Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

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SCHNEIDER INTRODUCES ‘KEEP HEALTHCARE AFFORDABLE ACT’ TO STOP SKYROCKETING HEALTHCARE COSTS

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL)

Schneider’s bill would extend enhanced ACA premium tax credits through 2029 for households earning less than 10 times the federal poverty level

WASHINGTON – Rep. Brad Schneider (IL-10), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, introduced the Keep Healthcare Affordable Act which would extend enhanced Affordable Care Act Premium Tax Credits for four years, through the end of 2029. 

“Americans are suffering from an affordability crisis, and millions are on the cusp of that worsening with their health insurance costs set to spike in 2026,” said Schneider. “Congress has the responsibility to act and ensure every American has access to quality, affordable healthcare from providers they know and trust, when and where they need it. The Keep Healthcare Affordable Act is a common sense, responsible solution to the approaching healthcare affordability crisis.” 

In 2021, Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act, which expanded ACA premium tax credits and lowered the cost of healthcare for millions of Americans, ensuring no one paid more than 8.5% of their income for health insurance. Approximately 24 million Americans, including roughly 400,000 people in Illinois, benefit from these tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of 2025. Expiration of the tax credits will result in an average increase of 114% in premiums. 

The Keep Healthcare Affordable Act will extend the enhanced ACA tax credits for individuals who purchase their health insurance through the ACA marketplace and earn less than 10 times the federal poverty level, approximately $155,000 for a one-person household or $320,000 for a four-person household in 2025. 

“If Congress fails to act, millions of hardworking Americans will pay premiums that are double, even triple their current costs. In many cases, premiums will exceed what people can afford, leaving them without healthcare coverage altogether,” said Schneider. “Allowing either of those options to happen is a dereliction of duty. I urge Speaker Johnson and my Republican colleagues in the House to return to Washington, engage with Democrats, and have a good faith negotiation on solutions like this legislation that will protect Americans from this manufactured affordability crisis.”

Bill text is available here.

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SCHNEIDER STATEMENT ON SPEAKER EMERITA NANCY PELOSI RETIREMENT

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL)

LINCOLNSHIRE, IL – Rep. Brad Schneider (IL-10) released the following statement in response to Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi’s announcement that she will retire after serving her current term:

“Speaker Emerita Pelosi is a once in a generation leader and her legacy will last long after her retirement. 

“Her achievements and legacy are unmatched. As the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House, she used the gavel to advance landmark legislation that will make American lives better for generations to come. She delivered the Affordable Care Act, making affordable and accessible health care a reality for millions. She led the rescue of our economy from the depths of the Great Recession. And she led the defense of our democracy after Donald Trump incited an insurrection at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. She cleared the path for a new generation of Democratic leaders to serve.

“On a personal note, one of the greatest honors of my time in Congress has been experiencing — and learning from — Speaker Emerita Pelosi’s leadership up close. She helped me win my first elections and helped teach me how to most effectively serve as a member of Congress. She would often say our job title and job description are one and the same: ‘Representative.’

“I am deeply grateful for her service, her example, and her friendship to this institution and our democracy. America is better, fairer, and more just because Nancy Pelosi served.

“Thank you, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi.” 

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Pappas Continues Fight to Prevent Health Care Costs from Skyrocketing for Granite Staters

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)

Today Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) released the following statement about his commitment to lowering costs and fighting to make life more affordable for Granite Staters:

“The deal reached in the Senate on government funding fails to prevent a massive increase in health insurance costs for families and small businesses, and for that reason I can’t support it. I’ll keep fighting to get legislation to the House floor that will extend premium tax credits, but just hoping Speaker Johnson will do the right thing isn’t good enough for New Hampshire.”

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Pappas Introduces Legislation to Extend 2026 ACA Open Enrollment Period

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)

The Right to Enroll Act would extend the open enrollment period to May 1st to provide families more time to shop for insurance coverage

Today Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) introduced the Right to Enroll Act. This legislation would extend the 2026 open enrollment period through May 1, 2026. Extending the enrollment period would provide individuals and families more time to assess Marketplace prices and make an informed decision about health insurance coverage, as Pappas continues fighting to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits.

