John Plahovinsak
In the October 16, 2024, issue of The Clermont Sun Newspaper, an editorial discussed Project 2025 and projected “cuts” and modifications of the existing Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability compensation program.
On February 11, 2025, the United States Senate confirmed, by a vote of 53-47, Mr. Russell Vought as the new Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director.
The new OMB Director had, in 2023, called for reducing VA disability compensation for veterans who reach Social Security retirement age. The 2023 Center for Renewing America Report also recommended eliminating unemployability benefits for disabled veterans.
In addition, the 2023 Report proposed cutting disability compensation to veterans with ratings lower than thirty (30%) percent and dropping disability compensation for veterans whose health conditions are not directly related to military duty.
According to the 2023 Center for Renewing America Report, these VA recommendations were estimated to eliminate $136.3 billion from the VA budget over a ten (10) year period.
The new OMB Director Vought directly contributed to the Project 2025 Report, published by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.
The Report was considered as a blueprint for a conservative federal government.
This Report recommended that the VA re-structure its disability rating schedules to eliminate any conditions that are “tenuously related or wholly unrelated to military service.”
Thirteen (13) pages of the Project 2025 Report dealt exclusively with the VA. The VA Section was written by the former VA Chief of Staff Brooks Tucker.
Brooks suggested that the new presidential administration “target significant cost savings from revising disability rating awards for future claimants while preserving them fully or partially for existing” recipients.
The Project 2025 Report did not provide a savings analysis for its recommendations, but a 2023 Heritage Foundation budget proposal said the federal government could save nearly $200 billion through 2032.
This $200 billion savings would be accomplished by eliminating military retirees’ access to full VA disability compensation and cutting disability payments to those whose conditions are not service-connected.
In December of 2024, a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Report suggested that “means testing” could save $334 billion from the federal government’s mandatory spending through 2034.
The CBO said that the VA could save that money by providing full benefits only to veterans whose household income is below $135,000, not counting disability income. According to the CBO, about seventy (70%) percent of veterans receiving disability payments would still be eligible for their current benefits under that threshold.
The Executive Director of the Disabled American Veterans’ (DAV) Washington Headquarters, Randy Reese, said “means testing,” or basing disability compensation on a veterans’ household income or any other restrictions, would be “unconscionable and morally indefensible.”
“DAV vehemently opposes any proposal or action that would unfairly strip our nation’s heroes of their earned benefits,” continued Reese. “Any effort to balance the budget on the backs of disabled veterans will be met with vigorous opposition from DAV and our coalition partners.”
“Disabled veterans have made tremendous sacrifices, enduring physical and mental injuries in service to our nation,” concluded Reese. “They have rightfully earned the compensation they receive for the disabling effects of their service-connected injuries and illnesses.”
The President stated in his campaign that he was not aware of the recommendations of the Project 2025 Report. The new VA Secretary, Douglas Collins stated, in his confirmation hearing, that he did not read the Project 2025 Report, although he vigorously campaigned with Trump.
However, in President Trump’s initial Executive Orders, the President implemented the document’s recommendations on: (1) freezing federal funding; (2) reducing the federal workforce; (3) withdrawing from the World Health Organization (WHO); (4) eliminating diversity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and (5) withdrawing from the Paris Climate agreement.
As of February 16, 2025, no legislation has been introduced during the 119th Congressional Session dealing with the reduction of VA disability compensation benefits.
However, one of the main tasks of both the OMB (now led by Director Russell Vought) and the CBO is to offer suggestions/recommendations to reduce the annual budget deficits and the National Debt.
My Opinion: On November 1, 2016, the Heritage Foundation released a Report entitled, “Blueprint for a New Administration: Priorities for the President.” This Report identifies specific actions the President can take to reform executive branch programs and policies as soon as he is elected.
On February 28, 2018, at 7:02 a.m., President Donald Trump issued a “tweet” citing an analysis completed by the Heritage Foundation. The tweet cited that 64% of the policy recommendations contained in the “Blueprint for a New Administration: Priorities for the President “is already done, faster than even Ronald Reagan.”
Veterans can draw their own conclusions of what the future may hold for the VA and the benefits and programs that veterans have earned.
BioSketch: John Plahovinsak is a retired 32-year Army veteran who served from 1967 to 1999. He is a member of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Department of Ohio’s Legislative Team and can be contacted at: plahovinsak@msn.com.