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Monday, February 23, 2026

Their proposal, the Full Cost of War Act, seeks to hardwire that obligation into the earliest stages of any future conflict decision.

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It's simple: If you're going to send American troops into harm's way, then you better fully fund the VA to be there when they come home. That's what it means to pay the full cost of war. And that's what my bill with @reptedlieu.bsky.social would require.

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-- Congressman Chris Deluzio (@deluzio.house.gov) Jan 30, 2026 at 10:07 AM

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... Reintroduced in the 119th Congress by Chris Deluzio and Ted Lieu, the bill would require Congress to authorize funding for veterans' medical care, disability compensation, and related benefits at the same time it authorizes the use of military force or declares war.

The measure aims to ensure that caring for veterans is not treated as a downstream budget issue, but as an integral component of the cost of military action itself. ...


#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-02-22 02:33 PM | Reply

Only prudent.

#2 | Posted by fresno500 at 2026-02-22 03:38 PM | Reply

Thank you. As a veteran of the Vietnam War, I know how important a strong Veterans' Administration can be to returning vets, and how easy it is to get lost to physical and emotional pain.
Still, while we are on the subject, my daydream is that one day we actually have a return of the draft, and all young men and women serve, either two years under arms, or two and a half years in civilian capacity, and after that service, are allowed to belong to national health care.

#3 | Posted by Hughmass at 2026-02-24 08:07 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 3

HIGHMASS
What a sensible idea. Thanks.

#4 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2026-02-24 08:15 AM | Reply

#3

You had the option to go to Canada, baby killer. At least the good guys won that war.

Take your slavery dream somewhere else. And penalizing smart kids who don't want to play war games is just sick.

#5 | Posted by DarkVader at 2026-02-24 08:57 AM | Reply

"You had the option to go to Canada, baby killer. At least the good guys won that war.

Take your slavery dream somewhere else. And penalizing smart kids who don't want to play war games is just sick.

#5 | POSTED BY DARKVADER"

So, young men that served in the military that were drafted were stupid? Or, do you mean the rich kids that had their parents paying for they college education or multiple deterrents or had bone spurs were smarter than those born without a silver spoon up their asses? GFY! "At least the good guys won that war."? Ask the Hmong or any other mountain people native of Vietnam whom the Vietnamese, both north and south, committed genocide against, what they think of the Vietnamese as that war really was much more complicated than you think.

#6 | Posted by Wildman62 at 2026-02-24 10:01 AM | Reply

@#3 Hughmass

I 2nd the motion on reinstating the Draft.

But,with much stricter deferments. A lot rich kids weaseled out of that war, while all the poor kids had to go and fight.

This way, the powers that be, won't be so quick to commit to senseless and costly wars.

#7 | Posted by shane at 2026-02-24 10:07 AM | Reply

I third the motion on reinstating the Draft.

No deferments, no wrestling out of service with phony bone spurs.

Speaking of which, I had an actual bone spur removed a week ago.

BONE SPURS DO NOT DISAPPEAR ON THEIR OWN! They have to be surgically removed.

Trump's a f*&@ing liar.

#8 | Posted by AMERICANUNITY at 2026-02-24 10:19 AM | Reply

Full Cost of War Act: Tie Force Decisions to Veteran Funding

Good job! Now the GOP will be even more incentivized to kill off the working class enlisted troops.

#9 | Posted by censored at 2026-02-24 10:24 AM | Reply

This Full Cost of War Act is good idea.

Only draft I'd support would be drafting any congressmen who vote to go to war.

#10 | Posted by qcp at 2026-02-24 10:25 AM | Reply

Take your slavery dream somewhere else. And penalizing smart kids who don't want to play war games is just sick.

#5 | POSTED BY DARKVADER

It's not about be a slave. It's about contributing to the health and wellfare of our nation.

Only 2% of Americans serve America. So only 2% really know what's going on in our government.

But 98% bitch about it.

If you really want to understand our government of the People and you really want to change this government of the People the best place to do that is from the inside while being one of those People.

#11 | Posted by donnerboy at 2026-02-24 11:27 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

One of the greatest draft dodgers of all time would go on to became one of the first national wealthy superstars of the "Roaring 20s" alongside the beloved immortal Babe Ruth.


#12 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-02-24 11:35 AM | Reply

"Only 2% of Americans serve America."

Like when I worked for the Census!

#13 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-02-24 11:36 AM | Reply

Only 2% of Americans serve America. So only 2% really know what's going on in our government.

Are you being serious? You are a Marine, right? Do you think the privates and PFCs of the world "really know what's going on in our government?"

Compulsory service = bad service from people who don't want to be there. Our all volunteer force transformed the military.

#14 | Posted by qcp at 2026-02-24 11:43 AM | Reply

Do you think the privates and PFCs of the world "really know what's going on in our government?"

