The comments drew immediate concern from Democratic senators who had pushed for Karen Brazell, the nominee for Veterans Affairs Under Secretary for Benefits, to dismiss the idea and support stronger protections for individuals currently receiving payouts for their military-connected injuries.

“The [benefits administration’s] core mission is to provide world-class service and benefits to our nation’s veterans, something they deserve and need,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., ranking member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

“You have been a part of this administration, so you’ve been a part of the policies and practices that have undermined the VA’s ability to deliver healthcare and benefits.”

Brazell, who currently serves as a senior advisor to VA Secretary Doug Collins, is expected to be confirmed to the senior department leadership post even with opposition from Senate Democrats. During her confirmation hearing Wednesday, numerous Republican lawmakers expressed support for her taking over the role.

However, the conflicts on display at the confirmation hearing hint at some of the broader fights to come with veterans disability compensation and pension benefits, which totaled more than $174 billion in fiscal 2024.

Brazell, who worked in VA’s office of enterprise integration during Trump’s first term in office, is an Army veteran and military spouse whose father also served. During her confirmation hearing, she spoke of the importance of making the benefits delivery process more streamlined and user-friendly.

But when pressed about potential changes to benefits eligibility, Brazell said only that her office “will ensure that all veterans are provided the benefits that they’ve earned.”

Democrats on the committee referenced past proposals supported by conservative leaders — including Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget — which would reduce certain benefits payouts, including cutting disability checks for veterans with ratings lower than 20% and dropping some compensated health conditions that aren’t directly related to military duty.

The proposals have not been formally backed by Trump or the current White House but have drawn significant preemptive opposition from veterans advocates.

Blumenthal pressed Brazell to reject those ideas outright. Instead, she promised a full review of operations.

“If confirmed, I will follow the law,” she said.

Collins and other senior department officials in recent months have pushed for significant cuts throughout VA, to include culling more than 30,000 federal jobs deemed expendable and canceling thousands of agency contracts.

But senior leaders have not proposed any broad changes to benefits or medical care eligibility, instead targeting individual programs aimed at specific groups, such as transgender veterans.

Still, several Democratic lawmakers said Brazell’s non-answers about the potential for benefits eligibility changes were disqualifying.

Committee leaders have not said when they will vote to advance Brazell’s nomination but hinted that a move could be made soon. Democrats on the committee have placed holds on all senior VA nominees, but Senate Republican leaders are discussing potential chamber rule changes to get around those parliamentary roadblocks.

Officials behind the 2025 Veterans Civic Health Index — compiled by the advocacy group We the Veterans and Military Families and the National Conference on Citizenship — said the findings likely reflect broader changes in community involvement and do not appear to be a sign of veterans stepping away from volunteer and leadership roles.

“We’re seeing, both across veterans and civilians, that there is a slight drop in many civic health measures,” said Chris Marvin, primary author of the report. “And we should be concerned about that.”

The report first debuted in 2021 and showed a significant gap in veterans’ willingness to volunteer with community groups, engage with local officials and participate in community activities.

This year’s survey found a smaller gap. Veterans and civilians reported volunteering at similar rates (27% vs 28%), but veterans who gave time to local groups averaged 93 hours of in charitable work, compared to 69 hours for non-veterans.

Veterans were also more likely to donate to non-political causes (56% vs 50% for non-veterans), spend time talking to neighbors (33% vs. 28% for non-veterans) and belong to a local civic group (32% vs. 25% for non-veterans).

Nearly three-fourths of veterans surveyed (73%) voted in the 2024 elections, compared to about 66% for non-veterans. Roughly 64% of veterans voted in their last local election cycle, compared to 53% for non-veterans.

But most of those participation markers were below 2021 levels. The report said no single cause can be identified for the drop, but noted that the country’s increased political polarization in recent years and persistent misconceptions about widespread mental health issues among veterans may have played a factor.

Marvin said he hopes the findings underscore the need for civic groups to seek out and recruit veterans, not out of pity but out of need.

“So many organizations … their first thought is, ‘We need to help the poor, down-and-out veteran,’” he said. “Folks should be thinking, ‘I have a problem to solve, and who can help me solve it? Probably veterans.’”

The report also notes that family members connected to servicemembers and veterans also appear more likely to be connected to community causes, although research data into their contributions is less available than the veterans figures.

Ben Keiser, executive chairman of We the Veterans and Military Families, said officials hope to build on that work in coming years, to better show the full value they bring to local communities.

“If we’re more intentional about recruiting veterans and military family members, more will step up,” he said. “We’ll see more investment, and more in terms of absolute numbers of people volunteering.”

The full report will be available on the We the Veterans and Military Families website on Thursday.

