Speaker Mike Johnson pulled the Veterans benefits bill from the House schedule on Thursday after more than a half-dozen GOP holdouts refused to support it. Johnson and his team removed it just minutes before it was set to reach the floor, leaving House Republicans without a vote on the measure.
Johnson and GOP holdouts
The bill had been in trouble for weeks, and Johnson held a meeting just off the floor with GOP moderates who had concerns about it. The immediate result was a delay for a measure that had been pushed as one of the GOP's major legislative wins before the midterms.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna said on X Thursday afternoon that she would not vote for the bill because it took away certain medical benefits for service members. She also said, “As a veteran, and more importantly as the representative of a veteran-heavy district, I will never vote to cut veterans' benefits, nor will I vote to prevent current service members from filing claims in the future. Today, I found myself at the center of an unhinged meltdown and was told to 'stop talking' simply for pointing out how wrong it is to cut veterans' benefits.”
Veterans groups split
The dispute split veterans groups as well as House Republicans. The Veterans of Foreign Wars and Disabled American Veterans opposed the measure because it reduces certain disability coverage, while the American Legion backed it.
Critics said the bill would effectively eliminate compensation for tinnitus and sleep apnea from the government's list of standalone disabilities to help pay for expanded benefits elsewhere. That tradeoff drove the opposition from some GOP members, including Rep. Jeff Van Drew, who said, “I'm not changing my vote.” He also said, “I love the bill 90% of it, but I don't like dripping away benefits for veterans to hel”.
House Republicans
Rep. Zach Nunn also spoke during the floor dispute, telling Luna, “As a combat vet, I've worked with veterans to deliver. APL walked in late, threw a temper tantrum, and then left. She's interested in clicks, we're working for disabled vets, military spouses, and suicide prevention — that's what matters,” according to two sources in the room. With more than a half-dozen holdouts still against the measure, House leaders had no clear path to bring the Veterans benefits bill back in the same form.
