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November 11, 2025 | Research | Adam Brauns
Defense

President Trump And Republicans Are Delivering For Veterans

Research

PRESIDENT TRUMP AND REPUBLICANS ARE FIXING THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

  • The Trump administration is taking historic action to fix the VA, reducing the backlog of claims and providing veterans expanded access to care.
    • The backlog of Veterans waiting for VA benefits is down more than 49% since Jan. 20, after it increased 24% during the Biden Administration.
    • The VA is processing record numbers of disability claims, reaching an all-time fiscal-year high of three million claims processed.
    • The VA has offered Veterans more than 1.4 million appointments outside of normal operating hours since President Trump took office.
    • These early-morning, evening and weekend appointments are giving Veterans more timely and convenient options for care.
    • The VA has made it easier and faster for VA-enrolled Veterans to access care from non-VA providers.
    • The VA has implemented major reforms  to make it easier for survivors to get benefits.
  • The Trump administration is providing new funding and infrastructure to support care for our veterans.
    • The VA has opened 20 new health care clinics since President Trump took office, expanding access for veterans around the country.
    • The VA is spending an additional $800 million  on infrastructure improvements to ensure department facilities provide safe and effective patient care.
  • President Trump is making the VA more efficient.
    • The VA has brought tens of thousands of employees back to the office , where it can work better as a team to serve Veterans.
    • The VA redirected $900 million in savings back to health care, benefits, and services for VA beneficiaries by terminating non-mission-critical or duplicative contracts.

PRESIDENT TRUMP IS FIGHTING TO END VETERAN HOMELESSNESS

  • In May, President Trump signed an executive order establishing the National Center for Warrior Independence with a goal of housing and rehabilitating up to 6,000 homeless veterans by 2029.
    • The EO also directs the VA to work alongside the Department of Housing and Urban Development to use vouchers to support homeless veterans.
  • In fiscal year 2025, VA permanently housed 51,936 homeless Veterans – the most since FY2019.

DEI AND WOKE PRACTICES ARE BEING TERMINATED AT THE VA, BRINGING BACK COMMONSENSE POLICIES FOR OUR VETERANS​​​​​

  • Under President Trump, the VA ended DEI, reversing the divisive Biden-era policies and stopping more than $14 million in DEI spending.
  • The Department of Veterans Affairs instituted a new policy permitting only American flags, U.S. State flags, and other military or government flags to be flown at VA facilities.
  • The Department of Veterans Affairs announced it will stop covering sex change surgeries.
    • All savings from this change will go to helping paralyzed Veterans and amputees.
  • President Trump ended funding for abortions at Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals, and reimbursements by the Department of Defense for service members’ abortion-related travel expenses.
  • The Department of Veterans Affairs rescinded a Biden-era speech code that censored the sermons of military chaplains.

VETERANS ARE ALREADY SEEING THE IMPACTS OF PRESIDENT TRUMP’S WORKING FAMILIES TAX CUTS

  • The One Big Beautiful Bill eliminated taxes on tips and overtime which will help the more than 780,000 self-employed veterans, 37,500 tipped professionals, and 1.4 million veterans who receive overtime pay each year to earn bigger paychecks.
  • The bill includes exemptions for 100% disabled veterans from the work requirements in Medicaid, and all veterans from the work requirements in SNAP.
  • OBBB expands and makes permanent the 199A small business deduction from 20% to 23% so veteran-owned small businesses can better maximize tax deductions.
  • The bill includes billions of dollars for military quality-of-life improvements which includes enhancing barracks, healthcare, and transition programs.
    • These upgrades benefit active-duty service members and veterans, easing the shift to civilian life with better access to job training and mental health services.
  • The bill preserves core benefit increases for veterans, such as VA loans and the GI Bill.
    • These programs remain intact, ensuring veterans can access home loans with favorable terms and educational benefits to pursue higher education or vocational training.
  • The veterans advocacy group Concerned Veterans for America called the passage of the OBBB “A win for American families, small businesses, and veterans across the country.”

DEMOCRATS HAVE FAILED OUR VETERANS

  • Earlier this year, Senate Democrats held up nominees for key VA posts.
  • Due to violent riots in Los Angeles which were incited by Democrats, the VA was forced to temporarily close one of its facilities.
  • Under the Biden Administration, the VA was forced to collaborate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to offer health care services to illegal aliens.
  • Senate Democrats have voted 14 times to shut down the government, depriving veterans of their SNAP benefits, withholding pay from our troops, and disruptions and longer service times at the VA due to furloughed workers.

While Joe Biden was president, House Democrats voted against a bill that would have increased transparency for Veterans Affairs’ wait times.