[Joint House and Senate Hearing, 118 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                                                        S. Hrg. 118-250

                    LEGISLATIVE PRESENTATION OF THE
               AMERICAN LEGION AND MULTI VSOs: JWV, TAPS,
               NCHV, MOAA, NACVSO, NCAI, VVA, NGAUS, FRA

=======================================================================

                              JOINT HEARING

                               BEFORE THE

                     COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                                AND THE

                     COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS
                          UNITED STATES SENATE

                    ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

                             SECOND SESSION

                               __________

                             MARCH 13, 2024

                               __________

      Formatted for the use of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
      
 [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]     


        Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov
                
                               __________

                   U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE                    
55-120 PDF                  WASHINGTON : 2024                    
          
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                 SENATE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS

                     Jon Tester, Montana, Chairman

Patty Murray, Washington             Jerry Moran, Kansas, Ranking 
Bernard Sanders, Vermont                 Member
Sherrod Brown, Ohio                  John Boozman, Arkansas
Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut      Bill Cassidy, Louisiana
Mazie K. Hirono, Hawaii              Mike Rounds, South Dakota
Joe Manchin III, West Virginia       Thom Tillis, North Carolina
Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona              Dan Sullivan, Alaska
Margaret Wood Hassan, New Hampshire  Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee
Angus S. King, Jr., Maine            Kevin Cramer, North Dakota
                                     Tommy Tuberville, Alabama

                      Tony McClain, Staff Director
               David Shearman, Republican Staff Director

                              ----------                              

        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS

                     Mike Bost, Illinois, Chairman

Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen,       Mark Takano, California, Ranking 
    American Samoa                       Member
Jack Bergman, Michigan               Julia Brownley, California
Nancy Mace, South Carolina           Mike Levin, California
Matthew M. Rosendale, Sr., Montana   Chris Pappas, New Hampshire
Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Iowa       Frank J. Mrvan, Indiana
Gregory F. Murphy, North Carolina    Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, 
Scott Franklin, Florida                  Florida
Derrick Van Orden, Wisconsin         Christopher R. Deluzio, 
Morgan Luttrell, Texas                   Pennsylvania
Juan Ciscomani, Arizona              Morgan McGarvey, Kentucky
Elijah Crane, Arizona                Delia C. Ramirez, Illinois
Keith Self, Texas                    Greg Landsman, Ohio
Jennifer A. Kiggans, Virginia        Nikki Budzinski, Illinois

                       Jon Clark, Staff Director
                  Matt Reel, Democratic Staff Director
                            
                            C O N T E N T S

                              ----------                              

                             March 13, 2024

                                                                   Page

                            REPRESENTATIVES

Hon. Mike Bost, Chairman, U.S. Representative from Illinois......     2
Hon. Mark Takano, Ranking Member, U.S. Representative from 
  California.....................................................     8
Hon. Chris Pappas, U.S. Representative from New Hampshire........    15
Hon. Elijah Crane, U.S. Representative from Arizona..............    18
Hon. Keith Self, U.S. Representative from Texas..................    20
Hon. Delia C. Ramirez, U.S. Representative from Illinois.........    20
Hon. Greg Landsman, U.S. Representative from Ohio................    22
Hon. Mike Levin, U.S. Representative from California.............    43

                                SENATORS

Hon. Jon Tester, Chairman, U.S. Senator from Montana.............     1
Hon. Angus S. King, Jr., U.S. Senator from Maine.................    14
Hon. Richard Blumenthal, U.S. Senator from Connecticut...........    16
Hon. Margaret Wood Hassan, U.S. Senator from New Hampshire.......    19

                   INTRODUCTION OF DANIEL J. SEEHAFER

The Honorable Scott Fitzgerald, U.S. Representative from 
  Wisconsin......................................................     4

                               WITNESSES
                                Panel I

Daniel J. Seehafer, National Commander, The American Legion......     5

  accompanied by

  Chanin Nuntavong, National Executive Director

  Patricia Harris, Chairwoman, Legislative Commission

  Julia Mathis, Director, Legislative Division

  Autrey James, Chairman, Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation 
    Commission

  Tiffany Ellett, Director, Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation 
    Division

  John Bowen, Chairman, Veterans Employment and Education 
    Commission

  Joe Sharpe, Director, Veterans Employment and Education 
    Division

                                Panel II

COL Barry Lischinsky, USA (Ret.), National Commander, Jewish War 
  Veterans of the USA............................................    23

Rebecca Harrison Mullaney, Surviving Spouse of Army Captain Ian 
  Morrison, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors.............    25

Kathryn Monet, Chief Executive Officer, National Coalition for 
  Homeless Veterans..............................................    27

CDR Rene Campos, USN (Ret.), Senior Director of Government 
  Relations for Veterans Wounded Warrior Care, Military Officers 
  Association of America.........................................    29

                            Panel II (cont.)

Michael McLaughlin, Legislative Director, National Association of 
  County Veterans Service Officers...............................    30

Melvin Sheldon, Jr., Alternate Vice President-Northwest Region, 
  National Congress of American Indians..........................    32

Jack McManus, National President, Vietnam Veterans of America....    34

Maj. Gen. Frank McGinn (Ret.), President, National Guard 
  Association of the United States...............................    36

John S. Handzuk, National President, Fleet Reserve Association...    38

                                APPENDIX
                          Prepared Statements

Daniel J. Seehafer, National Commander, The American Legion......    51

COL Barry Lischinsky, USA (Ret.), National Commander, Jewish War 
  Veterans of the USA............................................    81

  Attachment A--Letter dated November 3, 2023....................    96
  Attachment B--``Special Focus on Antisemitism'' Summary........    98

Rebecca Harrison Mullaney, Surviving Spouse of Army Captain Ian 
  Morrison, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors.............   100

Kathryn Monet, Chief Executive Officer, National Coalition for 
  Homeless Veterans..............................................   135

CDR Rene Campos, USN (Ret.), Senior Director of Government 
  Relations for Veterans Wounded Warrior Care, Military Officers 
  Association of America.........................................   148

Michael McLaughlin, Legislative Director, National Association of 
  County Veterans Service Officers...............................   173

  Attachment--NACVSO Priorities for the 118th Congress...........   178

Melvin Sheldon, Jr., Alternate Vice President-Northwest Region, 
  National Congress of American Indians..........................   180

Jack McManus, National President, Vietnam Veterans of America....   186

Maj. Gen. Frank McGinn (Ret.), President, National Guard 
  Association of the United States...............................   197

John S. Handzuk, National President, Fleet Reserve Association...   203

                       Statements for the Record

Hon. Delia C. Ramirez, U.S. Representative from Illinois.........   223

American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor Memorial Society, Jan 
  Thompson, President............................................   225

Black Veterans Empowerment Council, Inc., Shawn Deadwiler, 
  President and Chairman of the Board............................   229

D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at 
  Syracuse University............................................   238

Gold Star Wives of America, Inc..................................   247

Jose D. Acevedo, U.S. Navy Veteran, Juris Doctor.................   251

Military Order of the Purple Heart of the U.S.A., Ralph 
  ``Carder'' Ferguson, National Commander........................   263

Minority Veterans of America, Lindsay Church, Executive Director 
  and Co-Founder; Peter Perkowski, Legal and Policy Director.....   276

Modern Military Association of America, Rachel Branaman, 
  Executive Director.............................................   294

Quality of Life Foundation.......................................   304

Reserve Organization of America, Maj. Gen. Jeffrey E. Phillips, 
  U.S. Army (Ret.)...............................................   311

Veterans Education Success.......................................   333

 
 LEGISLATIVE PRESENTATION OF THE AMERICAN LEGION AND MULTI VSOS: JWV, 
            TAPS, NCHV, MOAA, NACVSO, NCAI, VVA, NGAUS, FRA

                              ----------                              


                       WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2024

         U.S. House of Representatives, and
                                       U.S. Senate,
                            Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
                                                    Washington, DC.

    The Joint Committees met, pursuant to notice, at 10:11 
a.m., in Room 390, Cannon House Office Building, Hon. Mike 
Bost, Chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, presiding.

    Present:

    Representatives Bost, Crane, Self, Takano, Levin, Pappas, 
Ramirez, Deluzio, McGarvey, and Landsman.

    Senators Tester, Brown, Blumenthal, Hassan, and King.

        OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JON TESTER, CHAIRMAN,
                   U.S. SENATOR FROM MONTANA

    Chairman Tester [presiding]. We will call this hearing to 
order. Chairman Bost will be here shortly, but I think we 
should get going here.
    Commander Seehafer, thank you for being here. We appreciate 
the wisdom you are going to pass on to us here shortly, and we 
welcome the entire American Legion this morning.
    I want to thank the Legion for inviting me to be a speaker 
at their convention a few weeks ago. Hearing from your members 
is vital to shaping our policy and overseeing the actions of 
the VA.
    Commander Seehafer, thank you for being here. Thank you for 
the Legion's continued advocacy on behalf of our Nation's 
veterans. The American Legion has been a key partner in passing 
critical legislation for veterans and their families over the 
past few Congresses, including the Deborah Sampson Act, the 
Hannon Act, and most recently, the PACT Act.
    The PACT Act was a heavy lift, and I am here to say we 
couldn't have done it without you and the entire VSO community, 
so give yourselves a hand. Thank you very much.
    [Applause.]
    But the fact is our work here is far from being done. There 
are a number of issues requiring legislative action, from 
veteran suicide to homelessness to education benefits. We need 
the Legion's input and we need your support to get these 
priorities across the finish line.
    The suicide rates across the country, and particularly in 
the veterans community, continue to be at unacceptable levels, 
and we need to work together to help address the persistent 
issues causing veterans to feel like they have been left 
behind. That is why I introduced S. 928, the Not Just a Number 
Act, to identify nonhealthcare factors and to help prevent 
suicide.
    No veteran should have to worry about finding a safe place 
to sleep at night. My CHARGE Act seeks to give the VA the tools 
it needs to tackle veterans' homelessness.
    Members of the National Guard and Reserve should be earning 
the same educational benefits as their active duty 
counterparts. I was proud to join my colleagues up here in 
introducing the GI Bill Parity Act, giving reserve component 
servicemembers credit for their time in uniform.
    But these legislative priorities and increased benefits 
need to be safeguarded from those that are looking to prey on 
our veterans. Veterans should not have to pay for assistance 
when seeking VA benefits. I hope to hear from you today about 
how we can work together to go after predatory claims 
consultants looking to get rich on the earned benefits of our 
veterans, like the folks in this room.
    For the veterans here today, thank you for your service and 
thank you for your work on behalf of fellow veterans.
    With that, Chairman Bost, good to see you here, man.

         OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. MIKE BOST, CHAIRMAN,
               U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM ILLINOIS

