Disabled Veterans Housing Support Act

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Bill ID: 119/hr/224
Last Updated: January 21, 2026

Sponsored by

Rep. De La Cruz, Monica [R-TX-15]

ID: D000594

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Signed by President.

January 20, 2026

Introduced

Committee Review

Floor Action

Passed House

Senate Review

Passed Congress

Presidential Action

📍 Current Status

Next: If the President signs the bill, it becomes law.

⚖️

Became Law

📚 How does a bill become a law?

1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.

2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.

3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.

4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.

5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.

6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.

7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!

Bill Summary

Another legislative masterpiece, crafted with the utmost care and sincerity... of a used car salesman on commission. Let's dissect this "Disabled Veterans Housing Support Act" (HR 224) and see what's really going on here.

**Main Purpose & Objectives:** Ah, yes, the noble goal of supporting our beloved veterans by excluding their service-connected disability compensation from income calculations for housing assistance programs. How touching. In reality, this bill is a Band-Aid on a bullet wound, designed to make politicians look good while doing the bare minimum to address the actual problems.

**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill amends Section 102(a)(20) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to exclude service-connected disability compensation when determining income levels for housing assistance programs. Wow, what a revolutionary concept! It's almost as if they're trying to make it seem like they care about veterans' welfare.

**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** Veterans, of course, are the supposed beneficiaries of this bill. But let's not forget the real stakeholders: politicians seeking re-election, lobbyists for veteran organizations, and bureaucrats at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) who need to justify their existence. Oh, and the Comptroller General gets a nice little task to keep them busy.

**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill will likely have a negligible impact on veterans' lives, but it'll make for great campaign fodder. The report required by Section 3 will probably gather dust on some shelf, while HUD bureaucrats will use it as an excuse to request more funding and personnel. Meanwhile, the real issues plaguing veteran housing – lack of affordable options, inadequate support services, and bureaucratic red tape – will remain unaddressed.

Diagnosis: This bill is a classic case of "Legislative Lip Service Syndrome" (LLSS), characterized by grandiose language, minimal actual impact, and a healthy dose of self-serving politics. The symptoms include:

* Overuse of buzzwords like "support" and "veterans" * Token gestures masquerading as meaningful policy changes * A complete lack of addressing the underlying problems

Treatment: Administer a strong dose of skepticism and critical thinking to voters, followed by a healthy dose of outrage and activism. Unfortunately, this condition is often terminal, and the only cure is a complete overhaul of the system. But hey, at least we can all feel good about pretending to care about veterans for a few minutes.

Related Topics

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Generated using Llama 3.1 70B (Dr. Haus personality)

đź’° Campaign Finance Network

Rep. De La Cruz, Monica [R-TX-15]

Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$120,157
30 donors
PACs
$0
Organizations
$7,600
Committees
$0
Individuals
$112,557

No PAC contributions found

1
CHOCTAW NATION OF OKLAHOMA
1 transaction
$3,300
2
THE CHICKASAW NATION
1 transaction
$3,300
3
ALABAMA- COUSHATTA TRIBE
1 transaction
$1,000

No committee contributions found

1
ADKINS, JAMES
1 transaction
$6,600
2
MOUSSEAU, RAYMOND
1 transaction
$6,600
3
DILAMANI, EDWARD
1 transaction
$6,600
4
EMIG, SUELLEN
1 transaction
$6,600
5
STEWART, FORREST
1 transaction
$6,534
6
SPECHT, VIVIAN
1 transaction
$5,940
7
CERDA, JULIO
1 transaction
$5,000
8
SHIELDS, MAURY
1 transaction
$4,500
9
WARD, TOM
1 transaction
$4,107
10
GARCIA, ROBERT
1 transaction
$4,000
11
OGLETREE, DAN
1 transaction
$3,300
12
HUNT, WOODY L.
1 transaction
$3,300
13
GARZA, JACINTO
1 transaction
$3,300
14
POHL, BETTY J
1 transaction
$3,300
15
POPE, SUSAN
1 transaction
$3,300
16
POPE, BILL
1 transaction
$3,300
17
MCMICHAEL, GARY
1 transaction
$3,300
18
PETERFFY, THOMAS
1 transaction
$3,300
19
ANDERSEN, TERESA
1 transaction
$3,300
20
LEACH, HOWARD H
1 transaction
$3,300
21
FARBER, ZACHARY
1 transaction
$3,300
22
VEBELIUNAS, MAURA
1 transaction
$3,300
23
RAHMAN, TAHMID
1 transaction
$3,300
24
GARZA, JOSE
1 transaction
$3,300
25
GAUDIOSI, BENJAMIN
1 transaction
$3,300

Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance

This bill has 10 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.

