House Delays Sweeping Veterans Bill Amid Dispute Over Disability Benefit Changes
House leaders delayed a final vote on the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act after a dispute over how the legislation would pay for new and expanded veterans programs. The package combines more than 60 proposals, including measures benefiting combat-disabled retirees, surviving spouses and some National Guard and Reserve members. Many of those individual proposals have support across party lines. The central disagreement concerns provisions tied to possible changes in how the Department of Veterans Affairs evaluates tinnitus and sleep apnea claims. Supporters argue that the VA was already moving toward revising those ratings and that Congress could direct the resulting savings toward other veterans programs instead of allowing the money to return to the Treasury. Opponents say future veterans should not receive reduced compensation so Congress can finance benefits for other groups.