A small but determined contingent of representatives from the group Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) visited more than 100 congressional offices last week to advocate for passage of the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act (TCAVA), one of the most comprehensive bill packages in years focused on the health and welfare of veterans.
The comprehensive bill package that could soon go to vote in Congress is deep in details but has also faced some pushback related to budgets, benefits, and purported negative repercussions on military service members—like those with conditions including tinnitus and sleep apnea. Others have warned the legislation, which includes more than 60 veterans’ bills like the Major Richard Star Act, could reverse positive advancements made through the GI Bill.
Among the cohort of CVA representatives who spent three days last week speaking with lawmakers were John Byrnes, CVA’s strategic director, and Marine Corps and Army National Guard combat veteran Chris Enget who serves as CVA’s education director. Enget is a Purple Heart recipient. Also joining the CVA lobbying team on Capitol Hill was David Huston, deputy director of grassroots and a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps.
“We’ve done this kind of visit to Capitol Hill before,” Emma Duncan, communications director for CVA, told Military.com. “We call it ‘Vets on the Hill,’ but it was a real priority for us to talk through this TCAVA with as many lawmakers as we could. From all accounts, our conversations went very well. These were very productive days for us.”
The bill has major implications and has drawn myriad opinions from members of Congress plus veterans. If successful, TCAVA would expand benefits for combat-injured veterans, increase support for surviving spouses, improve access to care, and provide additional assistance to some of the nation’s most severely disabled veterans.
While legislators on both sides of the aisle in Washington have expressed support for the legislation, some are concerned over costs. Specifically, more than a dozen military and veteran groups wrote a letter on June 22 saying they support the legislation’s core provisions but scrutinized a portion of the bill known as Section 108.
That section would codify disability rating reductions for tinnitus and sleep apnea in what critics describe as a budget offset. They said that if the legislation passes and includes this particular section, it would shift the $57 billion financial burden onto 1.5 million future veteran claimants—essentially impacting individuals including current post-9/11 service members and reservists who would be forced to pay for benefits earned by those who served before them.
“Many veterans believe modernizing the VA isn’t just about having a strong health care policy,” Duncan said. “It’s about making sure the men and women who dedicated their lives to serving this country have every opportunity to heal, reclaim their futures, and continue the lifelong commitment to service that doesn’t end when they take off the uniform.”
CVA, Other Veterans Groups Lobby For TCAVA Passage
In April, several military and veterans groups wrote a letter addressed to the majority and minority leaders in the U.S. House and Senate also urging passage of TCAVA.
“We do not come to you in opposition to this bill’s purpose,” said the letter. “TCAVA contains numerous provisions our community has long supported, including the Major Richard Star Act, the Love Lives On Act, and the Servicemembers and Veterans Empowerment and Support Act.”
The letter was signed by the following coalitions: Black Veterans Project, CommonDefense.us, Hispanic Veterans Leadership Alliance, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union), Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Minority Veterans of America, National Security Leaders for America, Swords to Plowshares, The Chamberlain Network, Union Veterans Council, United for Veterans Coalition, Veterans for Common Sense, Veterans for Responsible Leadership, Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute, and 50501 Veterans.
“This bill strengthens accountability of the VA, empowers veterans with health care choice,” Huston wrote on X while pictured meeting with Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.). “We both agree: we cannot let this opportunity slip. Congress must pass TCAVA now. Veterans have waited long enough. Let’s get it done!”
Duncan is optimistic the bill will be passed despite it being currently stalled in Congress, reportedly linked to President Donald Trump’s postponement of this and other major legislation—like housing—being purposefully delayed to include the SAVE Act to aid Republicans’ efforts to install more voting rules at the federal level.
Although the House vote has been delayed for unrelated reasons, we’ll continue pushing for these reforms because the purpose of the VA is to make veterans well, not to perpetuate a system where treatable conditions become permanent disabilities.”
Joining CVA in lobbying lawmakers were representatives from Americans for Prosperity, an organization that recruits and unites concerned citizens across the country to advance policies that help people from all walks of life improve their lives.
“We are extremely grateful for the opportunity and the support each member expressed for the Take Care of American Veterans Act,” read a statement from AFP of Michigan posted to X.
Military Officers Association of America Supports TCAVA Fight
Among the included provisions in TCAVA are 23 pieces of legislation supported by the Military Officers Association of America, including three of MOAA’s long-standing legislative priorities.
Topping the list is the Major Richard Star Act, which provides meaningful relief to combat-injured retirees who currently lose military retirement pay because of the offset with VA disability compensation.
Additionally, the Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment, and Retirement (3R) Act supports family caregivers who sacrifice careers and retirement security to care for severely wounded veterans.
Also, the Love Lives On Act would eliminate the penalty that terminates survivor benefits for spouses who remarry before age 55. The TCAVA package also carries 20 other additional bills that MOAA says it has supported individually.
“MOAA and many of our partner organizations have been frustrated at the lack of action on bipartisan-supported legislation for several years,” read a statement from MOAA to its supporters on its website. “The TCAVA seems to represent a unique opportunity at a unique point in time.
“We believe the opportunity to enact so many key legislative priorities might not appear again for a very long time.”
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