“While I continue pushing for the extension of the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits that make health insurance more affordable for millions of Americans, we have to face the reality that open enrollment has begun and individuals are seeing their premiums double or even triple. We have to take action now to give people the time and flexibility they need to choose their coverage amidst confusion caused by Republican inaction,” said Congressman Pappas. “Open enrollment must be extended. I’ve called on President Trump to take this simple step administratively, but if he won’t act then Congress must.”

This legislation has 13 original cosponsors, including Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (NH-02). Earlier this week, Pappas called for the Trump administration to extend the ACA open enrollment period to May 1.

This legislation is endorsed by Protect Our Care, Third Way, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

“While congressional Republicans skip work and dole out tax breaks for billionaires, millions of Americans are making heart-wrenching decisions because the GOP more than doubled their premiums for next year,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress must heed the pleas of the vast majority of Americans who believe working families shouldn’t have to drain their savings just to see a doctor. Republicans need to end their refusal to pass legislation to make ACA credits permanent. Until then, the very least Congress can do is pass Rep. Pappas’s common sense Right to Enroll Act to give families more time to make life-or-death decisions about their health care.”

“The Right to Enroll Act is a commonsense, pro-family solution, and we applaud Congressman Chris Pappas for his introduction of this bill. With open enrollment in full swing, this is a practical fix to help Americans keep and choose the coverage that works best for them. As premiums rise due to Republican inaction, we thank Congressman Pappas for giving families more time to evaluate their options and adjust,” said Darbin Wofford, Deputy Director of Health Care at Third Way.

Background:

Pappas supports legislation that would prevent extreme increases in health care premiums next year by extending the enhanced premium tax credits that keep health insurance affordable for Granite Staters and small businesses. Pappas also joined a letter to Speaker Johnson highlighting the major impacts on small businesses if the enhanced premium tax credits are not reinstated, urging the Speaker to end the shutdown by passing legislation to extend the enhanced premium tax credits immediately.

Pappas held a roundtable with leadership from Lamprey Health Care about the burden of these increased costs, during which they shared stories about the impact the lapse will have on their patients, as well as the news that the health center’s annual premium to cover their staff is also expected to increase by 40% next year. Small businesses across New Hampshire are bearing these costs, including a manufacturer Pappas visited that expects to see a 38% increase in its health insurance costs next year due to the lapse of the tax credits.

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Pappas Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Speed Up Housing Construction, Lower Costs

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)

Today Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) joined Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (OR-05), Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01), and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) in introducing the bipartisan, bicameral Accelerating Home Building Act to support local governments in speeding up the permitting and home building process and lowering costs for Granite Staters. This legislation has been introduced in the Senate by U.S. Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) and Bernie Moreno (R-OH).

“It’s critical that all levels of government work together and listen to the needs of local communities to tackle the housing crisis that is hurting families, small businesses, and our economy. That’s why I’m introducing this bipartisan legislation that would expand tools and resources for local governments, empowering them to cut red tape and ease the process of building more housing,” said Congressman Pappas. “I’ll continue supporting commonsense action to grow our affordable housing supply.”

“NAR is grateful that Representatives Janelle Bynum (D-OR), Bryan Steil (R-WI), Chris Pappas (D-NH) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced the bipartisan Accelerating Home Building Act to help address the nation’s housing affordability crisis through streamlined construction approval processes,” said Shannon McGahn, NAR Chief Advocacy Officer and Executive Vice President. “NAR recognizes that reducing regulatory barriers and streamlining approval processes are essential steps toward addressing the housing shortage affecting communities across the country. We support this legislation as part of comprehensive efforts to increase housing supply and improve affordability.” 

