Delivering Digitally to Our Veterans Act of 2025

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Bill ID: 119/hr/3481
Last Updated: July 17, 2026

Sponsored by

Rep. Barrett, Tom [R-MI-7]

ID: B001321

Follow the money

The bill

Delivering Digitally to Our Veterans Act of 2025

HR. 3481, 119th Congress — read as touching Telecommunications.

The sponsor

Rep. Barrett, Tom [R-MI-7]

Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.

The money

$139,710 raised

21 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.

The alignment

85% match to Project 2025

This bill's text tracks the "Department of Veterans Affairs" section, p. 688-691 of the Mandate for Leadership.

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

September 17, 2025

Introduced

Committee Review

Floor Action

Passed House

Senate Review

📍 Current Status

Next: Both chambers must agree on the same version of the bill.

🎉

Passed Congress

🖊️

Presidential Action

⚖️

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 masterpiece of legislative theater, courtesy of the 119th Congress. Let's dissect this farce, shall we?

**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The Delivering Digitally to Our Veterans Act of 2025 (DDTV) claims to improve communication between the Department of Veterans Affairs and veterans regarding educational assistance benefits. How noble. In reality, it's a thinly veiled attempt to appear tech-savvy while perpetuating bureaucratic inefficiencies.

**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill amends existing laws to allow for "tailored lines of communication" (read: email, text messaging, and virtual chatting) between the VA and veterans. Wow, what a revolutionary concept – using technology from this century! The changes are largely cosmetic, with the most significant alteration being the extension of certain pension payment limits until January 31, 2033.

**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** Veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and (of course) the politicians who sponsored this bill. Let's be real; the only stakeholders who truly matter are the ones with deep pockets – lobbyists and special interest groups.

**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill will have a negligible impact on veterans' lives, but it will provide a nice photo opportunity for lawmakers to pretend they care about our nation's heroes. The extension of pension payment limits is a token gesture, designed to placate veterans while maintaining the status quo. Meanwhile, the VA will continue to struggle with its outdated systems and inefficient processes.

Diagnosis: This bill suffers from a severe case of "Legislative Lip Service" (LLS), a condition characterized by empty promises, lack of meaningful action, and an abundance of self-serving rhetoric. The symptoms are clear:

* Overuse of buzzwords ("digitally," "tailored lines of communication") * Cosmetic changes masquerading as substantive reform * Politicians pandering to special interest groups

Treatment: A healthy dose of skepticism, a strong stomach for bureaucratic nonsense, and a willingness to call out the obvious lies. Unfortunately, this bill will likely pass with flying colors, as our esteemed lawmakers are more concerned with appearances than actual results.

In conclusion, the Delivering Digitally to Our Veterans Act of 2025 is a prime example of legislative malpractice – a shallow attempt to address real issues while maintaining the illusion of progress. Bravo, Congress. You've managed to waste everyone's time and money once again.

Related Topics

Military & Veterans Affairs
Generated using Llama 3.1 70B (Dr. Haus personality)

💰 Campaign Finance Network

Rep. Barrett, Tom [R-MI-7]

Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$139,710
21 donors
PACs
$0
Organizations
$300
Committees
$0
Individuals
$139,410

No PAC contributions found

1
MICHIGAN AGGREGATES ASSOCIATION PAC
1 transaction
$300

No committee contributions found

1
DEMKOWICZ, BRIAN MR.
1 transaction
$13,200
2
STADLER, BRIAN
1 transaction
$6,870
3
UIHLEIN, RICHARD
1 transaction
$6,870
4
COURTNEY, JOHN
1 transaction
$6,870
5
BAKER, JEFFREY
1 transaction
$6,600
6
BANCROFT, NICHOLAS
1 transaction
$6,600
7
HAWORTH, MATTHEW
1 transaction
$6,600
8
HAWORTH, RICHARD
1 transaction
$6,600
9
O'NEIL, WILLIAM
1 transaction
$6,600
10
PROVOST, DAVID
1 transaction
$6,600
11
TURNER, CHRISTOPHER
1 transaction
$6,600
12
WEISER, RONALD
1 transaction
$6,600
13
ZYNDA, DEBRA
1 transaction
$6,600
14
ZYNDA, STEPHEN
1 transaction
$6,600
15
HAWORTH, ETHELYN
1 transaction
$6,600
16
POPE, SUSAN
1 transaction
$6,600
17
YODER, M
1 transaction
$6,600
18
FISCHER. RETIRED., AMB DAVID
1 transaction
$6,600
19
POPOLO, JOE
1 transaction
$6,600
20
CAMERON, RONALD
1 transaction
$6,600

Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance

This bill has 4 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.

