HYDE-SMITH JOINS ‘TAKE CARE OF VETERANS ACT’ TO IMPROVE VA SERVICES & BENEFITS
Comprehensive Bicameral Measure Bundles Long-Sought VA Program Reforms
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today announced her support for a comprehensive bicameral bill to improve and expand benefits for American veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors.
Hyde-Smith has cosponsored the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act (S.4744), which combines 62 bipartisan, bicameral bills into one sweeping bill to address long-sought program changes to improve health care, benefits, and services for veterans, servicemembers, survivors, caregivers, military families, and Veterans Affairs staff.
“I’ve visited with so many veterans and their families who are frustrated that commonsense improvements to VA programs get bogged down in the legislative process. The Take Care of Veterans Act is a bold effort to enact many of these program improvements together,” Hyde-Smith said. “I hope growing support among veterans’ groups will help convince enough lawmakers in the House and Senate to finally deliver for our veterans.”
The package includes several bills supported by Hyde-Smith, including the Major Richard Star Act to overturn a policy that denies some combat-disabled veterans from receiving full military retirement pay and veteran disability compensation, and the Love Lives on Act to allow spouses of deceased servicemembers to retain their survivor benefits if they remarry. The overall bill also addresses suicide and overdose prevention, access to care for rural and underserved veterans, women veterans, caretakers of disabled veterans, and benefits to combat-injured veterans.
A coalition of more than 20 veterans, military, caregiver, and survivor organizations last week called on Congress to overcome policy differences to pass the Take Care of Veterans Act, noting that some of the compensation adjustments have been debated for decades without consensus or action.
In addition to the 22 coalition members that included the American Legion, Military Officers Association of America, Wounded Warrior Project, and Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), the legislation is supported by Concerned Veterans of America, National Taxpayers Union, Air Force Sergeants Association, ALS Association, Dog Tag Buddies, the Veterans Survivor Coalition, and Brit Slabinski and Earl Plumlee, Medal of Honor recipients, and President and Vice President of the Medal of Honor Society.
U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, introduced the Senate measure, which is paid for using elements of pending updates to the VA Schedule of Rating Disabilities for future beneficiaries seeking service-connected disability for sleep apnea or tinnitus. These changes would align future ratings with current medical advances and best practices, as first proposed by the Biden administration in 2022. In total, these updates are expected to reduce future spending by $38 billion over 10 years. By including them in the Take Care of Veterans Act, Congress can redirect half of that future spending reduction back into benefits while maintaining fiscal responsibility for American taxpayers.
S.4744 has been placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar, making it eligible for debate and vote by the full Senate.
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