Nationwide, communities are investing in a process called pattern zoning, in which architects and local governments develop pattern books full of pre-approved, standardized plans and designs. Specifically, this legislation would: 

  • Establish a pilot HUD-administered grant program to fund the creation of pattern books with a focus on missing middle and infill construction; and
  • Provide set-asides for rural communities and prioritize high-opportunity areas and localities working to reduce barriers to housing development.

This legislation is endorsed by the American Planning Association, Congress for the New Urbanism, Up for Growth Action, National Apartment Association, Smart Growth America, Main Street America, and the National Association of REALTORS. 

 You can view a one-pager on the legislation here and the full text of the bill here.

Background: 

Pappas is working to ensure Granite State communities have the resources they need to increase the affordable housing stock and tackle the housing crisis. Pappas helped introduce the bipartisan Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act to support the financing and development of affordable housing by expanding and strengthening the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. Last year Pappas and the New Hampshire delegation welcomed more than $30 million in federal grants to build more affordable housing across the Granite State. 

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Pappas Leads Call for Trump Administration to Extend ACA Open Enrollment Period

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)

Lawmakers call on the Trump administration to proactively extend the open enrollment period, give constituents more time to make and adjust health care decisions due to increase in costs

Today Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) led 61 members in calling on the Trump administration and Health and Human Services Secretary Kennedy to extend the 2026 open enrollment period through May 1, 2026. Extending the enrollment period would provide individuals more time to assess Marketplace prices and make an informed decision about health insurance coverage as Pappas continues to fight to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits in Congress. Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (NH–02) is a signer of the letter.

“Despite the sustained efforts of congressional Democrats to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits prior to open enrollment starting, Congress has ultimately failed to do so. As a result, open enrollment has begun with sticker shock as enrollees are confronted with eye-popping premium increases,” wrote the lawmakers. “While we remain optimistic that Republicans will join Democrats to lower costs for consumers, in the meantime, we urge you to extend the 2026 open enrollment period through May 1, 2026.”

Stressing the importance of Congress extending ACA enhanced premium tax credits, the members wrote, “The enhanced premium tax credits have helped make health care more affordable and have driven record-breaking enrollment gains in the marketplace. Without an extension, the 22 million Americans who rely on the tax credits to afford coverage will see their costs rise by $1,000 on average—but many are seeing even higher increases. Individuals have already begun to see significant premium hikes in certain marketplaces, where some are learning that their costs will double or even triple.  As a result, younger, healthier, and lower-income people will likely drop coverage entirely due to unaffordable premiums, harming the risk pool and driving costs even higher.”

“Our constituents are now confronted with the difficult decision of whether they will be able to afford their health insurance…” wrote the lawmakers. Highlighting how the expiration of the ACA’s premium tax credits will make this year’s open enrollment season more challenging for families, they continued, “If and when Republicans agree to negotiate, an extended open enrollment period will allow individuals and families, who otherwise would not have been able to afford it, to acquire coverage. You have the authority to give people the time they need to make informed decisions about their coverage during this period of uncertainty.”

Read the full letter here and below. 

Dear Secretary Kennedy,

Despite the sustained efforts of congressional Democrats to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits prior to open enrollment starting, Congress has ultimately failed to do so. As a result, open enrollment has begun with sticker shock as enrollees are confronted with eye-popping premium increases. While we remain optimistic that Republicans will join Democrats to lower costs for consumers, in the meantime, we urge you to extend the 2026 open enrollment period through May 1, 2026. 

The enhanced premium tax credits have helped make health care more affordable and have driven record-breaking enrollment gains in the marketplace.  Without an extension, the 22 million Americans who rely on the tax credits to afford coverage are seeing their costs rise by $1,000 on average—but many are seeing even higher increases.  Individuals have begun to see significant premium hikes across marketplaces, where some are learning that their costs will double or even triple.  As a result, younger, healthier, and lower-income people will likely drop coverage entirely due to unaffordable premiums, harming the risk pool and driving costs even higher. 

