Every day, 14.3 million Americans care for a wounded, ill, or injured service member or veteran. They manage medications, navigate broken bureaucracies, absorb the invisible wounds of war, and quietly sacrifice their own careers, health, and futures — not for a paycheck, but out of love.
These military and veteran family caregivers represent 5.5% of all U.S. adults. As Elizabeth Dole Foundation Caregiver Fellows walk the halls of Congress this week, their message is clear: Like their loved ones, they have answered every call. Now it is Washington’s turn.
Supporting these caregivers is not a political calculation but a necessity. Few issues before Congress today offer a more natural bipartisan win for lawmakers on both sides, and for the families who have earned it. This is especially urgent when 35% of caregiver households live below the federal poverty line, and 43% of those caring for veterans under 60 meet the criteria for depression, according to a 2024 RAND study.
The Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, passed in January 2025, showed that this community can inspire Congress to rise above the noise. But the work is not finished. Three additional pieces of legislation offer Congress the same chance to lead.
Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act
This bipartisan bill would deliver a down payment on desperately needed increases to the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation program for survivors and provide a long overdue increase in Special Monthly Compensation for the most catastrophically injured veterans. More than 520,000 families would benefit. The case for passing it is ironclad. What remains is the will on both sides of the aisle to find a path forward together.
CHAMPVA Children’s Care Protection Act
Currently, eligible children of permanently disabled veterans lose health coverage at age 23 under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, while civilians can stay on a parent’s plan until 26 under the Affordable Care Act. This gap is an inequity written into law — one that has persisted despite broad agreement that it is wrong. The proposed bill would close this disparity and finally align veteran family coverage with the civilian sector.
Veteran Caregiver Re-education, Re-employment, and Retirement Act
Championed by Senate Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.), this bill speaks directly to what caregiving costs a family beyond the immediate crisis. Caregivers enrolled in VA’s Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers often set aside traditional employment — losing professional certifications, retirement contributions, and years of earning potential. The Moran-Morelle proposal requires VA to provide employment transition assistance, reimburses relicensing fees, studies retirement account access barriers, and extends Civilian Health and Medical Program coverage from 90 to 180 days upon program exit.
This is not a partisan agenda — the proof is in the work already done. Solutions have been written, coalitions formed, and a constituency that everyone in Washington agrees deserves better. The military and veteran caregivers walking these halls this week are here on behalf of every caregiver who cannot be. They are here to remind their elected leaders what it looks like to show up for someone who needs you. Will lawmakers do the same for them?
