Masquerading as a bill that protects veterans, the GUARD Act actually does the exact opposite. The following is what we know to be true, and why we are actively rallying against GUARD and looking for a better solution.
- The VA is overwhelmed, with nearly 300,000 backlogged VA claims as of September 2023, the most in almost a decade. (Source)
- The process is complicated and bureaucratic, and veterans see better results when they seek help in navigating the system.
- Bad actors in the space take advantage of veterans, charging exorbitant fees without producing results.
- Good actors in the space help veterans receive the benefits they earned through sacrifice to our nation.
- The GUARD Act does nothing to hold bad actors accountable and eliminates the good actors, removing capacity from a system that desperately needs it.
- If there are no private VA disability consultants in the space any longer, less veterans will receive the benefits they need, and those who do still receive benefits will have longer wait times for a decision.
- This has the potential to lead to greater veteran stress and anxiety, isolation, homelessness, and suicide rates.
Passing GUARD will have devastating consequences for not only the nearly five million disabled veterans across the nation who already have their VA rating, many of which are currently underrated, but also the 14-15 million veterans who don’t yet have a disability rating. The GUARD Act will increase the already distasteful claims backlog, and leaves these veterans trapped in a system that has proven to have neither the capacity nor the expertise to assist them.
They don’t deserve the GUARD Act after all they’ve given for our own freedoms. If you agree, please contact your Congressman and let them know you’re a constituent of theirs and you hope that they oppose the GUARD Act, before it’s too late.