    Chairman Bost [presiding]. You know, for some reason I have 
to figure out where the buttons are in here. For some reason, 
they like want us to vote. I don't understand.
    Chairman Tester. Constitutional duty, too?
    Chairman Bost. Yes, it is all that.
    Chairman Tester. Okay.
    Chairman Bost. Hey, good morning, everyone. And I want to 
thank you for being here. And I would like to welcome Senator 
Chairman Tester and thank him for going ahead and kicking this 
off, and Ranking Member Moran, who I am sure will be here 
shortly. I want to thank you all for joining us.
    And a good morning to all of my fellow Legionnaires. And, 
you know, as you can tell, I am a proud member of the 
Murphysboro, Illinois, Paul Stout American Legion Post 127. 
[Applause.] Now, let me tell you a little bit about our post. 
It has been around quite some time. And Paul Stout was a 
private who fought in Belleau Wood, fought in Belleau, and then 
fell in the next battle up the road. And we have been around 
for quite a few years under the name Paul Stout. So much so 
that when we celebrated the hundredth anniversary, we actually 
had a Paul Stout beer made. So, at any rate, so, and I need to 
let you know I am paid up on my dues, just so you know. 
[Laughter.] Okay.
    I would like to welcome all the American Legion national 
and all the members and our national commander, Daniel 
Seehafer, and his wife, Stacey, for being here today. I would 
also like to give a shout-out to all the American Legion 
auxiliary president, Lisa Williamson, and the national 
commander of the Sons, Donald Lee Hall, or Junior as he is 
known, for being here today as well. And a special welcome to 
everyone from Illinois. If you can raise and say, hey, we are 
here, just so you--there we go. All right.
    [Applause.]
    So, as most of you know, being the Chairman is not a 
responsibility I take lightly. It is very, very personal to me, 
and I know it is personal to you. To explain to you if you 
don't know, I am a Marine. My grandfather on my mother's side, 
Marine, Korean War. My dad and his brothers were all Army, 
Korean War. My uncle was Vietnam, Marine. He was the victim of 
the ultimate oxymoron, friendly fire. He did not pass. He has 
had a very successful life, but he does have a 100 percent 
rating, and the VA has been very good to him over his life 
after his time of service. My son is a lieutenant colonel in 
the Marine Corps right now, Reservist, but was active for many 
years. And my grandson is an F-18 mechanic, a corporal in 
Miramar, California. So it is very, very personal to me as it 
is to you.
    I know the sacrifices you have made. I know the sacrifices 
that your family has made. And I know at the end of the day, 
you just want access to healthcare and benefits and services 
you have earned without a big headache. Our Veterans Service 
Organizations community play a vitally important role in making 
all of that happen.
    You know where VA is falling short because you hear it from 
the boots on the ground that you talk to every day and all 
around this country, you know what the problems are. And you 
also know that the statement is, if you have seen one VA, you 
have seen one VA, because they all have unique issues and 
problems. Some are wonderful, some we got to work on.
    But make no mistake, your advocacy here in DC and across 
the country really makes a difference. And I am proud of all 
that we have accomplished together over the last few years, 
including the President signing the bipartisan PACT Act and 
putting that into law.
    Now, this is the largest expansion of healthcare and 
benefits for veterans and their families in recent history, and 
we are going to make sure VA gets it right. Because sometimes, 
I don't know, if you know this, we pass laws, then we have to 
do a follow-up and make sure they are actually doing what we 
said to do. So as Chairman, it is my top priority of mine to 
hold the VA accountable for you, the men and women who serve, 
no matter what. So please call or visit our website to report 
waste, fraud, or abuse. We need your help to make the VA what 
you deserve.
    Looking ahead, I am going to be focusing on improvements 
where we can to modernizing the delivery of care and services 
from the VA. We have made great progress in identifying 
improvements that could be made for the veterans' community 
care program through our oversight efforts. We are also working 
on legislation to increase accessibility and accountability in 
the VA healthcare system. As Chairman and as a fellow veteran, 
I will keep pushing the VA to be more transparent with veterans 
when they are deciding their best option for care, whether in 
the VA or in the community.
    Now, right now we are in a bipartisan negotiation to get a 
package of veterans bills to the President's desk. This 
comprehensive package includes many of American Legion's 
priorities, like expansion of the VA's long-term care service 
to put veterans in control of where they want to live out the 
rest of their days, strengthening the community care program, 
expansion of VET TEC education program, and there is so much 
more we are going to be working on. We will get the package 
done this year, but our work is nowhere near being finished. We 
know we have got still a lot to do.
    My door will always continue to be open to each of you 
because veterans are still fighting a VA bureaucracy to access 
the healthcare they want when and where they need it; facing 
challenges receiving timely healthcare and services in rural 
and remote areas; dealing with underperforming VA employees who 
don't always have the veteran's best interest in mind; and 
dealing with the effects of a 20-year war and accessing 
quality, timely, comprehensive mental healthcare and support.
    Now, these might seem like small things, but it comes down 
to this. They impact veterans' lives every single day. I 
promise to keep up the fight that we are all in together. And 
now it is not the time to take our foot off the accelerator. 
And I will ensure that VA gets the budget it needs to complete 
the goal.
    I look forward to meeting the mission alongside of every 
one of you. Thank you again for being here today.
    Chairman Bost. And with that, I was going to yield to 
Chairman Tester, but obviously he has already finished his 
opening remarks. I was going to say something and allow Mr. 
Takano and then yield to Senator Moran. Obviously, I am the one 
here.
    So, what I would like to do at this time is say welcome and 
yield to our gentleman from Wisconsin, Representative 
Fitzgerald, to introduce the American Legion's commander.

           INTRODUCTION BY THE HON. SCOTT FITZGERALD

    Mr. Fitzgerald. Thank you, Chairman Bost. It is great to be 
with you here today. Especially great to be sitting here 
alongside American Legion National Commander Daniel Seehafer, 
who I am very proud to be introducing today. I have always 
revered the American Legion for their work, from my days as a 
recruit at Fort Jackson all throughout my career to finishing 
up as a battalion commander with the U.S. Army Reserves.
    It is leaders like Commander Seehafer who keep the mission 
alive. Mr. Seehafer was elected national commander of the 
American Legion last August in Charlotte, North Carolina, 
during the 104th National Convention. For any of you familiar 
with him, you know, he likes to say it is personal when talking 
about the American Legion's mission of serving veterans and 
their families.
    Though he serves all veterans, Mr. Seehafer is a 
Wisconsinite through and through. He was born and raised in 
Merrill, Wisconsin, and lives in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, today 
with his children and, as mentioned earlier by the Chairman, 
his wife Stacey, who is a member of the American Legion 
Auxiliary Unit 157. So obviously it is kind of a family effort.
    Mr. Seehafer is an ordained minister from Wisconsin, where 
he also earned his American Legion eligibility through service 
in the U.S. Navy and Navy Reserve. He even served as a military 
chaplain. Commander Seehafer was installed as assistant pastor 
of St. Stephen's Lutheran Church in Horicon in 1997 and 
continues to serve as administrative pastor of the church and 
its school.
    A member of American Legion Post 157 in Horicon, Commander 
Seehafer served in a number of American Legion offices at every 
level, including national chaplain and commander of the 
Department of Wisconsin.
    As if this wasn't impressive enough, Mr. Seehafer earned an 
Outstanding Heroism Award for administering the Heimlich 
maneuver to a choking victim at an American Legion dinner. Like 
I said, his dedication to service knows no bounds.
    I would be remiss if I didn't take a moment to also 
recognize Mr. Seehafer and the American Legion for the 
important advocacy work that they do here in Congress on behalf 
of veterans and their families. The PACT Act immediately comes 
to mind. I was certainly proud, like other Members of Congress, 
to support this bipartisan legislation. And thanks to the help 
of folks like Mr. Seehafer, Commander Seehafer, we got the 
legislation across the finish line to enact the most 
significant expansion of benefits and services for toxic-
exposed veterans.
    His qualifications and record truly say it all. The 
American Legion is lucky to have Commander Seehafer as a 
leader. And we as members of the American Legion are fortunate 
enough to be able to not only hear his testimony today, but 
look forward to his actions in the future.
    With that, it is my great privilege and honor to welcome a 
fellow Wisconsinite to this hearing on behalf of the American 
Legion.
    I yield back.
    Chairman Bost. Thank you. And, Commander, you are 
recognized for 10 minutes for your opening statement.

                            PANEL I

                              ----------                              


   STATEMENT OF DANIEL J. SEEHAFER, NATIONAL COMMANDER, THE 
   AMERICAN LEGION ACCOMPANIED BY CHANIN NUNTAVONG, NATIONAL 
 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR; PATRICIA HARRIS, CHAIRWOMAN, LEGISLATIVE 
   COMMISSION; JULIA MATHIS, DIRECTOR, LEGISLATIVE DIVISION; 
  AUTREY JAMES, CHAIRMAN, VETERANS AFFAIRS AND REHABILITATION 
   COMMISSION; TIFFANY ELLET, DIRECTOR, VETERANS AFFAIRS AND 
    REHABILITATION DIVISION; JOHN BOWEN, CHAIRMAN, VETERANS 
EMPLOYMENT AND EDUCATION COMMISSION; AND JOE SHARPE, DIRECTOR, 
           VETERANS EMPLOYMENT AND EDUCATION DIVISION

    Mr. Seehafer. First of all, thank you, Representative 
Fitzgerald, for being here. I appreciate that, taking time out 
of your schedule.
    Mr. Chairman, with your permission, I would like to begin 
by introducing the individuals who are sitting on this panel 
with me: our legislative chair, Patricia Harris, and director, 
Julia Mathis; our Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation director, 
Tiffany Ellet; our Veterans Employment and Education chair, Jay 
Bowen, and director, Joe Sharpe; and our executive director, 
Chanin Nuntavong.
    Now, I want the representatives of our nearly 3 million 
American Legion family members to please stand and be 
recognized. First of all, our national officers serving with me 
this year [applause]. Next, our past national commanders 
[applause]; our national president of the American Legion 
Auxiliary, Lisa Williamson [applause]; our national commander 
of the Sons of the American Legion, Donald Lee J. R. Hall, Jr. 
[applause.] And finally, it is of extreme importance for me to 
recognize my wife once again, Stacey, who is my biggest 
supporter and ally, who I deeply love.
    [Applause.]
    Now that you met our leaders, let's get to the purpose and 
the relevance of this testimony. Chairman Bost and Ranking 
Member Takano, Chairman Tester and Ranking Member Moran, it is 
my honor and privilege to share with you and your Committees 
the American Legion's top priorities for the second session of 
the 118th Congress.
    In my opening statement, however, I will address something 
that is more than a priority to us. In fact, I heard it 
described as a marketing campaign and cool slogan to a catchy 
phrase and even a worthwhile initiative. However, none of these 
words appropriately reflect what ``Be the One'' is to the 
American Legion family. Rather, it is a mission, our mission, 
to change lives and save lives. And yes, Chairman, it is 
personal.
    There is no single deed that the American Legion family can 
accomplish that outweighs the prevention of a veteran from 
taking their own life. Nothing. We know firsthand that we have 
saved lives. Legionnaires like Jeff Freeman from Post 190 in 
Rippen, California, continues to live life now with purpose and 
relevance. Last year, at one of our Be the One events, he told 
us that the Legion saved my life. You see, it was 10 years 
after he attempted suicide. He is not a victim, but a suicide 
survivor. That is what Be the One is. It is our mission to be 
the one to save one.
    We do this then by destigmatizing the issue of mental 
health. Veterans value courage and it takes courage to ask for 
help. However, the American Legion doesn't sit back and just 
wait. Instead, we take a proactive approach and ask veterans if 
they are okay. That is what we call the buddy check. We thank 
Congress and Members of this critical Committee for passing 
legislation directing the Department of Veterans Affairs to 
conduct its own National Buddy Check Week, and they did thanks 
to you. Thanks to you. Just like you did with the PACT Act. 
Again, thank you for that.
    [Applause.]
    Now, when we look at the buddy check, without a doubt, it 
made an impact. Personal contact changes lives and personal 
contact saves lives, period. A major purpose of the American 
Legion's Be the One mission is to raise awareness. We have lost 
more than 135,000 veterans to suicide since 9/11. This is well 
more than all the American deaths incurred during the entire 
Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War, and the Global War on 
Terrorism combined. A veteran is 50 percent more likely to take 
their own life than a person who has never served in the 
military. This must stop!
    [Applause.]
    So, what can Congress do? Well, I am so, so glad you asked. 
Congress can be the one to enhance the military experience by 
supporting quality of life legislation. Be the one then to 
expand access to affordable childcare, increase funding for 
barracks and family housing, and ensure timely access to mental 
healthcare.
    Congress can also be the one to improve oversight of 
military sexual trauma and ensure that both the departments of 
Veterans Affairs and Defense provide timely, meaningful, and 
sensitive treatment for those who have experienced it.
    And Congress can be the one to expand research and access 
to alternative treatments and therapies. The National Survey on 
Drug Use and Health shows that in 2021, approximately 2.8 
million veterans experienced an illicit drug or alcohol use 
disorder, and 92.4 percent did not receive treatment. We urge 
you to consider legislation that would effectively address TBI 
and PTSD.
    We also know that if services are offered, services will be 
used. In 2023, the first year that VA enacted a new policy 
offering free emergency suicide prevention care in and outside 
the VA system, 49,714 veterans accessed this benefit, saving a 
projected $64 million in healthcare costs.
    When I was first elected last year in August, one of my 
very first visits not only impacted me personally, but really 
solidified the importance of our mission, a mission, again, of 
purpose and relevance; again, changing lives and saving lives. 
After my remarks in Tennessee, a veteran came up to me and 
said, ``Commander, what you talked about, that was me. That was 
me.'' You see, he was wounded by an IED and was not only 
struggling with PTSD, but TBI as well. As he left the military 
and transitioned into the civilian life, the pressures of life 
itself, family expenses and needs, did not stop just because he 
was injured. He didn't think his family would stick around. And 
honestly, he was starting to question if he should stay around, 
too.
    In fact, this wheelchair-bound veteran wheeled himself into 
another organization and requested assistance, not just with 
hands out, asking for money, but direction. However, the 
members never looked up from their card game. But one voice 
penetrated his soul, saying, I fought my war. I can't fight 
yours.
    With feelings of hopelessness, desperation, and rejection, 
he decided to end his life. So he put a revolver in his mouth 
and pulled the trigger not once, but twice. Both times, 
however, it did not fire. I personally believe that God gave 
many reasons why it did not go off.
    First of all, not only placing American Legion Post 172 in 
Georgia in his path, but empowering, empowering their 
leadership to take him in that caring embrace that they gave 
and connecting him with the right people at the right time, 
which not only saved his home and family, but him, also. So 
that this young veteran would realize his purpose and relevance 
in life as he now leads his post as their commander. Talk about 
changing a life and saving a life.
    And finally, it is for us. It is for us even today, because 
we, too, can be the one to change a life and even save a life 
in what we do for our veterans and their families. This, this, 
ladies and gentlemen, is why we have Be the One.
    [Applause.]
    In addition to our Be the One mission, the American Legion 
has other priorities, which we submit as part of our written 
testimony here today. Criminally punishing companies that prey 
on veterans and their families is extremely important. And we 
see a constant barrage of advertisements from unaccredited 
actors who charge excessive fees for services on claims that 
should be provided at no cost, requiring all separating 
servicemembers to participate in a robust transition assistance 
program which would cover employment and business 
opportunities, educational resources, housing options, health 
benefits, and other quality of life topics that can improve 
mental wellness and reduce suicide.
    Ensuring that every, yes, every branch of our military is 
paid in the event of a government shutdown. The last long 
shutdown caused a pay interruption for the U.S. Coast Guard. 
This should never, ever happen again.
    Pundits and self-proclaimed experts tell us not to be--or 
that is not to expect, rather, major legislation from a divided 
Congress during a Presidential election year. Well, Chair and 
everyone, I do reject that analysis. Veterans issues have 
traditionally unified Congress because in your hearts we know 
you love this country, we know, and truly wish to serve 
veterans. We know you do that just as veterans have served 
America. A major step in this direction would be the passage 
then of a budget, a complete budget, not another CR.
    Today, Russia is on the march, illegal crossings at our 
southern border remain high, and veterans continue to fight 
that plague of suicide. My friends, any member of the military 
will tell you that you cannot move forward without a plan. Yes, 
you may win a firefight here and there, but you will not 
achieve your overall mission without a plan. For the sake of 
veterans, their families, and for all Americans, I implore you, 
I implore you to put partisan politics aside and give us your 
plan.
    Chairman Bost, Chairman Tester, right, and Members of the 
Committees on Veterans' Affairs, on behalf of the American 
Legion, I thank you for giving the Nation's largest Veterans 
Service Organization the opportunity to share our priorities. I 
welcome any questions you have for me, our commission chairs, 
and, of course, our national staff.
    And I end by asking you to join the American Legion. No, I 
take that back. To join the American Legion family in changing 
lives and saving lives today and now. Thank you.
    [Standing ovation.]

