Republican leaders in the House of Representatives have pulled a veteran benefits package that sought to expand benefits by cutting other areas, including disability compensation and home loan assistance programs.
The Take Care of America's Veterans Act would allow some retired veterans to receive both military retirement pay and VA disability compensation concurrently. Democrats, like Representative Christian Menefee (D-TX), pushed back on the measure, arguing this would cut too much funding from crucial programs to achieve its ambitious expansions.
Rep. Menefee pointed to specific $57 billion in cuts for disability benefits for veterans, a $4 billion increase in veteran borrowers’ home loan refinancing fees, and more.
“As a Congress, we have to do right by our veterans, and this bill simply does not do it,” Rep. Menefee said ahead of the bill being pulled.
Some Republicans argued that these cuts are needed to offset other benefits in the bill. Still, Rep. Menefee countered that the economic damage caused by President Donald Trump’s war in Iran has “wasted” the savings Congress is seeking elsewhere in veterans’ benefits.
“If we’re pinching pennies, let’s tell the president to end his war in Iran, which has cost taxpayers billions and billions of dollars,” Rep. Menefee said.
Rep. Menefee said this underscores how the administration has “no problem” sending Americans off to war.
“But the real measure of a nation is not just how it treats their service persons when they’re in active duty,” he clarified. “It’s how it treats them when they’re no longer dodging the bombs, the bullets and the storms at sea.”
The Texas Congressman said he knows first-hand how important disability and home loan programs are for veterans and their families.
“I’m the son of two veterans, and we would have never purchased our first home when I was in high school were it not for a VA Home Assistance Loan,” he said. “That’s the same not just for me, but for so many folks across the 18th Congressional District of Texas.”
Now, Rep. Menefee is calling on Congress to revise the bill and find another way to pay for the expanded benefits.
“It’s time for this Congress to do right by our veterans,” Rep. Menefee said.