If they joined the Marines then they would know what's going on in the Marines. They would know a lot more about their government than they would if they never left their mom's basement. But not everyone needs to join the Marines. The government has many other career opportunities.

#15 | Posted by donnerboy at 2026-02-24 12:53 PM | Reply

Compulsory service is not a career. It's a sentence. It's how you end up with a military full of criminals like the Russians have. We got rid of things like judges sentencing criminals to military duty over prison when we got rid of the draft. I for one don't want to see it come back.

#16 | Posted by qcp at 2026-02-24 01:08 PM | Reply

VPOTUS Dan Quayle (R) avoided combat in Vietnam by being triple-billeted in an Indiana Army National Guard MP unit.

That means he shared one billet on the MTOE with two other Army National Guardsmen, an extraordinary move by the Indiana State Adjutant-General.

That's PFC Dan Quayle on the left enjoying INARNG summer camp in 1971. That year in Vietnam 2,414 Servicemembers were KIA and 11,000 were WIA.


#17 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-02-24 01:11 PM | Reply

US Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) avoided being conscripted for Vietnam from 1968 to 1970 by getting a religious deferment through the Church of Latter Day Saints (AKA the Mormons) to become a missionary. Here is "Mitch" on the far right with two other Elders proselytizing the naughty French against smoking, enjoying wine, drinking coffee, or having pre-marital conjugal relations. 1968 was the deadliest year for our Soldiers in Vietnam: 16,899 were KIA.


#18 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-02-24 01:39 PM | Reply

@#1 ... The measure aims to ensure that caring for veterans is not treated as a downstream budget issue, but as an integral component of the cost of military action itself. ...

My current opinion is while I think this is a great idea, this proposed bill would never be passed into law.

Why?

Because it would require the Dept of Defense and the President to acknowledge and publicly document the estimated number of injuries suffered by the Military before engaging in a military action.

#19 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-02-24 01:47 PM | Reply

"Compulsory service is not a career."

It could be. And it's not slave labor. You'd get a salary and benefits and training. And like I said, you don't have to do it in the military. You could do it in Peace Corp. etc.(yes we still have one ... for now.)

And it could be you just doing your part for YOUR country for a couple of years.

BEFORE you ask what it can do for you.

#20 | Posted by donnerboy at 2026-02-24 01:58 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

During the Vietnam War, VPOTUS Dick Cheney (R) somehow received five deferments from being drafted into the US military. When asked about this astonishing feat decades later, Cheney sneered: "I had other priorities in the '60s than military service." He was arrested twice for DWI before marrying his childhood sweetheart Lynne. Here is Dick Cheney with her and their children in the late 1960s enjoying family life, a family life that 58,220 Soldiers who died in SE Asia would never enjoy.

#21 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-02-24 02:07 PM | Reply

Re 20

OK. Having said all that I would not recommend even trying it until after the Trump Error. Everything Trumpy touches dies. So I don't recommend working for this government at all. And Trumpy would clearly ruin and abuse and destroy a program like that.

#22 | Posted by donnerboy at 2026-02-24 02:07 PM | Reply

But you don't get the most important thing, a choice.

#23 | Posted by qcp at 2026-02-24 02:07 PM | Reply

But you don't get the most important thing, a choice.

#23 | POSTED BY QCP

Two years of your life for your country is not too much to ask.

You don't get a voice for a lot things in life. You'd get to choose how you'd help your country tho. And in the process you may even help yourself to a career. At minimum you'd see what's happening in your own government with your own eyes.

And I bet if more people served then there would be less incentive to go to war, too. More skin in the game.

#24 | Posted by donnerboy at 2026-02-24 02:13 PM | Reply

"Two years of your life for your country is not too much to ask."

It is if they don't want to do it.

I gave the USMC four years, by the way. Voluntarily.

#25 | Posted by qcp at 2026-02-24 02:17 PM | Reply

"But you don't get the most important thing, a choice "

You don't get a choice as to whether to attend K-12 grade school either. Just add two years to that. Then you are eligible to be a Super Citizen! With all the benefits. Like maybe free college. Or cheap no down payment mortgages, etc.

#26 | Posted by donnerboy at 2026-02-24 02:17 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

I gave the USMC four years, by the way. Voluntarily.

#25 | POSTED BY QCP

And I thank you for your service! But you are fixated on the Marines as the only option. Not everyone is a hardcore warrior type like you and me( not that I really am a warrior type anymore) The U.S. government is huge. There is work available for all kinds of body types.

#27 | Posted by donnerboy at 2026-02-24 02:21 PM | Reply

You don't get a choice as to whether to attend K-12 grade school either

Kids drop out of school every day.

#28 | Posted by qcp at 2026-02-24 02:21 PM | Reply

I'm not fixated at all I used it as an example, a reference I knew we both understood.

#29 | Posted by qcp at 2026-02-24 02:26 PM | Reply

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