Updated July 30, 2026. On Wednesday afternoon, July 29, the U.S. Senate took its first real floor run at the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act — and both versions of the bill got blocked inside a few minutes. If you have tinnitus or sleep apnea and you have not filed yet, that deadlock matters more to you than it sounds.
The Problem: two funding plans, two objections, zero movement
Here is exactly what happened, in plain English.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, asked for unanimous consent to advance a rewritten version of the package. His version pays for the bill with roughly $100 billion in defense money that Congress appropriated last year under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 and that has never been spent — instead of paying for it by reducing future disability compensation for tinnitus and sleep apnea.
Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), chairman of that same committee and a sponsor of the original bill, objected on the spot. He said the Congressional Budget Office raised concerns that using appropriated Pentagon dollars to cover mandatory veterans benefits would not comply with federal law.
Moran then tried to move the original version — the one with the tinnitus and sleep apnea offset still in it. Blumenthal objected to that.
Under Senate rules, one objection stops a bill cold. Neither version advanced. Blumenthal said Republican leaders were applying a “take-it-or-leave-it approach,” and pushed back on the suggestion that tinnitus and sleep apnea claims often are not service-related: loud noise from artillery causes hearing damage, and toxic exposure downrange causes breathing problems. “These disabilities are not hypothetical. They are real,” he said.
That is the whole story. And it lands on top of the House, where the same bill was pulled on July 16 after a motion to recommit failed by a single vote, 210–211.
Why this bill matters even if you have never heard of it
The Take Care of America’s Veterans Act bundles more than 60 bipartisan bills that have been stuck for lack of funding. Two of the big ones:
- The Major Richard Star Act — would let combat-injured veterans who medically retired with under 20 years collect full military retired pay and full VA disability compensation, instead of having one offset the other.
- The Love Lives On Act — would let surviving spouses keep DIC after remarrying.
The fight is not about whether those bills are good. Both sides say they are. The fight is entirely about who pays.
The part that touches your rating
The Republican funding mechanism — Section 108 of H.R. 9237 — pays for those 60 bills by changing how the VA rates two of the most commonly claimed conditions in the entire system. Here is the current rule against what the bill text proposes:
| Condition | Diagnostic code | Today | Proposed for future claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obstructive sleep apnea, controlled by CPAP | DC 6847 | 50% | 0% or 10%, depending on how well treatment controls it |
| Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) | DC 6260 | 10% standalone | Compensated only as part of an underlying ear or hearing condition |
Read this next line twice. None of that is law, and none of it is a published final rule. Nothing changed in your rating or your monthly check on July 29. And if you already hold a rating for sleep apnea or tinnitus, every version of this discussed so far protects existing ratings — the new criteria would apply to claims filed after an effective date, not backward to you.
We broke the rating mechanics down line by line here: VA Sleep Apnea & Tinnitus Rating Cuts: What the Pending Bill Would Actually Change.
The AVOY System: what a stalemate actually tells you to do
Most people read “bill blocked” and think “nothing to do.” That is the wrong read. Here is what a veteran should take from July 29.
1. The cheapest way out just got harder
Blumenthal’s unspent-Pentagon-dollars plan was the one path that funded all 60 bills without touching anybody’s disability compensation. CBO’s objection — that appropriated defense money can’t legally backfill mandatory benefits — is a serious problem for that idea, not a political talking point. When the painless option gets weaker, the offset option gets stronger. That is the honest reading.
2. Your filing window is open right now
Current criteria are current criteria until a final rule says otherwise. A claim filed today gets decided under today’s rules. That is not a reason to panic-file a claim you can’t support — a rushed, thin claim gets denied, and a denial costs you months. It is a reason to stop putting off the claim you already know you have.
3. Protect the date first, then build the file
This is the core of the AVOY method: organize before you file. A VA Form 21-0966 Intent to File takes about two minutes and locks in your effective date for a full year while you gather everything. Then build the file properly:
- Sleep apnea: a current sleep study with a diagnosis, your CPAP prescription and compliance data, and a nexus opinion connecting it to service or to an already service-connected condition — PTSD, sinusitis, rhinitis, GERD, and weight gain from a service-connected condition are the common paths. See Sleep Apnea Secondary to PTSD.
- Tinnitus: your MOS and noise exposure documentation, a current audiology exam, and a statement describing when the ringing started and how it affects sleep and concentration. File hearing loss alongside it, not instead of it — see VA Disability for Tinnitus.
- Everything else you’ve been sitting on: file it in the same package. Ten claims filed together get one C&P cycle and one effective date. Ten claims filed one at a time get ten waits.
4. Watch September, not August
Speaker Mike Johnson told colleagues the House bill likely will not return to the floor for weeks, pointing to September. The Senate just proved neither side has the votes to break the tie on its own. Expect this to reappear in the fall, probably attached to a larger funding vehicle.
The Access Point
Get the free VA Evidence Checklist. The exact documents VA looks for, organized by condition, so you file a complete claim the first time.
→ Get the Free Evidence Checklist
Ask AVOY Veteran Navigator AI™. Plain-language educational guidance on your specific situation — ratings, evidence, appeals, survivor benefits — any time of day.
Recommended reading
VA Disability Ratings Guide — how VA actually calculates your percentage, what each diagnostic code requires, and how combined ratings turn into a monthly dollar figure. If you want to understand what a rule change like this would really cost you, start here.
Frequently asked questions
Did my sleep apnea or tinnitus rating change on July 29, 2026?
No. Nothing changed. The Senate blocked both versions of the bill, no law passed, and the VA has not published a final rule changing the rating schedule for either condition. Current criteria remain in effect.
If the bill eventually passes, would my existing rating be cut?
Every version discussed so far grandfathers veterans who already hold a rating. The changed criteria would apply to claims filed after an effective date. Nothing is final, so verify current rules at VA.gov before acting.
Should I rush to file a sleep apnea or tinnitus claim now?
File when your evidence is ready, not in a panic. A thin claim gets denied and costs you months. If you have a diagnosis and a service link, don’t keep waiting — and file a VA Form 21-0966 Intent to File today to lock in your effective date while you gather the rest.
What is the Major Richard Star Act and is it dead?
It would end the offset that reduces military retired pay for combat-injured veterans who medically retired with fewer than 20 years. It is not dead — it is one of 60+ bills riding inside the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act, waiting on the funding fight to resolve.
When does Congress take this up again?
The House is not expected back on it until at least September. The Senate stalemate on July 29 makes a fall vehicle more likely than a quick fix.
Educational information only — not legal, medical, or financial advice or claim representation. AVOY is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Filing for VA benefits is free, and a VA-accredited VSO can help you at no cost. Always verify current rules, rates, and deadlines at VA.gov. In crisis? Dial 988, then press 1.
Source: Stars and Stripes, “Democrats’ version of sweeping veterans benefits bill blocked in Senate,” by Linda F. Hersey, July 29, 2026.
