TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - Veterans from across the state gathered at the Florida capitol Friday to protest plans to cut 80,000 jobs from the Department of Veterans Affairs, leaving many worried about the workforce and VA healthcare benefits.

A memo sent out the beginning of March instructs top-level VA staff to prepare for an agency-wide reorganization in August to “resize and tailor the workforce to the mission and revised structure.” It also calls for agency officials to work with the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency to “move out aggressively, while taking a pragmatic and disciplined approach” to the Trump administration’s goals.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins posted a video on social media last week saying layoffs would not mean cuts to veterans’ health care or benefits, but protesters at Friday’s demonstration like Maria Geer said they remain worried about how these changes could affect veterans.

“We need to support and sacrifice for our vets. They deserved to be treated well. They deserve good jobs and health care,” Geer said. “Mental health for vets in a top priority.”

Sandra Velez, a U.S. Army veteran, also attended the demonstration.

“It’s very frustrating. It feels like the country is letting us down because we gave everything. We risked our lives and you know this is what we have to keep going and if they take this away? This is the biggest thing we have to keep going,” Velez said.

A 100-year-old World War II veteran named John S., attended the protest surrounded by his family. He shared stories of his time fighting for his country and said veterans need support now more than ever.

“We have an awful lot of problems with our vets, the suicides we’re having,” he said. “What’s happening in our country today is not what we set up for at all. It’s very disappointing what we’re doing to our veterans right now. We’re the ones that made this all happen.”

Margaret Jenniges served six years in the Navy. She said she relies on VA care to help with her disability and other medical issues and without benefits she isn’t sure she can support herself.

“All these things I count on through the VA and if these things are gone where are we gonna go what are we gonna do,” Jenniges said. “It just breaks my heart, there are a lot of people in the military and are veterans that are worse off than i am and they deserve, we all deserve it.”

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Editor’s note: This article has been updated to reflect the correct spelling of Maria Geer.

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