Veterans

Veterans' disability and survivor benefits

44 public statements from 2026 candidates · 9 related bills

§1The range of views

Why this matters: These payments support disabled veterans and military families, and expanding them would add to federal spending.

Drafted by AI, then checked for neutral wording in a separate AI review. It describes the question and the main positions, not any candidate's view. Facts link to their sources.

The payments that veterans disabled by their service and the survivors of those who died can receive, and how they claim them, including whether more military retirees with disabilities can collect full retirement pay and full disability pay at the same time.1

  1. Let all military retirees with service-connected disabilities collect both payments in full
  2. Expand benefits for some groups, such as combat-injured retirees with under 20 years of service and surviving spouses who remarry
  3. Keep current rules, which already pay both in full to some retirees, such as those with 20 or more years of service and a disability rating of at least 50%

These options describe policies, not people. The order is not a ranking.

§2What candidates have said

Why this matters: Statements candidates made publicly, summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Candidates who haven't spoken publicly on this issue aren't listed.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

Let all military retirees with service-connected disabilities collect both payments in full (2)

  • Adam Gray CA-13
    His campaign website lists among his accomplishments cosponsoring the Retired Pay Restoration Act, which would let military retirees with any service-connected disability receive both retired pay and disability compensation, and the Major Richard Star Act for combat-injured retirees.2
  • Callie Barr MI-1
    Her campaign website says she supports protecting veterans from what it calls predatory benefit schemes. Its priorities page says military benefits and VA disability pay should both be paid at the same time, with no clawbacks tied to early buyouts, because they are payments for different things, and that she opposes the CHOICE for Veterans Act because she does not want for-profit companies charging veterans fees to file benefit claims that can be filed for free.3,4

Expand benefits for some groups, such as combat-injured retirees with under 20 years of service and surviving spouses who remarry (19)

  • Mary Peltola AK Senate
    Her campaign website says she supports the Major Richard Star Act, so that veterans medically retired because of combat injuries with fewer than 20 years of service no longer have their military retirement pay reduced when they receive VA disability pay, and says she would expand survivor and caregiver benefits.5
  • Terri Sewell AL-7
    Her campaign website says she signed a discharge petition to force a vote on the Major Richard Star Act, which would let veterans medically retired because of combat injuries receive both full retirement pay and disability compensation.6
  • French Hill AR-2
    His campaign website says he co-sponsored the Major Richard Star Act of 2025 to give combat-injured veterans both their military retirement pay and full VA disability compensation.7
  • Jahana Hayes CT-5
    Her campaign website says she introduced legislation to increase the monthly dependency and indemnity compensation the VA pays to surviving spouses.8
  • Michael "Dr. Mike" Katz DE Senate
    His campaign website says he would champion legislation based on the Major Richard Star Act to end the offset between military retirement pay and VA disability pay for combat-injured retirees, and on the Love Lives On Act to protect survivor benefits for military spouses who remarry.9
  • Sarah McBride DE-AL
    Her campaign website says she backs the Major Richard Star Act so combat-injured veterans can receive full retirement pay and disability compensation, and cosponsored the Love Lives On Act so surviving spouses keep survivor benefits if they remarry.10
  • Angie Nixon FL Senate special
    Her campaign website says she supports the Major Richard Star Act, which would let veterans injured in combat keep both their full military retirement pay and their VA disability pay.11
  • Gus Michael Bilirakis FL-12
    His campaign website says he is working to pass the Major Richard Star Act for combat-injured veterans.12
  • Leela Gray FL-13
    Her campaign website says she would pass the Major Richard Star Act so combat-injured and medically retired veterans can receive both full military retirement pay and VA disability compensation.13
  • Lindsay James IA-2
    Her campaign website says she wants to pass the Major Richard Star Act so that medically retired, combat-injured veterans receive their full benefits without an offset.14
  • Sarah Zabel ID-1
    Her federal accountability outline says she supports the Major Richard Star Act, which would end the reduction of retirement pay for combat-injured veterans who are medically retired before 20 years of service, and fully funding the PACT Act.15
  • Sean Casten IL-6
    His campaign website lists cosponsoring the Major Richard Star Act, which it says would let combat-disabled retirees with fewer than 20 years of service receive both retirement pay and disability compensation.16
  • Roger Marshall KS Senate
    His campaign website says he cosponsors the Major Richard Star Act (S. 1032), which it says would end the offset that makes veterans medically retired with combat injuries choose between retirement pay and disability pay.17
  • Michelle Fischbach MN-7
    The record page lists co-sponsoring the Major Richard Star Act, which it says would let combat-disabled retirees with fewer than 20 years of service receive both their retired pay and their veterans disability compensation in full.18
  • Chris Reichard MO-8
    His campaign website says he supports the Major Richard Star Act, which his Veterans page describes as ensuring combat-injured veterans receive both their military retirement and VA disability benefits without offsets.19,20
  • Alani Bankhead MT Senate
    Her campaign website says she would pass the Major Richard Star Act so combat-injured veterans medically retired before 20 years no longer have retirement pay offset by VA disability pay.21
  • Dan Osborn NE Senate
    His campaign website says he supports the Major Richard Star Act to end the offset between retirement pay and VA disability pay for veterans medically retired because of combat injuries.22
  • Maggie Goodlander NH-2
    Her campaign website says she has made the Major Richard Star Act a top priority; the bill would end the offset that reduces retirement pay for combat-injured veterans who are medically retired.23
  • James Talarico TX Senate
    His campaign website says he supports the Love Lives On Act so that surviving spouses of fallen service members keep their benefits if they remarry.24

