During the 2023 fall semester, I interned with U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, not because I agreed with her political stances, but because I wanted to gain experience with federal policy. As a college student in Washington, D.C., but from Wyoming, there weren’t many options for me to work with the politicians who represent my home state.
Opinion
I felt comfortable working with a lawmaker I don’t entirely politically align with because” hillterns,” the nickname for Capitol Hill interns, are responsible for constituent correspondence, drafting hearing memos and giving tours of the Capitol Building — not supporting or impacting any policy decisions in the office. But as President Donald Trump has taken to his second term, I no longer want to be associated with a politician who is willingly causing so much destruction to my home state.
Sens. John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis and Rep. Harriet Hageman all claim to value the lives of Wyomingites who have served this country, but their actions belie that assertion. A simple compare and contrast shows how Wyoming’s federal politicians would do anything to please our fascist president, but nothing to protect Wyoming veterans.
With veterans being named as a top issue for Lummis, it should come as no surprise that she believes that:
“The transformation that has occurred at the Veterans Affairs Department in recent years has been essential to improving the quality and timeliness of services and I pledge to hold the department accountable for their actions taking care of the men and women who have given so much to keep us safe.”
But my problem and disappointment with this is that Lummis is supporting policies that directly harm the Veterans Affairs Department, impacting all Wyoming veterans. Lummis has applauded President Trump, Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency for revealing millions in taxpayer dollars spent on government waste. But what government waste has exactly been cut under the Trump administration?
Would that be the more than 80,000 employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs? The VA already had a severe staffing shortage, Military.com reported, but VA Chief of Staff Christopher Syrek wishes to make that worse. This absurd, indiscriminate firing spree is endangering veterans’ access to benefits and care, ranging from disability claims to funeral expense reimbursements.
With 9.4% of residents being veterans, Wyoming has the second-highest share of veterans in the United States. Cuts to the VA would have a massive and irreparable impact on our state, but our politicians simply do not care. Our senators have made it clear that they do not want to make Wyoming a better state or help support the people who live here, but rather serve a political agenda that benefits them.
Trump has fired staff supporting the Veterans Crisis Line, a confidential crisis support for veterans and their loved ones, with no regard for the impact it will have on these veterans. As well as VA researchers, staff essential to understanding treatment options for PTSD, opioid addiction, cancer that was caused by veterans’ exposure to toxic chemicals and countless other vital studies have been cut in the name of government waste.
And what have Wyoming politicians done to oppose these dangerous cuts? Congratulate the man behind these harmful acts as a great leader who is only trying to help this country. Lummis repays the Americans who have served and sacrificed for our freedom by supporting cutting an already understaffed and underfunded government department dedicated to providing physical, mental and financial aid to those who need it. All while celebrating a $45 million parade for the president’s birthday, masquerading as a celebration of the exact military that is being damaged by the administration.
But I suppose it is my fault for not realizing that Lummis has a long history of harming veterans before I took a job to buff my resume. She voted against the PACT Act of 2022, a bill that would “Provide mental health services, counseling and other forms of medical care through the Department of Veterans Affairs.” With his complete and total endorsement, Trump has bought her allegiance and now she must support his decisions regardless of the negative impacts they will certainly have on Wyoming.
But Lummis is not solely complicit in the harm inflicted on veterans across the state and nation. Barrasso and Hageman have continued to be staunch supporters of an administration that is endangering soldiers and hurting veterans. Just because Wyoming is one of the most conservative states does not mean our politicians should blindly follow every demand of our Republican president.
Our politicians have continued to show that they serve the agenda of the White House, not the needs of Wyoming. Wyoming veterans deserve better than this. Wyoming deserves better leadership and the people of this state have the power to demand it.
So demand it, Wyoming.
Thanks for your opinion piece Aidan.
By refusing to continue to be a part of the harmful, extreme agenda of this president, and our three representatives, you have shown what “true” courage and integrity look like. Those traits that you’ve shown are something that Cynthia Lummis, John Barrasso, and Harriet Hageman never had, and never will.
Being a life long republican, I’m ashamed of what the party has evolved into. There isn’t a true plan for the future unless that plan calls for more hatred, more bigotry, and more corruption. It’s not a political party any longer, it’s a cult of personality based on Donald Trump, a convicted felon and serial liar with delusions of grandeur. Maybe it’s just me, but those three things don’t sound like the makings of a “great” president who deserves to be placed on Mount Rushmore.
It’s time for decent people to do what Aidan did, take a look in the mirror, make a stand and say enough is enough of this craziness. People are being hurt by this administration’s cruelty. If you don’t believe it, turn on something other than Fox News and take a look. It’s not a very pretty picture.
Well done and thanks again for doing the right thing Aidan!
Thank you, Aiden. Your thoughts, opinions and words ring true. The disrespect that our Congressional delegation’s office shows for their constituents – in terms of sending letters and responses that are patently false and contain outright lies – is extremely disheartening. Wyoming needs – and deserves – better than what we got.
We wouldnt need the VA if there weren’t Veterans.
Want to end VA incompetence that has existed since its inception?
