Congress is debating the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act, a package that would broaden benefits for veterans, caregivers and survivors while tying funding to a controversial change in how the VA rates sleep apnea and tinnitus. The legislation bundles long‑sought measures such as the Major Richard Star Act, which would let veterans with fewer than 20 years of service collect both disability compensation and retirement pay. To pay for these expansions, the bill would adopt a 2022 rule that replaces the fixed 30% rating for sleep apnea with a 0‑to‑100% scale and reclassifies tinnitus as a symptom of other conditions, a shift the VA estimates could shave $57 billion from disability payments over a decade, hitting many post‑9/11 veterans.
Veteran service groups are sharply divided. The VFW and Iraq‑Afghanistan Veterans of America argue the trade‑off amounts to the biggest benefit cut since the Great Depression, warning that future veterans could receive far less compensation. By contrast, the American Legion, the Wounded Warrior Project and 23 other organizations support the bill, saying it delivers a net expansion of benefits and safeguards current recipients. Lawmakers echo the split: Rep. Mike Bost (R‑IL) insists the bill does not cut payments, while Rep. Mark Takano (D‑CA) says it will.
The House vote, originally slated for last week, was postponed; House leadership is working to schedule a vote in the coming weeks, while the Senate has not set a date. VA officials have said no changes to the rating rules are imminent, leaving the ultimate impact of the legislation uncertain.