    [The prepared statement of Mr. Seehafer appears on page 51 
of the Appendix.]

    Chairman Bost. First off, thank you for that opening. And 
before we go to questions, we are joined by Ranking Member 
Takano. It is kind of busy this morning and things are jumping 
around, but he has an opening statement and he is recognized 
for that.

             OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. MARK TAKANO,
      RANKING MEMBER, U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM CALIFORNIA

    Mr. Takano. Well, thank you, Chairman Bost.
    And I would like to start by extending a welcome to our 
Senate colleagues on the House side this morning. It is a 
pleasure to be here today, and it is really great to see all 
the VSO members and veteran advocates in our annual discussion 
of priorities.
    I am very pleased to see National Commander Daniel 
Seehafer. Thank you for your opening statement, and other 
representatives of the American Legion, and to learn about your 
legislative priorities for the second session of the 118th 
Congress.
    And I know that the Legion held its fly-in a couple of 
weeks ago, but if there are any Californians here today, I 
extend a hardy welcome. So, Californians, let me know if you 
are here. Great.
    [Applause.]
    I also welcome Korean-American Vietnam veterans from New 
York and Washington and the Washington area, Korean-American 
veterans. Thank you.
    [Applause.]
    I look forward to hearing from the VSOs represented on our 
second panel. And during the previous two Congresses, I made it 
my mission to diversify the voices that are represented at 
these hearings. We were successfully able to include several 
organizations whose demographic groups had never been 
represented in these critical conversations, and I am grateful 
to see that Tribal veterans continue to be represented. But I 
am disappointed that none of this year's invitees specifically 
represent the voices of veterans of color, LGBTQ+, and other 
minority veterans. Creating a VA that is welcome to all 
veterans is one of my priorities, and getting there starts with 
ensuring those veterans are represented in conversations about 
veterans issues and priorities.
    These hearings are our opportunity to hear from 
organizations like yours about what issues are impacting 
veterans and what Congress needs to do to help. I read in the 
testimony that one of Vietnam Veterans of America's priorities 
is honoring past VVA National President Thomas Corey. For 
almost 40 years, Mr. Corey was a tireless advocate for Vietnam 
veterans and veterans of every generation. His passing a couple 
of months ago was deeply felt in the veteran community. I know 
that Congressman Mast has introduced a bill to name the VA 
Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, the Thomas H. Corey 
Healthcare System of West Palm Beach.
    I also want to thank the Vietnam veteran community for its 
support of the Korean American Valor Act. It became law in no 
small part because of the advocacy of this community and the 
support of this community, and we look forward to working with 
you all to ensure its timely implementation.
    I also want to take a moment to wholeheartedly support the 
effort and commit to working with Chairman Bost to getting it 
brought to the floor quickly. What I am referring to is the 
Mast legislation to rename the West Palm Beach Medical Center.
    I look forward to discussing other priorities of the 
American Legion and the organizations on our second panel this 
morning. It was during these very hearings a couple of years 
ago that the VSO spoke in a unified voice and gave us our 
marching orders to finally get my PACT Act passed. The Honoring 
our PACT Act has been called the single biggest expansion of 
veterans' healthcare and benefits in generations. The Biden 
administration believes so strongly in the importance of this 
legislation that it accelerated the PACT Act's timeline to make 
all veterans who were potentially exposed to toxins eligible to 
enroll in VA healthcare years ahead of schedule.
    We will continue to evaluate places where the PACT Act can 
and should be expanded. For example, there is new evidence 
supporting toxic exposure claims at K-2, and there are Blue 
Water Navy veterans who served outside of the demarcation line, 
but are experiencing the same disabilities and diseases as 
sailors who served a mere few miles away.
    The PACT Act was never meant to be a one and done. We will 
keep working to make it as comprehensive as possible. We knew 
that when we passed the PACT Act, and we still know, that 
addressing the effects of toxic exposure was going to be 
expensive. But that was the cost of war. That is the cost of 
war. And when we asked servicemembers to put their lives on a 
line, we didn't ask about the cost. And we shouldn't nickel and 
dime veterans now that they are home. We must ensure that the 
funds needed for healthcare and benefits for toxic-exposed 
veterans are always available.
    We must not go back to making veterans compete with other 
veterans or with other discretionary spending programs that 
serve all Americans. I give you my word that I will continue to 
fight to prevent that from happening.
    [Applause.]
    I also remain focused on ending veteran homelessness. And 
over the last couple of years, VA has made great progress in 
getting veterans housed. There are policy tools that reduce 
homelessness among veterans that we know work, and we have 
allowed VA's authority to use those tools to expire. We owe it 
to our veterans to ensure that they have a roof over their 
heads and a place to live, so we must get the Home Act passed.
    [Applause.]
    Now, veteran suicide has also been a priority for me. Well, 
let's say ending veteran suicide has been a priority for me and 
my colleagues on this Committee. We must ensure that VA has the 
tools and resources it needs to reach all veterans who are 
struggling. And I will continue to fight to ensure that VA is 
best positioned to address veteran suicide.
    And, Commander, your remarks were just so extremely 
poignant on this point, and, you know, I share that commitment 
with you all. And thanks to the implementation of the COMPACT 
Act, over the past year, over 50,000 veterans have called 988 
and have received emergency mental healthcare. So I am very 
grateful that we have seen that happen, and that happened on a 
bipartisan basis as well.
    We will continue to work with organizations like yours to 
ensure that no veteran slips through the cracks. The grassroots 
nature of your organization makes it much easier for us to 
ensure that we have eyes on as many veterans as possible. I 
know we can work together to make progress on reducing veteran 
suicide.
    I look forward to working with my colleagues to gain 
momentum on veterans legislation before this Congress ends. And 
I really hope that we can set aside issues that do not directly 
benefit veterans and instead focus on what we are here to do. 
We are here to ensure that the brave men and women who have 
given so much to this country receive the high-quality 
healthcare and benefits they have earned.
    So I thank you all for being here, and I look forward to 
hearing from you all.
    Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
    Chairman Bost. Thank you, Ranking Member.
    And we are going to go to questions, and I will recognize 
myself for 3 minutes. I had to check with staff to see what was 
going on.
    Commander, you know, I was pleased that we were able to get 
my bill to protect veterans' Second Amendment rights signed 
into law through the VA appropriation bill, and I am grateful 
for the American Legion's support. In addition to protecting 
veterans' constitutional rights, how is it important to 
veterans' confidence level in the VA that that passed?
    Mr. Seehafer. Chairman, thank you for the question. And 
again, I am proud to say that since 1919, and again, when we 
raised our hand, we definitely made that commitment, didn't we, 
to uphold and defend that Constitution. And we will continue.
    Chairman Bost. And I thank you for that. I believe that 
with the passage of that, many of you that live in flyover 
country, that is what we refer to the middle part of this 
United States, where I live, many of our veterans chose not to 
use the VA because of the fear of the way they had implemented 
that and been doing that for 30 years.
    But I am also going to ask, so, last year, the American 
Legion testified before our Committee in support of H.R. 4278, 
the Restore VA Accountability Act. Now, why does the VA need 
these authorities to hold its small percentage of bad employees 
in check?
    Mr. Seehafer. Chairman, again, thank you for that and, 
again, your passion for serving veterans and their families. I 
am going to ask my director, Tiffany Ellet, for further 
comment.
    Ms. Ellet. Thank you, Commander. Thank you for the 
question, Mr. Chairman. It is good to see you.
    Chairman Bost. Good to see you.
    Ms. Ellet. It is really important that VA is full of staff 
that is going to take care of our veterans, one on the side of 
VA staff to be protected, but the other on the side of having 
that staff that is going to be there to protect our veterans. 
We do support your bill and thank you for introducing it. It is 
a really important thing to put out there.
    I did sit in on the AFGE-CIO meetings last--a couple of 
weeks ago, and there was an issue that was raised that we would 
like to talk to your office about with this piece of 
legislation that some of the staff are worried about leadership 
or other personnel using this legislation to get rid of people 
on a vendetta basis.
    Chairman Bost. I understand.
    Ms. Ellet. So they are concerned about that and we are 
concerned about that as we do want our VA employees to be there 
because we want retention. Right? So we would like to talk to 
your office and work with you in getting this piece of 
legislation, so it is protecting both the veteran and the VA.
    Chairman Bost. Wonderful. We look forward to working with 
you with that.
    Commander, we have got a very short time here, but what are 
some ways to increase accountability at DoD to make sure we are 
taking care of every servicemember's needs during their 
transition? Because I tell people that, you know, we had a TAP 
program whenever I got out in 1982, and the colonel tapped me 
on the shoulder and said, see you later [laughter]. The TAP 
program, if you want to expand where we want to----
    Mr. Seehafer. Right. Again, Chairman, thank you for that.
    You know, the TAP program is essential. And I think the 
whole concept of this is that we have the resources, but we are 
not implementing and giving the time. The time. When we are 
talking about our officers, and I even talked to Chairman 
Tester on this as well, you know, when I have the officers two 
years or whatever, that amount of time, and they are looking to 
the future already. What can I do to--you know, where am I 
going to live? How can I get this job? All these things. But 
the enlisted don't have that time. So, you know, we can't just 
throw the program away, obviously, because I know, I heard 
rumblings about something like that, or it is no good or it is 
a waste of time I even read. It is not. The resources are 
there. Let's use them. Implementation. Give our enlisted the 
time.
    [Applause.]
    Chairman Bost. Thank you. With that, Chairman Tester, you 
are recognized for 3 minutes.
    Chairman Tester. Thank you, Chairman.
    Commander, you are absolutely right. And I think that you 
know what many of us have found out over the last few years and 
that transition time and the mental health issues that we are 
seeing amongst our veterans are very closely connected. So we 
appreciate everything the American Legion is doing.
    I want to talk about toxic exposure for just a moment. More 
than 694,000 toxic-exposed veterans and survivors are receiving 
PACT Act benefits long overdue. I wasn't here for your 
testimony, I apologize. But I know your testimony rightly 
highlighted that some veterans are still waiting to have their 
toxic exposure properly recognized. And that is why we included 
science-driven framework for establishing new presumptive 
conditions.
    But my question is to you, Commander. Has the VA included 
your input, your input, when determining what exposures to put 
through the new presumptive process, such as the new report on 
Camp Lejeune?
    Mr. Seehafer. Again, first and foremost, I do want to say 
thank you again for making me feel comfortable, put it that 
way. Not only at your office, but the phone call, and even here 
today.
    Chairman Tester. You bet.
    Mr. Seehafer. Since I have been traveling a lot, just to 
answer that question, I am going to ask our director, Tiffany 
Ellet, because she is boots on the ground on this one.
    Chairman Tester. All right. Tiffany.
    Mr. Seehafer. Tiffany?
    Ms. Ellet. Thank you, Commander. It is good to see you, Mr. 
Chairman. Thank you for the question.
    We work with the VA very closely. They do ask us to be a 
part of working groups, roundtables, open sessions, closed 
sessions. So I have a very good working relationship with VBA 
and VHA, so they do ask us for input, and it feels like they 
are really receiving it. So as far as I know, we are working 
pretty well together.
    Chairman Tester. That is good news, because they are 
working for you, so they should be listening to you.
    [Laughter.]
    Look, a common theme at VSO hearings is the need to crack 
down on predatory claim consultants. This question is for you, 
Commander, whoever you want to relay it to. Does the American 
Legion support our efforts to reinstate criminal penalties for 
violating existing law through S. 740, which is also called the 
GUARD Act?
    Mr. Seehafer. Chairman, again, thank you for that question 
and, again, your passion on this.
    Without a doubt, we support that legislation. And again, it 
pains me to know that there are predators out there. In fact, I 
am going to give you a real live situation, because some people 
don't think this exists.
    I had a Legionnaire that was severely injured, and a 
predator sought him out, gave him his card, and he says, no, I 
am okay. He wanted to push his services on him, and he says, I 
am okay. I have the American Legion. Do you know what his 
response was? Oh, you are going that way.
    Chairman Tester. Yes.
    Mr. Seehafer. That is sick to me. That is sick, because 
what we do is we have our service officers. That is the true 
ally, the true friend, that I want standing not only by the 
veteran, but also supporting the family. That is who we are.
    And you know something? What we charge? That is right. I 
always like to say it is F-r-double E, period.
    Chairman Tester. Thank you, Commander. I appreciate you. I 
appreciate the American Legion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Chairman Bost. Thank you. Ranking Member Takano, you are 
recognized.
    Mr. Takano. So you all say, don't free the sharks. You know 
that phrase?
    Chairman Bost. Yes, we know that phrase. Yes.
    Mr. Takano. Don't free the sharks. Don't feed the sharks.
    So, Commander Seehafer, in reading the sections of your 
testimony on the Transition Assistance Program, I definitely 
agree that these services need to be held accountable for 
getting services to TAP on time. So I proposed moving primary 
jurisdiction in Congress for TAP from the Armed Services 
Committees to the Veterans' Affairs Committee so that we can 
better hold the services accountable. What would you think 
about that? Would you all think about supporting that move to 
ensure greater oversight over the TAP program?
    Mr. Seehafer. Congressman Takano, again, thank you for your 
dedication to veterans as well as the family. I do want to ask 
our executive director to respond.
    Mr. Nuntavong. Thank you. Thank you, Commander.
    Ranking Member Takano, we love this Committee. We trust 
this Committee. We would support that effort.
    [Applause.]
    Mr. Takano. Well, thank you. I have been talking to the 
Chairman about that, and, you know, I think trying to get the 
two Committees together has been a problem and a challenge. But 
I think, you know, I don't want to ding our folks over on the 
Armed Services side, but I just think we pay more attention, 
and it is a matter of attention. And so I thank you for the 
Legion's response to that.
    Continuing on our talk about transition, I agree that a 
more customized experience tailored to the individual 
servicemember is needed. And I have been working on a bill with 
Representative McClellan to require a specific TAP track for 
National Guard and Reserve servicemembers. And I see that the 
transition between duty statuses for Guard and Reservists as 
being different than the transition from active duty to 
civilian life. Is that in line with what you would like to see 
improved in TAP?
    Mr. Seehafer. Congressman, again, without a doubt, that is 
what we would like to see and definitely support it. We have a 
team here that would like to talk to you, whether it is you 
personally or your staff, so we can hammer this out.
    Mr. Takano. I would welcome that opportunity. And can you 
also speak for your support of, the Legion's support for Mr. 
Levin's recently introduced Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity 
Act?
    Mr. Seehafer. Absolutely, Congressman.
    With the parity, I mean, this is near and dear also to our 
hearts. When we are looking at the Guard and Reservists 
compared to the active duty, they are serving. They did this. 
In fact, through the research that we were doing, when 9/11 
happened in New York, who were the first ones there? We know. 
It is Guard and Reservists. And so out of all the benefits as 
well, we have this gap in the education aspect.
    And talking about what I said before with saving lives and 
changing lives, we talk about prevention. Education. I don't 
understand why that isn't a part of it as well. And when we say 
that this leads to gainful employment, education; not being 
dependent, but rather independence. That is what we want. That 
is what we want for our veterans.
    Mr. Takano. Well, thank you, Commander. I couldn't agree 
more.
    And I yield back.
    Chairman Bost. Senator King, you are recognized for 3 
minutes.

