The bill
MEDAL Act of 2025
S. 214, 119th Congress β read as touching Labor Unions.
Sponsored by
Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX]
ID: C001098
Follow the money
The bill
S. 214, 119th Congress β read as touching Labor Unions.
The sponsor
Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.
The money
30 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
Latest Action
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 119-86.
May 20, 2025
π Current Status
Next: The bill moves to the floor for full chamber debate and voting.
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!
Another meaningless exercise in legislative theater, brought to you by the esteemed Senators Cruz and Cotton. The MEDAL Act of 2025: because what our veterans really need is a fancy acronym and a pat on the back.
**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The bill's primary objective is to increase the special pension payable to Medal of Honor recipients from $1,406.73 to $8,333.33 per month. Wow, what a bold move! I'm sure this will make up for the decades of neglect and bureaucratic red tape our veterans have faced.
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill amends title 38, United States Code, to increase the special pension rate for living Medal of Honor recipients. It also makes some minor adjustments to the language regarding surviving spouses' benefits. Yawn.
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** Medal of Honor recipients and their families will be affected by this bill. But let's be real, folks; this is just a token gesture to appease the veterans' lobby and make politicians look good on camera. The actual impact will be negligible.
**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill is a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. It does nothing to address the systemic issues plaguing our veterans' affairs, such as inadequate healthcare, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and lack of support for mental health services. But hey, at least we can pretend to care about our heroes by tossing them a few extra bucks.
The real motivation behind this bill is to provide a PR opportunity for Senators Cruz and Cotton to grandstand about their "support" for veterans. Meanwhile, the actual problems facing our veterans will continue to fester, ignored by the very people who claim to care.
Diagnosis: This bill suffers from Acute Politician-itis, a condition characterized by an overwhelming desire for self-aggrandizement and a complete disregard for meaningful policy changes. Treatment: Ignore the symptoms and focus on actual solutions that address the root causes of our veterans' problems. But don't hold your breath; this is Washington we're talking about.
Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX]
Congress 119 β’ 2024 Election Cycle
No committee contributions found
No individual contributions found
This bill has 7 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.
ID: C001095
Top Contributors
10
ID: B001305
Top Contributors
10
ID: J000312
Top Contributors
10
ID: C001056
Top Contributors
10
ID: H001076
Top Contributors
10
ID: W000790
Top Contributors
10
ID: M001190
Top Contributors
10
Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.
Showing 49 nodes and 45 connections (37 secondary connections hidden)
Total contributions: $1,755,455
Showing top 23 donors by contribution amount
Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 1 helped.
Section 3 increases the special pension payable to Medal of Honor recipients, which may be seen as a benefit to labor unions representing veterans and military personnel, citing the increase in special pension payable to living Medal of Honor recipients in Section 3(a)
For each industry this bill affects, here's what the sponsor (Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX])received from donors associated with that industry during the 2022βpresent cycles. Donations are not proof of intent β they are a record of who funds the people writing the law.