The bill
National Veterans Strategy Act of 2026
S. 3726, 119th Congress — read as touching Health Insurance.
Sponsored by
Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS]
ID: M000934
Follow the money
The bill
S. 3726, 119th Congress — read as touching Health Insurance.
The sponsor
Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.
The money
20 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.
The alignment
This bill's text tracks the "Department of Veterans Affairs" section, p. 688-691 of the Mandate for Leadership.
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
Latest Action
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held.
April 28, 2026
📍 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 masterpiece of legislative theater, courtesy of the 119th Congress. The National Veterans Strategy Act of 2026 is a perfect example of how politicians can take a noble cause and turn it into a bureaucratic farce.
**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The bill's main purpose is to require the President to define "veteran success" and develop a National Veterans Strategy to help veterans achieve said success. Because, you know, defining success is exactly what veterans need – another layer of bureaucratic red tape. The objectives are predictably vague, with plenty of feel-good language about helping veterans achieve well-being in various areas, including physical health, mental health, and economic security.
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill amends title 38 of the United States Code by adding a new section that requires the President to establish metrics for determining veteran success. These metrics will be developed in collaboration with a laundry list of stakeholders, including Congress, various Secretaries, state and local governments, veterans service organizations, and private sector companies. Because what could possibly go wrong when you have that many cooks in the kitchen? The bill also requires the President to submit a National Veterans Strategy to Congress every four years, which will outline how to align resources to help veterans achieve success.
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The list of stakeholders is a veritable who's who of government agencies, non-profits, and private sector companies. It's a regular buffet of special interests, all clamoring for a piece of the veteran pie. Veterans themselves are, of course, the supposed beneficiaries of this bill, but let's be real – they're just pawns in a game of bureaucratic one-upmanship.
**Potential Impact & Implications:** The potential impact of this bill is to create another layer of bureaucracy, more paperwork, and additional opportunities for politicians to grandstand about their support for veterans. In reality, it will likely do little to address the actual needs of veterans, such as access to quality healthcare, education, and employment opportunities. The implications are clear: more money will be wasted on administrative costs, more time will be spent on meetings and reports, and fewer resources will actually reach the veterans who need them.
In short, this bill is a classic case of legislative placebo – it looks good on paper, but does nothing to address the underlying problems. It's a symptom of a deeper disease: the inability of politicians to actually solve problems, instead opting for feel-good legislation that sounds good in campaign ads. As I always say, "Everyone lies, and politicians are just more creative about it." This bill is a perfect example of that creativity in action.
Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS]
Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle
No PAC contributions found
No organization contributions found
No committee contributions found
This bill has 7 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.
ID: B001277
Top Contributors
20
ID: C001075
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ID: B001243
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ID: B001236
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ID: M001243
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ID: S001208
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ID: D000622
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26
Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.
Showing 46 nodes and 46 connections
Total contributions: $46
Showing top 17 donors by contribution amount
Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 6 helped.
Section 3(b)(5) provides direction for what benefits and services should be applied to assist veterans who do not meet the metrics established under subsection (a)(1) in certain areas of health and well-being, which may involve health insurance services.
Section 3(b)(5) provides direction for what benefits and services should be applied to assist veterans who do not meet the metrics established under subsection (a)(1) in certain areas of health and well-being, which may involve hospital services.
Section 3(b)(5) provides direction for what benefits and services should be applied to assist veterans who do not meet the metrics established under subsection (a)(1) in certain areas of health and well-being, which may involve pharmaceutical services.
Section 3(b)(5) provides direction for what benefits and services should be applied to assist veterans who do not meet the metrics established under subsection (a)(1) in certain areas of health and well-being, which may involve medical device services.
Section 3(b)(5) provides direction for what benefits and services should be applied to assist veterans who do not meet the metrics established under subsection (a)(1) in certain areas of health and well-being, which may involve long-term care services.
Section 3(b)(5) mentions education as an area where benefits and services should be applied to assist veterans, which may involve for-profit educational institutions
This bill shows semantic similarity to the following sections of the Project 2025 policy document.AI-enhanced analysis provides detailed alignment ratings.
