It’s a fragile moment for veterans right now, said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, given the ongoing conflict with Iran, ramped-up immigration enforcement that has swept up servicemembers and the elimination of thousands of positions at the Veterans Affairs Department.
It’s important, then, for lawmakers to hear directly from veterans in their communities, Jeffries said.
And that’s what brought the New York Democrat to Orange County on Wednesday, March 11, when Jeffries joined fellow Democrats Rep. Lou Correa, Rep. Derek Tran and Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva for a meeting with veterans.
Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, left, with Derek Tran, D-Orange, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, and Rep. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, right, during a roundtable on veteran affairs at City Hall in Buena Park, CA, on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, left, shows a board with highlights of the work done on a future veterans cemetery in Orange County with Derek Tran, D-Orange, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, and Rep. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, right, during a roundtable on veteran affairs at City Hall in Buena Park, CA, on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, during a roundtable on veteran affairs at City Hall in Buena Park, CA, on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, left, chats with Rep. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, during a roundtable on veteran affairs at City Hall in Buena Park, CA, on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, left, shows a board with highlights of the work done on a future veterans cemetery in Orange County during a roundtable on veteran affairs at City Hall in Buena Park, CA, on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Derek Tran, D-Orange, left, chats with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, during a roundtable on veteran affairs at City Hall in Buena Park, CA, on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Derek Tran, D-Orange, left, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, and Rep. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, right, during a roundtable on veteran affairs at City Hall in Buena Park, CA, on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Derek Tran, D-Orange, left, chats with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, during a roundtable on veteran affairs at City Hall in Buena Park, CA, on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva during a roundtable on veteran affairs at City Hall in Buena Park, CA, on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Buena Park Mayor Connor Traut during a roundtable on veteran affairs at City Hall in Buena Park, CA, on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, during a press conference after a roundtable discussion on veteran affairs at City Hall in Buena Park, CA, on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, after a roundtable discussion on veteran affairs at City Hall in Buena Park, CA, on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Buena Park Mayor Connor Traut during a press conference after a roundtable discussion on veteran affairs at City Hall in Buena Park, CA, on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, left, with Derek Tran, D-Orange, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, and Rep. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, right, during a roundtable on veteran affairs at City Hall in Buena Park, CA, on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, left, with Derek Tran, D-Orange, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, and Rep. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, right, during a roundtable on veteran affairs at City Hall in Buena Park, CA, on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Jeffries, in a press conference following the roundtable, harshly criticized the Trump administration for its mass firing of federal employees, including veterans, and for the recent, escalating conflict with Iran that has already resulted in the deaths of at least seven U.S. service members.
But huddled around a crowded conference in Buena Park City Hall, it was the planned veterans cemetery in Orange County that grabbed Jeffries’ attention.
To cheers and applause, the Democratic congressional leader vowed to “get that done,” calling it a priority.
“The importance of the Gypsum Canyon cemetery was an important part of the discussion, and it was elevated in a way where I’m committeed to having all of the conversations that I need to have with state, local and federal officials, including members of the administration back in Washington, to ensure that we see this incredibly important project to its completion,” said Jeffries.
After years of multiple locations being looked at for Orange County’s first official veterans cemetery, a home has been chosen in Gypsum Canyon and progress has been made in planning and fundraising. Most recently, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has offered $10 million in federal funding to the California Department of Veterans Affairs, or CalVet, toward the construction of what is expected to be called the Southern California State Veterans Cemetery.
Though home to 84,000 veterans, Orange County is the largest county in California without a veterans cemetery. By joining planning already underway for a new public cemetery in the canyon, a final resting place for local veterans is gaining ground.
Jeffries said his father, who served in the Air Force, is buried at Dayton National Cemetery. Marland Jeffries died in 2023 at the age of 85.
“In the midst of the tragedy of losing a father, losing the patriarch, losing a loved one, just the dignity and respect with which we were able to bury our father and the respect that was shown to him, as is shown to every veteran who is buried in a veterans cemetery, reinforced for me why it’s so important to get this project done,” Jeffries said.
“Perhaps our most significant responsibility as members of Congress is to make sure that we are taking care of our veterans, who are taking care of America and the free world and our allies. And, unfortunately, it’s often been the case in Washington that some have fallen short of that goal,” Jeffries said.
Quirk-Silva, who has long championed the veterans cemetery for Orange County, said the “finish line is in sight.”
“I have always talked about this project as a team effort,” the Fullerton Democrat said. “Congressional Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ interest and support of this project is another step in our completing this project. This project will be built because of our veterans’ advocacy and support from local, county, state and federal support.”
Jeffries, meanwhile, said he traveled to Orange County — where temperatures climbed to about 80 degrees as Washington, D.C., prepares for potential snow on Thursday — to hear directly from the local veterans. This helps lawmakers in the Capitol, he said, “put together the type of policies and approaches necessary.”
Tran called Wednesday’s discussion “necessary,” and also blasted the Trump administration for “failing our veterans.”
A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday afternoon.