5 things to know in veterans news: Job training for skilled trades, lawmakers recognized, a veteran’s case heads to Supreme Court

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Oct. 5 will hear arguments in the case of an incarcerated Army veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder whose disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs were reduced as a result of his conviction and prison term.

Floyd D. Johnson’s disability rating was slashed from 80% to 10% because of a federal law that limits the benefits of felons serving prison terms of more than 60 days.

Johnson, who was in the Army from 1983 to 1985, received an honorable discharge after a deadly training exercise in Germany.

He started receiving disability benefits as a prisoner in Florida, where he is serving a 40-year term for several state felonies.

But attorneys for Johnson will not ask the high court to allow him to keep his full benefits. His legal appeal is about where his appeal can be heard.

A Supreme Court decision this week will allow an Army veteran's negligence case against a defense contractor to proceed in federal court. The case involves a 2016 suicide bomb attack at a U.S. base in Afghanistan that killed five people and injured 17. The U.S. Supreme Court is seen in Washington on Dec. 13, 2023. (Carlos Bongioanni/Stars and Stripes)

The core issue is whether federal district courts have jurisdiction to hear constitutional challenges to VA benefit reduction laws or whether veterans must exclusively use an administrative process.

The 11th Circuit and lower federal courts previously dismissed Johnson’s lawsuit.

Johnson claimed that his constitutional rights were violated under the Fifth Amendment’s due process clause when the VA lowered his benefits.

The Veterans’ Judicial Review Act, enacted by Congress, sends challenges to benefit decisions to the VA’s Board of Veterans’ Appeals and to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, an independent body that reviews board decisions.

Google funds career training in skilled trades for veterans

Google’s philanthropic arm is providing financial backing and resources to train 25,000 veterans and military family members for high-demand jobs in skilled trades, the company announced.

Training will prepare veterans for work as electricians, plumbers, welders, carpenters and construction workers, among other jobs.

Google is funding three nonprofit organizations that support former military members and their training for skilled trades jobs.

Those organizations are Hiring Our Heroes, Student Veterans of America and the Home Builders Institute.

Google’s pledge is part of a larger company initiative to provide the resources for more than 300,000 U.S. workers to prepare for in-demand careers in the skilled trades.

Claims assistance company target of investigation

State attorneys general in New York and Illinois have launched investigations into Trajector Medical over the company’s actions to charge veterans $20,000 or more for disability claims assistance.

The investigations were revealed in a letter from the state attorneys to a judge in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida, where Trajector Medical filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

“The Attorneys General of New York and Illinois write to advise the Court that they have ongoing investigations and intend to commence legal action against Trajector … for fraudulent, illegal and deceptive business practices,” according to a Sept. 8 letter to Judge Jacob A. Brown.

The attorneys general alleged that Trajector Medical misrepresents its services to veterans.

The company uses automated “call bots” to phone the VA, enter veterans’ personal information and collect information on the status of claims — often without the veterans’ knowledge, according to the letter.

When claims result in new or higher benefits, Trajector Medical bills veterans.

“Veteran consumers have complained that they were surprised to receive bills from Trajector calculated as a portion of their benefits increases when they were unaware of any work that Trajector performed to justify its charges,” the letter said.

Rep. Mike Bost, R.-Ill., chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, was named Legislator of the Year by Wounded Warrior Project. Bost has led multiple bills to improve benefits and services for veterans and their families. (Tyler Stewart/Wounded Warrior Project)

Wounded Warrior Project honors lawmakers of the year

Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) recently honored Rep. Mike Bost, R.-Ill., and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., as legislators of the year for 2026.

The award recognizes outstanding legislative efforts and achievements to improve the lives of veterans. 

Bost is a Marine Corps veteran and chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee. Blumenthal is the top Democrat on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

Bost had a key role in passage of the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, which WWP described as “one of the most significant veterans’ legislative packages in recent years.”

He is now leading several pieces of legislation to expand benefits, including the Medal of Honor Act, the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act and the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D.-Conn., the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, was named Legislator of the Year by Wounded Warrior Project. Blumenthal has led multiple bills to improve benefits and services for veterans and their families. (Wounded Warrior Project)

Blumenthal has “one of the strongest veterans’ advocacy records in Congress,” WWP said.

He has served on the Senate VA Committee since 2011 and helped lead passage of the PACT Act of 2022, which provides benefits to toxic-exposed veterans.

He also is a strong advocate for passage of the Major Richard Star Act, which would enable combat-wounded veterans who were medically retired early to receive their full retirement pay plus disability benefits.

“Together, we will continue the fight to pass the Major Richard Star Act, improve VA mental health care programs and ensure a grateful nation lives up to its promises to veterans,” Blumenthal posted to social media after receiving the award.

Decisions on non-VA care requests often delayed, federal watchdog finds

A newly released audit found that the VA often did not meet a required deadline of three business days to respond to physician requests to cover additional non-VA medical services for veterans.

Less than half of the requests reviewed were decided on time, according to the Office of Inspector General at the Department of Veterans Affairs, which conducted the audit.

“On average, notifications took about 12 days from the date of receipt — four times longer than required. This can adversely delay or disrupt veterans’ care or result in unauthorized care,” the report said.

The OIG examined how quickly the Veterans Health Administration reviewed and responded to community care providers’ requests for additional non-VA health services for veterans.

These requests are submitted when a private provider determines that a veteran needs more or different care than the VA initially approved for coverage, according to the OIG.

“The audit identified several barriers to meeting the three-business-day standard, including backlogs, staff shortages, manual processes, and multiple systems and steps needed to process requests,” the OIG said.