As adviser to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) on veterans issues, Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) told The Floridian in a recent interview that there is a clear difference in the priority by which veterans are treated between the Trump Administration and the Biden-Harris Administration, slamming the latter for "doing everything they possibly can to eliminate community care."
"I will tell you this: I do not think it is as much of a priority as it was under the Trump Administration. I think that Trump prioritized veterans, my top priority, and I feel that he loves his veterans and the military retirees as well. My concern right now, my immediate concern, is that this administration is doing everything they possibly can to eliminate community care," said Rep. Bilirakis.
For example, the Florida Congressman explained, "If a veteran needs to go for mental health, whether it is a substance abuse residential treatment center or for mental health, what have you, the [Department of Veterans Affairs] strongly encourages them to go to VA residential treatment wherever it is in the state, as opposed to let's say Miami, where there is a resident of Miami, a veteran, who needs the treatment. And this is true; there are a lot of residential treatment locales all over Miami, some really good ones that have great reputations. Well, the Democrats in this administration say if there is a veterans' residential treatment program in a different part of the state, say Tallahassee, you have to go there. That is wrong."
Rep. Bilirakis emphasized that "veterans should have the best treatment possible, whether it is in the VA, and they should have the choice."
"And we fought for many years to give veterans a choice. They should be able to go to the primary care physician of their choice. So I am really concerned about that because we fought for many years to give them that opportunity to have the care in the community," Bilirakis continued.
The conversation shifted to the flying of the transgender pride flag outside the Miami VA facility, which Bilirakis said he was "not happy with that at all" and suggested other veterans would not agree with it either.