Rep. Tran, Derek [D-CA-45]

ID: T000491

Top Contributors

10

1
FEHER, ERICA
FEHER LAW • MARKETING
OrganizationTORRANCE, CA
$3,300
Feb 22, 2024
2
COTCHETT, PITRE & MCCARTHY LLP
OrganizationBURLINGAME, CA
$1,700
Jul 7, 2024
3
BRACAMONTES VLASAK, PC
OrganizationOAKLAND, CA
$1,000
Mar 31, 2024
4
FEDERATED INDIANS OF GRATON RANCHERIA
OrganizationROHNERT PARK, CA
$1,000
Aug 27, 2024
5
SOSNICK, AARON
IndividualRENO, NV
$3,392
Jun 24, 2024
6
ABIR, DANNY
ACTS LAW FIRM • ATTORNEY
IndividualENCINO, CA
$3,300
Oct 2, 2023
7
ABRON, BYRON
BYRON ABRON • ATTORNEY
IndividualLOS ANGELES, CA
$3,300
Oct 2, 2023
8
ARDALAN, PEZHMAN CHRISTOPHER
ARDALAN & ASSOCIATES, APLC • ATTORNEY
IndividualTHOUSAND OAKS, CA
$3,300
Oct 2, 2023
9
AREVALO, KRISTY
MCCUNE LAW GROUP • ATTORNEY
IndividualUPLAND, CA
$3,300
Oct 1, 2023
10
BABBITT, GREGORY
AUTO FRAUD LEGAL CENTER • ATTORNEY
IndividualSAN DIEGO, CA
$3,300
Nov 24, 2023

Rep. Van Orden, Derrick [R-WI-3]

ID: V000135

Top Contributors

10

1
EASTERN BAND OF CHEROKEE INDIANS
OrganizationCHEROKEE, NC
$3,300
Dec 9, 2024
2
HO CHUNK NATION
OrganizationBLACK RIVER FALLS, WI
$3,300
Nov 2, 2024
3
FOREST COUNTY POTAWATOMI COMMUNITY
OrganizationCRANDON, WI
$3,300
Sep 17, 2024
4
AIPAC PAC CONDUIT ACCOUNT
OrganizationWASHINGTON, DC
$500
Oct 23, 2024
5
ALLIANCE OF BANKERS FOR WISCONSIN
OrganizationMADISON, WI
$250
Apr 23, 2024
6
ANDERSON, JOHN R. MR.
ANDERSON ENTERPRISES LLC • OWNER
IndividualROCKFORD, IL
$10,000
Dec 19, 2023
7
BROIN, JEFF
POET LLC • CEO
IndividualSIOUX FALLS, SD
$6,600
Aug 24, 2023
8
UIHLEIN, RICHARD E. MR.
ULINE INC. • CEO
IndividualLAKE BLUFF, IL
$6,600
Feb 28, 2023
9
LEVY, EDWARD C.
EDW. C. LEVY CO. • CHAIRMAN
IndividualBIRMINGHAM, MI
$6,600
Mar 28, 2024
10
LEVY, EDWARD C.
IndividualBIRMINGHAM, MI
$6,600
May 6, 2024

Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7]

ID: V000138

Top Contributors

10

1
LUX FOR VIRGINIA
OrganizationLADYSMITH, VA
$500
Mar 29, 2024
2
LUX FOR VIRGINIA
OrganizationLADYSMITH, VA
$500
Mar 31, 2024
3
FORSTER-BURKE, DIANE
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualCOTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, UT
$4,000
Apr 20, 2024
4
FORSTER-BURKE, DIANE
IndividualCOTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, UT
$4,000
May 5, 2024
5
VON STEIN, THOMSON
IndividualROCKVILLE, MD
$3,500
Aug 7, 2024
6
HULL, MEGAN
SELF • ACTIVIST
IndividualWASHINGTON, DC
$3,300
Nov 2, 2024
7
KAISER, GEORGE
GBK CORPORATION • EXECUTIVE
IndividualTULSA, OK
$3,300
Oct 25, 2024
8
PARSONS, KATHLEEN
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualPOTOMAC, MD
$3,300
Oct 18, 2024
9
STAPLE, HARISE
SELF • MD
IndividualLOS ALTOS, CA
$3,300
Oct 18, 2024
10
HOLMES, LAURA
SELF • REAL ESTATE INVESTOR
IndividualBOCA RATON, FL
$3,300
Oct 22, 2024

Rep. Lee, Susie [D-NV-3]

