Brett Taylor
Appearances
The Journal.
Three Federal Workers Hit by DOGE
I was a social work associate with the Rocky Mountain VA.
The Journal.
Three Federal Workers Hit by DOGE
What'd you do? I only did three years. I only signed up for one contract. I did one year in Iraq, and I knew then that I wasn't going to do 20.
The Journal.
Three Federal Workers Hit by DOGE
almost every job i've had within the va has worked with helping veterans maintain housing while there's also a clinical component added to it like they may have substance abuse issues or they may there may be some mental health issues so not only we housing we're also assisting veterans with whatever uh other issues they may have
The Journal.
Three Federal Workers Hit by DOGE
The house needed to be special for him, like ramps, doors wide enough to get his wheelchair in. So they had to get housed in January. And it took us a while, but it happened.
The Journal.
Three Federal Workers Hit by DOGE
Well, some of them have barriers. Some of them are older. Some of them may have mental barriers like post-traumatic stress.
The Journal.
Three Federal Workers Hit by DOGE
I was like, there's no way America would allow something like this to happen. But I was wrong.
The Journal.
Three Federal Workers Hit by DOGE
I was in Florida on vacation with my parents and was in Lowe's getting something from my pops. And I got a call from my coworkers that they were terminated. So I went home and I checked my phone and I was terminated as well. Immediately?
The Journal.
Three Federal Workers Hit by DOGE
But because we rapidly house, like if I get rid of five, there might be five coming in. So within that month, I could see probably 30 or 40 veterans.
The Journal.
Three Federal Workers Hit by DOGE
Oh, of course. That's not a lie. That's not a lie at all. I'll say from my own experience, I've definitely dealt with people that knew because this was a federal job and it was a safety net that they can do and say and treat veterans any type of way.
The Journal.
Three Federal Workers Hit by DOGE
But I've also dealt with individuals that work for the VA that love, enjoy, and honor the fact that this is a duty to serve veterans and to serve America when it comes down to it.
The Journal.
Three Federal Workers Hit by DOGE
not only would the veterans be in crisis, but of course the workers would feel like they're in crisis too, because now you've doubled or tripled their workload.