Rep. Sherman, Brad [D-CA-32]

ID: S000344

Top Contributors

10

1
MORONGO BAND OF MISSION INDIANS NATIVE AMERICAN RIGHTS FUND
Organization BANNING, CA
$2,000
Oct 30, 2023
2
MS BAND OF CHOCTAW INDIANS
Organization CHOCTAW, MS
$2,000
Oct 5, 2023
3
SANTA YNEZ BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
Organization SANTA YNEZ, CA
$2,000
Sep 30, 2024
4
SANTA YNEZ BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
Organization SANTA YNEZ, CA
$1,300
Oct 21, 2024
5
BARONA BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
Organization LAKESIDE, CA
$1,000
Oct 28, 2024
6
SANTA YNEZ BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
Organization SANTA YNEZ, CA
$700
Oct 21, 2024
7
AHMED, TAIMOOR
MARKHOR LOGISTICS • CEO
Individual SACRAMENTO, CA
$3,300
Mar 30, 2023
8
GARHWAL, HARI
GARHWAL, CHAN & WILLIAMS • CPA
Individual SAN FRANCISCO, CA
$3,300
Mar 23, 2023
9
GARHWAL, HARI
GARHWAL, CHAN & WILLIAMS • CPA
Individual SAN FRANCISCO, CA
$3,300
Mar 23, 2023
10
GARHWAL, SANJEEV
WWMG • PHYSICIAN
Individual SEATTLE, WA
$3,300
Mar 29, 2023

Rep. Emmer, Tom [R-MN-6]

ID: E000294

Top Contributors

10

1
AGUA CALIENTE BAND OF CAHUILLA INDIANS
Organization PALM SPRINGS, CA
$10,000
Jun 4, 2024
2
AGUA CALIENTE BAND OF CAHUILLA INDIANS
Organization PALM SPRINGS, CA
$6,700
Nov 6, 2023
3
AK-CHIN INDIAN COMMUNITY
Organization MARICOPA, AZ
$5,000
Dec 31, 2023
4
PRAIRIE ISLAND TRIBAL COUNCIL
Organization WELCH, MN
$5,000
Dec 27, 2023
5
FOREST COUNTY POTAWATOMI COMMUNITY
Organization CRANDON, WI
$5,000
Jul 25, 2023
6
AK-CHIN INDIAN COMMUNITY
Organization MARICOPA, AZ
$5,000
Sep 10, 2024
7
MIAMI TRIBE OF OKLAHOMA
Organization MIAMI, OK
$3,300
Mar 26, 2024
8
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
Organization ATMORE, AL
$3,300
Jun 10, 2024
9
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
Organization ATMORE, AL
$3,300
Jul 31, 2023
10
MORONGO BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
Organization BANNING, CA
$2,300
Feb 27, 2024

Rep. Crenshaw, Dan [R-TX-2]

ID: C001120

Top Contributors

10

1
CHEVRON
Organization SAN RAMON, CA
$5,000
Sep 4, 2024
2
COMPLETE EMERGENCY CARE HOLDING LLC
Organization SOUTHLAKE, TX
$3,500
Mar 11, 2024
3
SANDLIAN REALTY
Organization WICHITA, KS
$1,000
Feb 7, 2024
4
ALABAMA-COUSHATTA TRIBE
Organization LIVINGSTON, TX
$1,000
Sep 30, 2024
5
RUSSELL W H KRIDEL MD PA
Organization HOUSTON, TX
$250
Feb 28, 2023
6
JONES RANCH LLC
Organization CORPUS CHRISTI, TX
$250
Mar 13, 2024
7
MAFRIGE, DAVID
SELF • COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS
Individual HOUSTON, TX
$9,900
Jun 21, 2023
8
MAFRIGE, DAVID
SELF • COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS
Individual HOUSTON, TX
$9,900
Jun 21, 2023
9
ODEN, KEITH
CAMDEN PROPERTY TRUST • EXECUTIVE VICE CHAIRMAN
Individual HOUSTON, TX
$9,900
Jun 27, 2023
10
ODEN, KEITH
CAMDEN PROPERTY TRUST • EXECUTIVE VICE CHAIRMAN
Individual HOUSTON, TX
$9,900
Jun 27, 2023

