Key Takeaways
- •The committee agreed to an amendment for H.R. 6047, increasing veteran and survivor benefits by extending VA home loan fees, despite Democratic opposition to the funding method.
- •Sharri Briley and Edgar Edmundson previously testified, emphasizing the bill's vital impact on hundreds of thousands of families and urging Congress to pass it.
- •Rep. Takano (D) pressed Chairman Bost (R) on why H.R. 6047 taxed veterans via home loan fees, asking if Speaker Johnson was consulted for alternative funding.
- •Republicans defended funding H.R. 6047 through VA home loan fee adjustments as fiscally responsible, while Democrats condemned it as taxing veterans and proposed alternative offsets.
- •H.R. 6047, with its controversial funding, will advance to the House, likely facing continued Democratic opposition and calls for broader funding solutions.
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Hearing Analysis
Overview
The House Veterans' Affairs Committee met on February 12, 2026, to mark up several pieces of legislation, most notably H.R. 6047, the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act of 2026, and H.R. 3482, the Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act. The hearing was presided over by Chairman Mike Bost (R-IL-12), who emphasized the committee's obligation to honor the sacrifices of severely wounded veterans and surviving families. While the committee successfully advanced several bills, the proceedings were marked by a sharp partisan divide regarding the funding mechanisms for veteran benefit increases.
Policy Proposals
The centerpiece of the markup, H.R. 6047, seeks to provide the first significant increase in decades for Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC). Chairman Bost introduced an amendment in the nature of a substitute (ANS) that would increase the annual rate of SMC (specifically R1, R2, and T rates) by $10,000 and provide a staggered increase for DIC recipients (1 percent in the first year and 0.5 percent in the second). The bill is named after Sharri Briley, a surviving spouse from Operation Gothic Serpent, and Eric Edmundson, a severely wounded veteran whose father, Ed Edmundson, has been a vocal advocate for the legislation.
Overview
The primary point of contention involved the "offsets" used to pay for these increases under House budgetary rules. The Republican proposal relies on adjusting VA home loan funding fees, specifically by extending existing fees and increasing fees for non-disabled veterans who choose to refinance through Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loans (IRRRLs) or assume existing loans. Chairman Bost argued these adjustments were modest—averaging about $9 per month for a refinancing veteran—and necessary to keep the bill fiscally responsible within the committee's jurisdiction.
Policy Proposals
Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-CA-39) led a vigorous opposition to the funding strategy, characterizing it as "picking the pockets" of one group of veterans to pay for another. He argued that the entire country, not just service members and veterans, should bear the cost of these earned benefits. Takano and other Democrats, including Rep. Morgan McGarvey (D-KY-3) and Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-OR-3), argued that the proposed DIC increase was insufficient to close the gap between veteran survivors and other federal workforce survivors. They offered several amendments to fund the bill through alternative means, such as redirecting funds from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or adjusting the estate tax exemption.
Overview
A particularly heated exchange occurred over an amendment offered by Rep. Kelly Morrison (D-MN-3), which proposed redirecting $5 billion from ICE’s budget to fund the veteran benefit increases. Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL-3) supported the amendment, citing instances of veterans being detained by ICE and arguing that the agency is overfunded. Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI-3) and Rep. Keith Self (R-TX-3) strongly rejected this approach, accusing Democrats of "political posturing" and attempting to legislate outside the committee’s jurisdiction. Chairman Bost noted that using discretionary appropriations to fund mandatory benefits was procedurally non-viable.
In contrast to the friction over H.R. 6047, the committee showed a high degree of bipartisanship regarding H.R. 3482, the Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act. Rep. Tom Barrett (R-MI-7) and Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13) collaborated on an amendment in the nature of a substitute to improve the scheduling of community care appointments. The bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement an integrated scheduling solution that allows staff to view real-time availability for both VA and community providers. Rep. Budzinski noted that the bill includes critical accountability measures, training requirements, and data collection to identify gaps in access to care. Rep. Barrett shared his personal frustrations with the current "circuitous" scheduling process and emphasized that the bill would allow appointments to be booked in minutes rather than days.
The committee also considered and reported favorably H.R. 785 and H.R. 3726 en bloc. These bills address lodging options for families of veterans receiving treatment far from home and ensuring elderly veteran policies are informed by experts.
Throughout the hearing, several organizations were mentioned as supporters of the underlying goals of H.R. 6047, including the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS). Despite this broad VSO support for the benefits, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) expressed concerns regarding the home loan fee increases, which Ranking Member Takano entered into the record.
The hearing concluded with the committee reporting H.R. 3482 and H.R. 6047 favorably to the House, though Ranking Member Takano gave notice of his intent to file minority dissenting views on several of the measures due to the unresolved funding disputes. The next steps for these bills involve consideration by the full House of Representatives, where the debate over offsets and the "contract" with veterans is expected to continue.
Transcript
[Gavel sounds.] Committee will come to order. Good morning. We're going to do our openings while waiting on a quorum so at least we can get it on the record. The Committee on Veterans' Affairs will come to order. Without objection, the chair will declare recess at any point. I'm glad to be here today to consider five bills. I'm going to keep my remarks short to leave plenty of time for discussion on each of these important bills and the amendments being offered. A number of the bills before us today are a product of bipartisan negotiation feedback from veterans, survivors, their families, and their advocates. Now among those bills is H.R. 6047, the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act of 2026. Last December, Sharri Briley and Edgar Edmundson testified about the impact this bill would have not only on them but on hundreds of thousands of families like them. Their message to us is simple: our veterans community has earned this, put politics aside, and get the bill done. This bill honors the sacrifices of our most severely wounded veterans and loved ones who those heroes who died because of their services. It helps families that sacrifice so much for us and their financial stability. It is a promise that we have got their back. And I am hopeful that the committee will be able to report out a bill today that delivers for thousands of great Americans like Sharri and Eric. Also before us today, bills that would help VA make important strides to improve community care scheduling, ensuring policies for our elderly veterans is informed by the best experts, and provide families with the options for lodging when their service members or veterans is to receive treatment far from home. I want to thank the members of our community that play an important role in improving the lives of veterans and their families. And I'd like now to yield to the ranking member for his opening remarks.
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