                    HON. ANGUS S. KING, JR.
                    U.S. SENATOR FROM MAINE

    Senator King. Thank you very much.
    Commander, you are causing me to break a lifetime rule, 
which is never follow a preacher to the podium. [Laughter.] 
Your opening statement was fantastic, and I want to thank you 
for that.
    I bring greetings from my wife, who is from Wisconsin. In 
my home in Maine, there is a big cheese head in the closet I 
just left there.
    [Applause.]
    Mr. Seehafer. All right.
    Senator King. In listening to your testimony, I think we 
can summarize a lot of what we are trying to do here is by 
making two phrases obsolete. When people hear them years from 
now, they are going to say, what are you talking about? Those 
two phrases are ``veteran suicide'' and ``veterans 
homelessness''. That ought to be stricken.
    [Applause.]
    Now, one of the issues in Maine with veteran suicide, 60 
percent of our veteran suicide are with firearms. It occurs to 
me that American Legion posts are safe spaces for veterans. 
Would you consider working with our posts across the country to 
provide storage, safe storage for firearms for veterans in our 
communities?
    Mr. Seehafer. Senator King, again, thank you also for 
taking time out of your schedule, not only being here, but 
embracing me when I came to visit you and we talked about this 
very issue. And we want to, we would love to be able to partner 
with anyone, especially you, on this.
    And we do think--I mean, a lot of people don't realize how 
many posts we have in our Nation.
    Senator King. Every community.
    Mr. Seehafer. Twelve thousand and basically, like you said, 
every community. And, in fact, I want to give you a real live 
example of this. This will work. And I don't want to demonize 
any others because I brought this same concept up. But I need 
to be honest with you, I had eyebrows go kind of like this. It 
is like we are a resource.
    Senator King. Of course. A trusted resource.
    Mr. Seehafer. Yes, absolutely. And what happened in this 
situation, it was two Legionnaires. One Legionnaire was not 
safe. And here is the example of it. He did call somebody who 
he trusted, another Legionnaire, and asked, is it okay? Take my 
weapons. This is exactly what we are talking about.
    Senator King. I want to also reference the ranking member's 
comment about the jurisdiction between Armed Services and 
Veterans' Affairs. I am also on Armed Services. You have an 
agent on the Armed Services Committee, I can tell you that 
right now. I will be there for you in that Committee. And in 
fact, one of my first hearings on Armed Services 10 or 12 years 
ago, the point I made was, as I was listening to transition and 
recruiting and everything, we should spend, the Pentagon should 
spend as much time, money, and effort on transition out as they 
do on recruiting in.
    [Applause.]
    I am out of time. I appreciate it, Commander, for your 
incredibly effective advocacy. The final point is, let us know 
where we can help. We can't fix problems we don't know about. 
Be in touch, and it doesn't have to be in a big room with 
microphones. Let us know what we can do to support these brave 
men and women across this country. Thank you so much for your 
testimony.
    Mr. Seehafer. Thank you.
    Chairman Bost. Representative Pappas.

                       HON. CHRIS PAPPAS,
             U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE

    Mr. Pappas. Thank you very much, Chairman Bost.
    Commander, thanks for your passionate testimony here today. 
And I really appreciated the way you highlighted the unity of 
purpose that we need when we approach these issues. Your agenda 
must be Congress' agenda when it comes to delivering for our 
veterans.
    And I thank all the Legionnaires and veterans who are here 
in this room. We want to continue to honor your service and 
work together to get the job done.
    Whether it is retirement pay or disability compensation, 
our veterans deserve all the benefits that they have earned, 
full stop. This is an issue I have heard about from veterans in 
my district in New Hampshire for years. I have got a 
constituent in Auburn, for instance, who joined the Army, was 
deployed to Iraq. He was shot twice during a counterinsurgency 
operation, was placed in a medically induced coma, took him 
years to fully recover. He was awarded two Purple Hearts, two 
Bronze Stars with valor for his service. And upon leaving the 
Army, he was granted DoD retirement benefits and later VA 
disability compensation.
    It is one of the reasons why I am supporting the Major 
Richard Star Act, and I think we have got to get this across 
the finish line. This legislation would finally allow combat-
injured veterans with less than 20 years of military service to 
collect both military retired pay and disability compensation 
that they earned. They earned these benefits in full.
    So, despite overwhelming support in the Congress, this bill 
has yet to make it through and be signed into law. And I am 
wondering if you can share some of the consequences to your 
members of being unable to collect their full benefits and what 
Congress must do to get this legislation done.
    Mr. Seehafer. Congressman, again, thank you for your 
passion as well and all the work that you do for our veterans 
and their families.
    You know, basically, what can be done or what you can do to 
get this done? Pass it. That is the number one. However, with 
that, the importance of that, you know, we look at it and we 
have been classifying it around our circles as a tax, a 
veteran's tax. I mean to say that here you have a retiree 
putting 20 or 30 or whatever the years are, right. They earn 
that. And is it their fault that somehow they get disabled and 
now they are penalized? I think that is wrong. Not I think. It 
is wrong.
    And so when we talk about changing a life, passage of that 
bill, that legislation would definitely change a life.
    Mr. Pappas. Well, thank you very much for looking out for 
your members and for so many veterans that I hear from on that 
issue. And I will continue to work with you all to make sure 
Congress feels the urgency there. It is about time we have got 
it done, and it is about basic fairness. These benefits have 
been earned. They have been paid for through veteran service, 
and we have got to reflect that in law. So appreciate your 
testimony.
    I yield back. Mr. Chair.
    Chairman Bost. Senator Blumenthal, you are recognized for 3 
minutes.

                    HON. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL,
                 U.S. SENATOR FROM CONNECTICUT

    Senator Blumenthal. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
    I would like to thank all of you for being here today as a 
proud member of the American Legion from Connecticut. I am sure 
we have some folks from Connecticut here today [applause]. 
Thank you for making the trip.
    I am really very, very proud of your advocacy, which has 
been so important on veterans causes, most especially on the 
PACT Act, which I was helpful in leading, and the Camp Lejeune 
Justice Act. Millions of Americans now are eligible, especially 
under the expanded coverage for everyone, regardless of where 
they served and what time, whether it was in the United States 
or abroad, whether it was in training or elsewhere, toxic 
exposures, people need to be aware and informed. And your 
outreach is going to be so important, not only in passing the 
act, but now in creating awareness about it so people can get 
screened and take advantage of it. So thank you for what you 
have done and what you will do.
    And as you know, the initial claims process can be done 
free of charge. And many of our fellow members of the American 
Legion have filed claims. The help that you provide, obviously 
is done without any expectation of compensation or reward. A 
number of individuals who do provide that kind of access are 
accredited by the VA. And VSOs, like the Legion, have a 
congressional charter to carry out their work. But, 
unfortunately, there are also others who are trying to take 
advantage of veterans in this claims process, and there are 
claim sharks, as they are called, who take enormous commissions 
from veterans for their service that should be entirely free 
and is free when it is provided by you.
    So I introduced the GUARD VA Benefits Act in this Congress 
with Senator Boozman, Chairman Tester, Senator Graham. It is 
bipartisan. Essentially it cracks down on these scam artists 
and it is designed to ensure that penalties can be levied 
against them. The VFW, the DAV, and dozens of other veterans 
organizations support the GUARD Act, 44 attorneys general from 
across the country have expressed their support for a bill in a 
letter to Congress this year. And I respectfully ask that the 
American Legion support it as well. I think you have in past 
years. I am not sure whether you do now, but if you could 
consider supporting it, I think it would be most beneficial to 
veterans.
    And I want to join in thanking you for all the work you 
have done on veteran suicide, on homelessness. There is no 
excuse for a veteran to be homeless. There is no excuse for 
suicide to be an issue in the United States of America. And I 
hope that you will support the GUARD Act to enable veterans to 
have access to these benefits without having to pay commissions 
to unaccredited claim sharks. Thank you.
    Mr. Seehafer. Senator, just real quick, I am going to tell 
you right now, absolutely, we support it. Right family?
    [Applause.]
    Senator Blumenthal. Thank you very much, sir. Really 
appreciate it.
    Mr. Seehafer. No problem.
    Senator Blumenthal. Thank you.
    Chairman Bost. Representative Crane.

                       HON. ELIJAH CRANE,
                U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM ARIZONA

    Mr. Crane. Thank you, Chairman. I appreciate the 
opportunity to be here.
    I appreciate all you guys showing up today. I feel a little 
naked without one of those cool hats. I am a veteran myself. I 
am a Navy guy. Joined the Navy the week after 9/11, served in 
the SEAL teams for a little bit. So when I look out there, I 
see a lot of my brothers and sisters.
    [Applause.]
    I am not--there is obviously, guys, a lot of partisanship 
up here in Capitol Hill. You guys know that. One of the cool 
things, though, about being up here is there is not a lot of 
partisanship when it comes to us veterans. This is something 
that Democrats and Republicans get on board to support, and I 
am proud of that and I hope it continues. But I do want to talk 
to my brothers and sisters out there about something really 
important that keeps me up at night.
    Guys, you guys know where we are at with our national debt, 
$34 trillion-plus and counting. I want to talk to you guys 
seriously, because you guys don't get--there is not a lot of 
people that have serious conversations with you guys. What do 
you guys think the magic number is where this house of cards 
finally collapses? Do you think it is 35 trillion? Do you think 
it is 40 trillion? Do you think it is 50 trillion?
    Do you think it is when the BRICS countries, Brazil, 
Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, et cetera, 
finally form their alternative currency? Why do I say that, 
guys? When this house of cards collapses financially, and that 
is the trajectory that we are on, no country in the history of 
the world has been able to do what we are doing, what do you 
think are our benefits? Because I get them, too. What do you 
think our benefits are going to look like then?
    And the reason I bring that up, guys, is because there is 
not many people up here that talk about it, think about it. 
They don't talk to you about it. And I want us collectively to 
start thinking about that, because we are servicemen and women. 
We love this country. We fought for it. And that fight isn't 
over. There is an economic fight going on right now up here to 
try and sustain not only our economic prowess, but also the 
benefits that we have.
    So I wanted to bring that up to you guys, and I hope that 
you go back and you start talking about it in your communities 
and with your representatives. Because, guys, this trajectory 
is not sustainable. I hate to be the guy that dampens the mood 
in here, but we need to have some serious conversations, 
because every meeting that I walk into or every meeting that I 
host in my office, it is another group usually, that represents 
a good cause, and guess what they need. More resources, more 
money. And what we are doing is not sustainable.
    So I hope you guys take that back. God bless you all. Thank 
you for your service, and I appreciate the opportunity to come 
here and address you. Thank you.
    [Applause.]
    Chairman Bost. Senator Hassan.

