One of the foundational beliefs that informs our work in the General Assembly is simple: Virginia should be the most veteran-friendly place in the nation.
That's why, over the last few years, both of us have passed new laws that support active-duty military members, veterans and their loved ones. For example, we've expanded property tax relief for Gold Star families (House Bills 558 and 1868), strengthened the Virginia National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program (HB 1595), and helped service-disabled veteran-owned and military-family-owned businesses win state contracts (HB 2751).
Yet as Virginia moved forward, the federal government lurched backward. We won't mince words: H.R. 1, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump in July, is a raw deal for military families and veterans.
Here's why. /p>
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First, it's important to know
Roughly 1.6 million veterans are enrolled in Medicaid, which can cover services that Tricare doesn't, supplement other insurance types and lower out-of-pocket costs. Access to Medicaid is especially important for military families who have children in need of specialized care. In Virginia, recent estimates show over 41,000 veterans are enrolled in Medicaid.
So what changes does H.R. 1 make to these programs? Let's start with SNAP. The new law expands rigid work requirements for SNAP, generally requiring 80 hours of work, training or volunteering each month. What hasn't received nearly as much attention is this: President Trump's law repealed a bipartisan compromise in 2023, signed into law by former President Joe Biden, that exempted veterans from SNAP work requirements.
What was the rationale for this exemption? Veterans often face unique barriers in their transition to civilian employment and may also be dealing with physical and mental health conditions related to their service. Those challenges are harder to overcome with strict work requirements that set people up to fail in a maze of red tape. Trump's repeal of this exemption means many veterans will lose the food assistance they rely on.
Turning to health care, H.R. 1 makes the largest cuts to Medicaid in the history of the program, which was first established in 1965. These cuts will harm military families, especially considering that 1 in 13 veterans in Virginia receive care through Medicaid.
But it gets worse. Under current law, people who get health coverage through Medicaid expansion must redetermine their eligibility once a year. Under President Trump's law, it'll be every six months. This harsh new rule, which also applies to veterans, significantly increases the risk that eligible families will lose health coverage because of paperwork requirements and bureaucratic barriers that they must clear twice a year.
Finally, while H.R. 1 showered tax cuts on the wealthy -- in fact, the average tax filer who earns $1 million or more per year will see a tax break of about $90,000 -- Congress has so far failed to renew tax credits that make health insurance more affordable for everyday families, including veterans. If these enhanced premium tax credits expire at the end of 2025, premiums will spike in 2026. The combined impact of these changes means that many veterans will lose the health coverage they count on.
Here's the bottom line: H.R. 1 creates barriers that will take food and health care away from those who have served this country in uniform, and their families. In Virginia, we've shown there's a better way: policy solutions that expand opportunity and honor sacrifice. That's the approach our veterans and military families deserve from Washington, too.
Del. Phil Hernandez, D-Norfolk, can be reached at info@philforvirginia.com. Del. Michael Feggans, D-Virginia Beach, can be reached at delmfeggans@house.virginia.gov.
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