Originally Published in Real Clear Politics on October 1, 2026
Orange County is home to more than 100,000 U.S. veterans. Yet, despite our proud
military heritage, it remains the largest county in California without a dedicated veterans
cemetery. While neighboring cemeteries in Riverside and San Diego may seem nearby
on a map, they actually aren’t. Orange County, with its 3.2 million residents, sprawls
over nearly 800 square miles, and our grieving families are often forced to drive hours
through Southern California traffic to lay their loved ones to rest and pay their basic
respects.
The geographic barrier is more than an inconvenience. For aging families with limited
mobility and no reliable transportation, these miles are long and painful.
1/3As a wife and sister of U.S. Army veterans, building a dedicated Orange County
Veterans cemetery has been a mission near and dear to my heart since my state
assembly days. I have fought alongside local veterans’ groups, county leaders, and
bipartisan partners to move this project forward at every level of government. In 2025, I
rallied 20 of my California colleagues, Republicans and Democrats alike, in a bipartisan
letter urging the Veterans Administration to approve California’s grant application for
Gypsum Canyon. I pressed senior VA officials directly, including in my meeting with
Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Sam Brown, and made sure Gypsum Canyon
remained visible in federal priority discussions.
Thanks to this sustained push by local, state, and federal leaders, the VA placed
Gypsum Canyon on its competitive priority list. This major milestone positions Orange
County for federal construction support as soon as the state finalizes its application.
We’ve completed the studies. Orange County has dedicated more than 200 acres of
public land. The project has garnered the support of every city in Orange County and
over 100 veterans’ groups. Republicans and Democratsactually agreed on something.
What’s more, we rallied together under a shared cause to secure $10 million in federal
funding.
This broad bipartisan support is there, and the project is shovel-ready. The only thing
standing in the way? Gavin Newsom’s administration.
While we’ve been doing the work to get this project across the finish line, the California
Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) promised it would be prepared to provide the
information and materials necessary to receive the money. However, with the September
30 fiscal year deadline upon us, CalVet has yet to complete the basic requirements
needed to draw down the $10 million in funds.
What kind of world are we living in when the federal government is cutting red tape and
moving with urgency while our state government lets this vital local project wither on the
vine?
Out of all the endeavors the Newsom administration has managed to spend taxpayer
dollars on – a $231 billion train to nowhere, a $114 million butterfly bridge, the list goes
on – his administration couldn’t pull it together for a widely supported and already-
funded memorial honoring our local heroes?
This is not something that can be pushed off. Federal funding through the Veterans
Cemetery Grants Program is limited and appropriated annually, and there is no
2/3guarantee that the $10 million currently available for Gypsum Canyon will remain
available in the future. And besides that, our veterans are getting older. They don’t have
time for Sacramento to decide to act. By delaying this project at least another year, the
state is denying them the assurance of their lifetime – that their sacrifices for our nation
will be honored, that their service will never be forgotten, and that they can be laid to rest
close to home where loved ones won’t have to travel hours to visit them.
This past weekend, I sent a letter with Rep. Lou Correa and the rest of Orange County’s
federal and state delegation urging the governor to take immediate action and get this
project back on track before it’s too late. This is a bipartisan priority; it’s been more than
a decade in the making, and our veterans are counting on us.
Gavin Newsom has an opportunity to keep this promise to our nation’s heroes. I hope he
does.
