Veteran Affairs
Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL) has introduced a whopping eight bills to start the 119th Congress, covering everything from tax policy to veterans' healthcare to border security to animal protection, and the session has only begun. One bill Rep. Buchanan is reintroducing is the Tax Cuts and Jobs (TCJA) Permanency Act. As the name suggests, this […]
Representative Gus Bilirakis's (R-FL) bipartisan Major Richard Star Act has garnered strong bipartisan support in the House and Senate but has gotten nowhere since it was introduced in August 2022. This led him and Representative Raul Ruiz (D-CA) to demand action in a recent letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to bring the bill […]
A bill introduced by Representative Scott Franklin (R-FL) to strengthen Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) provisions has recently passed the House as an amendment to the larger "Dole Act," a legislative victory he said "ensures Reservists and Guardsmen who return from active duty are not disadvantaged or discriminated against in their civilian […]
Veteran homelessness rates have reached a historic low under the Biden-Harris Administration, a milestone that Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (R-FL) praised in a recent statement, saying, "This momentous achievement reflects the commitment of the Biden-Harris administration and congressional Democrats to support the men and women who served our country." The Military Times confirmed the news, noting […]
Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Morgan McGarvey (D-KY) have introduced a bill improving the recruitment and retention of staff for the Board of Veterans' Appeals. This would, in turn, increase the Board's timeliness and ability to process claims. The Board, as described by their website, is charged with assisting veterans in making appeals claims and […]
As adviser to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) on veterans issues, Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) told The Floridian in a recent interview that there is a clear difference in the priority by which veterans are treated between the Trump Administration and the Biden-Harris Administration, slamming the latter for "doing everything they possibly can to eliminate community care." […]
US Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) has long prioritized supporting veterans in his time in Congress. Now the Congressman is trying to extend veteran pensions to those who could not serve longer due to injury, as baked in, or long-standing veteran benefits formula is preventing injured veterans from receiving the full benefits they deserve Rep. Bilirakis […]
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, better known as DEI, has been scrutinized by Republicans, who allege that such a system does the opposite of its intended purpose in practice. The latest instance appeared in Veterans Affairs facilities, where race-based support groups and workshops exclude white veterans. As a result, Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) recently wrote letters […]
“At least 400 veterans who served in the Panama Canal Zone (PCZ) have now developed cancer, heart disease, or other healthy issues consistent with herbicide exposure."
House Republicans are demanding Democrats, including the Biden Administration, issue apologies for claiming the recently-passed Limit, Save, and Grow Act would cut veterans' benefits. Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) summarized on Twitter, "The VA Secretary and some of my Democrat Congressional colleagues are spreading false information and fear-mongering to make up for their lack of viable […]