MVA’s Legislative Agenda for the 119th Congress

Military-Veterans Advocacy has established a legislative agenda for the 119th Congress focused on protecting veterans, service members and military families.

The agenda reflects challenges MVA has identified through litigation, policy research and direct engagement with veterans. It addresses toxic exposure, Department of Veterans Affairs procedures, appellate reform and gaps in federal law that continue to affect access to earned benefits.

Recognition for Veterans Exposed to Toxic Substances

Toxic exposure remains one of MVA’s central legislative priorities.

Many veterans served in locations where herbicides and other hazardous substances were stored, tested or used. Yet some continue to face significant barriers when attempting to establish that their illnesses are connected to their military service.

MVA’s legislative agenda calls for action involving veterans who served in Guam, Okinawa and the Panama Canal Zone.

Priorities include:

• Establishing an earlier effective date for the recognition of herbicide exposure in Guam
• Advancing protections for veterans who served in the Panama Canal Zone
• Expanding recognition of herbicide exposure for veterans stationed in Okinawa
• Restoring appropriate protections for Blue Water Navy veterans
• Addressing toxic-exposure risks faced by military dependents

These efforts seek to ensure that benefit eligibility reflects the conditions under which veterans and their families actually lived and served.

Protecting Blue Water Navy Veterans

MVA has played a significant role in the fight for Blue Water Navy veterans exposed to herbicides during the Vietnam War.

The organization continues to advocate for policies that protect the rights established through years of litigation and legislative action. This includes preserving an appropriate definition of the theater of combat and ensuring that offshore veterans are not unfairly excluded from benefits.

MVA remains committed to defending these protections and addressing any policies that could improperly narrow eligibility.

Reforming VA Benefits and Appeals

The VA benefits and appeals process can be lengthy, complicated and difficult for veterans to navigate.

MVA’s legislative agenda includes continued reform of the system, including efforts to address judicial decisions that may restrict veterans’ ability to challenge clear errors in previous benefit determinations.

The agenda also calls for greater accountability when veterans and advocacy organizations submit formal requests for VA rulemaking. MVA supports requiring the VA to respond within a defined period rather than allowing important requests to remain unresolved indefinitely.

Timely decisions and meaningful review are essential to a benefits system intended to serve veterans.

Pay Parity for the United States Coast Guard

MVA supports the Pay Our Coast Guard Parity Act.

Unlike other branches of the armed services, the Coast Guard can be affected by lapses in federal appropriations because it operates under the Department of Homeland Security during peacetime. Coast Guard members should not be required to serve without timely pay during a government shutdown.

MVA supports legislation that provides Coast Guard personnel with the same financial protections afforded to members of the other armed services.

Supporting Veterans and Military Families

Military service can expose not only service members but also their families to environmental hazards. Dependents living on or near military installations may encounter contaminated water, toxic chemicals or other dangerous conditions.

MVA’s agenda recognizes the need to address toxic exposure among military dependents and ensure that affected families are not overlooked.

The organization also supports continued evaluation of emerging treatments and policies that could improve health outcomes for veterans with service-connected conditions.

From Legislative Priorities to Action

A legislative agenda is only the beginning. Advancing these priorities requires research, education, meetings with lawmakers and sustained engagement with congressional offices.

Military-Veterans Advocacy will continue working with veterans, military families, lawmakers and other advocacy organizations to promote reforms that protect earned benefits and strengthen accountability.

Support from MVA’s members and donors makes this work possible. Contributions help fund the research, travel and advocacy required to bring veterans’ priorities before Congress.