June 23, 2026
Comparing HR 9237 / S 4744 “The Take Care of America’s Veterans Act” and
HR 2102 / S 1032 “The Major Richard Star Act”
Hello Indivisible Citizens of Catawba Valley,
It’s another Take Action Tuesday from the ICCV Legislative Committee. We’re devoting this week’s message to veterans’ issues.
The Constitution was written to “provide for the common defense” and “to secure the blessings of liberty. We must then consider the care of veterans as our charge, a sacred duty. Our legislators are failing the people who never failed to serve our country, faithfully and with honor. In America, we have tax breaks for the wealthy, while veterans’ benefits are considered too costly. This never-ending corruption must NOT be allowed to continue while veterans (and others) suffer.
Expressing our views to our legislators is not just something for policy nerds. It is essential at a time when the administration is focused on increasing its power and suppressing those who disagree.
HR 9237 / S 4744 Take Care of America’s Veterans Act is a huge legislative proposal designed to support veterans. It is over 500 pages and includes over 60 different bills. Interestingly, the entire text of The Major Richard Star Act is included, but it also contains several features opposed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Disabled American Veterans. These organizations instead support HR 2102/ S 1032 The Major Richard Star Act, a stand-alone bill that eliminates those restrictions.
Objections to HR 9237/S4744 center around disability/retirement calculations and certain treatment restrictions for veterans. Specifically, veterans’ organizations oppose changes to the rate schedules that would force veterans to pay for tinnitus and sleep apnea treatments, although both are frequently associated with combat poly trauma. Additionally, if a veteran takes medical retirement before reaching full retirement age, the retirement benefits would be cut by the amount of disability received, thus punishing the veteran and reducing disability. https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2026/6/vfw-strongly-opposes-disability-benefit-cuts-included-in-proposed-take-care-of-americas-veterans-act
WHAT TO DO
Please feel free to share this information with your family and friends. The more we educate people about what our elected representatives are doing in our name, the better we can protect democracy.
2. Please contact your elected representatives with the following messages:
a. We support funding The Major Richard Star Act (Senator Tillis is an opponent because of the capital outlay) and OPPOSE Trump’s vanity projects, tax breaks for billionaires, and limiting treatment for veterans suffering from PTSD-related illnesses.
Remind them that they work for “the people,” not the president, and that, in a time of war, it is unpopular with their constituents to penalize men and women who have been injured serving their nation.
HOW TO DO IT
You can reach your US Senators and Representatives here:
- Senator Thom Tillis: (202) 224-6342
- Senator Ted Budd: (202) 224-3154
- Representative Pat Harrigan: (202) 225-2576
- Representative Virginia Foxx: (202) 225-2071
WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT
According to VA estimates, these changes could reduce disability compensation payments by approximately $57 billion over ten years and affect up to 1.5 million veterans. The Veterans of Foreign Wars vehemently rejects these provisions not only because they would unfairly penalize disabled veterans, but also because they set a dangerous precedent by allowing Congress to alter disability ratings for budgetary purposes rather than relying on medical evidence and the established principles of the VA rating schedule. https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2026/6/vfw-strongly-opposes-disability-benefit-cuts-included-in-proposed-take-care-of-americas-veterans-act
Changing rules mid-stream, particularly for those who sacrificed much for our democracy is just wrong. “For this reason, the Marine Corps League does not support this bill as currently drafted, particularly Section 108. While the bill is well intended and contains many provisions we support, Section 108 would effectively reduce disability compensation for future claims involving obstructive sleep apnea and tinnitus. These conditions are especially common to our Marines, FMF [Fleet Marine Forces] personnel, and other Veterans whose service involved toxic and environmental exposures, weapons-fire, aircraft and artillery noise, blast overpressure, and a wide variety of related experiences.”
The Major Richard Star Act, the bill supported by the veteran groups, is opposed by a number of Republicans, including Senator Tillis. The bill amends Title 10 and Title 38 of the United States Code to end the required pay offset for military personnel who are medically retired under Chap. 61 due to combat wounds, trauma, or toxic exposures before reaching 20 years of service, allowing for the same pay structure those with 20-year retirement eligibility receive. “Roughly 59,000 veterans are currently affected. Because the policy expands mandatory federal spending, Senate rules require a budget waiver or a designated revenue source to offset the cost. Lawmakers concerned with the deficit have blocked attempts to pass the bill without offsets, leading to a pattern of procedural blocks in the Senate.” https://mymilitarybenefits.com/benefits/major-richard-star-act-questions-and-answers/
Additional resources:
https://veteranlife.com/veteran-benefits/major-richard-star-act
https://www.disabledveterans.org/why-thousands-of-veterans-are-still-watching-congress-closely/
ICCV General Meeting: Thursday, June 25 at 6:00 PM at Unifour Church. There will be a special showing of the film “The Last Class.” This meeting will NOT be live-streamed.
Don’t forget our “March for Voting Rights” starting from three different points in Hickory on Saturday, June 27 at 9:00 AM. Bring a friend (or two)!
For more information on our events and activities, check out our website: https://www.indivisibleccv.org/
Thank you for everything you do to protect our democracy!
ICCV Legislative Committee
“With Liberty and Justice for ALL”