1. United States
2. Letter

Today is Veterans Day, and Congress is weighing cuts to benefits for the people who paid the price of war. I strongly oppose Section 108 of the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act, and any VA rule that would strip tinnitus compensation or reduce sleep apnea ratings. Tinnitus is the most common service-connected disability, affecting roughly 3.6 million veterans. It is not a minor annoyance. It is a ringing that never turns off, and it wrecks sleep, concentration, work, and relationships. Sleep apnea is just as serious. It raises the risk of high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, heart attack, heart failure, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. It can even lead to sudden cardiac death. Needing a CPAP machine means the condition is being managed, not cured. Cutting pay for veterans who treat their condition punishes them for doing the right thing. Calling these cuts “modernization” doesn’t change what they are: savings taken from people who already paid. It is especially galling that some of the same politicians who push for, or refuse to oppose, another war in the Persian Gulf with Iran are willing to cut benefits for those who fought the last one. If you will send young Americans to war, you must honor the cost afterward. Reject Section 108. Keep the promise