On a mountaintop in Afghanistan in 2002, I witnessed the best and worst of the human condition. I watched men demonstrate extraordinary courage, sacrifice and an unwavering commitment to one another. Through it all, they kept their promises.
The Medal of Honor, which I was later awarded, represents those men and what they did that day. It has never belonged to me alone. When we raise our right hands and take an oath to serve this nation, we make a promise. We accept an obligation that may ultimately cost us our lives. We do so believing that our country will honor its obligations in return.
On this Veterans Day, Congress has an opportunity to demonstrate that it understands this simple principle by passing the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act (TCAVA) and the Major Richard Star Act.
A promise, however, is only as good as the actions taken to keep it. On this Veterans Day, Congress has an opportunity to demonstrate that it understands this simple principle by passing the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act, or TCAVA, and the Major Richard Star Act. TCAVA includes more than 60 bipartisan legislative proposals designed to improve the lives of more than 32 million veterans, caregivers and survivors.
The legislation would provide an additional $10,000 annually to catastrophically injured veterans, expand benefits for more than 600,000 survivors and deliver the first increase in certain survivor compensation in more than two decades. It would also eliminate provisions that penalize gold star spouses for remarrying. Think about that for a moment: A spouse loses the person they love in service to this country, only to face the loss of earned survivor benefits if they choose to rebuild their life with someone else. Where is the justice in that?
The Major Richard Star Act addresses another long-standing injustice. More than 59,000 combat-injured veterans are denied a portion of their earned military retirement pay because they also receive disability compensation. They earned their retirement through service. Their disability compensation recognizes injuries sustained in that service. One should not diminish the other.
This legislation has overwhelming bipartisan support, with 334 co-sponsors in the House and 79 in the Senate. Yet it has remained stalled since 2020, under both Republican and Democratic leadership. That is not a partisan failure. It is a failure of leadership.
We also have an obligation to the people who carry the burden long after military service ends. Millions of caregivers, often spouses and parents, sacrifice careers, financial security and personal opportunities to care for injured veterans. TCAVA would extend healthcare coverage for certain caregivers after a veteran dies or leaves the Department of Veterans Affairs caregiver program, and help those caregivers return to the workforce.
The legislation also expands support for veterans suffering from traumatic brain injuries, blast exposure and post-traumatic stress, including the establishment of a VA Blast Overpressure Task Force. These are not abstract policy discussions. The legislation will help people living with the consequences of service, often for the rest of their lives.
These are not abstract policy discussions. The legislation will help people living with the consequences of service, often for the rest of their lives.
More than 20 organizations, including the American Legion, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, the Military Officers Association of America, Wounded Warrior Project, the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors and AMVETS, have joined in supporting this effort. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society is proud to stand alongside them.
There are legitimate questions about how to fund this legislation, and they deserve factual, transparent answers. TCAVA incorporates proposed changes to future VA disability ratings for sleep apnea and tinnitus — changes the VA itself first proposed in 2022 and has testified that it will finalize soon. The legislation would direct the resulting savings toward veterans, caregivers and survivors rather than allowing those savings to revert to the Treasury. Let me be clear: If the VA finalizes the changes outside of the legislation, the money is lost, and we must start over again to resolve these long-standing priorities for the veteran community.
Congress has a responsibility to examine the details, understand the consequences and make informed decisions. That is what we expect of leaders. What is unacceptable is allowing political calculations, institutional inertia or the desire to deny the other party a victory to become excuses for inaction. When Mission Roll Call, a nonprofit organization, conducted a survey about TCAVA and explained the legislation to respondents, support went from 55.3% to 70.5%. The more people understand what is at stake, the more they support it. There is a lesson in that. Facts matter. Understanding matters. And leadership requires the courage to act on both.
Veterans did not get to postpone their obligations when circumstances became difficult. The wounded did not get to defer their sacrifices. The families of the fallen did not get to negotiate the price they paid. Why, then, should Congress be permitted to defer its obligations to them?
This Veterans Day, there will be speeches, ceremonies and expressions of gratitude. Those gestures have their place. But gratitude without action is insufficient. The men I served with kept their promises. Our veterans, their caregivers and the families of the fallen have paid the price of theirs.
Now it is Congress’ turn. Bring both bills to the floor. Hold the vote. Pass the legislation. Not because passing the bills benefits one political party or another. Not because it makes for a good headline. Because it is the right thing to do. And because a nation that asks its citizens to keep their promises, even at the cost of their lives, has an obligation to keep its own.
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