August 2026 Survey

Share your views on the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act and help Mission Roll Call identify which veterans’ issues and legislative priorities matter most.

Veteran Voices Drive Change.

Congress is continuing debate over the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act (TCAVA), one of the largest veterans’ legislative packages considered in recent years. The legislation contains more than 60 provisions affecting veteran healthcare, disability compensation, caregivers, survivors, transition assistance, community care, mental health, traumatic brain injury, and other programs.

Much of the public debate has focused on one provision—Section 108—which concerns future disability ratings for tinnitus and sleep apnea and is being used as part of the legislation’s funding mechanism.

Mission Roll Call wants to better understand not only whether veterans support or oppose TCAVA, but what veterans know about the legislation, which provisions matter most to them, how additional information affects their views, and what they believe Congress should do if lawmakers cannot agree on the entire package.

 

Veteran Voices Survey 08.26 - TCAVA - What Veterans Know and What Congress Should Do Next
What is your military affiliation?
What age group do you fall into?

Extended Demographic Detail

How many total years of military service did you complete?
What was your final pay grade at retirement or separation?
What is your current VA disability rating?
Which best describes your military retirement status?
Before taking this survey, how familiar were you with the Take Care of America's Veterans Act (TCAVA)?
Before taking this survey, which of the following did you believe were included in TCAVA? (Select all that apply.)
Based only on what you knew before taking this survey, what was your opinion of TCAVA?

INFORMATION PROVIDED TO ALL RESPONDENTS

The Take Care of America's Veterans Act is a comprehensive legislative package containing more than 60 separate provisions.

Among other things, the legislation includes proposals addressing:

  • Concurrent receipt for certain combat-disabled veterans through the Major Richard Star Act
  • Community care
  • Caregiver support
  • Survivor benefits
  • Mental health and suicide prevention
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Rural and senior veteran healthcare
  • Transition assistance
  • VA workforce and healthcare modernization
  • Disability compensation

Many of these individual provisions have received bipartisan support.

The principal disagreement surrounding the overall package concerns how portions of the legislation should be funded, including Section 108, which addresses future disability ratings for tinnitus and sleep apnea.

Please download and read the following infographic for information directly related to the following set of questions.
Download the reference PDF

Before seeing the information above, how much of TCAVA's broader scope were you aware of?
Of the policy areas contained in TCAVA, which THREE are most important to you? (Select up to three.)

One of the most debated provisions in TCAVA is Section 108.

Section 108 would place into federal law new disability-rating criteria for certain future claims involving tinnitus and sleep apnea, two commonly compensated service-connected conditions.

Supporters argue that these changes largely reflect rating updates the Department of Veterans Affairs has already proposed through regulation. They also argue that the projected savings help satisfy congressional budget requirements to identify offsets while financing other veteran benefits contained throughout TCAVA.

Opponents argue that disability compensation earned through military service should not be reduced or used as a funding source for other veterans' benefits. They also express concern that placing disability-rating changes directly into law could establish a precedent for Congress to use future disability-compensation changes as offsets for other legislation.

The disagreement therefore involves both the proposed rating changes themselves and whether savings associated with those changes should help finance other veterans' benefits.

Please download and read the following infographic for information directly related to the following set of questions.
Download the reference PDF

After reading this explanation, which statement comes closest to your view of Section 108?
Which concern or principle weighs MOST heavily in how you think about Section 108?

What Should Congress Do With the Rest of TCAVA?

The choices facing Congress are not simple. Major legislation must secure enough support to pass both the House and Senate, and changing one provision can affect support for the entire package. Some alternatives may sound straightforward but could be difficult to achieve because of disagreements over policy, cost, funding, or the votes needed for passage. With those political and legislative realities in mind, please consider which outcome you would most prefer.

Please download and read the following infographic for information directly related to the following set of questions.
Download the reference PDF

If disagreement over Section 108 prevents TCAVA from passing in its current form, which outcome would you MOST prefer?
More generally, when a large veterans bill contains provisions with broad bipartisan support as well as provisions that remain strongly disputed, what should Congress usually do?
If separating broadly supported provisions from disputed provisions makes it possible for some veteran benefits to become law sooner, which approach do you prefer?

The Major Richard Star Act

The Major Richard Star Act would allow certain combat-disabled veterans who were medically retired before completing 20 years of service to receive both their military retirement pay and VA disability compensation without the current offset.

The legislation has received broad bipartisan support and has been introduced in multiple Congresses. It is currently included within TCAVA.

Some organizations and advocates have called for Congress to pass a "clean Major Richard Star Act." The phrase can mean different things: passing the legislation as a standalone bill, removing it from the disputed portions of TCAVA, or passing it without Section 108 as its funding mechanism.

Regardless of the legislative vehicle, Congress must still determine how the legislation fits within applicable federal budget rules.

MRC's previous polling found 95% support for allowing eligible combat-disabled veterans to receive both military retirement pay and VA disability compensation.

Please download and read the following infographic for information directly related to the following set of questions.

Download the reference PDF

Before reading the explanation above, when you heard the phrase "Pass a clean Major Richard Star Act," what did you understand it to mean?
If the Major Richard Star Act cannot currently pass as a standalone bill, which approach would you prefer?
Now that you have reviewed more information about TCAVA, what is your opinion of the overall legislation?
After reviewing the information in this survey, which statement BEST describes what you believe is preventing TCAVA from advancing?

Survey Methodology

Mission Roll Call’s mission is not to tell veterans what to think—it is to ensure policymakers know what veterans think.

Mission Roll Call conducts independent surveys to better understand the views, experiences, and priorities of America’s military and veteran community. The results help inform policymakers, veterans’ organizations, the media, and the public on issues affecting those who have served and their families.

Surveys are open to individuals who identify as connected to the veteran community, including Veterans, Active Duty, National Guard, Reserve, Military Spouses, Family Members, Caregivers, and Survivors. Unless otherwise noted, published findings may report results for veterans specifically or for the broader military and veteran community, depending on the question being analyzed.

Participation is voluntary. Each participant is encouraged to complete the survey only once. Mission Roll Call employs technical safeguards and data quality reviews to identify duplicate or incomplete submissions before results are analyzed.

To strengthen confidence in the findings, Mission Roll Call may distribute the same survey through multiple recruitment channels, including its established participant network, public survey links, and partner organizations. Comparing results across these recruitment methods helps assess whether findings remain consistent regardless of how participants entered the survey.

Mission Roll Call is committed to transparency. Survey reports include field dates, sample size, methodology, and questionnaire details whenever practical. Results are reported regardless of whether they support or challenge Mission Roll Call’s policy positions.

FAQ

Who can participate?
Individuals who identify as Veterans, Active Duty, National Guard, Reserve, Military Spouses, Family Members or Caregivers, and Survivors.

How is my information used?
Survey responses are analyzed in aggregate and used to better understand the views of the military and veteran community. Individual responses are not publicly attributed.

Can I take the survey more than once?
No. Please complete each survey only once. Mission Roll Call uses quality-control procedures to identify duplicate submissions.

Are all survey results published?
Mission Roll Call publishes findings based on completed surveys and is committed to reporting results regardless of whether they support or challenge the organization’s policy positions.

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