U.S. House to Vote on Mixed Veterans Benefits Package with Cost Offsets
The U.S. House is set to vote on the Take Care of America’s Veterans bill, a 62-provision package expanding benefits for combat-disabled retirees and surviving spouses via the Maj. Richard Star Act and Love Lives On Act. To offset the $11 billion cost, the bill tightens disability ratings for tinnitus and sleep apnea, saving $57 billion but cutting future veterans’ benefits. Major veterans groups oppose the cuts, while bipartisan support remains strong.
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Stage Set for House to Take Up Major GOP Veterans Bill
The U.S. House of Representatives is preparing to consider a sweeping GOP veterans bill, the Maj. Richard Star Act, introduced as an amendment to the fiscal 2027 defense authorization bill by Rep. Gus Bilirakis. House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost filed a manager's amendment that clarifies eligibility for reservists and accelerates benefit implementation to immediate enactment, but leaves intact the most controversial provision: funding the expanded concurrent receipt of military retirement and VA disability benefits by cutting future disability benefits for veterans with tinnitus or sleep apnea. The bill has divided major veterans groups, with some supporting it as the only practical path forward and others opposing the offset that pits one group of disabled veterans against another. Critics also note the amendment does not address an 'artificial cap' on benefits for combat-injured veterans with less than 20 years of service.
Roll CallHouse to Vote on Landmark Bill Boosting DOD and VA Benefits for Some Veterans While Cutting Others
The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on the Take Care of America’s Veterans bill, a comprehensive legislative package that includes the Maj. Richard Star Act and the Love Lives On Act. The Maj. Richard Star Act would allow 54,000 combat-disabled medically retired veterans to receive full military retirement pay and VA disability compensation without offsets, a change estimated to cost $11 billion over a decade. The Love Lives On Act would permit surviving spouses to retain VA and Defense Department benefits if they remarry before age 55. To offset costs, the bill proposes updating VA disability rating schedules for sleep apnea and tinnitus, which would reduce benefits for future veterans with those conditions. This has drawn strong opposition from major veterans service organizations like the DAV and VFW, who argue it unfairly shifts the cost burden onto future disabled veterans. The bill was introduced by Republican committee chairs and has broad bipartisan support for its core provisions.
Marine Corps TimesUS House to Vote on Landmark Veterans Benefits Bill with Major Richard Star Act and Rating Changes
The U.S. House is set to consider the Take Care of America’s Veterans bill, a 62-provision package that includes the Major Richard Star Act and the Love Lives On Act. The Star Act would end offsets between military retirement pay and VA disability compensation for approximately 54,000 combat-disabled veterans. The Love Lives On Act would allow surviving spouses to retain benefits if they remarry before age 55. To offset the estimated $11 billion cost over a decade, the bill proposes tightening disability ratings for sleep apnea and tinnitus—changing sleep apnea asymptomatic or mild cases to a 0-10% rating and eliminating tinnitus as a standalone condition. This offset approach has drawn strong opposition from major veterans service organizations like DAV and VFW, who argue it cuts future veterans' benefits to pay for current expansions. The bill has broad bipartisan support but had been stalled over cost concerns.
Navy TimesUS House to Vote on Major Veterans Benefits Package Expanding and Reducing Benefits
The US House is set to vote on the Take Care of America’s Veterans bill, a landmark package combining 62 provisions including the Maj. Richard Star Act and the Love Lives On Act. The Star Act would allow 54,000 combat-disabled medically retired veterans to receive both full military retirement pay and VA disability compensation without offsets, while the Love Lives On Act lets surviving spouses under 55 retain benefits if they remarry. To offset the Star Act’s estimated $11 billion cost over a decade, the bill tightens VA disability ratings for tinnitus and sleep apnea, expected to save $57 billion over 10 years. Major veterans organizations, including the VFW and DAV, strongly oppose these rating changes, arguing they cut future veterans' benefits to pay for current ones. Sponsors Rep. Mike Bost and Sen. Jerry Moran emphasize bipartisan support but acknowledge the need for offsets to overcome prior legislative hurdles.
Navy TimesHouse to vote on bill expanding some veteran benefits while cutting others
The U.S. House will vote on the Take Care of America's Veterans bill, a 62-provision package that includes the Major Richard Star Act and the Love Lives On Act. The Star Act would give 54,000 medically retired veterans both full military retirement pay and VA disability compensation without offsets. The Love Lives On Act would allow surviving spouses to keep benefits if they remarry before age 55. To offset the estimated $11 billion cost of the Star Act over a decade, the bill accelerates 2022-proposed changes to VA disability ratings for sleep apnea and tinnitus, which could reduce future veteran benefits by $57 billion over 10 years. This approach has drawn strong opposition from major veterans service organizations like DAV and VFW, who argue it unfairly burdens future disabled veterans to pay for current benefit expansions.
Navy TimesHouse to Vote on Landmark Bill Boosting Benefits for Some Veterans While Cutting Others
The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on the Take Care of America's Veterans bill, a broad proposal consolidating 62 provisions, including the Maj. Richard Star Act and the Love Lives On Act. The Star Act would allow 54,000 wounded combat veterans to receive both full military retirement pay and VA disability compensation without offsets. The Love Lives On Act would permit surviving spouses to retain benefits if they remarry before age 55. To cover the estimated $11 billion cost over a decade, the bill would update the VA's rating schedule for sleep apnea and tinnitus, potentially reducing future disability compensation for these conditions. This offset mechanism has drawn strong opposition from groups like the Disabled American Veterans and the VFW, who argue it unfairly cuts benefits for future veterans. The bill is sponsored by Republican Rep. Mike Bost and Sen. Jerry Moran.
Air Force TimesHouse to vote on landmark bill boosting DOD and VA benefits for some veterans while cutting others
The U.S. House is set to vote on the 'Take Care of America’s Veterans bill,' a comprehensive package that includes the Maj. Richard Star Act, granting 54,000 medically retired veterans full military retirement pay and VA disability compensation without offsets, and the Love Lives On Act, allowing surviving spouses to retain benefits if they remarry before age 55. To cover an estimated $11 billion cost over ten years, the bill would tighten VA disability ratings for sleep apnea and tinnitus, potentially reducing compensation for 1.5 million future veterans by $57 billion. While the Star Act enjoys broad bipartisan support (336 House members, 79 senators), major veterans service organizations like the VFW and DAV oppose the benefit cuts they say unfairly burden future disabled veterans.
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