Our constituents are now confronted with the difficult decision of whether they will be able to afford their health insurance. While we continue to fight to keep health care affordable, we must provide Americans with additional time and flexibility to account for confusion caused by Republican inaction. Because almost 80% of all premium tax credits went to enrollees in states that President Trump won in 2024, we are hopeful that a deal to extend the premium tax credits will be reached before the end of the year.  If and when Republicans agree to negotiate, an extended open enrollment period will allow individuals and families, who otherwise would not have been able to afford it, to acquire coverage. You have the authority to give people the time they need to make informed decisions about their coverage during this period of uncertainty.

Failure to extend the enhanced ACA premium tax credits is raising premiums across the board for all enrollees, which will increase the number of uninsured individuals, and put additional strain on an already overburdened emergency care system as people are forced to forgo preventative care. Americans across the country cannot afford another blow to the health care system already reeling from cuts included in the “Big Ugly Bill.”    

While we continue to negotiate, we urge you to take this commonsense action to make things easier on the American people by extending open enrollment through May 1, 2026, and ask that you take all necessary steps to promote enrollment and protect coverage for eligible individuals and their families. Allowing individuals more time to make decisions about their 2026 coverage is an extremely simple step that we strongly urge you to take to prevent health insurance coverage from becoming even further out of reach for our constituents.

Sincerely,

Background:

Leadership from Lamprey Health Care spoke about the burden of these increased costs with Pappas last month during a roundtable, where they shared that they have been notified by their health insurance provider that their annual premium is expected to increase by 40% next year. Pappas also visited a New Hampshire manufacturer expected to see a 38% increase in its health insurance costs next year as a result of political inaction in Congress. 

Pappas supports legislation that would prevent extreme increases in health care premiums next year by extending the enhanced premium tax credits that keep health insurance affordable for Granite Staters and small businesses. Pappas joined a letter to Speaker Johnson highlighting the major impacts that small businesses will face if the enhanced premium tax credits expire, and urging the Speaker to end the shutdown by passing legislation to extend the enhanced premium tax credits immediately. 

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Pappas Joins Call for Speaker Johnson to Protect Small Businesses, Stop ACA Tax Credits from Expiring

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)

In the letter, members underscored how the expiration of Affordable Care Act tax credits would impact the small business community

Today Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) joined Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) and 107 House Democrats in a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson calling out the upcoming harm small businesses will face should the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits expire. 

The lawmakers noted that small business owners, their employees, and self-employed Americans are disproportionately represented in the ACA marketplace. Although they make up only 16 percent of the workforce under the age of 65, they account for nearly half of marketplace enrollees. Furthermore, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, 82 percent of small business owners and self-employed individuals rely on the enhanced premium tax credits to afford their ACA Marketplace coverage.

“If the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits are not immediately extended, families and small businesses will begin to feel the impact as soon as November 1st, when Open Enrollment begins and Marketplace plans reflect steep premium hikes in 2026,” the members wrote. “Premiums are currently projected to increase by about 114% starting in 2026. For many families and small businesses, this is money they do not have.”

In the letter, the members highlighted that allowing the ACA enhanced premium tax credits to expire would force small business owners to make difficult decisions about their healthcare, including paying hundreds more per month, dropping their coverage entirely, or even having to close their business in the face of this financial pressure. 

“By making insurance more expensive for small business owners and employees, Republicans are not only squeezing family budgets – they are stifling American innovation and undermining the economic growth that small businesses drive,” the lawmakers continued. 

The full text of the letter is HERE and below: 

The Honorable Mike Johnson

Speaker

U.S. House of Representatives

H-232, The Capitol

Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Speaker Johnson:

We write today to underscore the urgent risks that the pending expiration of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits poses for small businesses, self-employed entrepreneurs, and employees of small businesses. Without immediate action to extend these tax credits, millions of small business households across the country will feel the burden of soaring ACA premiums.