The final 231-196 vote by the chamber included only 17 Democrats backing the must-pass budget policy measure, which includes a host of pay and benefits reauthorizations as well as spending guidelines for hundreds of Pentagon programs. Four Republicans voted against it.

The measure includes a 3.8% pay raise for service members in 2026 and an increase of the Defense Department’s end strength by about 26,000 troops next year. It also includes a series of reforms to the military’s defense acquisition process, with the goal of speeding the fielding of new systems and technology to the military’s front lines.

“This will fundamentally reform the defense acquisition enterprise,” House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., said in a floor speech shortly before final passage.

“It will continue historic improvements in the quality of life for our service members and their families. And it will build the ready, capable, and lethal fighting force we need to deter China and our other adversaries.”

But the bill — which faces conference negotiations with Senate lawmakers before it can be sent to the White House to become law — also included language restricting health care and service for transgender individuals, as well as restrictions on abortion services.

Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, voted against the measure and called it “a political exercise stuffed full of culture war asininity that greenlights the ongoing politicization of the Department of Defense at the expense of our national security.”

The day of debate over the measure on the House floor did include moments of bipartisan compromise.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle joined to defeat (by a 60-372 vote) a proposal from Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to eliminate nearly all support for Ukraine security assistance from next year’s military plans.

And a coalition of Republicans and Democrats approved an amendment to rescind a pair of open-ended war powers laws, originally adopted in the run-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq but used for a host of military missions worldwide since then.

But Democratic proposals to limit President Donald Trump’s ability to use National Guard forces for domestic law enforcement support — as he has done in Washington, D.C., and threatened to do in other major cities — were blocked by Republican leadership.

Trump had pushed for the measure to contain language to formally change the name of the Defense Department to the “Department of War,” but Republican leaders also blocked debate on that proposal for now.

The $893 billion authorization bill sits about $30 billion below plans being debated this week in the Senate. If that work can be completed in the next few days, congressional staff will be able to begin conference work on the massive bill, with an eye towards a final compromise later this fall.

Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, who served in the Marine Corps in Iraq, in late August wrote on social media that the veteran, former airman Ashli Babbit, “deserves nothing, certainly not full military honors” because of her actions in the attempted insurrection.

Babbitt was shot by a Capitol Police officer after repeated warnings while she attempted climb into the Speaker’s Lobby of the House of Representatives. Supporters of President Donald Trump have insisted her death was an overreaction by law enforcement officials, even though the officer involved was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing.

In May, the Trump administration agreed to pay $5 million to Babbit’s family as part of a wrongful death settlement. The White House also reversed a decision by President Joe Biden to deny Babbitt a military funeral, in recognition of her four years on active duty and eight years in the National Guard and Air Force Reserve.

Gallego was a representative from Arizona in January 2021 and was among numerous House members who were barricaded inside the House chamber when Babbitt was shot, unable to reach safety because of the crowds overrunning police forces in the Capitol building.

The senator’s office said specifics of his legislation were still yet to be worked out, but could be introduced as early as Wednesday.

CNN reported that language in a proposal under consideration would state that giving Babbitt military honors “would bring discredit upon the Air Force” and “glorify or legitimize the actions of those who sought to overturn the Constitution of the United States.”

Gallego’s bid to block the military honors is unlikely to succeed in the Republican-controlled Senate. The chamber this week is debating the annual defense authorization bill, and any amendment to that measure would require significant Republican support.

Several Republican senators have been publicly critical of Trump’s actions to spur on the rioters ahead of the Jan. 6 attacks, but have not shied away from taking any formal actions against him or the individuals involved.

“We know that existing treatments can help the majority of traumatized veterans, but none works for everyone,” said Brian Dempsey, government affairs director at Wounded Warrior Project, during a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday.

“We want to ensure that policy and science are moving together so that new treatments are being studied safely and effectively, and decisions are being made based on evidence, informed research and deep consideration of veteran health and safety. There is reason for hope in so many directions.”

The new Veteran Alliance for Leadership Outreach and Recovery (VALOR) — spearheaded by Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions and counting the Green Beret Foundation and the Navy Seal Foundation among its collaborators — launched this week with a goal of ensuring “broader access to treatments that show promise in addressing PTSD, TBI, and addiction issues.”

Officials said that will include use of psychedelic-assisted medicines and programs offered outside of the U.S. but not approved as valid therapies at home. Coalition members intend to push for more research into the potential benefits and, if benefits are found, the adoption of the ideas for wider use.

About 17 veterans a day take their own lives, according to the latest statistics compiled by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration recognizes September as national suicide prevention month.