Statements that don't match one option (23)

  • Rudy Recile CA-8
    His campaign website says many veterans have trouble getting the benefits they are owed, and that two veterans' bills referred to the House subcommittee on disability assistance, H.R. 303 and H.R. 333, have stalled for years while lawmakers take too long to do what is right.25,26
  • Mark DeSaulnier CA-10
    His campaign website says he wrote legislation to give veterans full access to disability pay and separation pay, voted for the PACT Act, and is working to protect veterans' benefits and VA funding from cuts.27
  • Joe Courtney CT-2
    His campaign website lists among his work a law extending Agent Orange coverage to Blue Water Navy veterans who served in the waters around Vietnam, and the PACT Act, which it says ensures that Iraq and Afghanistan veterans get the same care for illnesses caused by toxic burn pits.28
  • Rosa L. DeLauro CT-3
    Her campaign website says she advocated for the PACT Act of 2022, which it says expanded health care and benefits for veterans exposed to toxic substances such as burn pits, and that she helped secure funding to carry it out.29
  • Ed Case HI-1
    His campaign website's summary of his 2002 to 2007 House record says he fought to preserve and enhance veterans benefits, including health care, concurrent receipt, the survivor benefit plan and a burial allowance.30
  • Sharice L. Davids KS-3
    Her campaign website says she supported legislation that enhances VA benefits for veterans with combat injuries and for spouses and children who lost a family member in combat.31
  • Larry Davis III LA-6
    His campaign website's Policies page lists supporting veterans through healthcare streamlining and faster claims among his defense goals.32
  • John "Johnny O" Olszewski, Jr. MD-2
    His campaign website says he is fighting to protect veterans' benefits such as disability compensation, pensions and education programs.33
  • Jack Bergman MI-1
    His campaign website lists the CHOICE for Veterans Act, which it describes as legislation targeting unaccredited claims agents who exploit veterans and adding safeguards for veterans seeking help with disability claims, among the efforts he is leading. It also says he introduced the GRACE for Military Survivors Act in 2026, which it says would let surviving family members of servicemembers take longer and have more options when deciding about survivor benefits.34
  • Christian Vukasovich MI-5
    His campaign website says he supports protecting and strengthening the benefits veterans earned through their service, making VA health care and benefits easier to get, and expanding mental health and substance-use treatment for veterans.35
  • Tim Walberg MI-5
    His campaign website says he has voted to raise cost-of-living adjustments for veterans' benefits.36
  • David Rouzer NC-7
    His campaign website's issues page says budgets reflect priorities, noting that the first budget Congress passed devoted more than a quarter of its funds to pensions for disabled veterans, and says the country should follow that example.37
  • Colby Watson NC-8
    His campaign website's Veterans page says he would make it easy for veterans to get the benefits they earned, and would carry out the PACT Act in full so that veterans exposed to toxic substances get the care and benefits owed to them.38
  • Richard N. Ojeda II NC-9
    His campaign website's Fighting for Veterans page says he would resist any effort to reduce military pensions or disability benefits for veterans.39
  • Richard Hudson NC-9
    His campaign website's Veterans page says he worked to give veterans exposed to toxic burn pits more access to the VA.40
  • Paul Barringer NC-13
    His priorities page says he is committed to protecting the expanded benefits veterans received under the PACT Act.41
  • Chris Backemeyer NE-1
    His campaign website says he would reverse cuts to the VA so that veterans can get disability services, mental health care and timely handling of claims.42
  • Ryan Michael Kelly NJ-3
    His campaign website says he supports reducing delays in disability claims and appeals, and lists faster review of VA errors and protecting benefits for surviving spouses and families while errors are reviewed among his priorities.43
  • Christopher H. Smith NJ-4
    His campaign website's About page lists, among the laws he wrote, ones covering veterans' housing, education, health care, compensation and disability benefits.44
  • Nelida Pou NJ-9
    Her campaign priorities page says she is working to protect the VA and veterans' benefits.45
  • Adam Hamawy NJ-12
    His campaign website says the PACT Act must be fully funded and implemented so veterans made sick by toxic exposure, including burn pits, do not have to spend years proving their service caused it, and that he rejects weakening veterans' benefits to pay for corporate tax breaks.46
  • Ben R Lujan NM Senate
    His campaign website says he is working to improve veterans' health care, expand their earned benefits, and address veteran homelessness and suicide prevention.47
  • Bert Mizusawa VA Senate
    His campaign website says he would protect veterans' benefits, expand their access to quality health care and make sure veterans are not left waiting for the care they earned.48

§3Related bills

Why this matters: Bills from 2023–2026 that bear on this issue, with how Congress handled them.