                   HON. MARGARET WOOD HASSAN,
                U.S. SENATOR FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE

    Senator Hassan. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
    And Commander Seehafer, thank you so much for testifying 
here today as well as for your military service. I want to 
acknowledge former state commander and now current National 
Vice Commander Bill Roy from New Hampshire. Thank you for being 
here, sir. Thank you for your service [applause]. We are very 
proud of all of our Granite State veterans.
    And I will just say that as I listened to your testimony, I 
was thinking my father, who was a World War II veteran, who 
survived the Bulge and often said to me, we don't always like 
each other as Americans, but we do have to love each other as 
Americans, and that is what you learn in this service. And so I 
thank you for reminding us of that unity of purpose that is so 
important.
    Commander, I want to start with a question. It is really 
about the PACT Act. I know you have mentioned it. I know people 
here know about it. But last week, the VA announced new PACT 
Act healthcare eligibility for millions of veterans ahead of 
schedule. Now veterans who were exposed to toxins can go to the 
VA and enroll in healthcare, and they don't need to apply for 
VA benefits first. So I was really proud to help develop and 
pass the PACT Act with Members of this wonderful Committee on 
both sides of the Capitol. And I want to make sure that our 
veterans know about the care they are able to get under it.
    So I am speaking out to New Hampshire veterans in 
particular today. I want to encourage any veteran who may have 
been exposed to toxins to contact the VA to see if you are now 
eligible to enroll in healthcare.
    Commander, can you just discuss how important it is that 
eligible veterans go to the VA, enroll, and get the care and 
support that they have earned and they deserve?
    Mr. Seehafer. Thank you, Senator, for that question. And 
again, your passion and your tireless effort on this act. And 
also, Bill is a pretty good guy.
    Senator Hassan. Yes.
    Mr. Seehafer. But seriously on that, dealing with the VA, 
it is a great resource for us. This is the center of care, not 
just adequate care, but the best. And I just want to tell the 
brothers and sisters up here and really the whole family or 
whoever is listening, so far, I have went to 28 States in four 
countries, literally went around the world already. And I have 
been to VAs, veterans homes everywhere. But every time people 
have come to me, these are your constituents, they have said 
the care is top notch. I know there is little issues, and 
again, we will address them, but the care is top notch.
    And you have such an ally right here. I mean, we are a 
nearly 3 million, 3 million family members here. That is a 
great resource. And we will continue to get the word out, this 
is the place to go.
    Senator Hassan. Thank you. And thank you, Mr. Chair, for 
letting me take this turn.
    And also just thanks to the Legion for your work on the 
Buddy Check Week, and we are going to continue to work with you 
on that. Thank you.
    Mr. Seehafer. Thank you.
    Chairman Bost. Thank you, Senator.
    And now Representative Self.

                        HON. KEITH SELF,
                 U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM TEXAS

    Mr. Self. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    It is good to see so many fellow veterans in the audience 
today. Thank you for your service, both during uniform and 
after. It is always an honor to sit next to my Navy SEAL 
brothers here. I am a Army Beret, and something has concerned 
me. If you have been following our markups in this Committee, 
you know that I am concerned about the only offset that this 
Committee has to use. We need your help on this because we have 
an offset that relies on extending the VA home loan fee that 
veterans pay. So, in effect, our offset is charging our 
veterans more for every program that we add. Every spending 
bill that we add, it charges our veterans. So veterans are 
paying for new veterans programs. It technically generates 
revenue that is supposedly offset, but it is not an offset. We 
don't cut a less noble program for the noble programs we have.
    So, once again, I say veterans are paying for every new 
spending bill that this Committee authorizes and gets 
appropriated. How does, and, Commander, for you, how does the 
American Legion reconcile its support for this so-called offset 
with its mission to advocate for the well-being of all veterans 
to include those that are paying the additional home loan fee?
    Mr. Seehafer. Congressman, thank you for that thoughtful 
question. To answer that specifically, I want to call on our 
executive director.
    Mr. Nuntavong. Thank you, Commander. And thank you for that 
question, Congressman.
    We have a resolution. We are a resolution-based 
organization that we don't support any offsets. But what we 
would like to do is work with the Committee and staff and find 
out other ways and other means of finding funding for all these 
programs and services. We got to work together to figure this 
out because our veterans are in need. And the only way to do 
that is to provide adequate funding there.
    Mr. Self. So, did you listen to my colleague here, Mr. 
Crane? Okay. So you are not in support of any alternative 
offsets whatsoever? And it doesn't have to be in the VA. So 
don't think that a VA offset must come from VA. I would like to 
work with you to find offsets anywhere in the budget because I 
am not saying we need to have VA offsets, but I think we need 
to work together, to use your term, to find a better way to 
offset, because veterans' care is important to the entire 
Nation. So, I am not suggesting it must come out of the VA 
budget. Don't misunderstand me. But I think we need to start to 
find a way so that our veterans don't pay for every new 
veterans spending bill.
    Thank you. And I yield back, Chairman.
    Chairman Bost. Thank you. Representative Ramirez?

                     HON. DELIA C. RAMIREZ,
               U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM ILLINOIS

    Mrs. Ramirez. Thank you, Chairman.
    I also want to start today by acknowledging the tremendous 
work and the significant contributions that Veterans Service 
Organizations have made and continue to make every single day. 
I don't think you hear it enough. I want to say thank you.
    I also want to give a special thank you to the veterans 
that are representing Illinois and the American Legion. So a 
big round of applause for the Illinois folks here [applause]. 
Thank you for your service. I know the Chairman agrees with me, 
and for your commitment to the betterment and the lives of 
every single veteran here.
    Folks, I want to shed a light on an issue that we don't 
really talk about here, but that is very close to my heart, 
particularly as we are talking about our veterans and the 
challenges as they are transitioning back into civilian life. 
My heart has been really struggling and thinking about the 
challenges to legal pathways to veterans who are threatened to 
be deported. I mean, think about it. After serving their 
country, giving their--willing to risk their life, to me it is 
unimaginable that they are still at risk of deportation, that 
they are still at risk of being separated from their own family 
as a veteran. So, Commander, I want to make sure I got it 
right, Seehafer?
    Mr. Seehafer. That is correct.
    Mrs. Ramirez. Yes, yes. I want to ask you, what do you 
think is a solution to prevent veterans who have served our 
country from possible deportation?
    Mr. Seehafer. Congresswoman, again, thank you for all the 
advocacy that you do, and again, the passion. It troubles a lot 
of us as well, those that have served our country. Just for, 
again, a little more boots on the ground dealing with this, I 
am going to ask my executive director to respond. Okay?
    Mrs. Ramirez. Thank you.
    Mr. Nuntavong. Thank you, Commander. Thank you, 
Congresswoman.
    We see this all the time. Veterans aren't educated about 
their citizen benefits when they join. They are not aware that 
they can apply for expedited citizenship. I think we need to 
take every opportunity to educate servicemembers about their 
responsibility to apply for the paperwork that needs to be done 
to help expedite, provide education, and make it part of the 
culture of joining, enlisting, being part of an organization to 
serve and honor the United States of America. We have to do a 
better job of helping those. Most of them don't know that that 
opportunity is there.
    Mrs. Ramirez. Yes. And I hear from some of my constituents 
and wives who say, my husband is now in Mexico. He was a green 
card holder. His life is the United States. He feels American, 
and the challenges of even getting those benefits. So I would 
like to talk to you offline a little bit about the procedural 
process there and the challenges to that pathway. So thank you.
    I yield back.
    Chairman Bost. Representative Landsman.

                      HON. GREG LANDSMAN,
                 U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM OHIO

    Mr. Landsman. Thank you, Mr. Chair. And thank you all for 
being here and for your incredible service to the country.
    To my friends from Ohio, anyone out there? [Applause.] 
There we go. Thank you. Welcome and thank you for your service.
    I want to talk about employment and jobs and the work that 
you all and the VA and others, your partners do. Part of this 
just has to do with making sure that every single veteran has 
access to, you know, good jobs. But another piece of this is 
the benefit that our VA and VA partners provide in terms of 
employment services and how that helps to get folks into the VA 
world and network.
    Commander, you talked a little bit about this in your 
testimony, and we have a piece of legislation that you all have 
supported. This is Employing Veterans to Feed America Act, 
which would direct the Secretary of Agriculture to create a 
pilot program on hiring veterans into positions related to 
agriculture, conservation, and nutrition. I think we will get 
it marked up and passed. My hope is that it will help to, you 
know, create another pathway for veterans in terms of good 
paying jobs. I was hoping that you all may talk about that and 
the bill, but also just a larger issue.
    Mr. Seehafer. Again, thank you, Congressman, for that.
    You know, veterans' education and employment is very 
important and I would be remiss if I wouldn't ask my chairman, 
Jay Bowen, to direct that since he is patiently waiting here to 
speak. This is very important to us as well. This is where we 
talk about, you know, even prevention of what I was talking 
about.
    Mr. Landsman. Yes, right.
    Mr. Seehafer. But Jay.
    Mr. Bowen. Thank you, Commander. And thank you, 
Congressman, for the question.
    Absolutely, we believe in this. You know, veterans, 
especially when they are on active duty, a lot of them are 
outdoorsmen and some of that is what drove them to go into the 
military.
    Mr. Landsman. Right.
    Mr. Bowen. So it is just a natural progression, a migration 
for them once they get out to seek those types of careers. So 
we certainly support that and would advocate for that.
    Mr. Landsman. Thank you. I appreciate it.
    And just in general, other employment programs that you all 
would lift up, to me because it is so important in terms of 
just helping veterans and their families, but it is also a way 
to get them in and it does prevent all kinds of other things. 
Just the role of employment and education in general, just the 
programs that you all are working on.
    Oh, my time is up. I am sorry. I will circle back, but I 
thank you all for your service.
    Chair, I yield back.
    Chairman Bost. And I want to say, if I can, thank you to 
the American Legion. Commander, thank you for giving us your 
views and the Legion's views here today.
    And I also want to say thank you to the audience that 
obviously has come from every corner of this great Nation to be 
here today to be part of this. Thank you for your testimony and 
thank you for what you do every day because we know your 
service organization, as large as it is, is reaching out and is 
the boots on the ground.
    So we are going to excuse the first panel, but I need to 
explain something to you because you are a big group. Okay. If 
you would use that door so that we put up our second panel, we 
can come in this and it causes a smooth transition. Okay.
    So thank you again. And we are going to have a brief recess 
while we switch. Thank you.
    Mr. Seehafer. Thank you, Chairman.
    [Applause.]

    [Recess.]

    Chairman Bost. Well, we want to welcome our second panel, 
and we want to thank you for being here today. I know we have a 
lot of important organizations to hear from in this panel, so 
let's get right to it.
    Today we are joined by Colonel Barry Lischinsky of the 
Jewish War Veterans, Ms. Rebecca Harrison Mullaney of the 
Tragedy Assisted Program for Survivors, Ms. Kathryn Monet of 
National Coalition of Homeless Veterans, Commander Rene Campos 
of the Military Officers Association of America, Mr. Michael 
McLaughlin of the National Association of County Veterans 
Service Officers, Mr. Melvin Sheldon, Jr. of the National 
Congress of American Indians, Mr. Jack McManus of the Vietnam 
Veterans of America, Major General Frank McGinn of the National 
Guard Association of the United States, and Mr. John Handzuk of 
the Fleet Reserve Association.
    And again, welcome to all of you and all of your members in 
the audience as well. We want to thank you for what you do 
every day in support of our veterans and their families.
    Colonel Lischinsky, you are now recognized for 5 minutes 
for your opening statement.

