🎖️VA Halts Enforcement of Controversial Disability Ratings Rule as Lawmakers Demand Full Rescission

Doug Collins says interim rule tying VA disability ratings to medicated symptom levels “will not be enforced,” but members of Congress—including Mark Takano—insist the policy must be formally withdrawn.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has paused enforcement of a controversial interim final rule that would have altered how disability ratings are calculated—triggering bipartisan calls on Capitol Hill for the regulation to be permanently rescinded.

In a Feb. 19 statement posted on X, VA Secretary Doug Collins announced that the department “is halting the enforcement of the interim final rule,” which had taken effect Feb. 17, the same day it was published in the Federal Register.

The rule—filed under docket RIN 2900-AS49—directed VA medical examiners to base disability ratings on the reduced level of impairment if medication improves a veteran’s condition. Disability ratings directly determine monthly compensation levels for millions of former service members.

Collins pledged that the policy “will not be enforced at any time in the future,” though the rule technically remains in place pending the close of the public comment period on April 20.

Lawmakers: ‘Halting Enforcement Is Not Enough’

The announcement followed swift backlash from lawmakers and veterans service organizations, who warned the rule could penalize veterans for complying with prescribed medical treatment.

House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-Calif.) argued the change would place veterans “in a position of deciding between managing their health and receiving their full benefits.”

📰“You’re Going to See More Defections”: Rep. Thomas Massie Warns GOP Fractures Are Just Beginning

In an exclusive interview with 'TELL IT LIKE IT IS' Magazine, the libertarian Republican details his clash with Donald Trump, Speaker Mike Johnson, and Attorney General Pam Bondi — and predicts growing Republican breakaways over Epstein files, tariffs, and party leadership.

WASHINGTON | Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), long viewed as a libertarian outlier inside the Republican conference, is predicting deeper fractures within the GOP as internal tensions escalate over transparency demands tied to the Jeffrey Epstein files, Trump-era tariffs, and congressional oversight.

In an exclusive interview with 'TELL IT LIKE IT IS' Magazine inside his Capitol Hill office, Massie described what he views as a quiet but expanding bloc of Republicans increasingly willing to defy President Donald Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson.

“On any given day, I would just need one or two of my own co-conspirators to get something done,” Massie said. “I think you’re going to see more defections.”

The warning comes at a time when the Republican majority in the House remains razor-thin, amplifying the influence of even a handful of dissenters.

Epstein Files Transparency Fight Intensifies

Massie has become one of the most visible Republican voices pressing the Department of Justice to release and unredact documents connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

He claims roughly 3 million files have already been released, and credits sustained public pressure and congressional oversight for incremental disclosures.

The Kentucky lawmaker clashed sharply with Attorney General Pam Bondi during a recent House Judiciary Committee hearing, criticizing what he described as inconsistent redactions and DOJ missteps.