The 60-item omnibus bill introduced as Senate Bill 4744 and House Resolution 9237 in early June remains in legislative limbo, with committee hearings on it postponed in the House. The Taking Care of Veterans Act has sharply divided support and opposition from Veterans groups, much of it focused on how disability payments are to be financed and the potential for changes in how both sleep apnea and tinnitus disabilities are supported. 

As introduced, the bill would expand some disability compensation, funding that expansion with a reduction in the support of others, primarily those for apnea and tinnitus, totaling roughly $57 billion in ten years.  

The wide range of issues addressed by the bill has produced additional stumbling blocks.  Those issues include veterans’ benefits, health care, counseling, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) personnel, VA infrastructure, and the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP). Both healthcare advocates and labor unions warn that it is intended to accelerate privatization of VA Health Care and undermine collective bargaining rights for VA Mental Healthcare providers. 

Among the Act’s supporters are the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, The American Legion, the Military Officers Association of America and the Wounded Warrior Project.

Major opponents of the Taking Care of Veterans Act as now written include Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), the American Federation of Government Employees and the National Federation of Government Employees.

At this writing, it seems unlikely that the Act will be passed during this term of Congress.