Let Freedom Ring Campaign

For generations, America has promised its veterans something sacred: that their service to this nation would be honored not only in words, but in the systems built to support them. Stable housing. Fair treatment. Protection in times of hardship. But during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, that promise was tested—and in too many cases, it was broken.

Millions of Americans sought mortgage forbearance through the CARES Act. Veterans and servicemembers also received protections under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). In December 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued joint bulletins reminding mortgage companies and landlords of their legal duty to protect servicemembers and military families. These warnings are publicly available through the DOJ press release and the CFPB’s enforcement bulletin.

But despite those warnings, violations continued. The very institutions tasked with helping veterans navigate hardship instead created barriers: incorrect credit reporting, unlawful denials of mortgage assumptions, misapplied forbearance accounting, and in some cases, foreclosure threats that should never have been issued.

The Pattern—and the Failure—Runs Deep

This crisis did not begin with COVID. More than a decade ago, major financial institutions were fined for illegally foreclosing on active-duty military families—cases that were supposed to reform the industry. But history repeated itself, and this time the consequences hit veterans still recovering from a once-in-a-century pandemic.

The Let Freedom Ring Campaign exists for one reason: to demand the accountability, transparency, and justice that veterans were promised—and that they deserve.

The COVID Era: A Perfect Storm of Mismanagement

During the pandemic, hundreds of thousands of borrowers entered mortgage forbearance. But instead of clear guidance and fair treatment, many veterans encountered:

Misreported credit histories tied to federally protected forbearance.
Incorrect denials of VA loan assumptions, even when all eligibility requirements were met.
Servicer errors that created false arrears or inflated balances.
Foreclosure threats—even while borrowers were supposed to be protected by federal law.

According to the DOJ notification letter to mortgage servicers, these protections were not optional—they were federally mandated obligations. Yet violations continued.

The Fairness Veterans Were Promised

Veterans and surviving spouses are protected under multiple federal safeguards, including:

CARES Act forbearance protections
SCRA protections against foreclosure
VA rules governing assumptions, modifications, and delinquency handling
Protections against unlawful credit reporting under FCRA

Yet as proven through hundreds of complaints filed with the CFPB’s database and documented by news investigations, errors and violations continued long after the government put servicers on notice.

Why the System Failed

The failures were not isolated—they were systemic. Federal oversight agencies lacked the resources to track every case. Servicers lacked incentives to correct their own mistakes. Veterans lacked access to the information needed to dispute errors. And when they tried, they were often met with bureaucratic silence.

This is why the Let Freedom Ring Campaign was created: to force reform where institutions have failed.

The Let Freedom Ring Amendment

In October 2025, the amendment proposal was formally submitted to Senator Chris Van Hollen’s office for federal consideration. The Let Freedom Ring Amendment is built on a simple truth: fairness should not depend on persistence, privilege, or luck.

You can read the original proposal here: Let Freedom Ring Amendment Proposal (PDF)

What the Amendment Calls For

The amendment proposes:

Mandatory correction of any credit misreporting connected to CARES Act forbearance or federally protected disaster relief.
Automatic review of any foreclosure or assumption denial involving a veteran or surviving spouse.
Civil penalties for servicers who misreport, mishandle, or violate federal loan protections.
Transparent reporting between the VA, CFPB, and the public to ensure real accountability.
Fair access to VA assumption rights for surviving spouses and heirs, preventing wrongful displacement.

This Is About More Than Paperwork—It’s About Trust

The Let Freedom Ring Campaign is not just a legislative push. It is a movement to restore trust in systems that failed the people they were designed to defend. Veterans fulfilled their promise to this nation. Now it’s time for the nation to fulfill its promise to them.

How You Can Take Action

Change begins with one voice—but becomes unstoppable when joined by thousands.

If you believe in fairness, accountability, and justice for veterans, raise your voice now.

You can contact Senator Chris Van Hollen’s office here: Contact Senator Van Hollen.

Suggested message:

“Dear Senator Van Hollen, I am writing to express my strong support for the Let Freedom Ring Amendment. Veterans and their families deserve fair and consistent treatment from mortgage servicers. I urge you to champion this reform to ensure no veteran is ever again harmed by mismanagement or neglect of federal protections.”

This Is a National Movement

The Let Freedom Ring Campaign is more than a website—it is a call to action. A commitment to fight for veterans, surviving spouses, and families who trusted the system and were let down. The campaign stands for transparency, accountability, and justice.

Freedom should not depend on the servicer assigned to your mortgage. Freedom should not depend on whether an agency acted in time. Freedom should never be a privilege reserved for the few.

This is our moment to Let Freedom Ring.

References

U.S. DOJ / CFPB Joint Warning to Servicers (2021–2025): https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-and-cfpb-put-landlords-and-mortgage-servicers-notice-about-servicemembers
CFPB Enforcement Bulletin (2021): https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-and-doj-put-landlords-and-mortgage-servicers-on-notice-about-servicemembers-and-veterans-rights/
DOJ Servicer Notification Letter: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/press-release/file/1457516/dl
CFPB Complaint Database: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/consumer-complaints/
SCRA Protections: https://www.justice.gov/servicemembers
CARES Act (H.R. 748): https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/748
Let Freedom Ring Amendment Proposal PDF: https://theletfreedomringamendment.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Let_Freedom_Ring_Amendment_PROPOSAL.pdf
Senator Chris Van Hollen Contact Page: https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/contact/email