The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, chaired by Mike Bost (R-Ill.), has advanced five bills for consideration by the full House of Representatives. Among them is H.R. 6047, known as the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act. This bill aims to increase monthly compensation benefits provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to veterans with catastrophic disabilities and to families of servicemembers who are either fully disabled or killed in action.
According to committee statements, these tax-free benefits have not seen significant increases for decades, despite being designed to financially support those who have suffered life-altering injuries or lost loved ones in service.
Of the eleven Democrats on the committee, all but one voted against advancing H.R. 6047 out of committee. Remarks from members about each bill discussed during the markup are available online.
Chairman Bost commented: “It is a stark stain on the good work done by this Committee, and to me as a veteran, that Ranking Member Takano and a majority of the Democrat members of the VA Committee voted against reporting out Rep. Barrett’s bill today.” He added: “This bill seeks to do one thing – good – for the men and women who have served this great country and live with lifechanging injuries as a result of their service, as well as the American families who were left behind by those who gave their lives in defense of freedom. In December of last year, Sgt. Edmundson’s father and Sharri Briley – the surviving spouse of American hero Donovan Briley – testified before our committee with tears in their eyes – explaining the impact this benefits increase would have on them and the hundreds of thousands of American families like them, not as payout, but to make ends meet,” Chairman Bost continued. “I hope our Democratic colleagues who voted no will take a moment to reflect on why they serve on the VA Committee, and put politics aside, and vote for this good bill when House Republicans bring it to the House Floor for a vote,” Chairman Bost continued. “Should my Democratic colleagues fail to find that reminder of why they serve on this Committee on their own, I would humbly encourage them to drive fifteen minutes over the bridge to the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery to bring to mind the families this bill seeks to support.”
H.R. 6047 is named after Sharri Briley—the widow of Army Special Operations Blackhawk pilot CWO3 Donovan Lee ‘Bull’ Briley—who died during Operation Gothic Serpent in Mogadishu in 1993; an event widely known as Black Hawk Down. The other namesake is Army veteran Sergeant Eric Edmundson, who was severely injured by an IED explosion in Iraq in 2005 resulting in permanent disabilities including loss of speech and mobility.
“Increasing benefits for our disabled veterans and Gold Star families is long overdue. This bill is a major step towards making good on our commitment to the veterans who sacrificed so much defending our nation. I’m proud of our committee coming together to pass this legislation to increase critical financial support for catastrophically injured veterans like Sgt. Eric Edmundson and survivors like Sharri Briley. Now it’s time to get this across the finish line and signed into law for our nation’s heroes,” said Representative Tom Barrett (R-Mich.), lead sponsor of H.R. 6047.
In addition to H.R. 6047, four other bills were reported out:
- H.R. 3726: Fisher House Availability Act
- H.R. 785: Representing Our Seniors at VA Act
- H.R. 3482: Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act
- H.R. 2148: Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment, and Retirement Act
These legislative actions come amid broader efforts within Congress aimed at addressing longstanding issues facing U.S veterans.
