Support for Utah Veterans During the Government Shutdown

<p>As you may know, the federal government entered a shutdown at midnight on October 1 after the Senate failed to act on a clean, bipartisan bill to keep the government open through November 21.</p>

<p><strong>I voted to prevent this shutdown and make sure our servicemembers, veterans, and hardworking Utah families continue to receive the support they deserve.</strong></p>

<p>My team will continue working to support Utahns during this unnecessary and harmful shutdown.</p>

<p><strong>What&#8217;s Open for Veterans</strong></p>

<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>VA Medical Centers, Outpatient Clinics, and Vet Centers</strong> remain open and continue providing care and counseling.</li>

<li><strong>VA benefits</strong>—including compensation, pension, education, and housing—will continue to be processed and paid.</li>

<li><strong>Burials</strong> at VA national cemeteries will continue, along with applications for headstones, markers, and burial benefits.</li>

<li>The <strong>Board of Veterans’ Appeals</strong> continues issuing decisions on pending cases.</li>

<li>The <strong>Veterans Crisis Line</strong> (<strong>Dial 988, Press 1</strong>) and the <strong>MyVA411 Contact Center</strong> (<strong>1-800-698-2411</strong>) are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.</li>

<li><strong>Suicide prevention programs, homelessness services, and caregiver support</strong> will remain operational.</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>What&#8217;s Paused or Delayed</strong></p>

<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Transition assistance and career counseling</strong> programs are temporarily on hold.</li>

<li>The <strong>GI Bill Hotline</strong> (1-888-GIBILL-1) and <strong>National Cemetery Applicant Assistance Hotline</strong> (1-800-697-6947) are closed until funding resumes.</li>

<li><strong>VA regional benefits offices</strong> are closed, which may delay new claims or appeals requiring in-person support.</li>

<li><strong>Public affairs and veteran outreach</strong> efforts—including VetResources emails and social media updates from VA Central Office—are paused.</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>We&#8217;re Here to Help&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Even during a shutdown, Team Owens is still working for you. Even during the shutdown, my offices remain open and ready to serve Utah’s veterans.</p>

<p>If you or a loved one are experiencing delays with benefits, health care, or other federal programs, please reach out to my team by calling 801-999-9801 or visiting&nbsp;<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://go.sparkpostmail.com/f/a/zt3efiZCxISSD94kJhfk2A**A/AAS2yhA*/Jh5dJ2VDTOcEEXb2QpYBDoJEIIhch1P3ZIUuh_1EEZGHDdJeXVrV5L8lL6xlReogViE7vRlPwZla8bqmuZyVjUczrN1MmzPWp9_jCdS1_nlepEMDPcmgUGIdzlyBW07-__;fn5-!!BSgrhSFG!Eq-Lrtr-az5xybD6KPhq2NCdPUmtXTCszuvZ685yLyAxOpt9eg5mGujAsGFesZ10z_OkMU-beM3PJTDhtBzWS_1nOBbhf6YQmuc4OVPLfQ$">Owens.House.Gov</a>. If you’d like to attend one of my team’s upcoming Mobile Offices, the full schedule is available&nbsp;<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://go.sparkpostmail.com/f/a/6saH_ebueIgQH80F3yPaPg**A/AAS2yhA*/oKR_V4d-gmmE4-H3awD0YHIvx2zXRB9pMhPe6wTBit4KO7D7KSoqMKPGpUok3XLjCes9VEt1qFTTYsnK__oBNKXZeSM5gncqM7MYVEedlGqxLikWRMu8YpQuyR-nZ-wWFOHKHi69_ZL7EifzPjY6Lg**A__;fn5-fn4!!BSgrhSFG!Eq-Lrtr-az5xybD6KPhq2NCdPUmtXTCszuvZ685yLyAxOpt9eg5mGujAsGFesZ10z_OkMU-beM3PJTDhtBzWS_1nOBbhf6YQmud58M36lQ$">here</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>We invite you to visit&nbsp;<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://go.sparkpostmail.com/f/a/ZTzMbjT128iSkYkL5y57Pw**A/AAS2yhA*/BaCG_pWGDFJbiDsVgUeShTe8QHOMZ2e6zkUCg7ZmmWWqLxoh2xljqflSR7tQBZfRfsud8XpGoC2J1GJGnBNoWKZtXM1VpuJ6CuNcgB7jfu3ac_u-l7PamvjdPJizkj4YqPlxQgxA4HW2Ft-6Nw5jFQ**A__;fn5-fn4!!BSgrhSFG!Eq-Lrtr-az5xybD6KPhq2NCdPUmtXTCszuvZ685yLyAxOpt9eg5mGujAsGFesZ10z_OkMU-beM3PJTDhtBzWS_1nOBbhf6YQmud6jv-Xpg$">owens.house.gov/shutdown</a>&nbsp;for updates and agency-specific resources, which we will update daily as more information becomes available.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Utah is home to thousands of men and women who have worn our nation’s uniform with honor. Please know that I am committed to making sure you receive the care and benefits you’ve earned, and to ending this unnecessary shutdown as quickly as possible.</p>

<p>Thank you for your service.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://owens.house.gov/posts/support-for-utah-veterans-during-the-government-shutdown">Support for Utah Veterans During the Government Shutdown</a> appeared first on <a href="https://owens.house.gov">Burgess Owens</a>.</p>