Veterans and allies gather in Poplar Bluff to protest federal job cuts threatening vital services

Around 70 people from Missouri and beyond gathered near the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center over the weekend to voice their support for VA employees and federal programs in the face of sweeping cuts.

“I’m thrilled. It’s wonderful, they came from all over,” said Jean Cross, leader of the Butler County Democrats Central Committee. The event was planned within a couple weeks, mostly through social media.

Another organizer, American Federal Government Employees Union 2338 President Kevin Ellis, was also pleased.

“I am enthused about the turnout. I enjoy most of all you have young people, old people, men, women, different races, and I’m very proud of that,” he said. “That means people are paying attention.”

The rally’s purpose

Protesters set up in the Mansion Mall parking lot, across the street from the VA, and remained from noon to 1:30 p.m. Chants, conversations and turns at the mic were punctuated by honks from passing traffic. When asked, many named towns outside Poplar Bluff and even outside the state. For example, Murphysboro, Illinois, veteran Tom Elliott, who said his family had a tradition of military service and he believed President Donald Trump and Elon Musk were unqualified to touch veteran health care or VA policy.

“They (veterans) fought for us, the deserve everything they get,” he told the crowd when the microphone was opened to individuals.

Attendee Taylor Fuller of Doniphan said the protest made her feel less alone in fears about the future.

“They give me hope, because I was at a point when I felt all was lost, and then I see other people who feel the same way,” she said.

Cross and Ellis also touched on unity as a key reason to protest, though Poplar Bluff is far from Washington, D.C. or Jefferson City. Cross called for cooperation and goodwill from both sides of the political spectrum to solve the current situation, and hoped the rally would raise people’s awareness.

“There are so many people who have no clue because mainstream media is not representing what’s happening, and people aren’t getting a clear picture,” she said, specifying conservative-leaning Fox News.

Ellis hoped people would see “we have more in common than we do apart” regardless of background or political affiliation. The Poplar Bluff demonstration coincided with others in St. Louis and Leavenworth, Kansas.

“Everything has to work its way up from the ground. If it’s going to change, it has to begin from the ground up,” he said.

What’s going on?

The Associated Press obtained an internal memo from the Department of Veterans Affairs last Wednesday, stating it planned to cut 83,000 jobs at the behest of the Department of Government Efficiency, headed by Musk.

Jamie Rowen, an associate professor of legal studies and political science at the University of Massachusetts — Amherst identified in an article for The Conversation areas of particular impact from the job cuts: decreasing the federal workforce, including many veterans; lowering the speed and quality of VA health care; destaffing the Veteran’s Crisis Line; and threats to other safety net programs.

Speakers at Saturday’s rally had similar concerns, as well as the impacts to education, farmers, national park lands, and the LGBTQ+ community in and outside the military.

Impact on veterans

Rowen’s research agreed, adding, “One estimate is that of the 38,000 federal employees fired in the first five weeks of the Trump administration, 6,000 are veterans.” The information was calculated by House Democrats.

Beyond direct job loss for veterans, she noted, from a Department of Veterans Affairs report in June 2024, “Cuts to the federal workforce are also affecting medical care for veterans. The Veterans Health Administration workforce constitutes 90% of the VA’s 482,000 workers, so cuts to VA workers mean cuts to health care.”

Many attendees identified themselves as veterans, or carried AFGE signs. In response to the Daily American Republic live stream, one nurse at John J. Pershing shared: “We’ve done more with less for a lot of years, now they’re asking us to do the impossible.”

Another medical professional, whose profile identified her as a practical nursing instructor at Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center, spoke against claims that the firing only targeted ancillary staff: “You have no idea how the duties many of the ancillary personnel perform that now the direct patient care providers will have to perform, adding to their already busy schedule. Not to mention the hiring freeze in place. People just don’t look at the whole picture anymore.”

Connected to short staffing and care quality are concerns about veterans’ mental health. Sara Cope, a Butler County Democrats member, was a religious affairs specialist during her six years serving in the Army Reserve. She recalled she interacted with many suicidal service members.

“The smallest stressors can set people off… I cannot imagine what losing access to veteran care and benefits might do to that. We already have an epidemic of veteran suicide,” she said.

Pride of the Heartland President Noah Burns added that LGBTQ+ service members are facing a particularly stressful environment since the election, especially after the Trump administration’s January ban on transgender troops.

“I have a lot of friends serving since 2017, and they are having to leave and get separated because of all this,” Burns said, adding, “The community, they fought for this country, they stood up. They’re here, willing to work for people who hate and would rather see them dead, but they’re still willing to give back.”

‘What holds society together’

Tammy Harty of Ripley County is a former journalist and current teacher, who taught full-time for 16 years and now substitutes for Poplar Bluff and Kellytown school. Among the questions swirling about education funding and jurisdiction, she says special needs students are particularly vulnerable to losing their lifelines.

“I see all kids, preschool to high school, so I see how the whole system works together, especially special needs kids. If they don’t get the help they need, they can’t be contributing members of society,” she summarized. Later she added, “I’m really afraid of what is possible when you tear apart what holds this society together.”

Fuller drove this home with an emotional testimony. Her daughter Delilah was diagnosed with sleep apnea at 18 months, which caused her to stop breathing throughout the night. The $24,000 bill for her tonsillectomy was completely covered by Medicaid.

“We would’ve found a way to make it work but you can’t expect parents to be under the stress of paying for that,” Fuller said.

Medicaid is also invaluable for veterans.

“Estimates show that over the past decade nearly 10% of veterans use Medicaid for at least some of their health care benefits, and 40% of those veterans rely exclusively on Medicaid for all their health care,” Rowen’s report stated, citing statistics from the Urban Institute.

Cope spoke to protesters from her background in natural resources, spotlighting funding freezes on farm programs and mass firings in department like the National Parks Service. These actions are, “leaving those of us left to do more work with less hands, when there are already gaps when it comes to staffing,” she said.

In his speech, Burns acknowledged the frustration with government overspending and bureaucracy but said DOGE’s approach risks crippling services all Americans need. These included LGBTQ+-specific resources like gender affirming care as well as broader mental health care resources, he said.

“At first it sounds like a good idea, cutting and working on government efficiency, but honestly, when we just start making cuts and not paying attention to what we’re cutting, we can start cutting out those programs and funds that provide for all of us,” he said.