ID: L000590

Top Contributors

10

1
EMILY'S LIST
CONDUIT TOTAL LISTED IN AGG. FIELD
PACWASHINGTON, DC
$250
Feb 13, 2024
2
FEDERATED INDIANS OF GRATON RANCHERIA
OrganizationROHNERT PARK, CA
$3,300
Jun 27, 2023
3
FEDERATED INDIANS OF GRATON RANCHERIA
OrganizationROHNERT PARK, CA
$3,300
Jun 27, 2023
4
TIGUA INDIAN RESERVATION YSLETA DEL SUR PUEBLO
OrganizationEL PASO, TX
$3,000
Dec 31, 2023
5
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
OrganizationPRIOR LAKE, MN
$1,650
Jun 5, 2023
6
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
OrganizationPRIOR LAKE, MN
$1,650
May 9, 2024
7
BARONA BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
OrganizationLAS VEGAS, NV
$1,500
Jun 30, 2024
8
CHEROKEE NATION
OrganizationTAHLEQUAH, OK
$1,000
Dec 28, 2023
9
RENO SPARKS INDIAN COLONY
OrganizationRENO, NV
$1,000
Jun 21, 2024
10
BRONZE CAFE
OrganizationLAS VEGAS, NV
$550
Mar 30, 2023

Donor Network - Rep. Barrett, Tom [R-MI-7]

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

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

Loading...

Showing 58 nodes and 33 connections (51 secondary connections hidden)

Total contributions: $167,460

Top Donors - Rep. Barrett, Tom [R-MI-7]

Showing top 21 donors by contribution amount

1 Org20 Individuals

Industry Impact

Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 2 helped.

  • +Telecommunicationsconfidence 0.80

    Section 2 and Section 3 mention the use of 'text messaging' and 'virtual chatting' as forms of electronic communication, which could benefit telecommunications companies by increasing demand for their services.

  • +Big Tech Platformsconfidence 0.70

    Section 3 mentions 'other electronic forms of messaging', which could include platforms and services provided by big tech companies, potentially benefiting them through increased usage or integration.

Who funds the sponsor on these industries

For each industry this bill affects, here's what the sponsor (Rep. Barrett, Tom [R-MI-7])received from donors associated with that industry during the 2022–present cycles. Donations are not proof of intent — they are a record of who funds the people writing the law.

Industries this bill HELPS

Project 2025 Policy Matches

This bill shows semantic similarity to the following sections of the Project 2025 policy document.AI-enhanced analysis provides detailed alignment ratings.

Department of Veterans Affairs

Strong
Vector: 69%
Pages: 688-691AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill's focus on modernizing VA communication through electronic channels and improving veteran convenience directly supports Project 2025's objectives of modernizing the Department of Veterans Affairs and enhancing the veteran patient experience."

Key themes:veteran experiencedigital communicationVA modernizationoutreach efficiency

— 655 — Department of Veterans Affairs ENDNOTES 1. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Division, VHA Directive 1003, “VHA Veteran Patient Experience,” April 14, 2020, pp. 1 and B-1. 2. S. 2372, VA Mission Act of 2018, Public Law No. 115-182, 115th Congress, June 6, 2018, https://www.congress. gov/115/plaws/publ182/PLAW-115publ182.pdf (accessed January 30, 2023). 3. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VA History Office, “VA History,” last updated May 27, 2021, https://www. va.gov/HISTORY/VA_History/Overview.asp (accessed January 28, 2023). 4. 38 U.S. Code § 1116, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/38/1116 (accessed January 28, 2023). 5. S. 3373, Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022), Public Law No. 117-168, 117th Congress, August 10, 2022, https://www. congress.gov/117/plaws/publ168/PLAW-117publ168.pdf (accessed January 28, 2023). 6. H.R. 2471, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, Public Law No. 117-103, 117th Congress, March 15, 2022, Division S, Title I, https://www.congress.gov/117/plaws/publ103/PLAW-117publ103.pdf (accessed March 18, 2023). Known variously as the Department of Veterans Affairs Nurse and Physician Assistant Retention and Income Security Enhancement Act and the VA Nurse and Physician Assistant RAISE Act. 7. See note 5, supra.

Department of Veterans Affairs

Moderate
Vector: 68%
Pages: 682-684AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill aligns with Project 2025's emphasis on modernizing VA operations through technology and improved communication, particularly in enhancing efficiency and customer service for veterans. However, it focuses narrowly on educational benefits outreach rather than the broader disability claims process and automation priorities highlighted in the policy."

Key themes:technology modernizationveteran communicationservice efficiencydigital outreach

— 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

Department of Veterans Affairs

Moderate
Vector: 68%
Pages: 676-678AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill's focus on modernizing VA communication through digital tools aligns with Project 2025's emphasis on addressing VA IT shortcomings and improving service delivery efficiency, though it deals with educational assistance benefits rather than the health‑care and disability‑benefit focus of the policy section."

