A new military quality of life improvement plan would include targeted pay increases for young troops and bigger housing stipends for families. The Department of Veterans Affairs will start buying veterans' failing mortgages to help them stay in their homes. Legislation introduced in the Senate would guarantee a cost-of-living boost in veterans benefits in 2025. A watchdog warned that VA medical officials may not be able to respond to problems with implantable medical devices because of poor tracking systems. Veterans Affairs medical sites saw their patient numbers spike after a five-month effort to improve access and delivery of health care. Lawmakers are sparring over proposed changes to a fund covering the costs of veterans' toxic exposure benefits. If Congress does not approve a federal appropriations plan by midnight, some military activities could be postponed or canceled over the weekend. A record number of women veterans are receiving disability compensation benefits from VA. Under the latest congressional budget plan, troops E-6 and below could start getting monthly bonuses from the Defense Department to offset low base pay. Lawmakers and senior military leaders say that military pay needs to be based more on the role and responsibilites of troops, and not simply their age. Load More