Common Defense

06/24/2026

Congratulations to our entire endorsement slate on their victories.

06/23/2026

Service doesn't end when you come home from war. Pat Ryan has lived that truth.

Today, Common Defense is proud to endorse Congressman Pat Ryan (NY-18) for re-election. A combat veteran and West Point graduate, he brings firsthand military experience to some of the most consequential national security decisions facing the country. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, he has been a steady voice for veterans, for military families, and for the idea that endless wars should never be the first option.

At a moment when Veterans' benefits and healthcare are under attack, we need people in Congress who will honor their oath and fight for those who served, just like they fought for us.

06/23/2026

Nearly tripling the VA home loan refinance fee penalizes veterans trying to provide home security for their families.

Balancing budgets on the backs of rank-and-file buyers is a failure of leadership.

Bill advancing in Congress would nearly triple VA home-loan refinance fees to help fund expanded benefits for severely injured veterans.

06/22/2026

Congress found a way to make wounded veterans pay for their own benefits. We are not letting it slide.

Buried inside the Take Care of America's Veterans Act is Section 108. For the first time in history, it would write the reduction of a service-connected disability rating directly into law, cutting ratings for conditions like tinnitus and sleep apnea purely to free up budget room. Once that door is open, any rating, for any condition, can be cut whenever Washington needs an offset.

The people who would pay are the youngest and most recently wounded among us: a Marine still working through the effects of blast exposure, a Navy veteran who has not yet filed a claim, an Army Reservist whose symptoms have not surfaced yet. By the bill's own terms, up to 1.5 million future claimants would be denied as much as $ 57 billion in earned benefits over 10 years.

That is why Common Defense led a coalition of 15 veteran and military service organizations in a letter to Congress demanding that Section 108 be struck. We support the bill's core provisions, including the Major Richard Star Act. But we will not watch one generation of veterans pay for another's benefits. A promise made to one generation cannot be honored by breaking it for the next.

06/22/2026

When this administration sent DOGE to gut the VA and strip healthcare from the people who earned it, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was among the first in Congress to call it out and fight back.

She has been an unwavering defender of the PACT Act, a vocal opponent of VA privatization, and a consistent ally for working families in and out of uniform.

Our members in New York know the difference between a politician who shows up at election time and a leader who shows up when the votes that matter are being cast. That is the difference between a talking point and a promise kept.

Common Defense represents veterans, military families, and allies, and we are proud to endorse Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for re-election in New York's 14th.

Veterans' care is a promise to keep, not a line item to cut.

We are ready to mobilize and send her back to Congress.

06/22/2026

An objective audit of the Iran war deal shows it failed to win anything that wasn't already secured before Trump and Hegseth started the conflict.

When leaders prioritize loyalty over military competence, our troops, their families and our communities pay the price.

Trump’s Iran war failed to secure gains beyond the Obama-era nuclear deal while imposing major human and economic costs.

06/22/2026

This veteran's mental health provider has 900 patients.

Nine hundred.

Appointments get canceled regularly. There is no slack in the system. There is no backup. There is one person carrying an impossible caseload.

And Doug Collins and the Trump administration fired more providers.

This is what Project 2025 looks like in practice.
Not a leaner VA. A VA that cannot function.

06/19/2026

Nearly 160 servicemembers at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio are ill amid what U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro described as an outbreak following the end of the military’s flu vaccine mandate. https://bit.ly/4vmekpa

06/19/2026

Today the United States Army celebrates its 251st Birthday.

Looking back through old photographs, I'm reminded how much of my life was shaped by the Army — from my days at West Point with my parents proudly by my side, to deployments in the Middle East, to my retirement after 22 years of service and four combat tours.

The Army gave me unforgettable experiences, like flying in Korea’s DMZ, or building schools in Iraq, and I had the privilege of serving alongside some of the finest Americans I've ever known.

To every soldier who has worn the uniform, thank you for your service and sacrifice. Happy 251st Birthday to the United States Army. 🇺🇸

06/19/2026

🚨Trump signed a deal to end the illegal and unnecessary war with Iran.

13 of our service members are dead. Iran is getting $300B in reconstruction funds. What do we have to show for it? Nothing but higher gas prices.

Congressional oversight should prevent wars like this from happening. Instead, our Congress is a doormat for the President.