While much of the public discussion focuses on the broader individual ACA Marketplace, the reality is that this market is also powered by small business households. People tied to small businesses – owners, self-employed workers, and employees of firms with fewer than 25 workers – are disproportionately represented in the ACA Marketplace. Although they comprise only about 16 percent of the overall workforce under age 65, they account for nearly half of marketplace enrollees.  In fact, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, 82 percent of small business owners and those who are self-employed rely on the enhanced premium tax credits to afford their ACA Marketplace coverage.

Treasury data also shows that 3.3 million small business owners and self-employed workers had Marketplace coverage in 20223, including nearly 300,000 entrepreneurs who would not have qualified for affordable Marketplace coverage without the enhanced premium tax credits.  Recent projections for 2025 show that over 4.2 million small business owners and almost 2.7 million self-employed workers currently benefit from ACA coverage. These figures represent significant gains in ACA coverage over recent years and highlight the importance of the premium tax credits for small business owners and their employees. 

If the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits are not immediately extended, families and small businesses will begin to feel the impact as soon as November 1st, when Open Enrollment begins and Marketplace plans reflect steep premium hikes in 2026. Premiums are currently projected to increase by about 114% starting in 2026.  For many families and small businesses, this is money they do not have. As a result, projected job losses in non-health care jobs are projected to total over 180,000, with state GDPs declining by $40 billion. 

For the nearly half of Marketplace enrollees tied to small businesses, the fallout will be immediate: they will either pay hundreds more per month, drop their coverage entirely, or be forced to make difficult life decisions about their healthcare. This is all while small businesses continue to contribute to our economy. Between 2013 and 2023, small businesses contributed 55 percent of total jobs created. Republicans claim to stand with small businesses, but their refusal to extend the premium tax credits will halt this progress in job growth and force small businesses to cut jobs or close their businesses altogether as they lose access to affordable healthcare.  By making insurance more expensive for small business owners and employees, Republicans are not only squeezing family budgets – they are stifling American innovation and undermining the economic growth that small businesses drive.

We urge you to work with Democrats to end the shutdown by passing legislation that extends the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits and continues to allow our small business community and self-employed Americans to benefit from affordable ACA Marketplace coverage.

Sincerely,

Background:

Leadership from Lamprey Health Care spoke about the burden of these increased costs with Pappas last month during a roundtable, where they shared that they have been notified by their health insurance provider that their annual premium is expected to increase by 40% next year. Pappas also visited a New Hampshire manufacturer expected to see a 38% increase in its health insurance costs next year as a result of political inaction in Congress. 

Pappas supports legislation that would prevent extreme increases in health care premiums next year by extending the enhanced premium tax credits that keep health insurance affordable for Granite Staters and small businesses. 

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RELEASE: REP. KHANNA ANNOUNCES BAN CRYPTO CORRUPTION LEGISLATION FOLLOWING TRUMP’S PARDON OF FORMER BINANCE CEO

Source: United States House of Representatives – Rep Ro Khanna (CA-17)

Washington, DC — Today, Representative Ro Khanna (CA-17) announced that he will introduce a Ban Crypto Corruption resolution following President Trump’s pardon of Changpeng Zhao, the co-founder and former CEO of Binance.

“Trump pardoned a convicted foreign billionaire who supported the Trump family’s cryptocurrency. This is blatant corruption. The Ban Crypto Corruption legislation simply stops elected officials from profiting from crypto and eliminates conflicts of interest. No one should go into public service to make a profit,” said Rep. Ro Khanna. 

The Ban Crypto Corruption legislation will: 

  • Prohibit the issuance, sponsoring or endorsing of digital assets (including cryptocurrency, meme coins, stablecoins, tokens, NFTs, digital trading cards, and decentralized finance platforms) by the President, Vice President, Members of Congress, candidates for public office, elected public officials, high-ranking executive branch employees and special government employees, and the immediate family members of each of these.
  • Require politicians and their immediate family members to place any digital assets they hold in a qualified blind trust inaccessible during their candidacy, public service, and 2 years after an individual’s service.
  • Prohibit foreign investment in any digital assets issued, promoted, or controlled by politicians and their immediate family.
  • Mandate the full and timely disclosure of all cryptocurrency transactions by politicians and their immediate family.
  • Establish civil and criminal penalties for violations.

