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Colin Moore is associate professor and director of the Matsunaga Institute at the University of Hawai‘i. An expert on veteran’s affairs, he is currently writing a book on the history of the VA health care system. He is a member of the Hawai‘i chapter of the national Scholars Strategy Network, which brings together scholars across the country to address public challenges and their policy implications.
To reach a suicide prevention hotline, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
Maine is home to over 91,000 veterans, accounting for 8 percent of the state’s adult population — one of the highest proportions in the country. For these veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is not just a healthcare provider but an institution uniquely equipped to meet their needs.
Unlike private hospitals, the VA specializes in treating service-related conditions, from combat injuries to toxic exposure illnesses, and provides critical long-term support. In Maine, that system is anchored by the Togus VA Medical Center, the nation’s oldest VA hospital, with clinics in Bangor, Lewiston, Portland, and other locations across the state, ensuring that veterans receive the care they earned.
That system is now at risk. The Trump administration has proposed cutting 80,000 VA jobs, which would amount to the largest workforce reduction in the agency’s history. These cuts will weaken an already overburdened system and force veterans to wait longer for care, travel farther for treatment, and, in many cases, go without essential services. The impact will be particularly severe in Maine, where many veterans live in rural areas with few alternatives for care.
Maine’s VA facilities are already struggling with staffing shortages. New patients seeking a primary care appointment at the Bangor clinic currently face an average wait time of 122 days. This comes despite recent efforts to improve access that led to an 11 percent decline in wait times last year for new patients seeking primary care. Further staff reductions will not only erase these gains but will leave even more veterans without access to timely medical care.
The consequences will be especially dire for Maine’s older veterans. More than 55 percent of the state’s veteran population is over 65, and many rely on the VA for geriatric care, home-based support services, and long-term nursing. The VA has long been a leader in aging-related research, studying conditions like dementia and end-of-life issues that disproportionately affect older veterans. These specialized services are difficult to replicate in private-sector hospitals, yet the proposed job cuts will make it even harder for elderly veterans in Maine to access the support they need, particularly in rural areas with few alternative providers.
The timing of these cuts could not be worse. The demand for VA healthcare is increasing, driven in part by the PACT Act, which expanded eligibility for veterans exposed to toxic substances during military service and their survivors. Over the past year, more than 400,000 new veterans have enrolled in the VA healthcare system, many seeking long-overdue care for conditions linked to Agent Orange, burn pits, and other hazardous chemicals. Cutting the VA’s workforce now will disrupt these programs and undermine progress when it is most needed.
Mental health services will be among the hardest hit. Suicide remains a crisis among veterans, with an average of 17.6 killing themselves every day. In Maine, 43 veterans committed suicide in 2022 alone. The VA’s Veterans Crisis Line, which handles more than 60,000 calls per month, has already struggled with staffing shortages. In the two years since its launch, this hotline has answered over 2 million crisis calls and texts. Cutting these services now, when suicide rates among veterans remain alarmingly high, is not just negligent — it is dangerous.
Beyond providing direct patient care, the VA has been a longstanding leader in medical research, making advancements that benefit both veterans and the broader public. VA researchers pioneered treatments for PTSD and traumatic brain injuries, led breakthroughs in prosthetic technology, and developed the first FDA-approved shingles vaccine. The proposed elimination of 350 VA research positions threatens to stall critical studies on cancer, pain management, and prosthetics, all fields in which the VA has made major contributions. Weakening the VA’s research capabilities will not only harm veterans but will also slow progress in medical science nationwide.
These cuts are not about efficiency. They are not about eliminating waste. The VA is already stretched thin, with 66,000 existing job vacancies in essential positions such as nurses, medical technicians, and mental health providers. Last year, 82 percent of VA facilities reported major nursing shortages. Instead of addressing these workforce gaps, the proposed cuts will deepen them, making it harder for veterans to access even basic services.
The VA was built on a simple commitment that those who served their country would receive the care they earned. These cuts break that promise. Reducing the VA’s workforce is not a cost-saving measure but a failure to uphold this nation’s obligations to its veterans. The consequences for Maine’s veterans will be immediate and severe.
