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Edward: Welcome to the Mil Weekly
Briefing 15-21 June 2025, your essential

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guide to the latest news impacting
the military and veteran community.

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Whether you're currently serving in
uniform, a military retiree, a veteran,

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or a family member, this is your source
for the critical updates you need to know.

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Each week, we cut through the noise to
bring you the most important developments

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from the Pentagon, Capitol Hill, and
the Department of Veterans Affairs.

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We’ll cover everything from new
policies and pay raises affecting

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active and reserve forces, to changes
in healthcare and benefits for

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retirees, and the latest on VA services
and legislation for our veterans.

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Let's get you informed.

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Here’s what’s happened this past week.

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Issues That Affect Active
and Reserve Military

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The Pentagon issued several
announcements for active-duty and

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Reserve forces during this period.

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In mid-June the Department of Defense
announced a new Recruitment Task Force to

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sustain its recent gains in enlistments.

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On June 18, DoD spokesman Sean
Parnell said Secretary Hegseth

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directed an inter-service task force
(co-chaired by senior personnel and

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public affairs officials) to develop
coordinated recruiting strategies,

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remove barriers, and capitalize
on recent high enlistment levels.

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This initiative aims to preserve
recruiting momentum (the highest in

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decades) amid growing service demands.

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Domestic operations were another focus.

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In response to unrest in Los Angeles,
700 Marines from Camp Pendleton’s

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2nd Battalion, 7th Marines were
moved into the city in mid-June

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to protect federal property and
personnel during large protests.

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These troops augmented over 4,000
California National Guard already on duty.

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According to a June 19 AP report, the
Marines entered under strict rules of

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engagement: they carried standard service
weapons (but no tear gas) and received

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written guidance forbidding warning
shots and emphasizing de-escalation.

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Defense Secretary Hegseth had publicly
floated the idea of using active-duty

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forces, surprising some senior leaders.

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Officials clarified that deploying
units to guard federal facilities

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let the military help without
triggering the Insurrection Act.

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As of June 21, Guard forces continued
to build up (with about 2,000

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planned), and the Marines stood ready
under those restrictive guidelines.

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Legislatively, Congress turned
to next fiscal year’s budget.

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On June 16 the House GOP introduced H.R.

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4016, the Department of Defense
Appropriations Act for FY2026.

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That bill would fund the Pentagon
at roughly $831–832 billion (about

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flat with FY2025), including a 3.8%

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pay raise for service members in 2026.

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(The House Appropriations Committee’s
announcement and floor debate made

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clear this raise was a key priority).

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The bill is early in the process,
but if enacted its funding would

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cover nearly all military personnel
and operations for the year ahead.

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For current service members, the 3.8%

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raise and continued benefits would
boost pay; for retired personnel, the

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appropriations bill itself contains no
direct changes to retiree pay (those are

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typically set in the Authorization bill).

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However, by ensuring robust
personnel funding and readiness, H.R.

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4016 indirectly supports all military
families and enables retirees

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to receive promised benefits.

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(A link to H.R.

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4016 on Congress.gov

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is provided for reference.)

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New appointments and
nominations were also announced.

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On June 20, the Pentagon
released a batch of Marine Corps

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general-officer nominations.

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Notably, Lieutenant General Christopher J.

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Mahoney was tapped to become the next
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of

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Staff, pending Senate confirmation.

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Other nominees included Marine
general officers for top

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staff and command billets.

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These moves mark the Biden/Trump
administration’s next generation

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of military leadership; if
confirmed the appointees will set

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priorities and policies affecting
all active and Reserve forces.

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Issues That Affect Retired Military

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This week’s federal news offered
limited direct changes for military

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retirees, but Congress and agencies
continued work on long-standing issues.

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In Congress, retiree pay and benefits
are largely addressed through annual

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budget and authorization bills.

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As noted, H.R.

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4016 (the FY2026 defense funding bill)
provides higher active-duty pay, but does

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not itself raise retired pay or COLAs.

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(The annual Cost-of-Living
Adjustment – 2.5%

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in 2025 – was announced last fall by law.)

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Pending legislation in Congress
could affect some retirees, for

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example combat-injured veterans.

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The Major Richard Star Act (H.R.

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2102/S.

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1032), reintroduced earlier this year,
is designed to help wounded retirees:

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it would allow veterans who retired
early for combat-related disabilities

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to receive full concurrent retirement
pay and VA disability compensation.

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If enacted, that would increase
retired income for eligible retirees.

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No new votes occurred
this week, but both H.R.

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2102 and its Senate companion
remain active in committee.

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On administration side, retirees should
note miscellaneous benefit updates.

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For example, on June 18 the Veterans
Affairs Department announced lower life

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insurance premiums for many beneficiaries.

