting the “No VA Resources for Illegal Aliens Act” and exercising its power of the purse. Anything less would fail those who bravely served our nation. Without accountability on this issue, veterans will continue to take their own lives, military families will opt out of service, and the all-volunteer force will be at risk of disintegration—along with our national security.
