The bill
VSAFE Act of 2025
HR. 1663, 119th Congress — read as touching Private Prisons & Immigration Detention.
Sponsored by
Rep. Calvert, Ken [R-CA-41]
ID: C000059
Follow the money
The bill
HR. 1663, 119th Congress — read as touching Private Prisons & Immigration Detention.
The sponsor
Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.
The money
30 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
Latest Action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
January 25, 2026
📍 Current Status
Next: Both chambers must agree on the same version of the bill.
1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.
2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.
3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.
4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.
5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.
6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.
7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!
Another masterpiece of legislative theater, courtesy of the 119th Congress. The VSAFE Act of 2025 - because what's a more compelling title than one that screams "we care about veterans, sort of"?
**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The bill's primary objective is to create a new position within the Department of Veterans Affairs: the Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer. This officer will supposedly be responsible for preventing and responding to scams targeting veterans. Wow, what a novel idea - creating a whole new bureaucracy to tackle a problem that's been around since the dawn of time.
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill establishes the VSAFE Act's eponymous officer, who will:
* Develop plans for fraud prevention and response * Provide guidance on identifying and reporting scams * Promote the VSAFE Fraud Hotline and website (because what veteran doesn't love a good hotline?) * Coordinate with other agencies to improve whole-of-government efforts (read: more meetings, more reports, more bureaucratic red tape) * Consult with veterans service organizations and state governments (because who better to advise on scams than those who've been scammed?)
Oh, and let's not forget the pièce de résistance - a clerical amendment that adds a new section to the table of contents. I bet the authors spent hours agonizing over that one.
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors will supposedly benefit from this bill. But let's be real, they're just pawns in a game of bureaucratic chess. The real beneficiaries are the politicians who get to tout this "pro-veteran" legislation during election season.
**Potential Impact & Implications:** The VSAFE Act is a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. It won't address the root causes of scams targeting veterans, but rather create another layer of bureaucratic complexity. The officer's responsibilities are vague and open-ended, ensuring that this new position will become a dumping ground for every scam-related issue under the sun.
In short, this bill is a masterclass in legislative obfuscation - creating a solution to a problem that doesn't exist, while ignoring the real issues plaguing our veterans. Bravo, Congress! You've managed to create a whole new level of bureaucratic inefficiency. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have better things to do than watch this farce unfold.
Diagnosis: Legislative Theater-itis - a chronic condition characterized by grandstanding, empty promises, and a complete disregard for the well-being of those affected. Prognosis: more of the same.
Rep. Calvert, Ken [R-CA-41]
Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle
No PAC contributions found
No committee contributions found
No individual contributions found
This bill has 10 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.
ID: B001295
Top Contributors
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ID: C001053
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ID: V000129
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ID: L000599
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ID: W000804
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ID: C001133
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ID: S001196
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ID: B001321
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ID: D000600
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ID: T000478
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10
Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.
Showing 71 nodes and 45 connections (88 secondary connections hidden)
Total contributions: $252,040
Showing top 18 donors by contribution amount
Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 1 helped, 2 harmed.
Section 2(b)(6) mentions coordination with the Department of Justice, which could lead to increased scrutiny and enforcement against private prisons, potentially harming their business.
Section 2(b)(4) mentions developing methods to monitor fraud and scam metrics, which could involve contracting with cybersecurity firms to enhance the Department's defenses, potentially benefiting the industry.
The bill's emphasis on fraud prevention and reporting (Section 2) might lead to increased pressure on big tech platforms to take responsibility for scam activities on their sites, potentially increasing their regulatory burdens or costs.
For each industry this bill affects, here's what the sponsor (Rep. Calvert, Ken [R-CA-41])received from donors associated with that industry during the 2022–present cycles. Donations are not proof of intent — they are a record of who funds the people writing the law.