Disabled American Veterans (DAV) is pushing Congress to split apart a veterans benefits package that the organization says buries a costly cut inside an otherwise popular bill. As lawmakers reconvene this month, DAV says it will keep opposing the Republican-led Take Care of America's Veterans Act unless the benefit-cutting provisions are stripped out, even though the same bill contains one of DAV's own top legislative priorities.
What's Actually in the Bill
The Take Care of America's Veterans Act bundles more than 60 veterans-related bills into one package, according to DAV. One of those bills is the Major Richard Star Act, which would let roughly 54,000 combat-injured, medically retired veterans collect both full military retirement pay and VA disability compensation at the same time, ending an offset that currently forces veterans to give up part of one benefit to receive the other. DAV has pushed for this fix for years.
The problem, DAV says, is what is paying for it. Tucked into the same legislation is a provision that would change how the VA rates tinnitus, treating it as a symptom of an underlying condition like hearing loss or traumatic brain injury rather than its own compensable disability, and would also reduce compensation for many veterans with sleep apnea who use a CPAP machine. A VA analysis cited by DAV found the changes could cut future disability payments by as much as $57 billion over ten years and could touch up to 1.5 million veterans.
Congress Should Not Fund Benefits by Cutting Benefits
DAV's position is blunt: lawmakers should not pay for one group of veterans' earned benefits by quietly reducing another group's. Newsweek reported that the warning has sharpened as the bill moves forward, and Stars and Stripes noted in late October that DAV is pressing lawmakers to pass the Richard Star Act specifically when Congress reconvenes in November, separate from the disputed offsets.
It's a familiar bind in Washington: a bill with broad, bipartisan appeal gets used as a vehicle for a less popular provision, betting that no one will vote against the popular part. DAV's ask is simple, if harder to execute politically: pass the Richard Star Act on its own merits, and let the tinnitus and sleep apnea changes stand or fall on theirs.
Why This Matters Beyond Capitol Hill
Veterans with service-connected tinnitus and sleep apnea are not a small or unusual group; hearing damage and sleep-disordered breathing are among the most commonly rated conditions in the VA system. A change of this scale would reach into the disability rating of veterans who may not even realize their benefits are part of the debate until a check changes.
Operation WarriorFit's community is made up of exactly the veterans this fight affects. We can't change what Congress does, but we can make sure the people living through these policy fights still have a reason to lace up, train for something, and stay connected to a community that has their back. If that's you, see if you qualify for a free race entry.