I believe that while exposing abuses is important, the framing of the Oct. 9 front-page article, “VA disability runs on an ‘honor system.’ These veterans are defrauding it.,” sent a message that many of us carry with difficulty: that those few bad actors define the rest of us. The term “honor system,” used in the article felt like a mischaracterization and misunderstanding of the VA disability process. For many veterans, the system is a burden to prove our truth, not an invitation to exploit it.

By conflating a long-overdue surge in legitimate claims with a few cherry-picked anecdotes of bad actors, the stories in the Oct. 9 front-page article about the Department of Veterans Affairs ended up casting millions of veterans as opportunists instead of men and women finally receiving the care they deserve.

As author of the 2022 legislation known as the Pact Act, which was the largest expansion of veterans’ care in decades, I know why claims rose: After decades of delay, Congress and VA finally recognized illnesses tied to Agent Orange, burn pits and other service-related exposures from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan. The increase in claims is not evidence of mass fraud; it shows we are keeping our promise to those who served. The men and women who volunteered to defend this country accepted risks to their health with the understanding that the nation would stand by them later. Portraying them as suspect betrays that covenant.

Fraud exists in every government program. But the real exploitation is coming from for-profit “claim sharks” and medical mills that charge veterans thousands in illegal fees while gumming up the claims system. That’s why Rep. Chris Pappas (D-New Hampshire) and I are advancing the bipartisan Guard VA Benefits Act, which is backed by 99 co-sponsors, to restore penalties against unaccredited profiteers.

Unfortunately, VA’s contribution to the article was a partisan deflection, accusing The Post of being “far-left” instead of addressing the systemic weaknesses that let profiteers prey on veterans. Veterans don’t need political theater; they need VA to modernize and enforce the rules.

Mark Takano, Washington – The writer, who represent California, is ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

Millions of veterans legitimately rely on Department of Veterans Affairs’ disability benefits, yet the Oct. 9 front-page article took a narrow view of complex data and evidence in a way that can only erode public trust in those who served.

Every large federal program encounters some mistakes and veterans benefits are no exception. But the number of confirmed fraud cases is statistically microscopic compared with the millions of legitimate claims filed each year. We already have laws to punish fraud, and those cases should be fully prosecuted.

The strength of our all-volunteer force depends on trust: If you serve and sacrifice, your country will stand behind you. When veterans are treated as suspect or their earned benefits are framed as waste, that trust erodes. Every recruit’s decision is shaped by how they see veterans treated.

VA Secretary Douglas A. Collins and his team are working to fix long-standing issues, including by processing more than 100,000 backlogged claims and addressing modernization, staffing and infrastructure challenges.

Public debate should focus on how to administer these programs responsibly, not sensational cases of abuse that make all veterans look suspect. Accountability is vital, but constructive solutions matter more.

Of all the challenges facing veterans and the nation, is VA benefits fraud really the one we should focus on?

Jim Whaley, Charlotte, North Carolina – The writer, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, is CEO of the nonprofit advocacy group Mission Roll Call.