Letter of Support for 3R's Bill

The Elizabeth Dole Foundation is proud to support H.R. 2148, the bipartisan Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment, and Retirement Act—legislation that would help military and veteran caregivers rebuild financial stability after years of providing essential, around-the-clock care to those who served. This letter was submitted in advance of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs full Committee markup on February 12, 2026, urging lawmakers to advance this critical support for caregivers and the families who rely on them.

February 9, 2026

The Honorable Mike Bost
Chairman
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Mark Takano
Ranking Member
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

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Dear Chairman Bost and Ranking Member Takano:

As a leading organization supporting the 14.3 million Americans who voluntarily care for loved ones who served in our nation's military, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation strongly supports passage of H.R. 2148, the Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment, and Retirement Act.

Many caregivers, including those enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC), provide around-the-clock care for veterans, including managing medications, ensuring care, navigating appointments and supporting activities of daily living, as well as providing significant emotional support.

However, the responsibilities of caregiving pose a serious financial burden on many caregivers, forcing them to forgo careers and hindering their ability to earn an income, maintain professional licensures, save for retirement, or potentially return to the workforce altogether.

While Congress established PCAFC in 2012 to provide modest monthly stipends for the caregivers of veterans with the most complex needs, these stipends are not considered earned income for the purposes of Social Security or retirement savings plans, leaving caregivers unable to build financial safety nets. In addition, this stipend ends soon after a caregiver transitions out of the role, which is most often when their veteran passes away. In these moments of hardship, grief and change, caregivers often find themselves far behind in professional experience and without suficient savings on which to rely.

Fortunately, Congress has the chance to ease this burden by passing the bipartisan Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment, and Retirement Act. This legislation would help transitioning caregivers reestablish financial independence by requiring VA to reimburse certain caregivers' professional certification and re-licensure fees, grant caregivers access to existing federal employment assistance programs, and extend eligibility for health coverage and bereavement counseling on which caregivers rely. It would also require a reassessment of the feasibility of establishing an individual retirement savings plan for caregivers, allowing them to try to avoid the financial cliff many encounter upon the death of the veteran.

Assisting caregivers is not only the right thing to do, it is in the best interest of veterans, families, and our nation. Most importantly, research shows that when veterans stay in their homes, often supported by loved ones, their outcomes improve. In addition, family caregivers provide yet another service by generating upwards of $400 billion in unpaid care annually, a financial burden that might otherwise be shouldered by taxpayers.

We cannot ask caregivers to dedicate their lives to this service, while providing billions of dollars of care in the home, only to turn our backs on them when they need support the most. This legislation will help correct these issues by providing essential reforms and support to better meet caregivers' needs.

Respectfully,

Steve Schwab
CEO, Elizabeth Dole Foundation