 

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LaMalfa Introduces Legislation to Reinstate Glenn Medical Center’s Critical Access Funding

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Doug LaMalfa 1st District of California

Washington, D.C.—Today, Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) introduced the Rural Hospital Fairness Act, which would reinstate Critical Access Hospital (CAH) status for hospitals that were designated as such prior to 2002, still held active CAH status as of December 31, 2024, and serves as the sole hospital in the county in which it is located. The legislation comes in direct response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) misguided decision to revoke Glenn Medical Center’s CAH status earlier this year.

“Glenn Medical Center did everything right. Since receiving CAH status, it has served patients for over two decades, followed the rules, and maintained its designation year after year with CMS’ approval. Then CMS suddenly changed the route used to measure distance from main roads to rural backroads, and decided to take that status away,” said Rep. LaMalfa. “Now CMS admits it made a mistake over 20 years ago when the hospital was first designated, but it’s the people of Glenn County who are being punished for it. That’s unacceptable. CMS needs to take responsibility for its own error and fix this but is refusing to do so. That’s why I introduced the Rural Hospital Fairness Act to direct CMS to restore Glenn Medical and other rural hospitals’ CAH status, so they are not forced to pay the price for bureaucratic mismanagement and mistakes.”

Under federal law, a Critical Access Hospital must be located more than 35 miles from the next closest hospital. In Glenn Medical’s case, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) used a rural backroad to recalculate that distance, finding the hospital to be only 32.5 miles away from Colusa Medical Center. CMS admitted they are unaware which route was used to originally give Glenn Medical its designation, but no new roads or hospitals have been built since. Despite this, CMS reversed two decades of precedent and stripped Glenn Medical of its status.

The Rural Hospital Fairness Act provides a targeted, permanent solution by reinstating CAH status for hospitals that meet the bill’s criteria, including Glenn Medical Center. By restoring CAH status, the bill ensures these hospitals can continue receiving a higher Medicare reimbursement rate and regulatory flexibility, which helps account for unique challenges rural medical facilities face so they can continue to provide emergency care in rural areas.

Since Glenn Medical’s CAH status was revoked in April 2025, Congressman LaMalfa has actively worked with the hospital, CMS, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the White House to find a solution. HHS initially indicated that Glenn Medical’s status would be restored, but CMS later refused to do so without legislation. Despite CMS’ admission of their error nearly twenty-five years ago, they claim their hands are tied without Congressional action. Therefore, this bill is essential for protecting rural access to emergency care and ensuring our government functions with accountability and fairness. The Rural Hospital Fairness Act ensures that long-serving rural hospitals like Glenn Medical Center are not punished for bureaucratic inconsistencies.

You can find full text of the Rural Hospital Fairness Act, here.

Congressman Doug LaMalfa is Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus and a lifelong farmer representing California’s First Congressional District, including Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama and Yuba Counties.

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Crow Introduces Five Bills to Improve Veterans Services and Strengthen Veteran Benefits

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06)

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO-06), a former Army Ranger, will introduce a package of legislation to improve services that veterans and their families rely on and strengthen the benefits they earned through their service.

Congressman Crow has long worked to address the challenges faced by veterans when they return home from service. Crow will introduce bills that would: combat veteran suicide; enhance mental health care; expand access to educational opportunities for veterans’ families; lower recidivism for veterans involved in the criminal justice system; and improve care for veterans struggling with ALS.

“I went to war three times for this country, and throughout my time in Congress, I have worked hard to ensure my fellow veterans are equipped to transition to civilian life,” said Congressman Crow. “Challenges still remain, but our veterans simply can’t wait any longer for the help they need. That’s why I’m introducing five bills to address challenges facing our veterans so that they and their families have the resources to thrive.” 

