I have always held a deep belief that we, as a nation, owe a profound debt of gratitude to America’s military personnel and veterans. Ensuring that debt is properly repaid has always been and will always be one of my top priorities in the People’s House. This week, House Republicans advanced two important pieces of legislation to uphold our commitment to those who have served. Allow me to share the topline facts that you need to know about both.

H.R. 6047, the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act of 2026, would increase the monthly benefits rate for catastrophically disabled service-connected veterans with a traumatic brain injury or other severe disabilities that require regular, round the clock, in-home medical care, offering an additional $10,000 annually. This legislation also expands the VA Home Loan Program eligibility requirements for National Guard and Reservists from 90 days of active-duty service to 14 days of active-duty service with a 1% fee. It would allow more members of the Guard and Reserve, generally younger members, to be able to live the American dream by owning their first home. Further, this legislation would transform the lives of over 500,000 veterans and their families, filling crucial gaps in the delivery of VA benefits that has not changed in decades.

H.R. 1041, the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act, would institute a sorely overdue correction within the appointment process of fiduciaries for veterans. When the VA appoints fiduciaries to manage a veteran’s benefits due to disability, the act of doing so can trigger automatic reporting to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. This, in turn, would unnecessarily strip the veterans of their right to possess firearms without a court finding any reasonable or immediate danger that they present. The brave men and women who have served our nation are afforded the same Constitutional rights and due process as every other American.

At the Rules Committee on Tuesday, Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost laid out the case as to why Congress should act with urgency in passing these two pieces of legislation. It’s very much worth your while to spend time reading through his remarks. I was particularly pleased, once more, to have helped clear these important bills through the Rules Committee and to have voted in favor of both when they came to the House floor. I firmly believe that both bills will go a very long way in helping deliver for those who have proudly served and defended our great nation.

A New Chapter

Recently, I attended and spoke at the dedication event for the new Valle Crucis School alongside many members of the Watauga County community. The opening of this school was years in the making, and in fact, it is the first new K-8 school to be built and completed in Watauga County since 1995. When Hurricane Helene came through our area, the old site of this school was severely damaged, and as a result, teachers and students had to relocate to four different sites to continue the learning process: the Valle Crucis Conference Center, Appalachian State, Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, and the Holy Cross Episcopal Church. Without question, this was a herculean effort on the part of faculty and staff. Very soon, I plan on recognizing the school and its wonderful educators on the House floor to mark this new chapter for the Watauga County community.

A Piece of American History

In previous newsletters, I’ve shared with you a variety of different educational events and competitions that the America250 has compiled in North Carolina and around the nation. In addition, America250 has created a webpage that details numerous volunteering opportunities with various groups that have partnered with the organization. These opportunities are broken down into several different categories such as:

• Disaster Relief
• Education/Youth
• Civic Engagement
• Veterans/Military Families

To find volunteer opportunities near you, click here.

Quote of The Week

“A nation is judged by how well it treats its veterans.”

-George Washington

Have a blessed weekend,