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Effective July 1, 2025, Servicemembers’
Group Life Insurance (SGLI)

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premiums will drop from $0.06

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to $0.05

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per $1,000 of coverage.

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Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI)
premiums are also being reduced across all

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age brackets, by roughly 11% on average.

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These changes automatically improve
the affordability of life insurance

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for current and retired service
members (and their spouses) without

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any action needed on their part.

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Finally, agencies reminded retirees
of program changes coming in 2025.

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For instance, the Defense Finance
and Accounting Service (DFAS) is

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shifting Survivor Benefit Plan
billing this year from the Treasury

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to DFAS’s own systems (as announced
in a March retiree newsletter).

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Retirees who pay SBP premiums
directly will soon receive

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new billing notices from DFAS.

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(This is a procedural change requiring
retirees to adjust their payment address,

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but it doesn’t alter entitlement amounts.)

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In summary, while no new retiree pay
increases or benefit overhauls were

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finalized June 15–21, Congress’s
budgeting and ongoing legislative

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measures continue to shape the
broader retiree benefits landscape.

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Issues That Affect Veteran’s Affairs

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Recent VA news has focused on
veteran benefits and public

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perception of VA policy changes.

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Veterans and VA issues drew
significant attention this week.

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On June 18 the Department of
Veterans Affairs announced a key

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benefit update: lower life insurance
costs for many vets and families.

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Under the new rates, active-duty,
National Guard and Reserve members

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will pay only five cents (down from six
cents) per $1,000 on Servicemembers’

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Group Life Insurance (SGLI).

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Likewise, Veterans’ Group Life Insurance
(VGLI) premiums will drop by roughly 11%

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on average, automatically reducing monthly
costs for disabled and retired veterans.

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These adjustments mean more
take-home pay or benefits remain

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for veterans with life insurance.

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No action is required by beneficiaries;
the VA stated retirees and service

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members will see the lower premiums
reflected in their statements.

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In contrast to these positive
developments, the VA also had to

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address a viral media report about
hospital discrimination rules.

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On June 16, The Guardian published a
story claiming VA health centers had

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stripped explicit protections that
barred doctors from discriminating

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against patients based on marital
status or political affiliation.

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The report tied the changes to a recent
presidential order on “gender ideology,”

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suggesting the VA could now refuse care
to “Democrats” or unmarried veterans.

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VA officials and veterans’ groups
immediately rebutted this narrative.

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VA press secretary Peter Kasperowicz
tweeted that the story was misleading

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and confirmed no veterans would
lose access to earned care.

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In a statement quoted by CBS News and
later by the Economic Times, he emphasized

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that “all eligible veterans will always
be welcome at VA and will always receive

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the benefits and services they’ve earned”.

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He called the supposed policy shift
“just a formality” of legal language,

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not a genuine change in care policy.

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Similarly, American Legion National
Commander James LaCoursiere said VA

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leaders had assured him that longstanding
VA Directives 1019 and 1124 – which

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ban patient discrimination by politics
or marital status – remain in force.

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VA Deputy Asst.

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Secretary Macaulay Porter likewise flatly
declared the Guardian’s implication to

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be “false,” reiterating that federal law
continues to bar such discrimination.

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In short, despite the news reports,
the VA and advocates confirmed

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that no VA veteran health benefit
or entitlement has been revoked.

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On the legislative front, veterans’
issues saw continued activity

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in Congress (though much of that
occurred just before this week).

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The Veterans’ Affairs Committees have
introduced various bills to improve

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claims processing and benefits (for
example, measures to streamline appeals

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and expand education and housing
benefits), but those were announced

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earlier in June and remain in committee.

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No major new veterans bills were
marked up on June 15–21, but

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lawmakers in both parties say they
are closely monitoring VA programs.

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Budget-wise, the House Appropriations
Committee (on June 12) approved its

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Military Construction–VA spending
bill, which included significant

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funding increases for veterans’ medical
care and benefits infrastructure.

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That measure would also preserve
most current VA programs and

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benefits, though its exact effects
remain subject to final passage.

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In summary, the week’s big Veterans
Affairs news combined a positive

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benefit change with a media controversy.

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The life-insurance premium cuts
directly raise disposable income for

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many veterans and their families.

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Meanwhile, assurances from VA leadership
and veterans’ organizations have

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quieted fears that any veteran would
be denied care on improper grounds.

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Other VA and veterans services continue as
usual, including homelessness programs and

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health initiatives not reported this week.

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Congress has yet to enact any new
veterans legislation in this window,

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but it remains engaged with veterans’
issues in pending bills and hearings.

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And that's your Weekly Briefing.

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Staying on top of these changes
is key to navigating your career,

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your retirement, and your benefits.

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Thank you for tuning in.

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Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your
podcasts, so you never miss an update.

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We’ll be back next week with another
roundup of the news that matters most

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to the military and veteran community.