01-03-2025
Crow reacts to Department of Veterans Affairs layoffs as new clinic opens
AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — Congressman Jason Crow was back in his district Friday, celebrating the newly opened Lieutenant Colonel John Mosley VA Clinic in Aurora.
The building is named after Colorado Sports Hall of Fame member and Tuskegee Airmen John Mosley. Mosley's son, Eric, was on hand to help celebrate the new building today and said his father would be honored to receive this recognition.
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'He perhaps is not more worthy than anybody else that served their country. But I think he is certainly an appropriate role model and I think he would have been pleased with this opportunity and this honor,' said Mosley.
The new building is getting off the ground as the VA confirms it is laying off probationary workers in the state. The newly opened facility is set to offer services for veterans in the area, saving them from making a trip to clinics in other parts of the state. Crow is hoping staffing will not be a challenge.
'My office has worked for years to get the funding, to get the authorization to open this really important clinic for the veterans of Colorado,' said Crow.
The congressman said the new VA clinic in Aurora is set to bridge a gap to the services veterans in that community need.
'It's going to allow them to get a variety of services: healthcare services, mental health services, radiology, nursing primary care, and not have to go all the way south to Colorado Springs or further north into the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Clinic,' Crow said.
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While the facility is ready to help veterans in the community, they need more staff to help run it.
'One of the biggest challenges in the VA system is staffing: making sure that we have the professionals, that we actually have the healthcare providers to actually meet the need. Right now, we don't have full staffing for this facility. That's actually a challenge for pretty much every VA facility across the country,' said Crow.
It could get more challenging. While the VA has not specifically said where and who is impacted by the recently announced layoffs, it did confirm a limited number of probationary staff in Colorado are being dismissed.
'Certainly we should not be looking at balancing the budget on the backs of our veterans and their families and I will resist any attempts to do so,' Crow said in response to the layoffs.
While Crow did not get into specifics about how the layoffs could impact this facility and others in Colorado, he made it clear: He doesn't find the firings acceptable.
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'There is a sacred promise that our country makes: that if you stand up and raise your right hand, we'll stand by you. That is a non-negotiable promise in my book,' Crow said.
Crow mentioned legislation he is working on in Congress that would help hire people faster but he said it's an effort he's worked on for several sessions now.
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