S-2392-119
Became Public Law No: 119-42.
Sponsored by Jerry Moran (R-KS)
What it does
This law requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to increase disability compensation for wartime veterans, additional payments for dependents, clothing allowances for certain disabled veterans, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. The increase must match the same cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) applied to Social Security benefits effective December 1, 2025. The VA must publish the updated payment amounts in the Federal Register and is also authorized to apply a similar adjustment to disability compensation rates for veterans who have not received service-connected disability or death compensation.
Who benefits
Wartime veterans receiving disability compensation — estimated at roughly 5–6 million recipients. Surviving spouses and children of deceased veterans receiving dependency and indemnity compensation. Disabled veterans who receive a VA clothing allowance. Dependents of disabled veterans who receive additional compensation. Veterans' service organizations that advocate for these populations. Indirectly, households and local economies in communities with high veteran populations.
Who is hurt
Federal taxpayers who bear the cost of increased benefit outlays. The federal budget broadly, as higher mandatory spending may compete with discretionary priorities. Veterans not yet enrolled in VA benefits who do not receive the adjustment. Uninsured or low-income veterans whose primary financial challenges fall outside the scope of this compensation system.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that tying veterans' disability payments to the Social Security COLA is a matter of basic fairness — without annual adjustments, inflation steadily erodes the purchasing power of benefits earned through military service and sacrifice. They contend that this approach is fiscally predictable, using an already-established federal inflation index rather than creating a new formula, and that allowing benefits to lag inflation would effectively cut real compensation for some of the country's most vulnerable populations.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that automatic COLA increases add to mandatory federal spending without requiring Congress to affirmatively review whether benefit levels remain appropriately calibrated to actual costs or policy goals. They contend that linking veterans' benefits to the Social Security COLA — an index designed for a different population — may not accurately reflect the specific expenses disabled veterans face, and that a more targeted inflation measure could better serve veterans while controlling long-term spending growth.
Constitutional context
Congress has broad authority under Article I to appropriate funds and set the terms of veterans' benefits programs. No significant constitutional tension is present here; this bill modifies an existing statutory benefit program within well-established congressional spending power. The Appropriations Clause (Art. I, §9, cl. 7) is relevant insofar as the increased outlays must be funded through the appropriations process.
Checks and balances
Congress gains no new authority — it directs the executive branch (VA) to implement a defined formula; the VA's discretion is limited to publishing updated amounts and applying the optional adjustment for a narrow category of veterans, with no significant shift in the balance of power between branches.
Historical precedent
Congress has passed nearly identical Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Acts annually for decades, consistently tying VA disability benefit increases to the Social Security COLA.