Veterans deserve solutions, not political stalemates

By Ben Waldin

Read it in InsideNOVA

When our nation needed them, veterans didn’t hesitate to serve. It’s time for Virginia’s lawmakers to do the same.

When Virginia lawmakers had the chance to deliver for veterans, they failed. Instead of passing meaningful, bipartisan reform, political maneuvering created a legislative deadlock that left veterans with nothing.

At the center of this gridlock was Del. Brianna Sewell’s decision to push a bill with no viable path forward, instead of backing a bipartisan solution that did.

The Safeguarding American Veteran Empowerment (SAVE) Act (SB1222) was a rare example of a broadly supported bipartisan bill that had the momentum to become law.

The bill would protect veterans from predatory practices by regulating individuals and organizations that charge for assisting with veterans’ benefits claims. It would safeguard veterans from exploitation. It is exactly the kind of targeted, meaningful policy that Virginia’’s veterans deserve. It sailed through the state Senate on a 36-3 vote, a level of unity that should have made passage in the House of Delegates an easy next step.

Meanwhile, Sewell had introduced a competing bill, the Veterans’ Services Protection Act (HB1911), even though a nearly identical version of her bill had already failed in the Senate the previous year. It had no path forward, but she chose to revive a bill that stalled out once again.

Rather than uniting behind the SAVE Act, lawmakers let it die in committee, leaving veterans without the protection they deserve.

This wasn’t just an unfortunate coincidence but a completely avoidable failure. There was a clear path to compromise, but lawmakers in the House let procedural delays and political gamesmanship take priority over real action.

Virginians should be frustrated. Our veterans don’t have time for another year of political deadlock.

When our nation needed them, veterans didn’t hesitate to serve. It’s time for Virginia’s lawmakers to do the same.

Veterans Guardian

Veterans Guardian is a veteran owned and operated company, with a mission to assist other veterans in receiving the benefits they are entitled to as a result of their honorable service to the nation.

https://www.vetsguardian.com
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I'm an Army veteran. Florida’s u-turn on our benefits is common sense.