Tuesday’s announcement included support from a host of lawmakers who served in the military and shared stories of veterans reaching out to them looking for more alternatives to traditional mental health treatment.

Several said they are hopeful they can introduce legislation on the alternative treatments in the near future but cautioned against moving too quickly on unfamiliar ideas.

“We have to put the legislators in their comfort zone and explain to them exactly what we’re trying to do,” said Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, who previously served as a Navy Seal. “We have to show them the science. We have to present the ideas.

“So we want to move ahead, but at a very coordinated, controlled pace.”

Coalition members said they plan to start that education work right away, bringing more congressional offices into the group’s work and coordinating with outside organizations to find paths forward on research and innovation goals.

More information on the effort is available at the VALOR web site.

Veterans in need of emergency counseling can reach the Veterans Crisis Line by dialing 988 and selecting option 1 after connecting to reach a VA staffer. In addition, veterans, troops or their family members can also text 838255 for help, or visit VeteransCrisisLine.net for assistance.

Senate leaders late last week set up votes starting Tuesday on the must-pass military legislation, which includes spending plans for hundreds of Defense Department programs and the renewal of a host of military pay and benefits programs.

Meanwhile, the House Rules Committee will meet Monday afternoon to discuss its planned path forward on the bill. More than 1,000 amendments were filed by members to that version of the legislation, but few will be ruled in order and included in debate on the chamber floor.

Topics of friction in both the House and Senate will likely focus on National Guard deployments, budget total targets and social issue fights. Defense leaders in both chambers are hopeful a compromise bill can be crafted and passed before Thanksgiving, but complications from the looming government funding fight could delay that timeline.

Tuesday, Sept. 9

Wednesday, Sept. 10

Thursday, Sept. 11

Officials from the VA Inspector General’s Office estimated that roughly 5% of nonexpendable medical equipment — items including wheelchairs, hospital beds and blood monitors — has not been properly logged and accounted for within the department’s medical system. All together, the value of those items exceeds $210 million.

Another 4% of the equipment inventory surveyed by the investigators was considered excess or superfluous. And about one-third of the equipment was found in a different location than where officials had it listed in their official inventory files, casting doubts on how well the items were being tracked.

“Medical facilities that do not annually inventory their nonexpendable equipment are at risk of mismanaging or losing those items,” the report stated. “Facilities also risk not assessing the condition of their medical equipment to make sure it works, is properly maintained, and readily available for patient care.

“Further, facilities may miss opportunities to plan for future equipment needs.”

In response to the findings, VA officials promised fixes by next spring to their inventory and oversight processes.

Planned changes include improvements to Veterans Health Administration Procurement and Logistics Office, which oversees more than 2.1 million items of nonexpendable equipment valued at about $12 billion.

They have also planned a new centralized system to report all lost, stolen or damaged hospital equipment, to provide for better accounting for gaps in resources. And department leaders said they will require more annual checks of existing equipment, which is required under VA policies but investigators said is not always completed.

The Veterans Health Administration is the largest health care system in America, with more than 9 million veterans enrolled and more than 1,300 medical sites spread across the country.

Officials in the current administration have promised to root out waste, fraud and abuse within hospital operations as a way to improve efficiency in care delivery and save taxpayer dollars. But critics of the efforts thus far have said those leaders have focused more on cutting staff than improving and simplifying operations.

The full report is available on the inspector general’s website.

Officials from We the Veterans & Military Families are unveiling today a series of public service announcements warning troops about “the exploitation of generative artificial intelligence by foreign adversaries and other bad actors” as part of a broader education effort about identity theft and financial attacks.

As computer-generated fraud becomes easier to create and spread quickly, the organizers worry the military community will become an even more attractive target for scammers, given the stable incomes and respected social standings of troops. Instead of waiting to be victimized, members of the military community should be on the front lines of identifying and thwarting the ruses, they argue.

“It has obviously been happening for years, but these scams are getting more and more sophisticated with the use of generative AI,” said Ellen Gustafson, a Navy spouse and executive director of the advocacy group. “We know that foreign adversaries are using them, and we know that they are targeting people across the country, especially using the veteran voice or the veteran brand.

“We should be the ones who know more about it, understand that targeting and attempted influence operations, and then be the ones that can call it out and not fall for it.”

The effort, part of the group’s Homefront Sentinel project, has as its centerpiece a short video message from fake service members generated completely by computer programming. They look and sound like real life troops, illustrating just how cutting-edge the technology available to criminals has become.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, military consumers nationwide reported over 99,000 fraud complaints last year, including almost 43,000 imposter scams. That subset of frauds alone cost troops and their families an estimated $178 million in 2024.