AI Analysis:
"The bill’s focus on establishing veteran well‑being metrics, cross‑sector collaboration, and regular strategic reporting aligns with Project 2025’s VA objectives of improving accountability, outcomes, and coordination of veterans’ services."
— 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. — 657 — Section Four THE ECONOMY The next Administration must prioritize the economic prosperity of ordi- nary Americans. For several decades, establishment “elites” have failed the citizenry by refusing to secure the border, outsourcing manufacturing to China and elsewhere, spending recklessly, regulating constantly, and generally controlling the country from the top down rather than letting it flourish from the bottom up. The proper role of government, as was articulated nearly 250 years ago, is to secure our God-given, unalienable rights in order that we might enjoy the pursuit of happiness, the benefits of free enterprise, and the blessings of liberty. Finding the right approach to trade policy is key to the fortunes of everyday Americans. In Chapter 26, president of the Competitive Enterprise Institute Kent Lassman and former White House director of trade and manufacturing policy Peter Navarro debate what an effective conservative trade policy would look like. Lass- man argues that the best trade policy is a humble, limited-government approach that would encourage free trade with all nations. He maintains that aggressive trade policies involve an increased government role that future leftist Administra- tions will utilize to push “climate change” and “equity”-based activism. Focusing more on gross domestic product (GDP) growth than on median income, he writes that “people mistakenly believe that U.S. manufacturing and the U.S. economy are in decline” when in truth “American manufacturing output is currently at an all-time high.” Meanwhile, we continue to experience “record-setting real GDP” despite our “long-run decline in manufacturing employment.” Lassman does not think that an aggressive U.S. trade policy would lead to more manufacturing jobs. Rather, he writes, “Federal Reserve research shows” that the
AI Analysis:
"The bill’s focus on establishing a coordinated national strategy, defining metrics for veteran well-being, and requiring regular accountability aligns closely with Project 2025’s VA objectives of improving veteran outcomes through strategic planning, performance measurement, and cross‑sector collaboration."
— 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.
AI Analysis:
"The bill's focus on developing a comprehensive National Veterans Strategy with metrics for well-being and cross-sector collaboration aligns moderately with Project 2025's emphasis on VA accountability, performance reporting, and infrastructure optimization, though it does not directly address specific Project 2025 proposals like audits, facility realignment, or caregiver program reforms."
— 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, — 647 — Department of Veterans Affairs reimagine the health care footprint in some locales, and spur a realignment of capacity through budgetary allocations. Specifically: 1. Embrace the expansion of Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) as an avenue to maintain a VA footprint in challenging medical markets without investing further in obsolete and unaffordable VA health care campuses. 2. Explore the potential to pilot facility-sharing partnerships between the VA and strained local health care systems to reduce costs by leveraging limited talent and resources. Personnel l Extend the term of the Under Secretary for Health (USH) to five years. Additionally, authority should be given to reappoint this individual for a second five-year term both to allow for continuity and to protect the USH from political transition. l Establish a Senior Executive Service (SES) position of VHA Care System Chief Information Officer (CIO), selected by and reporting to the chief of the VHA Care System with a dotted line to the VA CIO. l Identify a workflow process to bring wait times in compliance with VA MISSION Act–required time frames wherever possible. 1. Assess the daily clinical appointment load for physicians and clinical staff in medical facilities where wait times for care are well outside of the time frames required by the VA MISSION Act. 2. Require VHA facilities to increase the number of patients seen each day to equal the number seen by DOD medical facilities: approximately 19 patients per provider per day. Currently, VA facilities may be seeing as few as six patients per provider per day. 3. Consider a pilot program to extend weekday appointment hours and offer Saturday appointment options to veterans if a facility continues to demonstrate that it has excess capacity and is experiencing delays in the delivery of care for veterans. 4. Identify clinical services that are consistently in high demand but require cost-prohibitive compensation to recruit and retain talent, and examine exceptions for higher competitive pay.
Showing 3 of 5 policy matches
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.