for multibillion-dollar cuts to veterans' benefits?
  That is a mystery to me, and it is a question that Chairman Bost and
Republicans will struggle to answer, as well.
  I will point to this chart here.
  Mr. Speaker, let me finish with a quote from just one veteran in
opposition to this legislation: ``I am a disabled Michigan veteran and
lifelong conservative. Please pass the Major Richard Star Act as a
stand-alone bill. We do not support the Take Care of America's Veterans
Act, H.R. 9237, and we will never elect Representatives who want to cut
veterans' benefits. How could Republicans propose this.''
  I couldn't have said it any better, and there are thousands more
comments just like this as you can see here.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to direct their remarks
to the Chair.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the ranking member knows VA has an obligation to update
disability conditions based on the latest science and medicine. In his
opening, he said that I am not a doctor. He is right. I am a marine. I
am a truck driver, and somehow I have been blessed to serve our
veterans as the chairman of the committee. He is not a doctor either.
Likewise, he has been blessed by his community to be here, but what I
do want to say is, for the record, the proposed changes for sleep apnea
and tinnitus aren't developed by Congress.
  They were developed by VA physicians. They are doctors--medical
experts, doctors--and researchers under the Biden administration as
part of the ongoing disability rating modernization efforts.
  In testimony before the House Veterans' Affairs Committee in January
2026, VA officials stated that the Department intended to continue
moving forward with respiratory ear-body system, rulemaking, and
anticipated completing those efforts by the end of year 2026. That
testimony was not given by career staff acting alone.
  In fact, just this morning, VA officials confirmed that they are
planning to move forward with the proposed rule on sleep apnea and
tinnitus.
  The testimony represents the official position of the Department at
the time it was delivered to Congress. The question before us is not
whether Congress created these proposed changes. We did not. VA's
announcement makes their intention clear. This is moving forward
regardless, but Ranking Member Takano would rather play politics.
  The question is whether the savings associated with the proposed
deployment and changes by the VA should remain in their control and the
bureaucrats' control, or do we make it through our Article I power to
reinvest into our veterans and their families. H.R. 9237 chooses
veterans.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you to look at the testimony of Josh Jacobs, Biden
Under Secretary for Benefits, and Nina Tann, President Trump's
Executive Director of the Compensation Service at the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr.
Taylor), a good friend.
  Mr. TAYLOR. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Bost for yielding me the
time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Take Care of America's
Veterans Act. America's veterans represent the best our country has to
offer, and it is time for Congress to deliver meaningful reforms to our
veterans' benefit programs that improve the quality of life for
America's warfighters.
  That is why I am proud to be an original cosponsor of the Take Care
of America's Veterans Act, which will modernize and enhance the
delivery of VA benefits for veterans across our country.
  As we continue to celebrate America's 250th anniversary, it is
important that we realize that freedom is not free, and we wouldn't
have this amazing country without the sacrifices of countless
servicemembers and their families.
  Now is the time to reaffirm Congress' support of our veteran
community and put veterans first by passing this legislation.
  I am particularly proud that this legislation includes the expansion
of GI Bill benefits, increases benefits for severely disabled veterans
and their families, and ends the wounded veterans tax, thanks to the
inclusion of the Major Richard Star Act.
  These reforms are long overdue, and I applaud Chairman Bost and the
work of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee for their role in
crafting this legislation.

  This bill upholds the promise we made to our Nation's veterans that
upon completion of their service, we would take care of them and their
families.
  It is our duty as temporary caretakers of our Republic to fight for
those who keep us safe, and veterans are at the top of that list.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of southern Ohio, I thank all our veterans and
their families for the countless sacrifices they have made to keep our
Nation safe. This vote is for them.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the chairman has said several times that the disability
changes this bill makes are coming anyway. That is simply not true. He
is counting on a golden egg that the VA has simply not laid yet.
  The first Trump administration floated changes to conditions like
sleep apnea and tinnitus beginning in 2019. Then 4 years ago, when VA
sought public comment on a notice of proposed rulemaking, the 2022
changes during the Biden administration, VSOs and many Members of this
body spoke loudly and clearly and unanimously in opposition to them,
and what he doesn't mention is that the Biden administration walked
away from those proposed rule changes.
  The VA listened to those voices in 2022, and as a result, the
proposed rule has been on a shelf since then. Just a few short weeks
ago, VA clarified that it is not planning to take any action on this
proposed rule. That was from a VA spokesperson in public. There is
nothing inevitable about these rule changes, which are going to bring
about the golden egg of savings, the $57 billion that the chairman is
counting on in order to pay for this bill. The savings will come from
cuts to veterans disability benefits. Their tweet that he is referring
to this morning quoting an unnamed source is not the same as
rulemaking.
  This is simply the majority trying to find any excuse possible to cut
benefits they view as overly generous, which has long been their goal.
That is why Americans for Prosperity has endorsed this bill.
  The architects of Project 2025 have been desperate to cut benefits
for years, and they have been trying to find a way to touch veterans
benefits. I am not going to let them do that. They even showed up at
the majority's press conference to cheer on their efforts just a few
short days ago, and now they finally have a majority who is willing to
bow to their demands to harm veterans.

                              {time}  0940