Letter of Support: Take Care of America's Veterans Act
The Honorable Jerry Moran
Chairman
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Richard Blumenthal
Ranking Member
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
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
Dear Chairmen Moran and Bost, and Ranking Members Blumenthal and Takano:
As leading organizations representing veterans, Service members, families, survivors, and caregivers, we express our support for S. 4744 and H.R. 9237, the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act, and urge Congress to continue advancing this critical legislation through the legislative process.
This comprehensive package reflects years of bipartisan and bicameral work to improve care, benefits, and services for the veteran community. Republicans and Democrats have authored elements of the bill, and we believe it represents one of the most thorough efforts to deliver non-partisan support and relief to both broad and narrow segments of the communities we serve. It brings together more than 60 provisions affecting veterans’ benefits, health care, education, transition assistance, caregiver support, survivor benefits, and other essential services. Taken together, these provisions would do extraordinarily good for millions of veterans, caregivers, families, and survivors today and for generations to come.
We are especially encouraged by the inclusion of the Major Richard Star Act, which would finally end the unfair offset that forces more than 59,000 medically retired, combat-injured veterans to forfeit a portion of their earned military retirement pay to receive the disability compensation they deserve. Correcting this injustice would have a meaningful and lasting impact on some of the most severely wounded, ill, and injured veterans.
The bill also includes important proposals to strengthen mental health support, improve spinal cord injury care and prosthetic services, expand resources for survivors and families, enhance caregiver programs, and advance services for women veterans. These provisions reflect the kind of broad, durable investment that can improve quality of life across the veteran community and deliver long-sought relief to people who have waited far too long.
At the same time, we want to be clear that our support is provided after thoughtful consideration and discussion of our concerns. Legislating changes to the Veterans Affairs Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD) is not a standard path, and under ordinary circumstances it is not an approach we would support. Ideally, Congress would advance these long-overdue priorities without requiring offsets from future disability compensation. The Major
Richard Star Act would be funded through the defense authorizing committees and fully end the unjust wounded veteran tax on combat-injured warriors. Pay-as-you-go rules would be waived for these earned benefits. There would be complete clarity from the Administration and VA about whether long-anticipated VASRD changes will proceed independently of this bill. Unfortunately, the current environment is far from ideal, and veterans, families, survivors, and caregivers have already waited years across multiple Congresses and administrations for action on provisions that maintain strong bipartisan support.
The Administration must also provide immediate clarity on whether these rating-schedule changes are intended to proceed independently of the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act through VA regulation, White House direction, or other administrative action. That clarity is essential because the bill’s financing rests on assumptions that remain unresolved. If similar VASRD changes are implemented outside this legislation, the resulting savings could revert to the Treasury rather than be reinvested in veterans, families, survivors, and caregivers.
Given that reality, we believe the practical question before Congress is whether this process should continue so these resources can be reinvested in veterans, caregivers, families, and survivors, or whether the opportunity to enact this package is lost while unresolved funding questions remain. We support advancing the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act because the bill represents a net expansion of benefits and support for the veteran community and contains protections intended to prevent reductions for current beneficiaries. The goodness and positive impact of this package should not be lost in the debate over its financing.
As Congress continues its consideration of this legislation, we urge Members to preserve and strengthen key protections: no retroactive harm to veterans currently receiving compensation; prospective application only to future claims or future requests for increased ratings; full transparency from VA, the White House, and the Administration regarding any independent regulatory or policy action; and a final package that ensures expanded benefits are delivered responsibly and effectively. We are committed to working with Congress, VA, the Administration, coalition partners, and the broader veteran community to improve the pay-for, identify any credible alternative path forward, and secure the strongest possible outcome.
This moment presents a clear test of whether Congress can translate long-standing bipartisan agreement into meaningful action. We support the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act so the process can continue and so Congress can deliver lasting results for veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors. We urge swift action to advance this legislation and stand ready to work with lawmakers in both chambers to honor our commitments to all who have served.
Sincerely,
The American Legion
Military Officers Association of America (MOAA)
Wounded Warrior Project
Elizabeth Dole Foundation
Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)
American Veterans (AMVETS)
Air Force Sergeants Association
American Optometric Association
Avalon Action Alliance
Commissioned Officers Association of the USPHS (COA)
Gold Star Spouses of America
K9s For Warriors
Korean War Veterans Association
Military Chaplains Association
Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH)
Mission Roll Call
National Defense Committee
National Military Family Association (NMFA)
United States Army Warrant Officers Association (USAWOA)
USCG Chief Petty Officers Association (CPOA)
Veterans Justice Alliance
Vietnam Veterans of America