Veteran Congressmen Reintroduce 'Full Cost of War Act’ to Require Funding for Veterans Care Before Declaration of War

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressmen and veterans Chris Deluzio (PA-17, U.S. Navy veteran) and Ted Lieu (CA-36, U.S. Air Force veteran) reintroduced their bill, the Full Cost of War Act.

First introduced in the 118th Congress, this bill would require the inclusion of an authorization of funds for the Department of Veterans Affairs as a part of any authorization for use of military force or declaration of war. This means that from the start, the government will prioritize and calculate the cost of care, disability compensation, and other earned benefits for servicemembers involved in the war or military operation.

"Those who wear the uniform bear the cost of serving and fighting our wars, something a lot of chickenhawks beating the drum of war these days would do well to remember," said Congressman Chris Deluzio. "The way I see it, America's sacred duty to care for my fellow veterans when they come home is about paying the full cost of war. If our government cannot promise to fully fund the care for these veterans when they return, then politicians should not send them off to fight. In this moment especially, I'm proud to join with Congressman Ted Lieu to reintroduce the Full Cost of War Act to fund these critical veterans' services ahead of any decision to send Americans into harm's way."

"We can't think of the expense of war, or use of military force, solely as the cost of the mission," said Congressman Ted Lieu. "We must factor in the care and compensation of the brave men and women in uniform who risk their lives on these missions in service of our country. Ensuring that they are taken care of - during and after their tours of duty - is the least we can do to repay them for their service and sacrifice. I'm pleased to work with fellow veteran Congressman Deluzio on this important legislation to ensure we have the resources needed to take care of our service members."

A link to the full text of the bill is available here.

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