Particle.news
Get it on Google Play
Download on the App Store
10 ARTICLES
·
1h ago

House Pulls Veterans Package After GOP Revolt Over Disability Rating Changes

The delay underlines a fragile Republican majority as the VA confirms it will press ahead with audiology rulemaking on tinnitus.

The Take Care of America’s Veterans Act would replace the standalone 30% disability rating for sleep apnea with a new scale of 0 to 100% to measure “the effectiveness of medical treatment and intervention.”
Image
Rep. David Buehler, R-Lansing, attends a VFW rally against legislation that takes away certain benefits from members. They gathered on the south steps of the Kansas Statehouse on July 16, 2026.
Image

Overview

  • House GOP leaders withdrew the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act after a narrow 211-210 procedural defeat on Thursday and Speaker Mike Johnson said the bill probably will not return to the floor for weeks.
  • The 600-page package would fund new benefits by changing VA disability ratings for sleep apnea and tinnitus, a shift the VA estimates could reduce compensation by about $57 billion over 10 years.
  • At least three House Republicans broke with leadership to oppose the offsets, with lawmakers including Reps. Anna Paulina Luna, Jeff Van Drew, and Max Miller joining Democrats to block the measure.
  • The veterans community is split: more than 20 groups back the package to secure long-stalled priorities like the Major Richard Star Act while major organizations such as VFW and DAV strongly oppose using rating changes as pay-fors.
  • Even as Congress stalls, VA officials have told reporters they intend to move forward with the audiology rule that would treat tinnitus as a symptom rather than a standalone 10% rating, leaving regulatory action to proceed without congressional direction.