Republicans Reject all 36 Amendments to Shield Veterans from Foreclosures, Healthcare Loss, and Claim Sharks

­­­WASHINGTON— This week, the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs debated 18 bills at markup. Ranking Member Mark Takano and Committee Democrats offered dozens of amendments that would have ensured veterans were protected from foreclosure, that they would have access to healthcare if their Medicaid is cut, that their access to telemedicine would be protected, and that claim sharks would be held accountable for scamming veterans. Committee Democrats also fought to protect VA employees’ rights, so that they can continue their mission of delivering care to veterans, rather than facing indiscriminate cuts and firings. 

House Republicans voted down 36 Democratic amendments, which would have:  

• enacted a short-term foreclosure moratorium for veterans who are at immediate risk of losing their homes; 
• resumed the Veteran Affairs Servicing Purchase (VASP) until Congress can authorize additional assistance for veterans who are behind on their mortgages and facing foreclosure; 
• protected veterans from predatory claim sharks who steal veterans’ benefits and ensured these illegal businesses face legal consequences; 
• preserved veterans’ access to VA telehealth by restoring telework agreements for Veterans Health Administration clinicians who provide mental health, primary care, and specialty care;    
• required VA to report to Congress on the number of veterans that have lost access to potentially life-saving VA-funded clinical trials; 
• exempted veterans and veterans with service-connected disabilities from being indiscriminately fired or subject to widespread staffing cuts at VA; 
• required full transparency on DOGE’s involvement at VA;  
• made all veterans eligible for healthcare at VA if they lose Medicaid coverage;
• ensured that Guard and Reserve members of the military had equitable access to VA benefits;
• provided nutrition assistance to veterans who face SNAP cuts;
• required VA to conduct a secondary mental health determination prior to reporting a beneficiary to NICS; and 
• ensured that disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation are permanently indexed for inflation.

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