Officials with the campaign said statistics show that while military troops and spouses are taken advantage of by scammers at roughly the same rate as other civilians, the military victims are likely to lose more money.

Federal data shows scammers managed to collect about 20% more from military members or spouses than the average civilian, and total losses are rising steadily from year to year.

Gustafson said her group will be launching the campaign with a collection of veterans organizations, with the dual goal of getting community members to think critically about potential scams and help debunk ones they see online or on social media.

“For example, there are plenty of scams out there that are targeting average women, using fake military officials to get them to fall in love and send money,” she said. “That sullies the veteran and military family brand. And that’s where we think this community is important in helping to raise awareness and educate people.”

More information on the campaign is available at the group’s web site.

Verardo, 40, died on Aug. 26 from complications related to long-standing wounds sustained in a roadside bomb attack in April 2010. He lost two limbs and suffered significant burns in the ambush, and endured more than 120 surgeries over the last 15 years to address the injuries.

In a statement, officials from the Independence Fund said that Verardo “leaves behind a legacy that has profoundly shaped the veteran community, including inspiring many of The Independence Fund’s programs, advancing care within the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense, and forging enduring support networks for America’s wartime allies.”

Among the expected attendees at his funeral services this morning in Weddington, N.C., are former Vice President Mike Pence, VA Secretary Doug Collins, Republican North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis and a host of other state and federal lawmakers.

On Sunday, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein ordered flags at state facilities to be flown at half staff until Tuesday evening, in honor of Verardo. Last week, President Donald Trump posted a tribute to Verardo on social media, saying his family’s service and sacrifice “exemplifies the spirit of America.”

Verardo’s involvement with the Independence Fund — founded in 2007 primarily to help provide wheelchairs and support equipment to wounded veterans — shifted the advocacy group from a regional charity to a regular fixture at White House events with Trump.

He and his wife, Sarah, first became involved with the group in 2012. By 2017, she was named executive director of the organization, and the pair frequently attended veterans events in the Oval Office and on Capitol Hill.

They became regular advisors to Trump’s Department of Veterans Affairs, sharing their stories of caregiving and recovery as part of broadening efforts by the group to influence policy changes.

In April, several dozen veterans from the Independence Fund attended a White House ceremony with Trump, Collins, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other Cabinet members to discuss challenges with VA services and offerings.

In a social media post last week, Sarah said she and the couple’s three daughters were heartbroken by the loss.

“He fought the good fight every single day and gave us everything he had,” she wrote. “I promised him that I will forever do relentless good in his honor.”

In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., on Thursday, the chambers’ top Democrats — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both from New York — asked for a meeting on the looming fiscal issues early next week, to stave off a budget crisis.

“The government funding issue must be resolved in a bipartisan way,” the pair wrote. “That is the only viable path forward …

“It is past time you reveal your plans to meet the needs of the American people. Otherwise, it is clear that you have abandoned bipartisanship altogether and are preparing to shut down the government.”

Lawmakers have until Sept. 30 to pass a new budget for the next fiscal year (which starts Oct. 1) or approve a short-term extension of current agency funding levels.

Failure to do either will force a partial shutdown of most government activities until a new funding deal is reached.

For the Department of Defense, that will mean shuttering of some non-essential base offices and training. Troops will still be expected to report for duty, but their paychecks may be delayed.

At the Department of Veterans Affairs, most hospital and benefits processing offices will remain open, thanks to advance funding approved for the agency in the past. But some information hotlines will be shut down, and other non-critical services will halt during the political impasse.

Neither Republican leader offered an immediate response to the Democratic leaders’ request. Both men have said that resolving the funding issue will be their top priority when Congress returns from its summer recess next week.

Although GOP lawmakers hold a majority in both chambers, several prominent Republicans have suggested they may not support a short-term budget deal, preferring to return to regular order in the appropriations process. But the majority of funding bills still have significant work to be completed before final passage.

That would mean at least some Democratic votes will likely be needed to approve any funding package and avoid a shutdown.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump said he would meet with Schumer and Jeffries to discuss potential points of compromise, but added that “it’s almost a waste of time to meet because they never approve anything.”

Defense Department leaders have warned about the potential detrimental impact of a government shutdown on military operations, even if troops and essential personnel remain on the job. They said that shuttering support services for military families and disrupting long-term procurement plans undermines force readiness initiatives.

The last major government shutdown occurred in December 2018 during the first Trump administration and lasted for 35 days. That dispute, which centered on immigration policy and funding, did not include the Departments of Defense or Veterans Affairs, but did result in delayed paychecks for tens of thousands of U.S. Coast Guard personnel.

Lawmakers are expected to return to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, Sept. 2.