The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that the Veterans Court does not have to re-examine all evidence when reviewing disability benefits denials, only overturning decisions for clear mistakes.
This decision was challenged by veterans Norman Thornton and Joshua Bufkin, whose disability claims were denied. Veterans’ groups argued that the Veterans Court should be more lenient, as Congress intended when creating it in 1988.
The Court agreed with the VA, with the majority stating the Veterans Court’s role is to identify clear errors, not review evidence.
In a separate case, the Supreme Court blocked the Trump administration’s request to freeze billions in foreign aid, letting lower courts decide how to enforce the spending.