Oppose Cuts to Veterans Disability Benefits

House Republicans have passed H.R. 9237, the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act, a 554-page package made up of more than 60 bills addressing veterans’ issues, drafted by Republicans with no Democratic input. The bill passed by voice vote, so no individual member’s position was recorded. This massive package contains several popular pieces of legislation, but veterans groups across the political spectrum have denounced it due to “poison pill” provisions.

The package includes a version of the Major Richard Star Act, which would end the so-called “wounded veteran tax” and let 54,000 combat-injured veterans receive their full retirement pay and disability compensation at the same time. But Republicans offset the cost by slashing benefits for an estimated 1.5 million veterans suffering from common service-related conditions, and reducing future disability compensation by nearly $60 billion over 10 years. This kind of cost-saving priority of veterans healthcare policy was also a key element of Project 2025.

After Democrats forced a vote with a discharge petition, the House passed the standalone Major Richard Star Act, H.R. 2102, by a vote of 392-18, with no cuts to other veterans’ benefits. Both bills now head to the Senate, where Republicans have blocked the standalone Star Act six times.

The Senate should reject TCAVA’s disability compensation cuts and pass the standalone Major Richard Star Act. Veterans should not be pitted against one another to receive the care and compensation they’ve earned.