Op-Ed: Rep. William Timmons: This Veterans Day, let’s honor service by restoring it
Rep. William Timmons lays out a call to service in honor of Veterans Day in his latest op-ed.
This Veterans Day marks 43 days since Democrats shut down the government. Over this month, nearly one million veterans and their families have faced disruptions in the support systems they rely on to live, work, and thrive after service. Transition briefings and career counseling sessions have been postponed. Disabled veterans seeking job training and adaptive employment support have encountered long delays. Those filing new disability claims or updating existing ones have waited weeks with limited communication from the VA. Regional offices and hotlines have been closed or severely reduced in capacity.
These are not just statistics. They are real people who have served our country and are trying to move forward in civilian life. Every day that services were delayed made reintegration harder for them and their families.
A disabled combat veteran who needs job training? No caseworker available. A transitioning service member who needs career counseling? Those VA briefings are suspended — the contract that provides them isn’t operational during the lapse in appropriations. A veteran trying to file a disability claim or update their status as their condition worsens? Facing massive delays or no processing at all.
Veterans trying to file new claims are being told to expect delays or hold off entirely. Those who need transition counseling are told to plan for “limited availability.” This is wrong, and it’s completely unnecessary.
Thankfully, several Senate Democrats have indicated they will switch their vote and support an agreement to reopen the federal government and restore critical services to our nation’s veterans. For those who have served, and for the families who stand beside them, this moment cannot come soon enough.
Reopening government isn’t just about restarting programs — it’s about restoring trust. Veterans need to know that when they raise their hand to serve, their nation will stand behind them, no matter the politics of the moment.
As the government reopens, we have work to do to repair the damage from the Democrat Shutdown and to make sure that our veterans’ needs are never sidelined again. That means quickly addressing the backlog of claims and delayed services, reinvesting in transition and employment programs that help veterans build new careers, and strengthening communication so that veterans and their families know where to turn in moments of uncertainty.
This is not a partisan issue. It’s a national responsibility. Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike can agree that those who served deserve stability, respect, and support — not bureaucratic roadblocks or funding lapses.
Our veterans kept their promise to America. Now it’s time for America to keep its promise to them.
This Veterans Day, it’s time for Democrats in the House and Senate to keep their promise to our veterans. End this shutdown. Restore these services. Stop voting no and start voting for the men and women who wore our nation’s uniform.
Rep. William Timmons represents South Carolina’s 4th District in Congress.