LA CROSSE, WI. – In a desperate attempt to score political points, Rebecca Cooke is spreading a flat-out lie about veterans’ housing programs in a misleading attack on Congressman Derrick Van Orden.
Cooke claims that Van Orden “allow[ed] the cancellation” of the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase (VASP) program and caused widespread foreclosures. That claim is unequivocally false. The VASP program was a temporary pandemic-era measure and was replaced by permanent reform signed into law by Donald Trump in July 2025 through Rep. Van Orden’s VA Loan Program Reform Act. Importantly, veterans already enrolled in VASP prior to its May 1, 2025 conclusion were allowed to remain in the program. Van Orden’s Legion-backed law establishes a permanent partial claims program within the VA Home Loan Program, bringing VA in line with other federal agencies that lend money for homes and replacing the fiscally irresponsible Biden administration-era VASP program. It also expanded access to federal assistance for veterans who fall behind on their mortgages, bringing VA borrowers in line with protections already available through FHA loans. Additionally, today, Van Orden introduced H.R. 8532, the VA Home Loan Affordability Act, to modernize the VA Home Loan program to better reflect today’s competitive housing market.
“Derrick Van Orden is a 26-year U.S. Navy SEAL senior chief and combat-tested veteran who served five tours for this country. His service is not up for debate, and definitely not for cheap political attacks. Cooke’s desperate lies don’t change the facts, they only highlight how little she has to offer.” – Grace Kim, Campaign Spox