Rep. Ciscomani, Juan [R-AZ-6]

ID: C001133

Top Contributors

10

1
SALT RIVER PIMA MARICOPA INDIAN COMMUNITY
PAC SCOTTSDALE, AZ
$1,000
Jun 14, 2024
2
CHEROKEE NATION
Organization TAHLEQUAH, OK
$3,300
Oct 31, 2024
3
EASTERN BAND OF CHEROKEE INDIANS
Organization CHEROKEE, NC
$3,300
Nov 5, 2024
4
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
Organization ATMORE, AL
$3,300
Jun 30, 2024
5
DELTA AIRLINES
Organization ATLANTA, GA
$2,500
Jul 30, 2024
6
THE CHICKASAW NATION
Organization ADA, OK
$2,000
Oct 8, 2024
7
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
Organization ATMORE, AL
$1,834
Jun 30, 2024
8
MS BAND OF CHOCTAW INDIANS
Organization CHOCTAW, MS
$1,000
Nov 5, 2024
9
COLORADO RIVER INDIAN TRIBES
Organization PARKER, AZ
$1,000
Jun 30, 2023
10
THE CHICKASAW NATION
Organization ADA, OK
$1,000
Jun 30, 2023

Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17]

ID: L000599

Top Contributors

10

1
MURTAGH, COSSU, VENDITTI & CASTRO-BLANCO, LLP
Organization WHITE PLAINS, NY
$1,000
Feb 24, 2024
2
BATMASIAN, JAMES
INVESTMENTS LIMITED • OWNER
Individual BOCA RATON, FL
$6,600
Sep 27, 2023
3
BATMASIAN, JAMES
Individual BOCA RATON, FL
$6,600
Sep 29, 2023
4
AUSTIN, ROBERT
UNAKA CO., INC. • BUSINESSMAN
Individual DALLAS, TX
$6,600
Jul 18, 2024
5
SILVERMAN, JEFFREY
RETIRED • RETIRED
Individual SURFSIDE, FL
$6,534
Feb 15, 2024
6
SILVERMAN, JEFFREY
Individual SURFSIDE, FL
$6,534
Feb 22, 2024
7
SCALA, MARY ELLEN
RETIRED • RETIRED
Individual PORT CHESTER, NY
$5,300
Aug 27, 2023
8
DEUTSCH, SHMULEY
SELF • PRESIDENT
Individual SPRING VALLEY, NY
$3,900
Jun 24, 2024
9
DEUTSCH, SHMULEY
Individual SPRING VALLEY, NY
$3,900
Jun 25, 2024
10
PERLMUTTER, RAFUEL
GOLDEN TASTE • CEO
Individual SPRING VALLEY, NY
$3,400
Jun 24, 2024

Rep. Meuser, Daniel [R-PA-9]

ID: M001204

Top Contributors

10

1
PRIDE MOBILITY PRODUCTS CORP
Organization DURYEA, PA
$2,500
Sep 18, 2024
2
COTLER, YUDACUFSKI, HUEBNER
Organization SAINT CLAIR, PA
$1,000
Apr 23, 2024
3
DOWD, JOHN J
SUNDANCE VACATIONS • PRESIDENT
Individual LEHIGHTON, PA
$6,600
Mar 25, 2024
4
PEYKOFF, ANDY
NIAGARA BOTTLING, LLC • CEO
Individual LAS VEGAS, NV
$6,600
Mar 22, 2024
5
DOWD, JOHN J
SUNDANCE VACATIONS • PRESIDENT
Individual LEHIGHTON, PA
$6,600
Sep 18, 2024
6
ROWAN, MARC J
APOLLO MANAGEMENT • MANAGEMENT
Individual GREENWICH, CT
$6,600
Aug 23, 2023
7
ROWAN, CAROLYN
CAROLYN ROWAN COLLECTION • OWNER
Individual GREENWICH, CT
$6,600
Aug 23, 2023
8
RICH, BRIAN R MR. JR
GILBERTON COAL CO. • EXECUTIVE SALES
Individual CONSHOHOCKEN, PA
$6,600
Oct 24, 2024
9
VOLPE, ELLEN M
SELF • HOMEMAKER
Individual WAVERLY TOWNSHIP, PA
$5,800
May 31, 2023
10
VOLPE, CHARLES J
EXCALIBUR INSURANCE MGMT • PRESIDENT
Individual WAVERLY TOWNSHIP, PA
$5,800
May 31, 2023

Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]

ID: F000466

Top Contributors

10

1
SANTA YNEZ BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
Organization SANTA YNEZ, CA
$1,500
Dec 31, 2024
2
STATA FAMILY OFFICE
Organization
$500
Apr 26, 2024
3
ASHER, ROBERT B.
Individual GWYNEDD VALLEY, PA
$10,000
Oct 9, 2024
4
ASHER, ROBERT B.
ASHER CHOCOLATES • CHAIRMAN
Individual GWYNEDD VALLEY, PA
$10,000
Sep 30, 2024
5
LEVY, EDWARD JR
EDW C LEVY CO • CHAIRMAN
Individual BIRMINGHAM, MI
$6,600
Feb 26, 2024
6
CROTTY, THOMAS
RETIRED • RETIRED
Individual SCOTTSDALE, AZ
$6,600
Feb 27, 2024
7
EVANS, ROGER
GREYLOCK PARTNERS • PARTNER EMERITUS
Individual SAN FRANCISCO, CA
$6,600
Feb 27, 2024
8
LEACH, RONALD
NPX ONE • CHAIRMAN & CEO
Individual GENEVA, IL
$6,600
Feb 28, 2024
9
MCCLAIN, MARK
SAILPOINT • CEO
Individual AUSTIN, TX
$6,600
Mar 2, 2024
10
CROTTY, THOMAS
Individual SCOTTSDALE, AZ
$6,600
Mar 8, 2024

Rep. Sessions, Pete [R-TX-17]

ID: S000250

Top Contributors

10

1
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
Organization ATMORE, AL
$5,000
May 16, 2024
2
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
Organization ATMORE, AL
$5,000
Sep 12, 2023
3
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
Organization ATMORE, AL
$3,300
Jun 17, 2024
4
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
Organization ATMORE, AL
$3,300
May 24, 2023
5
ALABAMA-COUSHATTA TRIBE
Organization LIVINGSTON, TX
$1,000
Sep 30, 2024
6
HOWARD, RONALD VANCE
BANKERS LIFE • MANAGEMENT
Individual HUNTSVILLE, TX
$5,000
Mar 13, 2023
7
HOWARD, KAREN
ELEMENTS MASSAGE • MANAGEMENT
Individual HUNTSVILLE, TX
$5,000
Mar 13, 2023
8
SINGH, PRITPAL
BETA SOFT SYSTEMS • MANAGEMENT
Individual FREMONT, CA
$5,000
Jun 23, 2023
9
KAUR, MANJIT
SINGH SEMICONDUCTORS & SYSTEMS • MANAGEMENT
Individual FREMONT, CA
$5,000
Jun 23, 2023
10
BEHRINGER, TODD
THE BEHRINGER GROUP, LLC • CONSTRUCTION
Individual WOODWAY, TX
$3,400
Sep 1, 2023

Rep. Stauber, Pete [R-MN-8]

ID: S001212

Top Contributors

10

1
DEMOCRACY ENGINE INC
PAC WASHINGTON, DC
$500
Jun 6, 2023
2
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUITY
Organization PRIOR LAKE, MN
$3,300
Jun 30, 2024
3
LEECH LAKE - PAC
Organization CASS LAKE, MN
$3,300
Dec 12, 2024
4
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUITY
Organization PRIOR LAKE, MN
$3,300
Nov 13, 2023
5
GOOGLE
Organization MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA
$1,000
Feb 21, 2023
6
CHAIN BRIDGE BANK
Organization MCLEAN, VA
$25
Dec 6, 2023
7
ZOTTO, CARLA DEL
Individual GLADEWATER, TX
$10,000
Aug 27, 2024
8
ANDERSON, ROLLIS
ANDERSON TRUCKING SERVICE INC. • CEO
Individual SAINT CLOUD, MN
$9,900
Feb 8, 2024
9
FAISON, JAY
CLEARPATH • FOUNDER
Individual CHARLOTTE, NC
$6,600
Jun 30, 2024
10
NYSTROM, BRIAN AND MARY ANN
NYSTROM & ASSOCIATES • PRESIDENT & CEO
Individual ANDOVER, MN
$6,600
Sep 27, 2024

Rep. Nunn, Zachary [R-IA-3]

