Bills are pending in the U.S. House (H.R.9237) and U.S. Senate (S.4744) to reduce funding for certain benefits in order to fund other programs. We the undersigned demand Congress oppose the “Take Care of America’s Veterans Act” and maintain all current veteran health care benefits.
The two programs expected to be impacted are those that benefit vets who have sleep apnea and chronic tinnitus. Military munitions are the primary cause of hearing problems for veterans and these programs should not be reduced. If approved, these reductions would affect over one million veterans.
Veteran Health Administration funding cuts usually start by reducing staffing. The VHA is currently understaffed as is. Funding cuts to VA clinical trials have also impacted those with cancer, brain injuries, and other problems. VA research benefits all Americans in the end. For example, the advancements in prosthetics came largely from those provided to veterans.
The Veterans Community Care program is an example of redirecting money from one area of funding to another. Their funding increased by about 50% while reducing VHA funding by about 17%. Some veterans totally rely on the Veteran Health Administration for all their health care needs and it consistently receives a high approval rating from vets. Cuts have also been made to Medicaid and Medicare which has means the 700,000 veterans in North Carolina may not be able to receive complete health care going forward.
House and Senate Republicans are trying to pass the “Take Care of America’s Veterans Act” (TCAVA), a massive bill that cuts disability compensation for tinnitus and sleep apnea for future claimants to pay for other provisions. The bill includes up to $57 billion in cuts over ten years, affecting millions of current and future veterans.
Ringing ears from weapon fire and shop noise. Sleep apnea from blast exposure and burn pits. These are real injuries, from real service, reduced to a line item to balance the books.
But disability cuts are not the only awful provision in this bill; buried in the 550+ page text is the Veterans’ ACCESS Act, which funnels money out of direct VA care and hands it to private contractors. The same package nearly triples a VA home loan fee, lets the VA rule on grouped disability appeals in bulk instead of weighing individual records, and bars veterans from a new spinal cord injury program if the VA decides they can function on their own. It empowers the VA to continue layoffs that compromise care and lays the legal groundwork to hand VA buildings over to private operators.
To try to trick the American public into supporting this bill, TCAVA includes a watered-down version of the Major Richard Star Act. The standalone Major Richard Star Act is a strongly bipartisan bill that would finally let combat-injured veterans collect both the retirement pay and the disability compensation they earned. Republican leadership is holding this bill hostage to try to force passage of the 550+ page disaster.
Veterans earned these benefits through service. We are not budget bargaining chips, and we won’t stay quiet while politicians hide their betrayal behind a combat-wounded soldier.
TCAVA is an insult to anyone who’s ever worn the uniform. It cannot stand. We must reject it and instead pass the Major Richard Star Act.
Additional Resources
- Common Defense Leads Coalition of 15 Veteran Organizations in Opposition of TCAVA
- Common Defense petition: Tell Congress: Disabled Veterans Are Not Budget Bargaining Chips