In a rare instance of bipartisan unity, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1228, the “Prioritizing Veterans’ Survivors Act,” with a resounding vote of 424-0 on Thursday. This legislation serves as a critical step toward reinstating the Office of Survivors
Assistance (OSA) to its original role within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). By passing this bill, lawmakers ensured that the office will again serve as the principal advisor on policies affecting military families, specifically the survivors of veterans who have died in military service.
This move to restore the OSA is a direct reversal of a 2021 decision that diminished the advocacy efforts for military survivors. Under previous administrations, the OSA had been tasked with guiding the VA’s efforts to improve the lives of military families and veterans’ survivors. However, in 2021, this vital advocacy role was sidelined,
prompting growing concern that the department was failing to adequately represent those who lost loved ones in service to the nation. With Thursday’s vote, the House has now ensured that this crucial office will again have a prominent voice in shaping policy on behalf of the survivors of U.S. military personnel.