ID: N000193

Top Contributors

10

1
OTOE MISSOURIA TRIBE OF OKLAHOMA
Organization RED ROCK, OK
$3,300
May 29, 2024
2
TURTLE MOUNTAIN BAND OF CHIPPEWA OF ND
Organization BELCOURT, ND
$3,300
May 29, 2024
3
SAC & FOX TRIBE OF THE MISSISSIPPI IN IOWA
Organization TAMA, IA
$2,500
Dec 31, 2024
4
SAC & FOX TRIBE OF THE MISSISSIPPI IN IOWA
Organization TAMA, IA
$1,000
Sep 1, 2023
5
SMITH, JOHN M.
CRST TRUCKING • CEO
Individual CEDAR RAPIDS, IA
$6,600
Oct 28, 2024
6
SILVERMAN, JEFFREY
RETIRED • RETIRED
Individual BAL HARBOUR, FL
$6,600
Oct 17, 2023
7
EMMET, RICHARD
JANE STREET CAPITAL • FINANCE
Individual LARCHMONT, NY
$6,600
Nov 21, 2023
8
WEEKLEY, RICHARD W.
SELF EMPLOYED • REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER
Individual HOUSTON, TX
$6,600
Nov 7, 2023
9
STERN, ELIZABETH
RETIRED • RETIRED
Individual SCARSDALE, NY
$6,600
Dec 6, 2023
10
SILVERMAN, JEFFREY
RETIRED • RETIRED
Individual BAL HARBOUR, FL
$6,600
Feb 15, 2024

Donor Network - Rep. De La Cruz, Monica [R-TX-15]

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.

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Showing 49 nodes and 45 connections

Total contributions: $179,157

Top Donors - Rep. De La Cruz, Monica [R-TX-15]

Showing top 25 donors by contribution amount

3 Orgs27 Individuals

Project 2025 Policy Matches

This bill shows semantic similarity to the following sections of the Project 2025 policy document. Higher similarity scores indicate stronger thematic connections.

Introduction

Low 53.6%
Pages: 682-684

— 649 — Department of Veterans Affairs approaches and technology tools that currently exist in the private sector could be employed to improve existing VBA activities. This problem is most pronounced in the disability claims process, which needs more and better management attention focused on streamlining the procedures involved in processing claims and administering benefits. The VA must improve timeliness of claim adjudication and benefits delivery: Veterans want the VBA to provide timely responses to requests for benefits support, render empathetic customer service and understandable explanations of those benefits, and deliver those benefits without frustrating delays (weeks, not months). l Identify performance targets for benefits, report publicly on actual performance each quarter, and use these metrics to drive consistent improvement. l Develop a new pilot “Express 30” commitment for a veteran’s first fully developed disability compensation claim and organize the VBA to complete the first claim in 30 days. l Hire more private companies to perform disability medical examinations. Delays in completing the examinations could be eliminated with more external capacity. l Increase automation. Hiring additional staff to process claims is costly, is inflexible, and has yielded mixed results. Attempting to change laws and regulations simply to adjudicate claims would be a herculean effort given their complexity. The best way to provide benefits faster and more accurately is by using technology to perform most of the work. Technology currently exists in the private sector, but the VBA lacks the expertise to use it. This would be more of an organizational challenge than a technology hurdle. l Reduce improper payment and fraud. About $500 million is improperly paid out each year. Better tools, training, and management could reduce this substantially, but rule changes at the departmental level would be needed. Budget The VA’s Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD) has assigned disability ratings to a growing number of health conditions over time; some are tenuously related or wholly unrelated to military service. The further growth in presumptive service-connected medical conditions pursued by Congress and Veteran Service Organizations, begun with Agent Orange and most recently for Burn Pits/Airborne — 650 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise Toxins, has led to historic increases in mandatory VBA spending in recent years. The VA has a time-phased plan to reassess the VASRD and its ratings for com- pensation, but this internal process can be slow and laborious, requires Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approvals, and can become politically charged both in Congress and with VSOs. l The next Administration should explore how VASRD reviews could be accelerated with clearance from OMB to target significant cost savings from revising disability rating awards for future claimants while preserving them fully or partially for existing claimants. l The VBA’s Information Technology top-line budget should be reexamined and reassessed in light of the need for expanded automation across the enterprise. l Traditionally, VHA captures the large majority of VA IT funding. The VBA needs to make the case for a larger IT budget with clear requirements to support that request. Personnel l Pursue reforms of the Human Capital Management process and operations within the VBA to build a more blended workforce with more contractors to process claims. This would free federal employees to perform other duties and be involved solely with the final decision to award benefits. l Improve the VBA acquisition workforce. The VBA needs more world-class contractor support. Currently, few of the top companies have contracts with the VBA, and the VBA needs to conduct more outreach to the private sector through senior leader engagement and industry conferences. l To identify more effective and efficient ways to complete claims, establish a knowledge exchange program with top-tier private-sector companies that do similar work. The VBA is fundamentally a financial services organization. A significant amount of its work has a private-sector analogue that could be leveraged to improve service to veterans. l For most of its existence, the VBA has been a risk-averse, insular, paper-based organization, implementing technology only over the past decade. This insularity has led to a predominantly “build it ourselves” approach, partly because VBA staff has limited experience or insight into current private- sector tools and methods and partly because the VBA struggles to compete

