Washington, D.C, District of Columbia Oct 1, 2026 (Issuewire.com) - Combat-injured veterans pressing for the Major Richard Star Act are directing a new request toward national, regional and local newsrooms: go beyond the headline, compare the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act (TCAVA) legislation and ask lawmakers which version they actually support.
According to 54Kvets’ internal campaign audit, participants have generated 2,197 verified campaign emails, 46,141 House legislative-staff recipient hits, 8,230 Senate staff hits and 70,555 media recipient hits — 124,926 cumulative congressional and media contacts.
That total has grown by nearly 20,000 contact attempts in roughly 48 hours.
The community now wants that outreach translated into deeper reporting.
“Contains the Major Richard Star Act” Needs a Second Question
TCAVA supporters have described the package as containing the Major Richard Star Act. Disabled American Veterans is publicly drawing a different distinction.
DAV stated that TCAVA does not contain the full Major Richard Star Act and describes the TCAVA approach as a reduced compromise. DAV’s statement on the Major Richard Star Act and TCAVA
That makes Section 101 itself a reporting issue—not only the controversy surrounding Section 108.
54Kvets is asking reporters to put a basic question to lawmakers:
When you say you support the Major Richard Star Act, do you mean the standalone legislation or TCAVA’s Section 101 formula?
Veterans Groups Are Not Speaking With One Voice
The disagreement reaches beyond DAV.
The American Legion Department of California has formally adopted action opposing National American Legion support for TCAVA. California American Legion resolutions
The American Legion Department of Texas has also put concerns about using future VA disability compensation reductions or limitations to finance veterans legislation into the public record. Congressional Record — TCAVA debate and Texas position
Those positions complicate any simple narrative that the veterans community uniformly supports TCAVA as written.
218 Signatures Changed the Question
For months, much of the TCAVA debate centered on demands to remove Section 108.
54Kvets says that request no longer captures the full legislative situation this late in the 119th Congress.
The H.Res. 1247 discharge petition reached 218 signatures, placing a separate House route for consideration of H.R. 2102 into the congressional record.
The community says reporters should now ask lawmakers more than whether Section 108 should be removed:
Do you support the full Major Richard Star Act or TCAVA’s Section 101 formula?
Do you support Section 108’s sleep-apnea and tinnitus changes?
If H.R. 2102 comes before the House, how would you vote?
If you previously cosponsored H.R. 2102, do you still support that legislation as written?
“PAYGO should not be a barrier to correcting an injustice against veterans,” said Shane Junkert. “Calling Section 101 the Major Richard Star Act does not make it the same as the standalone Major Richard Star Act. TCAVA keeps a medical-retirement limitation that does not exist in the standalone Major Richard Star Act, and that can hit some of our most seriously wounded Chapter 61 retirees hardest.”
Junkert added: “Congress is still trying to save money by limiting what some combat-injured veterans receive. Veterans should not become the pay-for for veterans.”
From One Petition to Sustained National Engagement
Junkert’s involvement began after Sen. Roger Wicker objected in October 2025 to an effort to advance the Major Richard Star Act by unanimous consent. He subsequently launched the Change.org/54kVeterans petition.
Since then, the fight has grown far beyond one petition, one person or one online community.
The 218-signature House milestone reflects work by veterans, military families, veterans organizations, advocates, lawmakers and supporters nationwide.
“The 54Kvets community has not stopped,” Junkert said. “They keep writing, calling, contacting reporters, sharing records and pressing the same unanswered questions. Reaching 218 was never the finish line.”
“The broader veterans community deserves enormous credit for getting this issue where it is today. What makes me proud of 54Kvets is that people have stayed engaged. They have not wavered, and they keep pushing.”
A Nationwide Request to Newsrooms
54Kvets is asking reporters in every state and congressional district to find affected veterans locally, compare the legislative language and ask representatives and senators for direct answers before Veterans Day.
For non-veterans, the story is straightforward: a combat-related disability can end a military career early, and the retiree can then lose earned retirement pay because VA disability compensation is also being received.
The question now is which remedy Congress intends to enact—and what other veterans benefits it is willing to change along the way.
Interview the veterans. Compare the bills. Ask lawmakers which version they support. Put the answers on the record before Veterans Day.
Media Contact
54Kveterans (54Kvets) Shane@54Kveterans.org 817-771-3577 489 Army Drive box 24130 http://54KVeterans.org
