The closure of 20 inpatient mental health and detox beds has sparked a lot of outrage from the Hudson Valley's veteran community.

U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan hosted a speakout at the Beacon VFW Tuesday to hear directly from veterans and their advocates. He also made a call to action, asking folks to reach out to VA administration and local officials to undo the change.

“The next step will be to escalate to the new secretary of the VA and appeal to them and ultimately to the Trump administration to say, 'this shouldn't be a partisan issue,'" Ryan said. "Supporting our veterans, keeping this unit open is just the right thing to do.”

Veterans say the beds are critical for vets who often need them at their lowest point: They actively combat veteran overdose and suicide.

“This veteran was moments away from taking his own life. His wife found him with rope in the garage, getting ready to leave us," said Hudson Valley Center for Veteran Reintegration President Kevin Keaveny. "Where do you think I brought that veteran? Why are we even thinking about closing this facility or rooms or anything?”

A VA spokesperson said, in part, that the beds are closed for 120 days while re-evaluating staffing needs. And "patients with acute medical conditions will continue to be treated in urgent care, and those requiring hospitalization will be sent to nearby community or VA medical facilities.”