Key themes:digital modernizationIT improvementservice efficiencyveteran outreach

— 643 — Department of Veterans Affairs with a growth in same-day surgical procedures and outpatient care, so has the VA, and in 2018 Congress added access to private-sector urgent care outlets as one of the VA’s health care benefits. Today, the VA operates 172 inpatient VA Medical Centers (VAMCs), which are an average of 60 years old, and 1,113 Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), which are newer facilities designed to meet the needs of veterans closer to home. The VA also manages a Community Care Network (CCN) through contracts with Optum and TriWest, third-party health care administrators responsible for build- ing and maintaining a robust population of community providers to meet the needs of veterans referred for care outside of the VA system. Currently, approximately 6.4 million veterans out of 18 million nationally (and out of the 9.1 million who are enrolled) use the VA for health care; the remainder use employer-sponsored plans, Tricare, Medicare, and Medicaid. The disability benefits system evolved significantly in the years between the Cold War era and the global war on terrorism, a period when the VA enrolled large numbers of veterans from World War II, Korea, and Vietnam who were seeking disability benefits and health care. Disability compensation is the largest VA benefit, but there also are dozens of others, the next largest of which are the GI Bill and the Home Loan Guaranty. These benefits are administered through 56 Regional Benefits Offices (RBOs) and hundreds of satellite sites around the country. The Agent Orange Act of 19914 significantly expanded the scope of disability ben- efits for those who had deployed to Vietnam, and the cost of those benefits began to increase dramatically as the Vietnam generation of veterans aged and began to expe- rience adverse health conditions, some of which were presumed to have been caused by defoliant chemicals used in Southeast Asia. In 2016 and 2017, a burdensome backlog of appeals of denied disability claims from multiple wartime generations—a backlog numbering in the hundreds of thousands—led to a joint effort by the VA, Vet- eran Service Organizations (VSOs), and Congress to pass legislation that streamlined appeal processes. Implemented in 2017, this historic “good governance” success has helped the VA to reduce the number of these appeals dramatically. The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 20225 addressed adverse health outcomes presumed to be the result of veterans’ exposure to airborne toxins during the global war on terrorism and further expanded disability benefits to the most recent gen- eration of veterans. These ambitious authorities, like the 1991 authorities, have the potential to overwhelm the VA’s ability to process new disability claims and adjudicate appeals. Currently, the VA is seeking to hire large numbers of personnel to process these claims while exploring the use of an automated process to accel- erate claims reviews and decisions. The ever-present lag in the hiring and training of new employees could result in major problems with the timely adjudication of benefits well into the next Administration in 2025. — 644 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise In sum, the VA for the foreseeable future will experience significant fiscal, human capital, and infrastructure crosswinds and risks. Budgets are at historic highs, and with a workforce now above 400,000, the VA is contending with a lack of new veteran enrollees to offset the declining population of older veterans. Recruitment of medical and benefits personnel has become more challenging. Veterans are migrating from the northern states to the southern and western states for retirement and employment. Meanwhile, VA information technol- ogy (IT) is struggling to keep pace with the evolution of patient care and record keeping. Consequently, VA leaders in the next Administration must be wise and courageous political strategists, experienced managers to run day-to-day oper- ations more effectively, innovators to address the changing veteran landscape, and agile “fixers” to mitigate and repair systemic problems created or ignored by the present leadership team. VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (VHA) Needed Reforms l Rescind all departmental clinical policy directives that are contrary to principles of conservative governance starting with abortion services and gender reassignment surgery. Neither aligns with service-connected conditions that would warrant VA’s providing this type of clinical care, and both follow the Left’s pernicious trend of abusing the role of government to further its own agenda. l Focus on the effects of shifting veteran demographics. At least during the next decade, the VA will experience a significant generational shift in its overall patient population. Of the approximately 18 million veterans alive today, roughly 9.1 million are enrolled for VA health care, and 6.4 million of these enrollees use VA health care consistently. These 6.4 million veterans are split almost evenly between those who are over age 65 and those who are under age 65, but the share of VA’s health care dollars is spent predominantly in the over-65 cohort. That share increases significantly as veterans live longer and use the VHA system at a higher rate. VHA enrollments of new users are increasingly at risk of being exceeded by the deaths of current enrollees, primarily because significant numbers of the Vietnam generation are reaching their life expectancy. The generational transition from Vietnam-era veterans to post-9/11 veterans will take several years to complete. The ongoing demographic transition is a catalyst for needed assessments of how the VA can improve the delivery of care to a numerically declining and differently dispersed national population

Showing 3 of 5 policy matches

About These Correlations

Policy matches are calculated using a hybrid approach: initial candidates are found using semantic similarity between bill summaries and Project 2025 policy text, then an AI model (Llama 3.1 70B) provides detailed alignment ratings and analysis. Ratings range from 1 (minimal alignment) to 5 (very strong alignment). This analysis does not imply direct causation or intent.

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