Congress quietly passed a veterans bill that actually cuts benefits, and Democratic leaders let it slide through without even forcing a recorded vote.

• The bill, named to sound pro-veteran, combines over 60 smaller veteran bills but includes a provision that changes how the VA rates sleep apnea and tinnitus, which could cut disability pay by tens of billions of dollars over the next decade and hit over a million future veterans.
• Major veterans groups oppose the bill unless that provision is removed, and most veterans surveyed feel the same way.
• Democratic leadership had whipped members to vote no, but no one demanded a recorded vote on the floor, so Republicans passed it instantly by voice vote with zero accountability for anyone's position.
• Democrats blame the mix-up on being distracted by minor wording fixes to the bill, but those fixes are normally handled after a vote, not before, making the excuse hard to buy.
• This adds to a string of recent missteps by House Democratic leadership, including an earlier failure to force a vote on removing a cabinet official.

Outlook: The bill now heads to the Senate, where some opposition is expected, giving supporters of veterans benefits a chance to strip out the harmful provision before final passage.