                            PANEL II

                              ----------                              


         STATEMENT OF COL BARRY LISCHINSKY, USA (RET.),
       NATIONAL COMMANDER, JEWISH WAR VETERANS OF THE USA

    Mr. Lischinsky. Thank you, Mr. Chairman Tester, Chairman 
Bost, Ranking Members of Moran and Takano, Members of the 
House, the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and fellow 
veterans and friends and guests. I'm Colonel Barry Lischinsky. 
I'm the 92nd National Commander for Jewish War Veterans of the 
United States and I'm honored to be here today. My credentials 
are as follows.
    I'm a career military member, started as an enlisted medic, 
combat medic, and cultivated as a brigade commander. My 
military service spans for over 34 years, with continued 
military service supporting operations and conflicts from the 
Vietnam War all the way to the Global War on Terrorism. I 
retired from the military and served as a senior Army 
instructor at two high schools in a JROTC program. In 2017, I 
was appointed by the Governor to be the superintendent of 
Chelsea Soldiers Home. The largest soldier's home and one of 
the first in our Nation.
    And I tell you all this because those are my credentials. 
But my real credentials are the members of JWV, our auxiliary, 
Museum of National American Jewish Military History, and they 
are the credentials of JWV and I am honored to be part of that 
organization. In two days, we will have 128th anniversary 
serving as the oldest chartered active veteran service 
organization in the United States.
    As veterans, we all fought to protect our freedom of right, 
freedom of religion. As the only Jewish service organization, 
JWV opposes in all forms of hatred, discrimination, and 
bigotry, but is especially outspoken on antisemitism. JWV 
condemns the Hamas territory attack against Israel and 
emphasizes the terrorist actions anywhere, whenever it happens.
    Just as all veteran service organizations, our members are 
all volunteers and we serve the call proudly to serve with all 
military veterans, their families, and their survivors. This is 
a great honor for us to serve. As a veteran, once again, we 
fought to protect our rights and--excuse me. JWV stands with 
Israel, its military, its citizens, and call on all Americans 
to join us in the condemning anti-terrorism. The remaining 
hostages must be immediately released and reconstituted with 
their family. JWV is the leading effort and demonstrates 
solidarity unity from the larger veteran's community of the 
United States.
    We secured the signature of 26 veteran service 
organizations and military service organizations that represent 
millions of current and former uniform service members and 
their families to stand with us against anti-terrorism. On 
November 3rd, the letter was sent to many of our members for 
their statements and JWV asked all Americans to be vigilant, to 
learn, educate, and follow JWV, and we ask our veteran services 
committee to join us as well. We feel that education is the key 
to reduce antisemitism actions and incidents in America and 
around the world. Whether it be professional development 
classes, ethics classes, compliance classes in the workplace, 
or just a fireside chat, JWV will assist any organization 
anywhere in that conflict.
    We'd like to talk quickly about medical records. Last year 
I was privileged to stand before this group and I heard one of 
the members say that we're looking for a basic database that is 
a good data base to use. I would ask that you use the MEPS, 
Military Entrance Processing Station, the first entrance 
processing station for any of us joining the military to use 
their physical as the baseline for what you need for your 
medical records. I have not talked to the MEPS commander, but 
that MEPS physical is a professional done physical. It beats 
any physical in any civilian world. I would also say that if 
you really want to do some work with this, any individual being 
released from active duty, that they take a similar physical. 
It makes a lot of sense to do the physical on the way in and 
the physical on the way out from the same grouping, and you'll 
get a standardization for that. So we highly recommend that to 
happen.
    In a conclusion of this--and I look to see that the clock 
is ticking. I want to leave you with one quick thought. Where 
can we be, that individuals on this panel can come before a 
distinguished group, as your Committee, talk freely, talk 
honestly, make recommendations, have you listen, have you 
observe, have you ask us questions? Only in the United States 
this can happen. And we're very, very proud to come before you 
to do this. And we're very proud that you're sitting there 
representing all the veterans, all their families, all their 
caretakers, and all their survivors. And as part of JWV, we're 
honored to be here and we're here to assist all our veterans 
and this Committee with anything they do. Thank you very much 
for your time.

    [The prepared statement of Mr. Lischinsky appears on page 
81 of the Appendix.]

    Chairman Bost. Thank you, and we are very proud to 
represent you [applause]. We really are. I think that goes this 
way for what all you do and everybody that is on this panel. So 
we would like to also recognize Ms. Rebecca Harrison Mullaney 
for 5 minutes.

  STATEMENT OF REBECCA HARRISON MULLANEY, SURVIVING SPOUSE OF 
   ARMY CAPTAIN IAN MORRISON, TRAGEDY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR 
                           SURVIVORS

    Ms. Harrison Mullaney. Thank you, Chairman Tester, Bost, 
Ranking Members Moran and Takano, and distinguished Committee 
members. I am grateful to be here today representing the 
Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors and for the 
opportunity to share my story.
    Twelve years ago, at the age of 24, my heart was full of 
ambition and hope for the future. I'd married an incredible 
man, Ian Morrison, an Apache pilot in the U.S. Army. His call 
sign, Captain America, spoke to his character. He served 
honorably and always did the right thing. He was kind and 
caring, artistic, and sarcastic. He was smart, majoring in 
systems engineering at West Point. He was a man of faith, and 
he loved me. We were happy and building a life that truly felt 
like a gift.
    At 24, I was teaching on post at Fort Hood and pursuing a 
graduate degree in clinical counseling. Ian had come back to me 
safely after 10 months in Iraq but he couldn't sleep. We tried 
everything. He sought help six separate times through the 
proper military channels. The only assistance he received was a 
prescription for Ambien, a black box morning sleep aid. The 
morning of March 21, 2012, after his third night on Ambien, was 
a seemingly normal one. He came to my classroom, where he read 
to my students, something he did often. We had lunch together, 
and I gave him a big hug, never knowing it would be our last.
    Ian died that night. I found him in our bedroom, clothed in 
his Army fatigues, having taken his own beautiful life. He'd 
died by suicide at the age of 26 and taken all our plans for 
the future with him. I will never recover from what I saw that 
night. My husband, Captain Ian Samuel Morrison, did not want to 
die. He wanted to live. Like so many of his brothers and 
sisters in arms, he came home from Iraq in need of help that he 
did not receive. He died at home from the mental wounds of war 
and not in a war zone. Therefore, I was not recognized as a 
Gold Star Spouse.
    I am in strong support of the TAPS recommendation to 
legally create a broad and inclusive definition of what 
constitutes a Gold Star family. Specifically, that definition 
needs to be died while serving or from a service-connected 
injury or illness. My own clinical work with surviving families 
over the past 10 years tells me that only good can come from 
equally honoring and recognizing the families of all veterans 
and service members who died as a result of their service, 
regardless of how they died or the geographical location.
    I grieved Ian intensely. The man I'd lost and the future 
with him that would never be. I eventually found healing and 
advocating for service members, veterans, and their families, 
and following through with my goal to become a mental health 
care provider. I chose to become what Ian needed before his 
death and what I so desperately needed after his death.
    Years later along this path, I met Brennan, an Army veteran 
himself. We shared a passion for supporting the military and 
veteran community. Being with Brennan brought light back into 
my life. Through my stories, he got to know Ian, and for the 
first time since my loss, I let myself feel vulnerable and find 
love again. After experiencing the sanctity and joy of marriage 
with Ian, I knew that this was something I didn't want to live 
the rest of my life without. Which is why Brennan and I chose 
to legally marry. In choosing to remarry, I surrendered all 
that I had left of Ian on paper and the benefits he had earned. 
Sixteen hundred per month in dependency and indemnity 
compensation, a portion of his retirement, health insurance, 
education benefits, military spouse hiring preference, the 
ability to use the VA home loan, and base access. I am grateful 
that base access and commissary and exchange privileges have 
since been restored.
    The irony is that the only thing that I didn't lose is that 
I am and will forever be Ian's widow. Remarrying did not change 
that. If Brennan and I had waited until I was 55 to marry, as 
the law currently states to retain benefits, I would still be 
Ian's widow. But I would have delayed the life I have now. A 
beautiful second chance at happiness with a man who respected 
Ian and my loss so much that he sat at Ian's grave and asked 
his permission to marry me before proposing. Brennan and I have 
a young son, Harrison Samuel, named in honor of our hero, Ian 
Samuel. He will always be a part of our lives. No passage of 
time and no magical age of 55 could change that. People are not 
replaceable.
    I personally want to thank Ranking Member Moran for 
introducing the Love Lives On Act, and I ask that Congress pass 
this critical legislation to keep our Nation's solemn promise 
to care for our Gold Star Spouses. Taking away a surviving 
spouse's benefits upon remarriage will never change the fact 
that they will always be the widow or widower of someone who 
honorably served our country and died due to that service.
    In closing, we ask for your support strengthening DIC by 
passing the Caring for Survivors Act and ensuring CHAMPVA 
healthcare for young adult survivors until age 26.
    The moral of my story is that the heart has many chambers. 
In one of mine, I hold my love for Ian, and in another, my love 
for Brennan. I believe you will find this to be true for every 
survivor. Thank you for letting me share my boys with you 
today. I welcome your questions.
    [Applause.]

    [The prepared statement of Ms. Harrison Mullaney appears on 
page 100 of the Appendix.]

    Chairman Bost. Thank you. Now we would now like to 
recognize Ms. Kathryn Monet for 5 minutes for your opening 
statement.

 STATEMENT OF KATHRYN MONET, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, NATIONAL 
                COALITION FOR HOMELESS VETERANS

    Ms. Monet. Chairman Tester and Bost, Ranking Members Moran 
and Takano, and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, thank you 
for the opportunity to join you today. NCHV appreciates your 
bipartisan leadership and continuing efforts to focus on the 
needs of veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
    There are many proposals that we support to enhance our 
ability to address veteran homelessness, but I will focus on 
NCHV's top priorities today. Priority number one is restoration 
of the pandemic era safety net. HUD recently released Point-in-
Time Count data from January 2023, finding an increase of 7.4 
percent in homeless veterans on any night. We all knew VA's 
emergency programs nationwide, emergency rent assistance 
programs, and eviction and foreclosure moratorium, would 
sunset. We learned these resources were critical to 
homelessness prevention and housing more veterans than in 
previous years. Yet a continually worsening housing 
affordability crisis offset recent accelerations in housing 
placements as and after these programs' sunset.
    For several years, legislation that could have addressed 
the statutes limiting these VA authorities and offered 
additional resources to veterans facing housing instability has 
stalled unnecessarily before Congress. The best time to act 
upon legislation would have been before the public health 
emergency expired on May 11, 2023, but we're here today. So the 
second best time to act upon this legislation is now.
    Delayed action here has resulted in veterans losing access 
to communication, transportation, safety, and survival 
necessities. The loss of hotel and motel rapid rehousing 
capacity, that gave providers time to place a veteran in more 
permanent housing without delays associated with locating them. 
And a 60 percent reduction in the per diem rate that providers 
can request from VA, leading some providers to seize serving 
veterans and other challenges. A handful of bills, including 
the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and 
Benefits Improvement Act, would all provide VA and 
organizations nationwide with the funding and flexibility to 
provide adequate services to unhoused veterans. We urge you to 
enact this bill with the level of urgency that you would expect 
if you were unsheltered tonight looking for assistance.
    Priority two is VA Medical Center staffing. NCHV is 
concerned about reports of unfilled positions related to 
homelessness at VA Medical Centers at a time when veteran 
homelessness is on the rise and communities are increasing 
efforts to criminalize homelessness. While Secretary McDonough 
has stated that recent hiring prioritization efforts should not 
be cause for concern, we have heard for over a month now, that 
VACO's prioritization initiatives continue to result in VAMC 
director's choosing to leave critical vacancies related to 
homeless operations unfilled, even those funded via special 
purpose dollars.
    We've heard from providers across the country that veterans 
are unable to access HUD-VASH in a timely way, if at all. From 
month long waits for intakes, to hiring pauses that delay 
program enrollment, to the need for other community providers 
to support veterans in HUD-VASH when their local VA Medical 
Center is unstaffed. That's not acceptable. We urge Congress to 
continue its oversight of these programs and VA staffing 
initiatives to ensure that specific guidance exempting special 
purpose staffing from hiring pauses can be issued expeditiously 
to VA Medical Centers.
    Priority three is to increase HUD-VASH utilization. NCHV 
continues to support efforts to maximize the use of HUD-VASH 
vouchers, including by project basing, issuing grants, and/or 
contracts for case management, and appropriating sufficient 
funding for navigation services and incentives for landlords 
and PHAs. We support legislation that would address eligibility 
discrepancies, including the regulatory definition of income 
used by HUD and Treasury. This definition includes disability 
compensation, meaning that some homeless veterans with the most 
acute service-connected disability ratings are ineligible for 
HUD-VASH and/or to reside in affordable housing developed with 
LIHTC funds. We urge you to make mandatory tribal HUD-VASH 
appropriations on behalf of our collective commitment to 
targeted universalism across our system, and we also support 
efforts to provide much needed upstream homelessness prevention 
tools, as requested in the most recent Presidential budget 
request.
    Our fourth priority is aging veterans. A growing population 
of aging veterans experiencing homelessness has challenged us 
to improve services and access. We recommend authorizing HUD-
VASH with grant-making capacity to simplify our ability to 
offer enhanced and coordinated services and supports to elderly 
veterans utilizing vouchers. Their needs are much more complex 
than the average veteran and allowing grant-making capacity 
would enhance communities' ability to provide those services. 
We also urge congressional support for an enactment of 
legislation promoting the development of new subsidized housing 
specifically for low and no-income aging and disabled veterans, 
as well as prioritizing the adaptation of existing spaces 
across the housing continuum.
    Lastly, we recommend that Congress allocate funding for 
staff liaison positions to coordinate efforts to serve aging 
veterans across all HPO programs. Our written testimony has a 
full list of authorizing and appropriations priorities that I'm 
happy to discuss further with you and/or your staff. Thank you 
for the opportunity to partner with you on our shared priority 
of ending veteran homelessness.

    [The prepared statement of Ms. Monet appears on page 135 of 
the Appendix.]

    Chairman Bost. Thank you. I would now like to recognize 
Commander Campos for 5 minutes for your opening statement.

