Friday, March 22, 2024 | 2 a.m.
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Despite continued GOP obstructionism, Democrats under the leadership of President Joe Biden delivered big for veterans and current members of the United States armed services this week.
On Tuesday, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it is now processing benefits claims at the fastest pace in the agency’s 35-year history, delivering more benefits to more veterans than ever before.
By March 4, the VA had successfully processed more than a million claims in fiscal year 2024, including 221,592 disability compensation and pension claims during January 2024 alone — making it VA’s highest single month of claims production ever, surpassing the previous monthly record of 193,411 set in May 2023.
It reached the million-claim milestone nearly six weeks earlier than the previous earliest date on record amidst a record number of claims. Thus far in fiscal year 2024, the VA has received 4.5% more claims than at the same point in 2023, yet has fully processed and completed almost 35% more claims than at the same point last year, according to a new release from the department.
It’s the second year in a row that Biden’s leadership has led the VA to break records for efficiency as it delivers hundreds of billions of dollars in wages, benefits, health care and education opportunities to 6.2 million veterans and their survivors.
In a sign that the record-breaking productivity is not a fluke, but rather is the product of structural changes that have dramatically improved the VA, the agency says its 11 highest-production months in history have all occurred in the past year. Moreover, as a result of the department’s efficiency, the backlog of claims that have languished more than 120 days decreased by 42,000 claims over the past three months.
Officials say the increases in claims and dispersed benefits is largely due to Biden’s championing the PACT Act, which has empowered the VA to expand health care and benefits to millions of veterans who were exposed to toxins and other hazards while serving our country.
In a statement, VA Under Secretary for Benefits Josh Jacobs said that the VA “won’t rest until every veteran and every survivor gets the VA benefits and care that they’ve earned.” He also encouraged veterans and survivors to submit their claim as soon as possible so they can start receiving benefits.
Adding to the good news, on Thursday, congressional leaders announced a bipartisan appropriations proposal to fund essential government operations and avoid a potentially catastrophic shutdown that is set to begin this weekend. The agreement includes a roughly 3% increase in funding for the Defense Department compared with last year and provides for a 5.2% pay increase for service members, a 5.5% increase in the basic housing allowance for service members and their families, and a 1.7% increase in the meal allowance for service members and their families.
It would also provide a $1 billion increase for Head Start programs and new child care centers for military families and would continue funding for suicide prevention and sexual assault programs that are specifically tailored to meet the unique needs and experiences of men and women in uniform.
The more than 1,000-page proposal still needs to be approved by both houses of Congress before current funding runs out at 11:59 p.m. today. That could be a tall order given the track record of failure that has come to define the 118th Congress, and particularly the current Republican-controlled House.
As of the end of February, the 118th Congress had only managed to pass 39 laws during its 14-month tenure. That’s barely more than 10% of the laws passed at the same time by the Democrat-controlled 117th Congress.
Despite the need for swift action, the fate of the appropriations bill was unclear as of press time, as numerous Republicans in Congress expressed opposition to the bill’s contents and the hurried nature of its introduction.
Of particular note were comments by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., who called the proposal a “disaster.”
In 2023, Tuberville led an 11-month blockade against military promotions and Senate confirmations of rank, leaving men and women in uniform in limbo in terms of rank, salary, responsibilities and even what city to enroll their children in school. Tuberville’s blockade also threatened national security interests, as high-level vacancies accumulated. At one point, the commanders of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pacific Air Forces, Air Combat Command, U.S. Northern Command, Cyber Command and Space Command were all vacant due to Tuberville’s actions, according to the Pentagon.
But Tuberville’s vote, along with the vote of fellow Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., who called the bill “disgusting,” will be required if the Senate is to pass the bill quickly using a streamlined procedural tool that requires unanimous consent.
Voters should take note of the fact that this week, Biden and Democrats in Congress delivered for the American people and our men and women in uniform. We hope Republicans in Congress will do the same by supporting the bipartisan appropriations bill. The time is now for the 118th Congress to set aside petty partisan differences and take action to prevent a government shutdown that will harm American service members and the U.S. economy as a whole.
