CASA GRANDE – Today, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) hosted a Veterans Town Hall in Casa Grande to hear directly from veterans in Congressional District 6 about the challenges they’re facing, from VA cuts to Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in American cities. This is Senator Gallego’s fourth Veterans Town Hall.
At the town hall, Senator Gallego spoke about the rise in fraud targeting veterans and encouraged attendees to work with their local Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) to help avoid scams. Representatives from the Arizona Attorney General’s Office were also available to provide attendees with resources. Earlier this year, Senator Gallego supported the Veterans Fraud Reimbursement Actto make it easier for veterans with disabilities to be made financially whole in the event they are defrauded of their benefits.
Senator Gallego also highlighted his work to reverse the Trump administration’s DOGE cuts to the VA earlier this year that resulted in fewer veterans’ services and undermined our nation’s commitments to its veterans.
“Since my time in the House of Representatives and on the VA committee, one thing we’ve always said is that we needed always to have more staff at the VA and we need to have more services because we have a growing population. […] This has been something that’s been a bipartisan issue until this year,” Senator Gallego said. “We get into this administration, and right away, there is a promise that they’re going to cut 75,000 VA employees. Now, bigger is not always better. We all understand that we don’t want bureaucracy. We don’t want bloat. But my issue is – and I am on the VA committee – is where did this number come from? […] There was never a report or plan or anything. They just said, we’re going to cut 75,000 people.”
After intense pushback from Senator Gallego, the VA announced that it would significantly scale back its planned cuts in July. Still, cuts to many veterans’ services provided by contractors will impact critical programs.
Senator Gallego also spoke about the Department of Defense’s new investigation into fellow Arizona Senator Mark Kelly for his participation in a video reminding members of the military they are under no obligation to comply with illegal orders.
“What they were saying was perfectly sane and in line. What we need to understand is not what it says about them. It’s what it says about Donald Trump that he thought what he was hearing was illegal. They’re just restating the Constitution of the United States and the oath that we all take. Why does he think that is such a threat?” said Senator Gallego. “The idea that any member of Congress – Senator or [in the] House of Representatives – should be able to be bullied by the executive, should scare us. It needs to be a clear separation of powers issue. […] You want your members of Congress to be independent of the presidency. If that’s always in the back of their minds, thinking that something’s coming down the pike, you’re never going to have someone that’s going to be able to step out.”
In response to a question on the Trump administration deploying the National Guard in U.S. cities, Gallego said: “I do think it’s illegal. I do think that we should not be using U.S. military for civil enforcement. […] You shouldn’t be using the military to answer all your questions or all your problems. […] They want to get a reaction from the civilians. […] They want the drama. They want Americans fighting each other on camera, so that way he could call up more and try to take more power. So I just tell people, like, don’t fall for it.”
“Most of us here served in the military. The military has a very certain role, and that role does not include civil law enforcement. That is and should always be done by local government.”
At the start of the town hall, Senator Gallego presented Marine Corps League VFW Post 1677 with a proclamation honoring the Marine Corps’ 250th anniversary and thanked Arizona’s Marine community for their continued service and leadership. This is the 5th birthday proclamation Senator Gallego has given to local Arizona Marine Corps posts this year.
11/24/25