As an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran, ensuring America’s military servicemembers and their families get appropriate care and resources is a top priority for Congressman Crow. Earlier this year, he introduced the Support Modern Approaches in Recovery Technology for Traumatic Brain Injury (SMART for TBI) Act, bipartisan legislation that would improve care for active-duty servicemembers suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI). In the 117th Congress, he supported the PACT Act, which expands care to millions of servicemembers exposed to toxic chemicals.

Read more about each of the bills Crow will introduce below.

Combatting Veteran Suicide

Congressman Crow is introducing the Veterans’ Sentinel Act, bipartisan legislation to address suicides on Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) campuses by requiring comprehensive analysis of the underlying causes and enhancing congressional oversight of these facilities. Veterans make up less than eight percent of the population, yet in 2023 represented a disproportionate 13.8% of all suicide deaths among adults in the US annually.

This bill would establish a working group focused on accurately collecting and analyzing the data, while also requiring the VA Secretary to submit an annual report to Congress detailing on-campus veteran suicides and suicide attempts and recommendations for improving prevention efforts.

Congressman Jake Ellzey (R-TX-06) will join Congressman Crow in introducing this bill. 

Click here for a one-pager detailing more information about this bill. 

Enhancing Mental Health Care

Congressman Crow is introducing the Building Resources and Access for Veterans’ Mental Health Engagement (BRAVE) Act, which would enhance veterans’ access to mental health care at the VA. It would achieve this by strengthening the VA’s mental health workforce and and services, and would renew the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program—a grant program that provides funding for local organizations combatting veteran suicide.

Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02) will join Congressman 

Crow in introducing this bipartisan legislation. 

Click here for a one-pager detailing more information about this bill. 

Expanding Access to Education for Veterans’ Families

Congressman Crow is introducing the Veterans Earned Education Act, a bipartisan bill that expands educational opportunities for dependents of servicemembers who qualify for the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program. Under current transfer guidelines, servicemembers may not transfer these benefits unless they have already completed at least six years of service and agree to serve an additional four years from the date of the transfer request. This requirement places an additional burden on some of our most deserving servicemembers – those who have dedicated their lives to service and those who are medically retired. The bipartisan Veterans Earned Education Act would expand educational opportunities for the dependents and spouses of those servicemembers without imposing additional service obligations.

Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC-02) will join Congressman Crow in introducing this bipartisan legislation. 

Click here for a one-pager detailing more information about this bill. 

Improving Care for Veterans with ALS

Congressman Crow is introducing the Veterans with ALS Reporting Act. Data suggests that veterans are twice as likely to develop ALS – which is why the VA recognizes ALS as a service-connected disease and assigns a 100% disability rating upon diagnosis. However, very little is known about why this link exists or what can be done to protect those who serve. 

Congressman Crow’s bipartisan bill would require the VA to study the prevalence of ALS within the military and veteran communities, and create a strategy to improve access to clinical trials for veterans with the condition. 

ALS Caucus Co-Chairs Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-AL-07), and Congressman Ken Calvert (R-CA-41) will join Congressman Crow in introducing this bill. 

Click here for a one-pager detailing more information about this bill. 

Lower Recidivism for Veterans in the Criminal Justice System

Congressman Crow is introducing the Justice Involved Veterans Support Act, bipartisan legislation to reduce recidivism and provide support to veterans involved with the criminal justice system across the country. 

More than half of these veterans face mental health challenges, such as PTSD and depression, or substance abuse disorders, such as alcoholism and drug addiction. While existing services such as Veteran Treatment Courts and Veterans Justice Outreach programs have been shown to lower recidivism and facilitate access to VA services, many justice-involved veterans do not know that these services exist. The Justice Involved Veterans Support Act would create a pilot program to help identify veterans involved in the criminal justice system so they can better access these resources.

Congressman Don Bacon (R-NE-02) will join Congressman Crow in introducing this bipartisan legislation. 

Click here for a one-pager detailing more information about this bill. 

 

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