Dear Veterans,
Happy Veterans Day. Thank you for your service to our nation.
Like you, I had the privilege and courage to serve my country. I enlisted in the Army in January 2017 as a PFC (E-3). I served as a 35(P)—Cryptologic Linguist—and was assigned to Modern Standard Arabic. I deployed in 2020 and I transitioned off of active-duty status on May 16, 2022, as a Sergeant, after five years and four months. The single greatest thing I learned in the Army is how to accept people for who they are, or who they’re striving to be. The army taught me to work with people from all pasts, backgrounds, and experiences. We are all on the same team—Team U.S.A.
Like you, I took an oath, “I, Mitchell Jacob, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” When I took this oath, I meant it. And my oath carries no expiration date. The Oath of Enlistment dates back to 1775 and has seen many different versions. Each version sustained an underlying message—American soldiers take an oath to serve the United States of America. Not a singular person. Not a king. Not a president. Not the party in power. Each version has sharpened over time. Each shows us that Constitutional loyalty has always come first—the United States has always come first.
Under the current administration, we have witnessed a significant increase in the use of military force—we see fellow service members who are being ordered to patrol the streets of America’s cities. Trump states, “My focus is on building the most powerful military of the future.” But the purpose of the military is to deter foreign enemies and is not for deployments into the streets of our own nation. Trump claims to be rebuilding the military. And that seems to be true. He is shaping the military into his own political pawn.
The Trump Administration and the Republican-led Congress—with Tom Cole chairing the Appropriations Committee—are working to dismantle crucial infrastructure and services for Veterans in a quest to privatize the VA. This administration and Republicans in Congress have forgotten that veterans are real people—not just numbers and expenses on a spreadsheet. VA Secretary Doug Collins says the VA is focused on “saving money.” Is it really saving money to downsize the VA to pre-COVID levels? These Veterans have served their country, risked their lives, and are entitled to exceptional care. Instead, this administration is trying to privatize services and cut costs. To be clear, I do not support the privatization of the VA.
Problems began earlier this year when the so-called Department of Government Efficiency ordered the firing of 83,000 employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs. This reversed the VA’s push to expand capacity and effectively implement the PACT ACT. Passed in 2022, the PACT ACT expanded health care for Veterans exposed to toxic substances during their service. The PACT ACT’s passage expanded health care coverage to about 740,000 Veterans who did not previously qualify.
Tom Cole voted for the PACT ACT and then did an about-face. Tom Cole has tacitly endorsed Trump’s desire to fire federal employees who are not politically aligned with the president. This serves the president and does not represent the People of Oklahoma’s Fourth District, nor the People of the United States.
Luckily, despite Cole’s support of DOGE, its massive brain-drain, and its quest to rid the federal government of expertise and crucial social safety nets, the Department of Veterans Affairs rolled back its layoffs. In July, after “sustained public and political pressure,” VA finally came to its senses and backed off from its original plan. Instead, the VA pledged to fire 30,000 civil servants. Tellingly, 25% of the affected employees are themselves Veterans.
As this PBS article highlights, cuts to the VA—cuts Cole voted for—mean cuts to Veterans’ health care. It means cuts to literal lifelines such as the Veterans Crisis Line. It means cuts to biomedical research on PTSD and other service-related conditions, which disproportionately affect Veterans. The VA was, until now, a worldwide leader in research into Veterans' issues. But funding has been slashed, and scientists are losing grants. Losing research will stop the improvement in care and well-being of Veterans from advancing. We might not notice the effects of these changes for months or years, but they are coming. Our leaders are not representing the People—they serve a President determined to dismantle everything we hold dear.
Now, you decide. Do you want a Representative who will truly stand up for Veterans? Someone who will put America first? Perhaps it is time a Veteran represents Oklahoma’s Fourth District. I want to remind you of something critically important: you have a voice in who represents you in Washington, D.C. A choice in who will advocate for Veterans. A voice for those who represent the People of Oklahoma.
