1. United States
2. Fla.
3. Letter

I am writing to follow up on my previous correspondence to firmly reiterate my absolute opposition to H.R. 9237, the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act, in its current form. As written, H.R. 9237 cuts and restricts VA disability rating schedules for common service-connected conditions like tinnitus and obstructive sleep apnea. This mechanism aims to strip away an estimated $57 billion to $60 billion over ten years from up to 1.5 million future disabled veterans. Pitting one group of injured veterans against another to balance a budget is a direct violation of our nation’s sacred obligation to those who served. This internal rationing of earned benefits is especially egregious when contrasted with our massive foreign commitments. The United States government consistently spends between $50 billion and $85 billion annually on total foreign aid and international affairs, distributing billions overseas for economic, humanitarian, and military assistance. If the United States can readily secure tens of billions of dollars every single year to fund foreign assistance and support other nations, it can absolutely afford to pay American veterans for the lifelong injuries they incurred defending ours. Taking care of our wounded service members is a non-negotiable cost of war, and it should never be treated as an internal budgetary trade off. I urge you to oppose H.R. 9237 and demand that these disability cuts be completely stripped from the bill.