WASHINGTON — On a day dedicated to honoring America's veterans, the House of Representatives took the reprehensible step to quickly pass the so-called Take Care of America's Veterans Act (H.R. 9237), advancing legislation that the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States considers the largest net benefit cut since the Great Depression, setting a dangerous precedent that would allow Congress to cut veterans' earned benefits to finance unrelated federal spending.
The circumstances surrounding the House's action make this vote even more troubling. After conducting a lengthy recorded roll call vote on another matter, the House moved to a voice vote on TCAVA, with the chair quickly declaring that the yeas had prevailed without the opportunity for a roll call, while House Veterans Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano was called off the floor to discuss amending the bill.
If that sequence is confirmed, veterans and the American people deserve an explanation for why members of Congress were not required to go on the record on legislation that could affect millions of veterans and their families. Veterans deserve to know where their elected representatives stand. They deserve more than procedural maneuvering that leaves the public questioning whether their representatives were willing to accept accountability for their votes.
“It is an insult to America's veterans that Congress would advance legislation threatening their earned benefits on Veterans Day, the very day our nation is supposed to honor their service and sacrifice,” said VFW National Commander-in-Chief Cory Geisler. “And if congressional leaders believed this proposal was worthy of passage, they should have had the courage to let every member's position be recorded for the country to see. Playing political games with veterans' benefits while avoiding public accountability is cowardly and dishonorable. Those who have worn the uniform are watching, and we are more than disappointed – we feel dishonored and disrespected for our service. This proposal should be dead on arrival in the Senate, sending an unmistakable message to every American serving in harm's way that this country will honor its commitments to those who defend it.”
The VFW has repeatedly raised concerns about Section 108 of the legislation, which would, for the first time ever, write changes to the VA disability rating schedule into law to generate budget savings. Beyond its immediate implications for veterans' disability compensation, the VFW believes this approach creates a roadmap for future Congresses to target veterans' earned benefits as a budgetary gimmick or to cut benefits out of political convenience.
The timing of today's vote carries particular significance. As American service members continue to serve in harm's way around the world, Congress has advanced a proposal that raises serious questions about the promises made to those who volunteer to serve.
"Our all-volunteer force is built on the promise that when Americans step forward to defend this country, this country will stand behind them,” said Geisler. “We cannot tell young Americans that their service is indispensable while simultaneously treating the benefits earned through that service as a convenient way to cut spending. We must honor the contract, not rewrite it when the bill comes due."
More than 150 VFW volunteers converged on Washington this week to make their voices heard, joining thousands more who called and emailed their legislators from communities across the country. Their message was consistent: Veterans' earned benefits should never be used as a congressional piggy bank to fund other projects or as leverage in budget negotiations.
With the legislation now heading to the Senate, the VFW's concerns are stronger than ever after the political trickery in the House. The organization maintains that Congress can pursue meaningful improvements to veterans' benefits without financing them through reductions to other veterans' compensation or establishing a precedent that threatens future generations of service members.
The VFW has historically fought against benefit cuts like those included in TCAVA, and we will continue to fight these kinds of dangerous proposals to the end – especially when legislators seek to avoid accountability. VFW will continue to monitor the legislation and communicate its concerns about the potential consequences for veterans, military families and the nation's all-volunteer force, ensuring our nation's leaders Honor the Contract.