when the gOvernMent gOeS dark: the hidden tOll On veteranS and ServiceMeMBerS
Military & Veterans Affairs Committee Co-Chairs: SteveCollins – UnitedStatesAirForce & AmandaAllen – BayAreaLegalServices
veterans make up a significant portion of the federal workforce, meaning many were affected twice over: once as federal employees facing furloughs or delayed paychecks, and again as individuals relying on government services disrupted by the shutdown.
From flight disruptions caused by reduced air-traffic staffing to the more than 42 million Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program( SNAP) recipients facing interruptions in their benefits, the effects of the nation’ s longest federal government shutdown rippled across nearly every sector of American life. Now that the forty-three-day funding lapse has ended, it is especially important to examine how it impacted our veterans and military servicemembers— groups whose service to the nation makes any lapse in support especially consequential.
Under the Veterans’ Preference Act of 1944, military veterans receive preference in federal hiring. As a result, veterans make up a significant portion of the federal workforce, meaning many were affected twice over: once as federal employees facing furloughs or delayed paychecks, and again as individuals relying on government services disrupted by the shutdown. According to a Department of Veterans Affairs( VA) press release issued on October 30, 2025, nearly 37,000 VA employees were furloughed or required to work without pay during the shutdown. 1
Although essential VA medical care and core benefits processing continued, other critical services were suspended. Many VA regional benefits offices closed, delaying
assistance with disability claims, compensation inquiries, and appeals. The VA also paused its transition assistance and career counseling programs, leaving thousands of service members preparing to separate from active duty without access to crucial support during a pivotal moment in their transition. Additionally, furloughs halted staffing for the Veterans Readiness and Employment( VR & E) program and shut down the GI Bill Hotline. The loss of the helpline alone disrupted services for an estimated 900,000 veterans seeking assistance with education benefits. 2
While active duty servicemembers continued to receive pay, the more than one million National Guard and Reserve members faced a more uncertain situation. Full-time Guard and Reserve technicians( both dual-status and civilian) and drill-status Guardsmen and
Reservists, not only lost valuable training time, but also a paycheck due to cancelled drills. 3 In an October 28, 2025 letter to Senate leadership, the Reserve Organization of America and affiliated associations warned that“ undue hardships have been placed on both service members and their families,” noting that some providers had denied TRICARE coverage to dependents during the shutdown. 4
The Defense Health Agency reported that the shutdown hindered TRICARE’ s ability to process and pay claims, causing delays and interruptions in healthcare access for military families. Outpatient clinics and pharmacies at military treatment facilities nationwide faced shortened hours, reduced services, and limited medication availability— issues that disproportionately burden those who rely on consistent care through the military health system.
Although it will take months for federal agencies to work through backlogs and fully assess the shutdown’ s long-term consequences, one conclusion is clear: our nation’ s veterans and servicemembers bore a disproportionate share of the burden. Their resilience carried them through the uncertainty, but the experience highlights the need
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