Veterans helped win Republican victories in 2024. In 2026, VA reform could decide whether they will show up again. Two bills before Congress would fix the system that failed them: the Veterans’ ACCESS Act and the Veterans’ Bill of Rights Act. Yet Democrats in Washington have another priority: using the VA as a blueprint for nationalized health care.
They don’t hide it. Progressive influencer Ezra Klein mentioned Phillip Longman’s Best Care Anywhere: Why VA Healthcare Would work better for everyone one of the most important books on social policy of the past decade. Read that subtitle again. The left isn’t just defending the VA – it wants to impose that model on every American.
Doug Collins, the Trump administration’s Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
In 2014, a major scandal rocked the Phoenix VA Health Care System. Officials there carried out a deliberate criminal scheme, creating secret, unofficial waiting lists to hide how badly the system was failing. As many as 1,700 veterans were kept off the official electronic waiting list to inflate reported wait times and protect bonuses. Veterans had to wait months – in some cases up to 115 days or longer – for primary care. At least 40 veterans died waiting for these hidden lists.
The fatal failures continue. In 2025 alone, two veterans committed suicide at Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital in San Antonio while desperately trying to get mental health care. In April, Navy veteran Mark Miller committed suicide there. He had struggled with depression and anxiety since leaving the service in 2007, and co-authored a book with his father describing that battle: Suicide haunts the sniper. During his last visit, he told his father that the staff were “like robots giving out pills and poisoning our people.” His father, Dr. Larry Miller, directly blamed the VA: “I blame the VA system and the psychiatrist who drugged him instead of helping him.”
HIDDEN CAUSE OF VETERANS’ STRUGGLE CAUSES RENEWED URGENCY IN VA MESSAGES
In December, Marine Corps veteran Enrique Ramos Jr. called. called 911 from the same parking lot, reported his location and his intentions, and then took his own life. Both men died on the doorstep of the institution that would care for them.
This is the system that the left wants to expand nationally. A new poll from Veteran Action and Rasmussen Reports shows that supporting veterans’ health care is not just good policy, but good politics heading into the 2026 midterm elections. Ninety-four percent support the Veterans’ Bill of Rights Act, which requires the VA to clearly inform veterans of their existing health care rights, benefits and community care options. Seventy-five percent say they are more likely to support a congressional candidate who supports the Veterans’ ACCESS Act (HR 740) – the bill that would guarantee timely VA care or the immediate right to seek outside care at no additional cost when the VA cannot deliver. These numbers cross party lines – among the voters who know the VA best.
A metal plaque on the facade of the Department of Veterans Affairs building in Washington, DC (Robert Alexander/Getty Images)
The political math is clear: The poll shows that military voters gave President Trump 60% support — but the Republican overall vote in Congress is only 57%. That divide could determine control of the House of Representatives in key districts. Republicans cannot take their loyalty for granted. Candidates who lead on these issues will earn support from veterans. Those who don’t risk losing it – and with it their seats.
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Congress has two practical solutions ready. The Veterans’ ACCESS Act guarantees timely care – or immediate community care when the VA falls short. The Veterans’ Bill of Rights Act requires the VA to clearly tell veterans what rights they already have. These bills do not dismantle the VA. They force it to do its job.
The matter is simple. These reforms are popular with veterans. They will save lives. They could help Republicans keep the House. Republican leadership must make these bills a priority.
