VoteVets On Interim VA Rule That Would Decimate Benefits: “We are prepared to go to the mat in Congress to defeat this.”

WASHINGTON, DC – Below is the statement from former Congressman and Afghanistan Veteran Max Rose, Senior Advisor to VoteVets, on the VA’s interim rule that would change the standard for determining disability ratings. Moving forward, the VA rule will judge how veterans function with medication, not on the severity of their underlying condition.

Statement of Max Rose

“Time and again, we have seen Project 2025’s plan come into effect. Now, despite all the protests from Doug Collins that the VA would never, ever even think about reducing benefits, they’ve put forth a key proposal from Project 2025 that does exactly that. This rule will reduce benefits for our newest veterans and those who will become veterans in the future when they leave the military. This was all right there on pages 649 and 650 of Project 2025, in black and white.

We must be as clear and as blunt as possible: The Trump administration and all the authors of Project 2025 see our newest veterans as a piggy bank. They are prepared to gut their veteran benefits to pay for all their giveaways to the wealthiest Americans and corporations.

We must not allow that to happen, and we will not allow that to happen. If the VA moves forward with this rule, we are prepared to go to the mat in Congress to defeat this. Those who served deserve no less.”