Meng participated in the first hearing as the top Democrat of a key appropriations subcommittee last week. Photos courtesy on Meng’s Office
March 3, 2025 By Bill Parry
With a renewed sense of purpose in her fight against the mass firings of federal employees, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng invited Luke Graziani, the Woodside Army vet who was terminated from his job at a Bronx Veterans hospital, to be her guest at President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night.
Graziani, 45, a married father of four and 20-year Army veteran who served four tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, was employed as a public affairs officer at the James. J. Peters VA Medical Center in the Kingsbridge Heights section of the Bronx for nearly a year before he was suddenly laid off two weeks ago.
Disabled Army veteran Luke Graziani of Woodside, pictured here in Seoul, South Korea in 2014, was invited by U.S. Rep. Grace Meng to be her guest at the president’s address to Congress. Photo courtesy of Luke Graziani
Graziani is among the tens of thousands of federal workers that the Trump administration has terminated across numerous federal agencies over the past two weeks as part of workforce reductions spearheaded by billionaire Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
“After 20 years of military service, including four combat tours, being terminated from my job at the VA by a thoughtless and heartless email was devastating,” Graziani said. “These terminations affect real people and real families of dedicated public servants.”
Currently, veterans make up 30% of the federal workforce, and some 6,000 have already been fired. In Congress, Meng has worked to assist veterans by sponsoring and supporting legislation, securing funding, and spearheading local initiatives.
“Federal employees work tirelessly to provide crucial services that people depend on all across the country, including here in Queens and throughout New York, and the way that so many have been kicked to the curb is disgraceful,” Meng said. “This includes our brave and heroic veterans who have sacrificed so much for our freedom.”
Graziani viewed the VA as a stable workplace with good benefits and the opportunity to save towards “a real retirement,” but also felt a greater sense of purpose. Last month, Graziani served as master of ceremonies at the Thomas P. Noonan Community-Based Outpatient Clinic in Ridgewood, named for another Woodside hero who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions as a mortarman and rifleman in Vietnam in 1969.
Noonan was buried in Calvary Cemetery, also in Woodside, a neighborhood that lost 27 young men from the 11377 zip code who died in the Vietnam War. This zip code had more deaths than any other in the country during the conflict and is represented by Meng.
“I am grateful to Congresswoman Meng for giving me the opportunity to represent thousands of federal workers who’ve been discarded while providing vital services Americans depend on,” Graziani said. “I hope my presence in our nation’s capital will inspire other federal employees to continue standing for what is right.”
The VA announced last month that over 1,000 of its employees who served less than two years had been dismissed during the DOGE purge. When he was terminated, Graziani was only five weeks from completing his probationary year.
“I stand with Luke and all veterans and federal workers who have been impacted. Luke attending the President’s speech as my guest will send a strong and powerful message that it is unacceptable to turn our backs on these dedicated employees, and how doing so will inflict harm on New York and the nation,” Meng said. “I look forward to welcoming Luke to Washington as we continue fighting these cruel and unconscionable cuts.”
Photos courtesy on Meng’s Office
Meng, New York’s senior member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, part in her first hearing as the Ranking Member of its Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS), a key panel that determines funding for critical parts of the federal government, including the Department of Commerce, NASA, National Science Foundation and programs and projects that advance civil rights, trade and technology. It writes legislation that provides money for law enforcement like the NYPD and entities in Queens such as colleges and universities and programs that support small businesses.
“Serving as the Democratic leader of the subcommittee is a huge honor,” Meng said. “In this new position, I am committed to fighting for needed funding and tackling issues critical to the economy, safety, and technological advancements as well as Queens and the rest of New York. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle.”
Meng has been a member of the House Appropriations Committee since 2017, and she was selected for the Ranking Member role last month.
*Additional reporting by Emily Swanson.
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