Veterans Service Organizations & Veterans Reject the Largest Veterans Benefits Cut in a Generation

WASHINGTON- After being forced to pull H.R. 9237 from the House Floor last month following massive backlash, Republicans are making a second attempt to pass the bill next week. Ranking Member Mark Takano released the following statement supporting the coalition of combat veteran organizations, veteran advocates, and unions united in opposition to H.R. 9237, the Taking Benefits From America’s Veterans Act, ahead of expected House floor action on the bill next week.

“This bill asks veterans themselves to pay the price for expanding benefits to others—a betrayal of the promise made when they raised their right hand. Cutting benefits for 1.5 million disabled veterans to fund other priorities would represent the largest betrayal of veterans in a single legislative act in modern history. Changing the rating schedule for sleep apnea and tinnitus, two of the most common service-connected disabilities, will take funds directly out of veterans’ pockets. Despite Republican claims, veterans and VSOs know this package is not a viable path to get bipartisan priorities like the Major Richard Star Act signed into law. I will continue to fight any effort to strip veterans of the benefits they earned. Caring for veterans is paying for the cost of war, and Republicans are not honoring the contract with this bill,” said Ranking Member Mark Takano.

VFW: “The VFW strongly opposes the Take Care of America's Veterans Act as currently drafted because it asks future disabled veterans to bear the cost of expanding benefits through changing the VA rating schedule for tinnitus and obstructive sleep apnea which are common conditions associated with combat poly trauma,” said National Commander Carol Whitmore with Veterans of Foreign Wars.

DAV: “As the voice of the millions of veterans DAV represents, we will not stand by while budgetary considerations are placed above the well-being of all those who served. DAV will not compromise our core mission of ensuring veterans receive the benefits they have earned and deserve. Nor will we compromise our principles and leave future generations of servicemembers with fewer protections and benefits than those available today,” said National Commander Coleman Nee with Disabled American Veterans.

IAVA: “Veterans have earned their benefits through service and sacrifice... They should not be forced to pay for new initiatives through reductions to benefits they already rely upon, and we should never indicate to one set of veterans that their service is worth less than any other,” said CEO Dr. Kyleanne Hunter with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

Common Defense: “Congress is once again asking veterans to pay for their own betrayal. Veterans earned these benefits. Tinnitus from gunfire. Sleep apnea from deployments that never let you rest. They are the documented cost of service, and for congressional Republicans to eliminate that compensation, just to pay for a different problem with the Department of Defense’s retirement pay, is an unprecedented betrayal,” said Political Director Naveed Shah with Common Defense.

Vet Voice Foundation: “Veterans aren’t offsets. Every veteran and veteran supporter should contact their elected representatives and demand that they support the Major Richard Star Act without forcing veteran benefits to be cut to offset the cost of a DoD program,” said Senior Policy Advisor Kayla Williams with Vet Voice Foundation.

Union Veterans Council: "Congress is playing a cynical shell game with our veterans. The Major Richard Star Act should be passed as clean, standalone legislation. Instead, Washington is holding it hostage to force an austerity agenda that balances its books by picking the pockets of newly disabled service members,” said Executive Director Craig Romanovich with the Union Veterans Council.

Marine Corps League: "The commitment our veterans made when they raised their right hand contained no expiration date, and neither should the promise made to them by the American people. To truly take care of America’s Veteran, our country should not keep the promise to one group of Veterans while narrowing the promise to another,” said Executive Director Bob Borka with the Marine Corps League.

Jewish War Veterans of the USA: “The Jewish War Veterans of the USA strongly oppose the proposed disability benefit cuts in The Take Care of America’s Veterans Act. Congress should not offset the cost of expanding benefits for combat-injured veterans by cutting disability compensation and health care benefits for future generations of disabled veterans,” said National Commander Scott Stevens with Jewish War Veterans of the USA.

AFGE: “Pushing more veterans to go outside the VA for their care increases costs to taxpayers while diminishing the quality of care that our veterans deserve to receive. I don’t think that’s any way to take care of America’s veterans, and I urge lawmakers to reject this bill when it comes up for a vote,” said National VA Council President MJ Burke with the American Federation of Government Employees.

Additional Organizations that Oppose the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act: Mortgage Bankers Association, National Consumer Law Center, Minority Veterans of America, Black Veterans Project, National Federation of Federal Employees, National Nurses United, 54K Veterans, Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute, Swords to Plowshares, the Reserve Organization of America, Burnpits 360, National Organization of Veterans Advocates, National Veterans Legal Services Program, Service Women's Action Network, Student Veterans of America, and many more.

###

• Print
• Email
• Tweet