House Democrats teed up final passage of the biggest expansion of veterans benefits in decades, after turning back a GOP effort to dramatically narrow the measure to mirror a Senate-passed bill Republicans said could hit President Joe Biden’s desk as soon as this week.
The underlying bill, from House Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano, D-Calif., expected to pass Thursday, would overhaul the VA’s creaky process for granting disability compensation and health care services for veterans exposed to toxic substances during their tours of duty.
But despite heavy lobbying and emotional pleas from veterans advocates, it’s not clear whether the 50-50 Senate will take up the measure anytime soon.