Discourage any and all young people you know to NEVER join the US military. Eventually there will be no more Vets to “care” for.
Interesting opinions filled with hyperbole and obvious bias. The author uses some statements without substantiating them with factual sourcing.
For instance, the matter referencing Sen Lummis voting against the PACT Act in 2022. I remember calling Sen Lummis’ field representative and getting an answer in 30 minutes. Senator Lummis was opposed to the PACT Act because of some of the illnesses being considered as presumptively associated with military service, for instance, hypertension was included in the bill. I can’t say I disagree with that. Although recognizing a plethora of obvious service-connected illnesses, which were either not recognized or the burden of proof put upon the affected veteran is not conducive to providing a veteran with necessary care. Especially when the veteran is in the midst of a debilitating illness. https://cowboystatedaily.com/2022/08/04/lummis-defends-vote-against-pact-act-burn-pit-legislation/
The author also states Wyoming has the second-highest share of veterans in the United States, but fails to mention that is per-capita. Wyoming is 49th, out of 51(including DC) in actual veteran population.
https://wisevoter.com/state-rankings/veteran-population-by-state/
The author writes about cuts to the VA due to President Trump. True, there were cuts, 2,400 to be exact, but that was out of 482,000 employees. That is 0.49792531120332%. As for the Veterans Crisis line, it was 27 employees.
https://allwork.space/2025/02/trump-cuts-2400-va-jobs-firing-key-crisis-line-workers/
Finally, the author takes his parting shot, his sights are on President Trump. Instead of recognizing the direction President Trump has taken our Country in rebuilding our military services as opposed to the former administration which made our military a hollow force.
Interestingly, the author conveniently, or intentionally left out how the previous administration diverted VA resources to assist illegal aliens. Now that is serving the agenda of the White House and did hurt veteran services.
https://wpde.com/news/nation-world/va-diverting-resources-to-give-migrants-medical-care-one-of-the-worst-insults-to-veterans-veteran-affairs-illegal-immigrants-immigration-southern-border-healthcare
As a veteran, who resides in Wyoming, I can say the VA is not perfect. However, show me a bureaucracy employing 482,000 people that is.
your chrump colored glasses need a new prescription.
30k cut jobs at the VA by the end of the year. ~17,000 since Jan. 1.
quit trying to spin your garbage.
https://www.militarytimes.com/veterans/2025/07/07/va-expects-30k-voluntary-job-cuts-by-october-erasing-need-for-layoffs/
Thanks for this article. I agree with the writer. I’ve reached out to all three of our congressional delegates on related topics. If I receive replies, I read platitudes about how wonderful Trump’s policies are. I have never received direct answers to my queries.
We need more young people like Aidan to speak out. Thank you, Aidan for your honesty and willingness to speak up! We are living in dangerous times when our elected officials are more loyal to a fascist leader than to the people who elected them.
It’s funny as I read the requirements for a comment and what WyoFile ‘stands behind’ in their articles. “ Demonstrably false claims, what-about-isms, references to debunked lines of rhetoric”
Yet the author claims without fact but opinion that the President is a fascist and is against the military and veterans.
As a Wyoming Veteran, who uses the VA. I disagree. I’m in the system, not an observer like the author. The current VA is a joke. It’s not a funding issue it’s bureaucracy.
Sorry to pop your bubble but the VA is indeed failing its clients, grossly. My landlord is enduring Stage IV cancers likely caused by him piloting Agent Orange dispersion aircraft over ‘Nam. He depends on VA medical service for his survival, but in the past six months that care has been drastically slowed and vastly more complicated. Six months of VA disservice under Trump directives has wiped away the previous 4 years of good to excellent VA services. Don’t blame the bureaucracy for the worsening. The local population of Veterans here in Cody are getting louder by the day on the Trump VA fiascos and failures.
Yes, Donald J. Trump fits the textbook definition of a tyrannical authoritarian who can be deemed a Fascist. The Wyoming delegation in Congress is cultishly supporting a lone madman over the needs of 650,000 residents. Look around; listen. There is no doubt about that …
Quiet down some, Dewey, or you’ll frighten Vanata and put he and his service emu in a tizzy.
Whether or not Mr. Jacketta’s piece was “without fact” is irrelevant since this piece is clearly identified at “Opinion.” However, he gave several links that could be clicked on to get to the facts from which he derived his opinions. A study of any number of other documents also available on-line would give a reason to conclude that this president clearly fits the fascism designation. My husband served for 20 years in the US Navy. As a result, we don’t use VA facilities but rather have TriCare for Life, first as our medical care and now as a Medicare supplement. For several years we have proudly flown two flags on either side of a sign that reads: I Am A Veteran, Not a “Sucker or Loser”. That is a direct quote from this president as he visited a military cemetery. If the problems you note with the VA aren’t with funding, but with bureaucracy, that’s likely to appear even worse to you as they work with far fewer bureaucrats. We hope not. Thank you for your service.
Seriously? Do you not read any of Trump’s posts?
If by “beauracy” you mean slow to respond, hard to get answers, etc, the problem is created by politicians. Fewer staff and funding cuts do not make any system better.