Dear Congressman Joe Neguse,

My name is Laura Cartwright. First and foremost, I would like to thank you for taking the time to visit my community in Nederland and answering many important questions. With you as our representative, I feel we are in good hands. I have been residing in Boulder County for 14 years. I am a 100% permanently and totally disabled Iraq War veteran and one of the 6.2 million veterans in the United States who receive disability benefits from the VA. I rely solely on the VA to meet my numerous and ever-increasing health care needs, service-connected as well as non-service-connected.

Over 20 years ago, during and after my deployments to Kuwait and Iraq, I began suffering from a myriad of debilitating health issues related to burn pit exposure and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD). When I submitted my application for my disabilities in January of 2023, I had no idea that all of the health issues, some of which are systemic, I had been living with were presumptive for burn pits and CPTSD until my C&P (Compensation & Pension) examiner told me that they were. I hadn’t even heard of the PACT Act at that point in time despite receiving regular health care at the VA. That made me realize that there are so many war veterans suffering from the same things that I am that they are presumptive!

As if I didn’t have enough debilitating war-related health issues, I’ve had two cancer scares in the past 6 months and am being tested for an autoimmune disorder. Being poisoned 24/7 during my deployment has taken its toll on me over the years and new issues continue to surface. I spend the majority of every day navigating my medical needs, leaving no opportunity for a fulfilling career and little time to enjoy things I am passionate about.

I fully rely upon my disability to pay for the cost of living and my only health care option is through the VA. In the event those things are taken away, I will be left with nothing. So many other disabled veterans, who dedicated their lives to being the backbone of our country and put their lives on the line, are in the same situation.

The medical sequelae resulting from exposure to airborne pollutants and ash exposure in burn pits is quite extensive. This includes, but is not limited to, systemic and autoimmune diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, respiratory diseases such as asthma, COPD, bronchitis and sarcoidosis, but also concerns regarding the potential for development of cancers of the head and neck and lymph nodes. It’s also important to acknowledge an increased risk of cancers affecting the blood, brain, kidney, pancreas, reproductive system and the lymphatic system, to name a few. Some of the more harmful toxins generated from burn pit materials include formaldehyde, aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals, ammonia, asbestos and arsenic.

As a veteran, I am wondering about the future of my and all veterans’ benefits. As a 23-year-old I left my two-year-old daughter and family behind to fight for democracy, in the name of the USA, in Iraq. (Who’d have thought I would be fighting for democracy in my own country just 20 years later!) And like so many others, I returned home after my service damaged physically, emotionally, and mentally. All disabled veterans and I earned these veterans’ benefits, and it’s important to understand how potential changes might impact our healthcare, disability compensation, and other support.

I am rightfully concerned about what the current Trump administration/Project 2025 may do to hurt not just me, but all veterans, disabled or not. If policies associated with Project 2025 are enacted, veterans that were previously found eligible for service-connected disabilities may see those revised or taken away. Michael Embrich, a former member of the Advisory Committee on the Readjustment of Veterans, has been vocal about his fears surrounding the manifesto, saying in July of 2024 that Project 2025's policy proposals to overhaul the VA—the largest health care provider for veterans—is the "worst-case scenario" for veterans in the U.S.

The nonpartisan Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute said, "A second Trump term would decimate veterans' healthcare and benefits," as it analyzed Project 2025's proposals. It added: "The Heritage plan aims to finish, in a second Trump administration, the VA demolition job that was launched in the first one. It's an unconscionable approach to those who've risked their lives for this country."

Project 2025 would revamp the Department of Veterans of Affairs with proposals to narrow the eligibility criteria for health benefits and replace civil service-style employees with political appointees in its ranks. It envisions a VA that is run by more political appointees to “ensure robust political control of the VA.”

Why would any veteran, including Secretary of the VA Doug Collins and JD Vance, agree to let politicians take over the VA? The same people that sent us to war lack accountability, deceive us, and the vast majority didn't even serve in the armed forces themselves. These same people run everything.

The Project 2025 manual acknowledges two of the largest VA policy changes that expanded the number of veterans who qualified for service-connected disability claims: The 1991 Agent Orange Act and 2022 PACT Act (Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act). The manual says that the two “ambitious authorities” have overwhelmed the VA’s ability to process new claims and adjudicate appeals, requiring more employees to stay up to date. The manual also says that the inclusion of injuries related to Agent Orange and Burn Pits/Airborne Toxins has caused “historic increases” in spending. Yes, there are historic increases in spending, but absolutely necessary increases in spending, and our government did that to itself when they sent us to war.

The same party that sent us to war is the same party that now does not want to take responsibility for the damage they have done. Other disabled veterans and I live off very little and do not deserve to have our compensation in jeopardy because of greedy and powerful billionaires who do not appreciate the harmful sacrifices that we made.

With the VA’s growing number of service-related health conditions, Project 2025, which downplays the validity of health issues caused by military service and burn pit exposure, states that “some are tenuously related or wholly unrelated to military service” – the core issue for granting or denying service-connected disability claims. Project 2025 calls for a revision of the disability rating awards for future claims, while “fully or partially” changing them for existing veteran claims. I feel utterly betrayed by my country.

Trump, a draft dodger, doesn't have a problem neglecting service members, veterans and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, calling us “losers” and “suckers.” He made it apparent at the Aisne-Marne Cemetery that he does not believe it important to honor American war dead lest his comb-over were to be deflated in the rain.

Concerning the increased automation in claims processing, while potentially increasing efficiency, it may hinder fair evaluations for veterans who desperately need compensation. The VA said the dismissals "are part of a government-wide Trump Administration effort to make agencies more efficient, effective and responsive." Efficient, sure. Effective and responsive, far from it.

Recently, more than 1,000 essential Department of Veterans Affairs employees were fired as part of efforts by Donald Trump and presidential “adviser” Elon Musk to slash the size of the federal government. Veterans need all the help they can get, and reducing veteran support, including the Veteran Crisis Line, leaves us vulnerable. Additionally, with Trump’s recent cutbacks on medical research, I am concerned about cuts in medical research for burn pit victims.

Thank you for taking the time to address my concerns and I know that as my representative you will do whatever you can to support the veterans of the United States of America.

Sincerely,

Spec. Laura J. Cartwright; US Army