Legislative Priorities

Legislative Priorities - VFW

Legislative Priorities - VFW × Member Login *Please provide a valid email *Please enter your password Forgot username or password? OR Are you a new user? What is ID.me? • Video Tutorials for ID.me Carrying the Voice of 18 Million Veterans Our nation made a promise to those who serve, and we fight to ensure it's kept. Home Advocacy Legislative Priorities The location of our Washington, D.C., office allows us to monitor all legislation affecting veterans, alert VFW membership to key legislation under consideration and to actively lobby Congress and the administration on veterans' issues. National Legislative Service establishes the VFW's legislative priorities and advocates on veterans' behalf. By testifying at congressional committee hearings and interacting with congressional members, the VFW has played an instrumental role in nearly every piece of veterans' legislation passed since the beginning of the 20th century. Everything we do on Capitol Hill is with the VFW’s Priority Goals and veterans' well-being in mind. With the strength of the more than 1.3 million members of the VFW and its Auxiliary, our voice on Capitol Hill cannot be ignored! Among the VFW's most recent and important legislative victories was expanding college education benefits for military service members with the signing of the Forever GI Bill, and ensuring America's service members and veterans receive the care they deserve - whenever and wherever they need it - by passing the VA MISSION Act. Our 2026 Priority Goals: Budget To fully fund relevant programs for veterans, service members and their families, Congress must: Hold leaders accountable to “Honor the Contract” and uphold their end of the military service contract by opposing any effort to cut or reduce veteran benefits. Ensure sufficient, timely appropriations and proper budget oversight for VA. Authorize VA to receive reimbursements from TRICARE and Medicare. Never reduce one veteran’s benefits to pay for another. Modernize and reform VA and DOD programs that do not meet the needs of service members, veterans and families. Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs To ensure veterans and their survivors have timely access to earned benefits, Congress and VA must: Implement the VFW’s recommendations to improve the VA disability claims process, specifically appeals, digital claims, DBQs and disability examinations. Crack down on unaccredited claims consultants known as Claim Sharks. Study all toxic and environmental exposures, and implement programs to ensure health care and benefits are provided to all exposed service members and veterans. Increase Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, burial allowances and other benefits for survivors. Improve the accuracy of disability compensation claims related to military sexual trauma. Education, Employment and Transition Assistance To ensure veterans succeed after leaving military service, Congress, VA, DOD and DOL must: Improve education benefits through modernized student housing and supply allowances, child care stipends, parity for National Guard and Reserve members and elimination of delimiting dates. Improve the delivery of the Veteran Readiness and Employment program to include administrative support for counselors and standardized training. Ensure parity of VA and DOD education programs with other federal programs. Expand small business, hiring preference, tax incentives and entrepreneurship resources for veterans and military spouses. Increase funding for HUD-VASH vouchers, grant and per diem payments and pilot programs to combat veteran homelessness. Conduct oversight of VA’s Transition Assistance Program to ensure compliance with the law, and require the inclusion of accredited claims representatives. Protect the VA Home Loan Guaranty program and expand it to the reserve components. Eliminate red tape preventing effective use of education and employment benefits. Health Care To ensure service members and veterans receive timely access to high-quality health care without increasing cost shares, Congress, VA and DOD must: Eliminate service member and veteran suicide. Improve the coordination of community care at VA, including CHAMPVA and the Foreign Medical Program. Strengthen care and research for mental health, blast overpressure and traumatic brain injuries. Research the efficacy of alternative therapies for PTSD. Improve oversight of Vet Centers to ensure adequate staffing, resources and funding. Enhance programs and services for women and underserved veterans. Preserve the integrity of TRICARE. Properly implement VA and DOD health IT systems. Expand nursing home eligibility and long-term care options. Military Readiness To maintain a strong and ready all-volunteer force capable of protecting America interests, Congress and DOD must: Enhance quality of life and health care programs that allow service members to focus on the mission. Ensure equity of benefits for reserve component service members. End the military retirement pay and VA disability compensation offset. Provide benefits enrollment for all transitioning service members. Eliminate sexual assault and harassment from the military. Increase military base pay so that it is competitive with relevant civilian pay. Ensure that military housing and work spaces are safe and modern. Eliminate food insecurity in the military. National Security, Foreign Affairs and POW/MIA To fully support the all-volunteer force, protect our nation’s citizens and defend American interests around the world, Congress and DOD must: Ensure DPAA is fully funded to perform its personnel recovery mission. Deter threats to our national security by supporting our allies in Ukraine, Israel, Korea and Taiwan. Ensure all service members who served in harm’s way — to include foreign nationals, translators and allies — receive the recognition, care and benefits they may have earned. See Where We Stand On the Issues Priority Goals Brochure TCAVA Concurrent Receipt Reform Transition from Service Written Informed Consent Talking Points Packet Current Legislation PACT Act Information Recent VFW Congressional Testimony Beyond Go-Live: VA Electronic Health Record Modernization Status Update PACT Act Implementation: Modernizing VA Disability Claims Through Effective Technology Pending Legislation Read More Testimony ... t o p