Press Releases

Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA-11) and Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA-6) wrote the following Letter to the Editor of the Cherokee Tribune & Ledger-News after a misleading letter was published regarding veteran benefits in Republican’s Limit, Save, Grow Act:

Dear Editor,

We write in response to a letter to the editor published on May 6, 2023, regarding the Limit, Save, Grow Act passed by the United States House of Representatives. While we appreciate the author expressing his opinions regarding the debt ceiling bill, the letter unfortunately included several statements that were misleading and should be clarified.

First, the author claims that the Limit, Save, Grow Act will “cut 22% from the VA’s budget.” This is simply untrue. Nowhere does the bill cite any cuts to the budget of the Department of Veteran Affairs. In reality, the bill preserves the exact same funding levels that Joe Biden himself called “world-class healthcare” just last year.

Instead, the bill repurposes unused, unspent Covid relief funding—separate from any departmental budgets—so that it can actually go to help Americans.

Unfortunately, false claims were spread by Biden political appointees at the Department of Veterans Affairs as a ploy to scare veterans and raise opposition to the bill. But as Speaker McCarthy and Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Kay Granger have repeatedly stated, there will be no cuts to the VA, the Department of Defense, Social Security, or Medicare. We are both veterans ourselves, and we take this guarantee seriously.

The author also claims the Limit, Save, Grow Act is a stalling tactic by House Republicans to score political points, but nothing could be further from the truth. America is in serious trouble regarding our massive debt and unconstrained federal spending, and we must put Congress on a course toward fiscal responsibility. As stated by Speaker McCarthy, this legislation will rein in spending, as well as “boost American energy, lower energy costs for American families, and stop our dependence on foreign adversaries.”

This bill remains the only proposal for addressing the debt ceiling that has passed a chamber of Congress. While the Biden administration may see this as an opportunity to score political points by spreading blatantly false information, we will continue fighting for fiscal responsibility in our federal government, keeping our nation safe and strong, and ensuring America’s veterans receive the care they deserve.

U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk

U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick

Update: On Tuesday, May 16, 2022, House Republicans released their Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations bill, which boosts federal discretionary spending for veterans’ programs.