VA reform bills could decide whether Republicans hold the House in 2026
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Veterans helped lead Republicans to victory in 2024. VA reform in 2026 could determine whether they reoccur. Two bills before Congress would fix the system that failed them: the Veterans’ ACCESS Act and the Veterans’ Bill of Rights Act. But Democrats in Washington have a different priority: Using the VA as a blueprint for nationalized health care.
They don’t hide it. Progressive influencer Ezra Klein calls out Phillip Longman Best Care Anywhere: Why VA healthcare Works Better for Everyone One of the most important social policy books of the last decade. Read that subtitle again. The left isn’t just defending the VA; He wants to impose this model on every American.
Doug Collins, Trump administration Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Samuel Çorum/Getty Images)
In 2014, a major scandal shook the Phoenix VA Healthcare System. Authorities there carried out a deliberate criminal scheme by creating secret, unofficial waiting lists to hide how badly the system was failing. Some 1,700 veterans were excluded from the official electronic waiting list in order to increase reported wait times and preserve bonuses. Veterans had to wait months—in some cases, 115 days or longer—for basic primary care. At least 40 veterans lost their lives while waiting for these secret lists.
Fatal failures continue. In 2025 alone, two veterans took their own lives while desperately trying to receive mental health care at Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital in San Antonio. In April, Navy veteran Mark Miller killed himself there. He had struggled with depression and anxiety since leaving the military in 2007 and co-wrote a book with his father about his struggle: Suicide Follows the Sniper. During his last visit, he told his father that the staff were “just like robots dispensing pills and poisoning our people.” His father is Dr. Larry Miller blamed the VA directly: “I put the blame on the VA system and the psychiatrist who drugged him instead of helping him.”
THE HIDDEN REASON FOR VETERANS’ STRUGGLES INCREASES REGULAR URGENTITY IN VA MESSAGING
In December, Marine Corps veteran Enrique Ramos Jr. He called 911 from the same parking lot, stated his location and intentions, and then committed suicide. Both men died at the gates of the facility that was supposed to care for them.
This is the system that the left wants to spread throughout the country. A new survey from Veteran Action and Rasmussen Reports shows that supporting veterans’ health care is not just good policy, it’s good policy heading into the 2026 midterms. Ninety-four percent support the Veterans Bill of Rights Act, which would require the VA to clearly inform veterans of their available rights to health care, benefits and community care options. Seventy-five percent say they would be more likely to support a congressional candidate who supports the Veterans Access Act (H.R. 740); This law guarantees timely VA care or the right to seek outside care immediately at no additional cost when VA cannot provide it. These numbers cut across party lines among voters who know the VA best.
A metal plaque on the facade of the Department of Veterans Affairs building in Washington, D.C. (Robert Alexander/Getty Images)
The political math is clear: Polling shows military voters give President Trump 60 percent support; but the Republican general convention vote stands at only 57 percent. This gap could determine control of the House of Representatives in key districts. Republicans cannot take their loyalties for granted. Candidates who lead on these issues will gain veteran support. Those who do not risk losing him and their seats with him.
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Congress has two practical solutions ready to pass. The Veterans Access Act guarantees timely care or immediate community care where VA is inadequate. The Veterans Bill of Rights Act requires the VA to clearly tell veterans what rights they currently have. These bills do not eliminate the VA. They force him to do his job.
The case is simple. These reforms are popular with veterans. They will save lives. They could help Republicans keep the House of Representatives. Republican leadership needs to make these bills a priority.
