The Take Care of America’s Veterans Act (TCAVA)—introduced on June 10, 2026 as H.R. 9237 and S. 4744 in the 119th Congress—is a major omnibus legislative package that combines more than 60 separate veteran-related bills into a single measure.
On June 22, 2026, Veterans for Common Sense and 14 other groups called on congressional leadership to strike the offending Section 108 provision in the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act (TCAVA, H.R.9237/S.4744).
Veterans for Common Sense strongly SUPPORTS passing the Major Richard Star Act, of which the TCAVA contains a variant that poses some concerns.
Most concerning, Section 108 of the TCAVA would slash future disability ratings and payments to veterans for service-connected Sleep Apnea and Tinnitus. And, part of Section 104 would increase some disabled and other veterans’ VA home loan funding fees.
These slashed disability benefits and drastically increased fees paid by veterans unacceptably create so-called “savings” — by cutting benefits for certain deserving veterans to pay for benefits for other equally deserving veterans.
As the scientific evidence clearly shows, sleep apnea and tinnitus are legitimate disabilities that are part of the cost of war.
SUPPORTING EVIDENCE — SLEEP APNEA:
- A 2025 VA study showed sleep apnea is twice as common in veterans versus non-veterans and associated with deployment. [1]
- The SAVE Trial found that while CPAP improves quality of life in patients with pre-existing heart disease, it does not prevent secondary cardiovascular events like heart attacks or strokes [2].
- The 2024 AHRQ Systematic Review confirmed that clinical evidence does not support CPAP’s effectiveness in reducing long-term mortality, secondary heart problems, or incident diabetes [3].
- A 2025 Multi-Trial EHJ Analysis indicated that CPAP only benefits a specific subgroup with severe oxygen deprivation and fails to lower major adverse cardiovascular events for the broader population [4].
- A 2024 Lancet Healthy Longevity review found that CPAP therapy for obstructive sleep apnea fails to reverse underlying multi-system pathologies, leaving patients with persistent risks of atrial fibrillation, resistant hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and accelerated cognitive decline. [5]
SUPPORTING EVIDENCE — TINNITUS:
- The Longitudinal NOISE Study demonstrated that former military personnel experience chronic tinnitus at more than double the rate of civilians, frequently co-occurring with traumatic brain injuries and post-deployment trauma, and that tinnitus and associated hearing loss are typically irreversible. [6]
- The VA’s Million Veteran Program landmark epidemiological study of nearly 800,000 veterans found in 2024 that a staggering 37.5% of VA-enrolled veterans suffer from tinnitus, proving that military noise exposure leaves a lasting impact independent of normal aging. [7]
- The VA’s 2021 study revealed that veterans with very severe tinnitus are up to 17.5 times more likely to screen positive for mental health conditions like PTSD and depression. [8]
CONCERNS ABOUT RAISING VA HOME LOAN FEES:
Currently, VA home loans offer a streamlined refinance option that is highly advantageous to veterans wishing to take advantage of a lower mortgage interest rate, and allow VA home loans to be assumed by another veteran for a small fee.
The TCAVA would remove much of those advantages for veterans:
- Currently, there is a flat funding fee of 0.5% for this Interest Rate Reduction Refinancing Loan (IRRRL). The TCAVA would nearly triple this rate to 1.42%.
-
- Example: on a $400,000 VA streamlined refinance, the funding fee would total $2,000, but under the TCAVA, it would nearly triple to $5,680.
-
- The funding fee is waived for specified veterans, including any veteran receiving VA compensation for a service-connected disability, Purple Heart awardees, certain surviving spouses, and certain others [full list of fee waivers].
- For a VA home loan assumption under Section 3714 (38 U.S.C.), the current funding fee is 0.5%. Under the TCAVA, it would double to 1.0%.
-
- Example: on a $400,000 VA home loan assumption, the current funding fee would total $2,000, but under the TCAVA, it would double to $4,000.
-
