New VA Rule and H.R. 6047 "Pay-Fors" Threaten Financial Security of Union Veterans

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFebruary 17, 2026

Union Veterans Council, AFL-CIO Denounces Unfair Funding of Veteran Benefits and New VA Rule Threatening Disability Ratings

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Craig Romanovich, Executive Director of the Union Veterans Council, AFL-CIO, issued the following statement regarding the passage of H.R. 6047 through the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee (HVAC) and the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) issuance of a new interim final rule regarding medication and disability evaluations:

“The Union Veterans Council, AFL-CIO, stands firmly with our catastrophically disabled brothers and sisters and our Gold Star families. We applaud the intent behind H.R. 6047, the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act, which provides a much-needed $10,000 annual increase for the most severely injured and the first real boost to survivor benefits in decades.

However, Congressional leadership has chosen to fund these critical increases by raiding the pockets of other veterans. The current bill proposes to eliminate the VA Home Loan Funding Fee waiver for disabled veterans rated at 70% or below and triple the fees for veterans looking to refinance their homes. We refuse to accept a system where veterans must pay for the benefits of their fellow service members. We demand a clean bill—one that honors the nation’s debt without shifting the bill to the men and women who served.

Simultaneously, we are sounding the alarm on the VA’s Interim Final Rule issued today. This rule is a blatant attempt to bypass recent court protections and allow the VA to reduce disability ratings for veterans whose symptoms are managed by medication. By rating a veteran based on their ‘medicated state’ rather than the actual severity of their underlying condition, the VA is essentially penalizing veterans for following their doctors’ orders.

As an organization representing the 1.3 million veterans currently in the unionized workforce, we know that these workers depend on the stability of their earned benefits to support their families. A service-connected injury does not disappear just because a pill makes the symptoms manageable. This rule threatens the financial stability of millions and must be corrected immediately.

The Union Veterans Council calls on all members of Congress to protect the integrity of our earned benefits. We demand a clean H.R. 6047 and an immediate reversal of the VA’s medication-based rating reductions. Our veterans fought for this country; they shouldn't have to fight their own government to keep the benefits they were promised.”

About the Union Veterans Council, AFL-CIO

The Union Veterans Council brings together 1.3 million union veterans and allies to speak out on the issues that matter most to veterans and their families. We fight for good jobs, a strong VA, and the protection of the benefits earned through service.