ICYMI Op-Ed: Congress Can Fund Veterans' Care Without Taking Benefits from Disabled Heroes

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and House Veterans' Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-CA) today co-authored an op-ed in FOX News, raising concern with Republican's proposal to pay for the Take Care of America's Veterans Act ahead of a House vote on the legislation.

"This week, the House will vote on the Take Care of America's Veterans Act. This legislation includes nearly 60 bills, including several bipartisan priorities that we have authored and fought to advance as the top Democrats on the Senate and House Veterans' Affairs Committees - most notably the Major Richard Star Act. Unfortunately, Republicans have chosen a partisan path to advance this legislation, and we have a serious problem with how they are proposing to pay for it," wrote the Committee leaders.

As the legislation is currently written, the Take Care of America Veterans' Act would cut benefits for millions of veterans currently eligible to receive disability benefits for tinnitus and sleep apnea. The leaders called into question Republicans' insistence of including these cuts in the legislation: "Frustratingly, the Republicans' insistence on using this funding mechanism, known as an offset, is applied inconsistently and selectively. For instance, they spent $3.4 trillion to deliver tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last summer, with no regard to offsetting those costs. Despite this reality, Republicans claim the only viable path forward for the Take Care of America's Veterans Act is enacting unprecedented cuts to disabled veterans' benefits."

The leaders highlighted Congressional Democrats and many Veterans Service Organizations opposition to this funding proposal. Last month, 47 Senate Democrats communicated their opposition to this offset in a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins - a clear and public affirmation that the Republican proposal does not have the support it needs to clear the Senate.

While the leaders noted they do not believe an offset "is appropriate or necessary," they floated two compromise offsets that would not cut veterans' benefits: "There is nearly $100 billion for the Department of Defense that remains unobligated and unspent from H.R. 1, a law enacted more than a year ago. A small portion of those funds could easily be redirected to cover the human costs of war reflected in the Take Care of America's Veterans Act. H.R. 1 also lowered the tax rate for the richest Americans from 39.6% to 37%. Restoring that rate to 39.6% only for the top 0.1% of all income earners - those making over $25 million - would generate enough revenue to cover the costs of the Take Care of America's Veterans Act. Both proposals would be widely supported by the American people and would allow us to avoid a partisan and contentious debate that divides the veteran community by pitting veterans against veterans."

The leaders concluded by calling on Republicans to abandon these cuts and engage in a bipartisan lawmaking process: "We, and our Democratic colleagues, are ready to find a solution. We want to see many of the priorities in the Take Care of America's Veterans Act signed into law. We want to get the Major Richard Star Act across the finish line. But we cannot accept a Republican 'take it or leave it' approach - or the false narrative that cutting veterans' benefits is the only way to get the job done. There are other viable ways to pay for this legislation, and Republican leaders must come to the table and engage in a meaningful bipartisan process."

Read the full op-ed here.

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