Veterans deserve a public revote of TCAVA on the record

DAV strongly condemns House leaders and members for disrespecting the service and sacrifice of America’s veterans by surreptitiously advancing legislation during the lame-duck session of Congress that would cut up to $57 billion in earned benefits for 1.5 million disabled veterans over the next decade.

Although House leaders failed twice earlier this year to secure enough support to pass the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act (TCAVA), the controversial legislation containing unprecedented cuts to veterans disability compensation, they chose to railroad it through the House on Veterans Day without a recorded vote.

“On a day when America honors the brave men and women who stepped forward to defend our freedom, House leaders chose to sneak through legislation threatening earned benefits for millions of veterans, their families and survivors,” said DAV National Commander John Donovan. “If Members of Congress believe these cuts are justified, they should have the courage and integrity to put their names on the record and defend them to the veterans they represent.”

“DAV calls on House leaders and every Member of Congress to support a public revote—on the record—before advancing TCAVA to the Senate,” Donovan said. “Veterans risked their lives to guarantee our right to vote and those who have the privilege of serving in Congress should have the backbone and decency to openly stand behind their votes, not hide like thieves in the night,” he said.

“Our nation made a promise to those who served, and that promise must be kept. There is no justification for choosing to balance the budget on the backs of those who served,” Donovan added.

With the legislation now heading to the Senate, DAV urges every senator to reject this underhanded political maneuvering by House leaders and oppose the largest reduction of veterans benefits in history. Instead, DAV calls on senators to work together in a bipartisan manner with veteran organizations to find a path forward to pass the Major Richard Star Act, the Briley-Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act, the Love Lives On Act, and other critical veterans bills before the 119th Congress ends.

“Congress has a sacred obligation to uphold our commitment to all generations of veterans by protecting the disability compensation, benefits and health care they have earned through service and sacrifice,” said Donovan. “DAV will continue fighting to protect veterans’ benefits and ensure our nation’s promises are kept for every generation.”