The House on Wednesday, in a rare show of comity, unanimously passed a measure resurrecting a key office that advocates for the survivors of U.S. military veterans.
By a vote of 424-0, the House passed H.R. 1228, called the “Prioritizing Veterans’ Survivors Act,” which was a strong bipartisan vote to restore the Office of Survivors Assistance (OSA) to its original role under the secretary of Veterans Affairs.
The measure ensures that the office once more serves as the principal adviser on policies that affect military families and the survivors of loved ones lost in military service. The passage of the bill reverses a 2021 action that sidelined advocacy for veterans’ survivors, according to reports.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), amends Title 38, United States Code, “to clarify the organization of the Office of Survivors Assistance of the Department of Veterans Affairs,” according to GovTrack. The measure now heads to the Senate for consideration.
VA Secretary Doug Collins, a former GOP lawmaker from Georgia, recently said that he was supportive of Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency efforts to streamline his department as well as the rest of the government.
“I’m going to make decisions best for my employees and best for the veterans. They’re giving us good advice, looking with fresh eyes,” Collins told NewsNation. “We need to make sure we’re doing the best we can for those veterans out there.”
Also, in a recent video, Collins addressed “rumors” about reports there would be stiff cuts to VA benefits and veterans’ care under Trump.
“We’re putting Veterans number one back at the VA,” he said, noting that while change can cause some friction and uncertainty, caring for vets was still the primary mission.
Among the claims he disputed was that VA health care would deteriorate. Collins categorically rejected this assertion, stating that the department has fortified its health care and benefits by preserving 300,000 mission-critical positions to guarantee uninterrupted services. He also countered another rumor suggesting that Veterans’ benefits were being cut.
“They’re not,” he said, explaining that VA had redirected nearly $98 million toward Veterans’ care and services rather than reducing them.
Collins, a colonel and a chaplain in the Air Force Reserve, addressed the rumor that VA was laying off Veterans Crisis Line responders.
“We did not lay off any Veteran Crisis Line responders,” he noted, while assuring that those answering crisis calls remain in place to support veterans in need.
Collins then encouraged Veterans to obtain information directly from the VA rather than depending on the misinformation that circulates in political discussions.
“When you want the truth, come to me, not the Whopper line up on Capitol Hill,” he said, referring to politically motivated but untrue claims about cuts to VA services under the current commander-in-chief.
Collins did, however, send “an email sent to employees Friday evening that the agency was extending an offer of deferred resignation or retirement prior to a reduction in the workforce that will take place later in the fiscal year,” Stars and Stripes reported.
“Employees approved for the program will receive full pay and benefits through Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year, Collins said,” the outlet added.
