WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), along with Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Jon Tester (D-MT), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), introduced new legislation to protect veterans’ earned benefits and ensure the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is able to continue to pay disability compensation, pension and education benefits to veterans.

This year, the VA has served more veterans than ever before and provided more care and benefits to veterans exposed to toxins during their time in the military after implementing the bipartisan Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act. The legislation, which was signed into law in 2022, provided a record expansion of care and benefits for veterans. As a result, more veterans are filing claims and receiving long overdue earned benefits, including disability compensation and GI Bill benefits. 

Without additional funding to mirror the increased number of claims received, the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) is at risk of leaving 7 million veterans and survivors without access to this support. Delaying this funding could postpone benefit payments from reaching veterans, caregivers and survivors, requiring tough spending choices at the beginning of October to avoid overdraft fees or the potential of services being shut off.  

“The PACT Act is a landmark law that is providing generations of veterans the services and support they are owed after serving our nation in uniform. In Arkansas and across our country, these heroic men and women must not suffer because of a potential shortfall in funding. I am proud to work in a bipartisan fashion to make certain that does not happen and help the VA accurately account for the resources it needs to carry out this vital mission,” Boozman said.

“We fought to make the PACT Act law to expand the care and benefits millions of veterans earned when they served our country, and because of it more veterans than ever are getting the care they deserve. We must ensure VA can continue to implement the PACT Act – we can’t deny the brave veterans who sacrificed to protect our country the benefits they earned, because VA doesn’t have the resources,” said Brown. 

“We have an obligation to ensure veterans, their eligible family members, and survivors receive the VA benefits they have earned. Congress must do everything in its power to fulfill the nation’s obligation to them. The Veterans Supplemental Appropriations Act ensures VA has the necessary funds so that those who have borne the battle will continue to receive their VA benefits on time,” said Heather Ansley, Chief Policy Officer of Paralyzed Veterans of America.

“Recently, VA announced a budget shortfall that may have delayed the timely delivery of benefits to people nationwide. Veterans, family members, and caregivers have earned VA benefits through service. We are frustrated to hear VA may not have properly accounted for certain benefits through the end of the fiscal year. Each year Congress has provided VA with the resources it requested for veterans’ care and benefits. It is disappointing to learn VA has not requested enough money to properly fund VA care and benefits. We are grateful however that a bipartisan group of Senators led by Senators Brown, Murray, Tester, Sinema, Collins, Moran, and Boozman have stepped up to rectify this funding gap. The VFW commends these lawmakers for continuing to support veterans, families, and caregivers when needed,” said VFW National Legislative Director Pat Murray.

“DAV strongly supports the Veterans Supplemental Appropriations Act to ensure that VA has sufficient funding so that no veteran will have their benefits delayed this fall. We thank all the bipartisan Senate sponsors who worked together to bring this legislation forward so quickly and call on all members of the Senate and the House to support this urgent legislation,” said Randy Reese, DAV Washington Executive Director. 

“Veterans should never have their financial security put at risk by late payments from the Department of Veterans Affairs for benefits they have earned. Wounded Warrior Project is proud to support the Veterans Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024 to ensure that the Veterans Benefits Administration has the resources it needs to meet its obligations to veterans while leaders in Congress and the Department of Veterans Affairs sort out the issues that underlie last week's budget shortfall announcement,” said Jose Ramos, Wounded Warrior Project Vice President for Government & Community Relations.

“Guaranteed delivery of the benefits our veterans and surviving family members earned through their sacrifices is something they should never have to doubt.  Honoring their service is one of the most sacred duties we have as a nation. MOAA thanks Senators Brown, Murray, Collins, Tester, Boozman, Sinema, and Moran for taking swift action in response to VA's request,” said Lt. Gen. Brian T. Kelly, USAF (Ret.), President and CEO of the Military Officers Association of America.

Boozman championed passage of the watershed PACT Act on behalf of toxic-exposed veterans and advocates to secure their access to VA healthcare and benefits. The law included a Boozman-authored provision to expand benefits to Vietnam War-era veterans exposed to Agent Orange during their service in Thailand after Arkansas veteran Bill Rhodes shared his benefits were denied because the VA didn’t allow him to prove toxic exposure based on his service location. 

Earlier this year, the VA announced it had already delivered over 11,000 PACT-Act related disability compensation claims to veterans and survivors across Arkansas. Additionally, more than 5,000 Natural State veterans had signed up for VA health care since the Department began implementing the law.