 STATEMENT OF CDR RENE CAMPOS, USN (RET.), SENIOR DIRECTOR OF 
    GOVERNMENT RELATIONS FOR VETERANS WOUNDED WARRIOR CARE, 
            MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

    Ms. Campos. Chairman Bost and Ranking Member Takano, allow 
me to start by asking our MOAA representatives in the audience 
to rise so we can thank you for this opportunity to share our 
legislative priorities for veterans.
    [Applause.]
    So what's the one common theme that brings us together? 
We're all committed to preserving and protecting service earned 
health care and benefits for those that we serve. MOAA 
appreciates the Committees working collectively with VSOs and 
MSOs to improve the lives of our veterans. Our top priority is 
getting the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans 
Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act package signed into 
law, which has many of our priorities, like caregiving.
    VA has made progress in advancing caregiving services, but 
today's demand outpaces availability and it's still difficult 
for veterans and caregivers to access these services, including 
respite care. For example, a Vietnam veteran caregiver in VA's 
Caregiver Support Program told us, I was contacted by VA for an 
initial phone consult for respite care. I gave some dates for 
scheduling, but I received no further communication from VA. As 
a former medical administrator, this is frustrating and 
deflating personally and to caregivers generally.
    MOAA and the Quality of Life Foundation have hosted 
roundtables to help Congress, VA, and decision-makers improve 
caregiving programs. Last fall, we held a roundtable on Federal 
and community respite care options and published a list of 
recommendations. We urge Congress to pass the Home and 
Community Based Services, Long Term Care, Caregiver Support 
Program, bills in our written statement, including the 
Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act and the Veteran Caregiver Re-
education, Re-employment, and Retirement Act, and to hold 
hearings to consider our respite care roundtable 
recommendations.
    As a 30-year Navy veteran, I want to personally thank VA 
for my health care. My initial experiences with the VA in and 
out of service is not always great, but I gave VA another 
chance and I hope other women do the same. VA is not perfect, 
but I see progress and I know the staff supports me and they 
love their job. As such, MOAA continues to advocate to 
eliminate healthcare disparities and advance research programs 
for women, minority, and underserved veterans. We urge Congress 
to establish a joint HVAC and SVAC task force to represent the 
interests of women, minority, underserved, and vulnerable 
veteran populations and pass the Servicemembers and Veterans 
Empowerment and Support Act to help MST survivors.
    Today, VHA is a health system in transition undergoing more 
than two decades of persistent change and mission expansion. 
Health systems like VHA were vital during the pandemic and they 
continue to evolve since the crisis. But VA needs predictable 
funding to preserve its foundational mission. So we urge 
Congress to appropriate funding to stabilize and modernize 
VHA's workforce and human and physical infrastructure. We know 
the PACT Act has made monumental strides for ill veterans, so 
implementation is imperative if we're going to see radical 
change.
    MOAA and DAV collaborated on a report called ``Ending the 
Wait for Toxic-Exposed Veterans,'' which provides an overview 
of the challenges in the presumptive process and presents 
recommendations for improvement. We found on average, toxic 
exposures do not receive presumptive condition status for over 
30 years. That's because they were not conceded while in 
service. MOAA and DAV urge congressional members and staff to 
attend our report briefing in May, invitation is forthcoming, 
and implement our report recommendations.
    Finally, MOAA recommends Congress establish GI Bill Parity 
for Reserve members to ensure every day in uniform counts for 
service. We also support the House and the Senate compromised 
version. The bill will incentivize active duty members to 
continue their service and the reserves.
    Thank you for considering our priorities. Let's work 
together to get the veterans package and on the DoD side, the 
Star Act signed into law. Together, let's send a strong 
message, our country cares, and supports our all volunteer 
force in and out of uniform, which is one of the most important 
ways we can sustain a strong national defense. I look forward 
to your questions.
    [Applause.]

    [The prepared statement of Ms. Campos appears on page 148 
of the Appendix.]

    Chairman Bost. Thank you. Mr. McLaughlin, you are 
recognized for 5 minutes.

STATEMENT OF MICHAEL MCLAUGHLIN, LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL 
        ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY VETERANS SERVICE OFFICERS

    Mr. McLaughlin. Chairman Bost, Chairman Tester, Ranking 
Member Takano, and Ranking Member Moran, and distinguished 
Members of the Committees, on behalf of the National 
Association of County Veteran Service Officers, commonly 
referred to as NACVSO, I extend our gratitude for the 
opportunity to address this joint session. My name is Michael 
McLaughlin and I serve as a legislative director for NACVSO.
    Our organization is a unique one in that all of our 
appointed leaders or elected leaders, as well as the majority 
of our membership, currently serve as VA accredited 
representatives working in the field, assisting veterans and 
their dependents, daily. It is my honor to share with you the 
issues that are important to our organization. Issues such as 
Federal support for coordination with local government VSOs.
    Last year, I testified before this joint session on this 
critical issue of Federal support and coordination with 
Governmental Veteran Service Officers, or GVSOs. Since that 
testimony, little action has changed or been put into play 
supporting frontline GVSOs working at the State, county, 
tribal, and municipal levels. Unfortunately, there has been 
just about as much discussion on expanding paid services for 
veterans, as there has been neglecting the essential 
partnerships between GVSOs, traditional veteran service 
organizations, and the Federal Government. Just as we would 
never expect our active duty military members to have to 
purchase their own ammunition to wage their fight, veterans 
should never be expected to purchase their own access to their 
own earned VA benefits.
    GVSOs serve as frontline advocates in their communities, 
offering support that extends beyond disability claims. While 
we handle a significant workload of disability claims, our 
duties encompass a wide range of services.
    Despite the invaluable role that GVSOs play supporting 
veterans and their families, there appears to remain 
misunderstandings regarding the scope of our responsibilities. 
Disability claims are just one aspect of the work we do. We 
also provide essential services to veterans that veterans need 
to thrive beyond their military service. We help coordinate 
their VA healthcare, whether that's at the VA or in the 
community. When they get a billing issue that arises from that 
care, we help them resolve it. When a veteran needs to access 
emergency care services in their community, they call their 
GVSO to ensure that VA is notified in a timely manner. When a 
veteran is placed in hospice in a local healthcare facility, 
the social workers call their local GVSO to help with 
enrollment at their bedside. When a veteran needs a two hour 
ride to a medical appointment, they call our offices. When a 
homeless veteran is identified after hours by local law 
enforcement or sheriff deputies, it is our offices they call to 
help secure a hotel when no shelters exist in rural United 
States. We are the ones whom the veterans attend school, 
church, and see at the grocery store. It is the GVSOs that get 
the call on their personal cell to be notified of yet another 
veteran in their community who lost their struggle with PTSD.
    Disability claims are what we do, and we are good at them, 
but it doesn't stop there. GVSOs are not incentivized by 
profiting from a veteran's disability claim or their injury in 
military service. Instead, we are incentivized by improving the 
lives of those we live with and those that we serve in our 
local communities.
    In recent years, historic legislation has expanded benefits 
and care for veterans with little consideration being given to 
the resources needed to provide access to those benefits. 
Initiatives such as the Veterans Appeals Modernization Act, the 
MISSION Act, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act, and the 
PACT Act have placed additional demands on GVSOs and VSOs 
without adequate local support. The COVID-19 pandemic also 
further highlighted the need for robust local assistance. We 
encourage and we commend the efforts by this Congress to 
support and collaborate with GVSOs. Efforts like Representative 
Levin's Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act, which 
aims to make Federal grants available to GVSOs for the first 
time ever and would funnel resources to areas of the country 
with critical shortages of GVSOs, high rates of veteran 
suicide, and high rates of veterans crisis line referrals.
    We further applaud efforts like Representative Luttrell's 
Veteran Benefits Improvement Act, which aims to strengthen 
upstream communication and review support between VA and GVSOs. 
Similarly, Representative Van Orden's TAP Promotion Act 
represents positive steps toward enhancing upstream cooperation 
between the Federal Government and GVSOs and VSOs during 
military transitions.
    Governmental Veteran Service Officers are a force 
multiplier. We should be creating a system where we empower 
them to generate efficiency within that system.
    To use a metaphor, a forward operating base, or FOB, in a 
combat theater should seek to strengthen and support the 
fighting positions of the troops holding the line. This 
requires communication, sharing of intelligence, and resources 
to the local front. If the FOB fails to support the fighting 
positions, then the mission fails. Then we fail.
    Chairman, Ranking Members, Members of this Committee, on 
behalf of NACVSO, thank you for your attention to these 
important issues. And I urge this Committee to consider the 
critical role GVSOs play in supporting veterans and their 
families. By investing in local assistance and fostering 
collaboration between the Federal Government and our local 
agencies, we can ensure that no veteran is left behind. Thank 
you.
    [Applause.]

    [The prepared statement of Mr. McLaughlin appears on page 
173 of the Appendix.]

    Chairman Bost. Thank you, Mr. McLaughlin. Mr. Sheldon, you 
are recognized for 5 minutes for your opening statement.

  STATEMENT OF MELVIN SHELDON, JR., ALTERNATE VICE PRESIDENT-
    NORTHWEST REGION, NATIONAL CONGRESS OF AMERICAN INDIANS

    Mr. Sheldon. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman Bost and to 
Ranking Member Takano, thank you for the opportunity to share 
with you today, and to all the Members of the House and Senate 
Veterans' Committee, thank you. Thank you.
    My name is Mel Sheldon. I am a Vietnam veteran. Also, I am 
an Agent Orange prostate cancer survivor. So far, so good. 
Thank you for the VA for helping me. Also, I've served on 
tribal council at Tulalip Tribes, a small little reservation 
north of Seattle, about 35 minutes. Just in case you're in the 
area, we have a small bed and breakfast there if you wanted to 
stay with us. Also, regionally, I serve as ATNI first vice 
president. We represent 57 tribes in the Northwest. Currently, 
also, I am the alternate delegate vice president for National 
Congress of American Indians. So I'm serving at three different 
levels and very honored to serve as veterans committee chairman 
for our regional committee there. National Congress of American 
Indians, as you may be aware, was founded 80 years ago and is 
the oldest, largest, and most representative American Indians 
and Alaska Natives. And we're so proud of all of those that we 
represent, men and women.
    Native people have served at a higher rate in the armed 
forces than any other group of Americans, and they have served 
in all the Nation's wars since the Revolutionary War. Despite 
this impressive record of service, oftentimes the lack of 
programs, services, and assistance that Native veterans receive 
upon returning home from serving is underwhelming and we are 
asking you all to help change that. Getting the information out 
there, helping them step up to the plate, to take advantage of 
what the VA offers.
    Today, while my written testimony touches on a number of 
subjects, I want to concentrate today on the quality of life 
for Native Americans in housing and suicide prevention. While 
housing is often thought of as an infrastructure problem 
challenge, the reality is it is being underhoused or homeless 
is really a health disparity. Despite the service they provide 
to our country, homelessness and housing insecurity remains a 
major concern for our Native veterans. At least one study found 
that Native veterans made up 19 percent of all the homeless 
veterans, in that study sample, making Native veterans homeless 
rate almost 10 times their representation in the general 
public. Another study indicated that Native American veterans 
living in poverty were twice as likely to be homeless, more 
than any other non-veteran Native American.
    In the area of housing, the most important action that can 
be taken for Native American veterans is to reauthorize and 
make permanent the Native American Housing Assistance and Self 
Determination Act. Many of us know that by NAHASDA. NAHASDA has 
done a great job for us and has been successfully used by the 
tribes across the country, which then helps us focus on housing 
needs in our own communities. At Tulalip, we're almost 300 
houses behind, so the need is there not only for our members, 
but our veterans as well.
    But however, NAHASDA expired 10 years ago. Reauthorizing 
NAHASDA will help Native American veterans struggling with 
homelessness by improving the HUD Veterans Affairs Supportive 
Housing. HUD, that's V-A-S-H Program. Recognizing this critical 
need, earlier this year, the Senate, with strong bipartisan 
support, voted in favor of reauthorizing the NAHASDA. That vote 
in favor of reauthorization included support for veteran--
support for 17 of the 19 members from the Senate Committee on 
Veterans' Affairs. So stepping up to the plate, and the House, 
I'm sure, is stepping up to the plate as well.
    Before I close, I do want to turn also to the issue of 
suicide among Native veterans. I myself, through the years have 
experienced two of my close friends that decided to leave early 
and it hurt. It was devastating. The reality is American 
veterans and Alaskan Natives experience high rates of 
depression and psychological distress, which contributes to 
Native Americans having the highest suicide rate. While the 
Department of Veteran Affairs, VA, acknowledges this as a 
national crisis that affects all Americans and publishes 
reports, it continues to offer limited data. And that may be 
the key. If we can size up how big of a challenge it is, we can 
apply the appropriate measures to help the veterans that are 
considering that alternative.
    So sitting before you and sharing, I am very grateful. 
There are more issues that we can always talk about. But 
anytime you're--when National Congress of American Indians has 
our conference, please come and see us and share. We'll share 
what we can to help all of the Indian culture. [Speaking in 
native language.] Thank you for allowing me to speak today.
    [Applause.]

    [The prepared statement of Mr. Sheldon appears on page 180 
of the Appendix.]

    Chairman Bost. Thank you, Mr. Sheldon. Mr. McManus, you are 
recognized for 5 minutes.

