Since we submitted our letter of support for the Preserving Lawful Utilization of Services for Veterans Act (PLUS for Veterans Act of 2023) to Representatives Bergman (R-MI), Correa (D-CA), and Mace (R-SC) in May, the PLUS for Veterans Act has been introduced in the Senate and continues to progress through the House. If passed, the PLUS Act will empower veterans to choose how they navigate and receive their hard-earned benefits. Further, it will expand the options available to veterans underneath the VA’s accredited system to ensure third-party consultants maintain the highest standards.
We believe veterans’ rights should not be restricted by limiting how they approach their benefit claims. More organizations are needed to help our veterans, not fewer. As veterans ourselves, we know the VA benefit process is laborious, confusing, and complicated. Hundreds of thousands of veterans have sought to engage the system on their own, only to fail to obtain the benefits they deserve or give up trying. In droves, veterans seek professional consultants, whether through Veteran Services Organizations (VSOs) or the private sector, to help them pursue their benefit claims. Sadly, the demand is often too great for the VSOs and private consultants to manage, leaving veterans without the resources they need.
We thank Representatives Bergman (R-MI), Correa (D-CA), and Mace (R-SC) for their ongoing service and advocacy for Service Members, Veterans, and their families, and call on members of congress to pass this important bi-partisan legislation that will help veterans maintain the right to choose how they pursue their benefits.