Introduction

Low 53.6%
Pages: 682-684

— 649 — Department of Veterans Affairs approaches and technology tools that currently exist in the private sector could be employed to improve existing VBA activities. This problem is most pronounced in the disability claims process, which needs more and better management attention focused on streamlining the procedures involved in processing claims and administering benefits. The VA must improve timeliness of claim adjudication and benefits delivery: Veterans want the VBA to provide timely responses to requests for benefits support, render empathetic customer service and understandable explanations of those benefits, and deliver those benefits without frustrating delays (weeks, not months). l Identify performance targets for benefits, report publicly on actual performance each quarter, and use these metrics to drive consistent improvement. l Develop a new pilot “Express 30” commitment for a veteran’s first fully developed disability compensation claim and organize the VBA to complete the first claim in 30 days. l Hire more private companies to perform disability medical examinations. Delays in completing the examinations could be eliminated with more external capacity. l Increase automation. Hiring additional staff to process claims is costly, is inflexible, and has yielded mixed results. Attempting to change laws and regulations simply to adjudicate claims would be a herculean effort given their complexity. The best way to provide benefits faster and more accurately is by using technology to perform most of the work. Technology currently exists in the private sector, but the VBA lacks the expertise to use it. This would be more of an organizational challenge than a technology hurdle. l Reduce improper payment and fraud. About $500 million is improperly paid out each year. Better tools, training, and management could reduce this substantially, but rule changes at the departmental level would be needed. Budget The VA’s Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD) has assigned disability ratings to a growing number of health conditions over time; some are tenuously related or wholly unrelated to military service. The further growth in presumptive service-connected medical conditions pursued by Congress and Veteran Service Organizations, begun with Agent Orange and most recently for Burn Pits/Airborne

Introduction

Low 51.5%
Pages: 679-681

— 646 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise 3. Section 121 (developing and administering an education program that teaches veterans about their health care options available from the Department of Veterans Affairs). 4. Section 152 (returning the Office for Innovation of Care and Payment to the Office of Enterprise Integration with a joint governance process set up with the VHA). 5. Section 161 (overhauling Family Caregiver Program expansion, which has gone poorly, so that it focuses on consistency of eligibility and awareness that the most severely wounded or injured may require the program indefinitely). l Require the VHA to report publicly on all aspects of its operation, including quality, safety, patient experience, timeliness, and cost-effectiveness, using standards similar to those in the Medicare Accountable Care Organization program so that the government may monitor and achieve continuous improvement in the VA system more effectively. l Encourage VA Medical Centers to seek out relevant academic and private- sector input in their communities to improve the overall patient experience. Budget l Conduct an independent audit of the VA similar to the 2018 Department of Defense (DOD) audit to identify IT, management, financial, contracting, and other deficiencies. l Assess the misalignment of VHA facilities and rising infrastructure costs. The VHA operates 172 inpatient medical facilities nationally that are an average of 60 years old. Some of these facilities are underutilized and inadequately staffed. Facilities in certain urban and rural areas are seeing significant declines in the veteran population and strong competition for fresh medical staff. In 2018, Congress authorized an Asset Infrastructure Review (AIR) of national VHA medical markets to provide insight into where the VA health care budget should be responsibly allocated to serve veterans most effectively. However, the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee lacked the political will to act on the White House’s nominations of commission members, and this ultimately led to termination of the AIR process. The next Administration should seek out agile, creative, and politically acceptable operational solutions to this aging infrastructure status quo,

Showing 3 of 5 policy matches

About These Correlations

Policy matches are calculated using semantic similarity between bill summaries and Project 2025 policy text. A score of 60% or higher indicates meaningful thematic overlap. This does not imply direct causation or intent, but highlights areas where legislation aligns with Project 2025 policy objectives.