Summary and Key Points: The House passed the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act 235-179, marking the first increase in Dependency and Indemnity Compensation since the 1990s. The bill would raise survivor payments to 500,000 Gold Star families whose loved ones died in the line of duty or from service-related conditions.
-Veterans with traumatic brain injuries could see up to $10,000 more per year. Severely disabled veterans who lost limbs are also included.
(Sep 30, 2025) — Recruits perform Instructional Training Exercise (ITE) at U.S. Navy Recruit Training Command September 30, 2025. More than 40,000 recruits train annually at the Navy’s only boot camp. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Stuart Posada)
-National Guard and Reserve members could qualify for VA home loans after just 14 days of service, down from the previous threshold of 90 days active duty. The bill now moves to the Senate.
Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act: This Could Be a Game-Changer
If this bill passes and becomes law, American veterans will rejoice. Legislation that has emerged from the House of Representatives and is now going on to the Senate will surely make many service-connected disabled veterans and their families happy if President Donald Trump signs the measure into law. The Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act cleared the House in a 235-179 vote last week, Newsweek reported.
The bill is designed to raise payments to over 7,000 veterans who are severely disabled and to lift compensation to 500,000 Gold Star families.
What Does the Bill Do?
“The bill would increase Dependency and Indemnity Compensation benefits by 1.5 percent over two years. Those payments are provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs to surviving spouses and family members of service members who died in the line of duty or from service-related conditions,” Newsweek wrote.
More Benefits for Those Veterans With Brain Injuries
The legislation is also designed to aid veterans with serious traumatic brain injuries. Their payments could increase up to $10,000 a year. Other severe disabilities, such as veterans who have lost arms or legs, will also be included in the measure.
U.S. Army training. Image Credit: DoD
This Representative Is a Champion for Veterans
The bill was introduced in 2025 by Congressman Tom Barrett, a former Army helicopter pilot. “Our nation can never fully repay the debt we owe to the heroes and families who have served and sacrificed for our freedom,” Barrett said in a statement after the vote. “But passing my bipartisan legislation today is further proof that we will never stop trying.”
This is one of the most significant expansions of veterans’ benefits in decades for suffering families, according to Military.com.
VA Home Loan Eligibility Boost
The act will also help National Guard and Reserve veterans to participate in VA home loans. This is good news for those struggling to buy houses amid high interest rates and inflation.
Supporters believe that this bill is an answer to the steep expenses that affect a veteran’s quality of life. The cost of living has been difficult for disabled veterans who often scrape by and have difficulty maintaining employment due to their disabilities.
“It has been since the 1990s that these rates have been adjusted,” Barrett told Military.com. “Obviously, we’ve seen throughout the war on terror and other conflicts since the 1990s an increase in both survivor benefits and the catastrophically disabled population.”
Some veterans require 24/7 care, and families have a difficult time being both caretakers and running households. Spouses cannot always be employed due to their partner’s requirement for round-the-clock care. If the legislation passes and heads to Trump’s desk, it will be a large boost to the confidence of military families that have suffered so much during the Global War on Terror.
A U.S. Soldier, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, XVIII Airborne Corps, prepares to throw a weighted medicine ball during a physical training session at Segra Stadium in Fayetteville, N.C., July 15, 2025. The full-body exercise was part of a circuit training rotation designed to boost strength and endurance. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Gianna Elle Sulger)
Excellent Development for VA Caretakers’ Program
One other aspect of the bill is beneficial. These benefits could be used with the VA Caretaker Assistance Program. This provides service-connected disabled veterans’ families with a monthly stipend to offset the difficulties faced by veterans without full-time employment. The payment is usually around $2,000 a month, depending on the state where the veteran lives. Caretakers are trained by the VA and are offered educational modules and psychological care for people who would not normally be full-time medical caretakers.
This measure before the Senate will be instrumental in helping these families who would otherwise have no entity to turn to during their recovery.
“We’re never obviously going to make them whole for the loss that they’ve suffered,” Barrett said. “But what we can do is hopefully help bridge the gap financially in a way that allows them some flexibility and peace of mind.”
More on VA Home Loan Eligibility
VA home loans will be expanded to thousands of Guard and Reserve personnel. Home loans were usually offered to veterans who had completed 90 days of active duty or a six-year duty period. Now these personnel can get a VA home loan after only 14 days of service.
As a veteran, I have taken advantage of the VA home loan program numerous times since leaving the military. Often, there is no other way for a veteran to qualify for a conventional loan.
“It’s a tragedy that today in America the average age of a first-time home buyer is over 40 years old,” Barrett said. “If we can offer that to younger people, considering the military…I think it’s definitely worth doing.”
Can It Pass the Senate This Year?
The bill has bipartisan support and should pass this year if the Senate can manage to bring it to the veterans committee and send it to the full chamber for a vote. Hopefully, it will receive a hearing in committee, so each senator will understand the positive ramifications. This should happen before the summer recess in August. Then Senator John Thune could call a vote, hopefully before the Midterm elections in November.
This bill comes at a good time. The high cost of living and elevated interest rates have made some veteran families suffer. Others cannot afford to buy a home, and many spouses and family members must provide permanent, difficult care for their loved ones who served so bravely. This bill should pass and move to the White House for the president’s signature later this year. Let’s see if the Senate can send it to committee and schedule a hearing soon for further consideration by senators.
About the Author. Brent M. Eastwood, PhD
Author of now over 3,500 articles on defense issues, Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: A Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