STATEMENT OF JACK MCMANUS, NATIONAL PRESIDENT, VIETNAM VETERANS 
                           OF AMERICA

    Mr. McManus. Good morning. I want to thank you all 
[inaudible]. This is not the first time I will be presenting to 
the Joint Congressional Committee.
    Chairman Bost. Mr. McManus, I think your microphone needs 
to be put on.
    Mr. McManus. Oh, good. We'll start over again.
    Chairman Bost. That is so much better. There we go.
    Mr. McManus. Well, good morning and thank you all for the 
good work you do for the American people, and particularly for 
veterans and their families. This is not VVA, nor my first time 
presenting to the Joint Congressional Committee on Veterans' 
Affairs. We have been the senior vets on the Hill for a long 
time.
    More importantly, you all know what we represent and you 
know what we stand for. We stand for American citizens first 
and for all generations of American veterans, not just our era 
of veterans. Our mission is to ensure the experiences of 
Vietnam veteran generation is never again repeated by our 
Nation. Just as you know about VVA, let it be said that we know 
all about you. We know that your hard work on this Committee is 
motivated by your love of this country, your real and honest 
concern for those who have chosen to wear the uniform in 
defense of this country. You are the congressional leaders who 
will assure that the spirit learned from our experiences will 
forever guide the conscience respect, and the way current and 
future veterans are valued and treated by our country.
    We respectfully ask that you hear and pledge support for 
our current priorities in caring for our Nation's returned 
heroes.
    Since our formation, VVA's top and most solemn priority has 
always been the accounting and recovery of the POW service 
members. And while I know this is outside the Committee, this 
has always been a driving force behind VVA. Today, the families 
of 1,577 Americans still listed as MIA from Southeast Asia wait 
patiently for answers regarding their unaccounted for loved 
ones. Timely and consistent funding of DPAA is an effective way 
for Congress to ensure that those families receive the fate 
clarifying information and closure that they deserve.
    We urge you to honor the following return heroes from 
Vietnam by passing two pieces of legislation now on the floor. 
The first one is the naming of the VA Medical Center in West 
Palm Beach, Florida, in honor of Thomas H. Corey Act, that's 
bill H.R. 7333--maybe there's too many threes? Three threes. 
And the Donut Dollies Congressional Gold Medal Act, which is 
H.R. 3592. Some of you know that Tom Corey for many years on 
the Hill as he was our VVA national president. During the Tet 
Offensive, an enemy round in the neck left him paralyzed and a 
paraplegic. He was 100 percent disabled veteran and a Bronze 
Star recipient, and dedicated his entire life to his country 
and other veterans.
    He was not only one who went above and beyond, there were 
others. There are 627 Donut Dollies that volunteered for the 
Red Cross during the Vietnam War to serve in the perilous 
frontline positions. Their service has long been ignored or 
belittled because they are women. They deserve the recognition 
of the Congressional Gold Medal.
    I can personally say that I experienced exposure to Donut 
Dollies in Vietnam, and I can tell you that it was motivating 
and moving to me that these civilian women would come over 
there and risk everything just to bring us a little bit of 
morale boosting, donuts and cookies, and warm lemonade. It was 
great.
    Several of our priorities this year are going to focus on 
the toxic wounds. High on that will be to compel the VA to 
execute the Fort McClellan epidemiological study required by 
the PACT Act to allow people in that area and around the 
country with 650,000 women veterans that served at Fort 
McClellan the right to participate and receive health care. We 
want to call for a pre-Gulf War burn pit use study and make 
sure that the generations that were affected by burn pits prior 
to the Gulf War are also recognized and eligible for veteran 
benefits.
    We also come back for the second year asking to amend the 
Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 to extend that 12-
nautical-mile limitation. The intent of Congress in that act 
was to open the availability of care and benefits to the Navy 
Veterans that served offshore. I think the intent of Congress 
was noble, and I think it was right on target. From our 
perspective, what happened was when it got into the regulatory 
process and it conflicted with some previous public laws or 
Federal laws or statutes or whatever you want to call them, and 
that, in fact, muddied the water. And when it came out, it was 
actually worse than when we went in with it. Okay, so there was 
an arbitrary 12-mile, nautical-mile limitation. And if you look 
at the map, it is all over the place. And the intent was, let 
us cover that is 330,000 Navy Veterans that served in Tonkin 
Gulf and the South China Sea.
    We want to maintain close congressional oversight on the 
implementation of the PACT Act, including a transparent review 
of the TEF dollars, how are they being and will be spent in the 
future. So, we are not holding a position on that until we hear 
what you come up with and your recommendations are.
    We want to hold, and still want to hold a hearing on the 
oversight hearing on the Toxic Exposure Research Act, which 
called for an intergenerational research to investigate birth 
defects in descendants of veterans and to investigate that why 
that law has not been followed. We are still on that. I am 
going to be running out of time here quickly.
    We also want to address the persistent challenge to access 
providers of healthcare in Puerto Rico by amending the Puerto 
Rican tax code to draw more healthcare workers into Puerto Rico 
to join in the VA healthcare system. As you know, if I were to 
go to work in a private hospital in San Juan and earning the 
same money as somebody in the VA system, my take home pay could 
be as much as 30 percent different because of the requirements 
on the civil service employees versus the requirements that are 
on the territorial employees. So, we need to get that addressed 
to up that as a priority.
    We also would like the VA to reinstate the use of physician 
assistance in mental health providers at the VA hospitals and 
clinics to address the historic difficulties with access to 
mental health care for veterans. Permitting PAs to practice in 
this space will allow for the dramatic expansion of access to 
mental health services for our Nation's veterans and begin to 
address the suicide crisis we are now facing. The enactment of 
the 48-hour VSO review period for disability claims, which is a 
regulatory process, but we might need help from Congress to get 
that reinstated.
    Chairman Bost. Mr. McManus, we need to--we are about five--
--
    Mr. McManus. Okay.
    Chairman Bost.--six minutes over on time.
    Mr. McManus. Okay. All right. We provided written testimony 
that covers the rest of our priorities. With that, I will end 
up and just thank you for your time and your attention, and----
    Chairman Bost. Thank you.
    Mr. McManus [continuing]. Your continued support. Thank 
you.
    [Applause.]

    [The prepared statement of Mr. McManus appears on page 186 
of the Appendix.]

    Chairman Bost. Thank you for your testimony. General 
McGinn, you are recognized for 5 minutes.

STATEMENT OF MAJ. GEN. FRANK MCGINN (RET.), PRESIDENT, NATIONAL 
             GUARD ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES

    Mr. McGinn. Thank you. Chairman Tester, Ranking Member 
Moran, Chairman Bost, Ranking Member Takano, other 
distinguished Members of the Senate and House Committees. On 
behalf of the National Guard Association of the United States, 
we thank you for this opportunity to come before you. Your 
Committees have dedicated significant time and effort toward 
policies which protect and defend those who protect and defend 
our Nation. Serving the military naturally comes with a level 
of hardship, but the system itself should never add to that 
challenge. We look forward to continuing our work with each of 
you to improve the quality of life for both those currently 
serving and retired.
    Our main goal at NGAUS is parity. Parity in the structure 
of our force, parity in the acquisition and modernization of 
our equipment, and parity in the benefits our members receive. 
The operational use of the National Guard has grown 
exponentially since 9/11. We now make up 39 percent of the 
total Army and 30 percent of the total Air Force.
    The weight of the National Guard polls in our national 
security plan is extraordinary, yet many Americans fail to 
understand the depth of our role as the primary combat reserve 
of our defense of the Nation. It is imperative that we change 
that narrative.
    In my testimony, I will focus on three specific areas key 
to recruiting and retaining a National Guard force that remains 
prepared to protect our Nation. Increase parity for education 
benefits, improve transition assistance, and consistent access 
to medical coverage. Regarding education benefit parity. When 
an individual joins the military, they invest in our national 
security. In return, as a token of our gratitude, we invest in 
their future through educational benefits. We are incredibly 
grateful for the work done by your Committees and staff to help 
elevate the need for parity and how reserve component accrues 
GI Bill benefits. While the Forever GI Bill and the FY18 NDAA 
made positive advancements to close that gap, there is still 
work to be done. Unlike the active component, guardsmen serve 
in a variety of statuses that do not accrue GI Bill benefits. A 
day in uniform is a day in service to this country. And it is 
past time this disparity is corrected.
    We are very pleased to see your two Committees introduce 
the Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2024. This would 
count all statuses, including weekend drills, annual training, 
and specific state active duty missions. This is an incredible 
step forward, and I know much work has been done and has gone 
into the Committee staff level. And NGAUS is extremely grateful 
and appreciative.
    Our second area concerns the reserve component track for 
transition assistance. Retiring from the military is a 
significant life event. Transition Assistance Program was 
established to help prepare service members for the next 
chapter of life once they come off orders. However, guardsmen 
come on and off active duty orders multiple times, and each 
time, we are required to complete TAP as if we are ending our 
military career rather than returning to our regularly 
scheduled lives. Not only is this a waste of resources and 
time, but it creates a level of fatigue. By the time a 
guardsman actually needs TAP, many individuals have gone 
through the program four times or more. TAP is mandated to have 
three tracks. NGAUS asks that one of those tracks be 
rededicated and tailored to the reserve component. The National 
Guard and Reserve has unique needs when coming off active duty 
orders, and specific attention should be paid to the accrual 
and transition of benefits. It is my understanding these 
committees are considering language to address this issue and 
we ask for your full support.
    Our third area of focus is Zero-Cost TRICARE and Dental. 
Readiness is our top priority. We must be always ready to 
protect, defend, and respond at a moment's notice. Guardsmen 
must maintain a constant level of readiness and proficiency. 
For the most part, the Department of Defense provides the tools 
to promote preparedness. Although we do not ask a soldier to 
purchase a Humvee or for an airman to purchase an F-16, yet for 
healthcare, the service member is required to purchase their 
own out of pocket. As a result, there are currently 130,000 
reserve component members without healthcare, and we have units 
far below the 75 percent medical deployability goal set by DoD. 
In these current times, we cannot afford any percentage of our 
team to sit on the bench when it comes to a potential fight 
with China, Russia, or Iran. We will absolutely need every 
player out in the field. We respectfully ask you to fully 
support the Healthcare for Our Troops Act and the Dental Care 
for Our Troops Act, providing zero-cost TRICARE and dental 
coverage. This will dramatically increase readiness, 
recruiting, and retention.
    However, the benefits extend far beyond the current force. 
A healthy guardsman is a healthy veteran. Preventative care 
through the service member's career reduces medical 
expenditures after retirement. Consistent coverage would allow 
those within our ranks to establish healthy habits for routine 
upkeep, develop care plans for long-term health issues, and 
address mental health concerns as they arise. There is no 
better way to truly put our service members first. Again, I ask 
each of you for your support on Healthcare and Dental Care for 
Our Troops Acts.
    In conclusion, thank you for inviting NGAUS to testify. 
Your efforts are critical to the well-being of the National 
Guard. I look forward to continuing our work together and 
appreciate the leadership from the members and the staff of 
this Committee and I welcome your questions. Thank you.
    [Applause.]

    [The prepared statement of Mr. McGinn appears on page 197 
of the Appendix.]

    Chairman Bost. Thank you, General. Mr. Handzuk, you have 
been recognized for 5 minutes.
    Mr. Handzuk. Chairman Tester, Ranking----
    Chairman Bost. Microphone. Thank you.
    Mr. Handzuk. Sorry.

STATEMENT OF JOHN S. HANDZUK, NATIONAL PRESIDENT, FLEET RESERVE 
                          ASSOCIATION

    Mr. Handzuk. Chairmans Tester and Bost, Ranking Members 
Moran and Takano, and other Members of the Committee. Good 
morning. I am John Handzuk, a retired Navy Command Master 
Chief, and I currently am the National President of the Fleet 
Reserve Association.
    I am here today to express the concerns of our members of 
the oldest sea service association that has been around for 
nearly 100 years, and proud to tell you that on Veterans Day, 
November 11 of this year, we celebrate our centennial. As one 
of the leading supporters of the PACT Act that was enacted in 
the last session of Congress, FRA is grateful for its passage. 
It was a top priority of the association and that it be 
implemented effectively. Military service for our Nation 
requires service members to go places that may expose them to 
toxins and cause illness and diseases that may not be diagnosed 
for years or even decades after their service. The act was 
signed into law in August of 22, and we recognize the fact. 
Recently, VA proposed a rule to expand the locations and 
timeframes for which VA presumes exposure to Agent Orange and 
other herbicides. The FRA members welcome the recent VA 
proposed regulation that will implement a new presumption of 
exposure to locations where herbicides were tested, used, or 
stored outside of Vietnam.
    My membership is shocked to hear that nearly a quarter 
million veterans may be at risk of being prescribed medicine 
they are allergic to or would interact poorly with their 
existing medications because of issues with the new VA 
electronic health record system. We are thankful to the VA 
Inspector General's efforts with the House Veterans' Affairs 
Committee, Technology Modernization Subcommittee, oversight to 
ID this problem, and we hope that it will be corrected soon.
    The FRA supports legislation authorizing immediate payment 
of concurrent receipt of full military retired pay and veterans 
disability compensation for all those eligible. I heard earlier 
this morning, the Legion Commander state, that it was like a 
tax. If I am questioned, I will get into that further.
    The membership of the association strongly believes 
reducing a retiree's retired pay because they are disabled is, 
in fact, an injustice. Therefore, we strongly support the Major 
Richard Star Act, sponsored by Chairman Tester and 
Representative Bilirakis, that expands concurrent receipt to 
include combat-related special compensation veterans who are 
medically retired with less than 20 years of service. And you 
may be aware, over two thirds of Congress co-sponsor this 
concurrent receipt legislation. We need to pass this bill.
    Speaking of which, I have been in the FRA 41 years. It has 
been one of our priorities for as long as I have been a member 
of the FRA. And we still wait.
    Aging veterans represent a segment of vulnerable 
individuals increasingly being targeted by bad actors preying 
upon their benefits that they have earned. This is why the FRA 
supports the GUARD VA Benefits Act that would reinstate 
penalties for charging veterans and survivors unauthorized fees 
related to claims for VA benefits. The National Association of 
Attorneys General dispatched a letter to congressional leaders 
last year on behalf of a bipartisan group of 44 state attorneys 
general urging passing of the GUARD Act.
    Speaking about veteran suicide, and I get uncomfortable 
with this, but one suicide is one too many. The FRA is grateful 
to the VA for allowing any veteran experiencing suicidal crisis 
to get emergency care at no cost from either a VA or non-VA 
healthcare facility. And we are also appreciative that 
enrollment in a VA system is not required. Specifically, more 
than 32,000 veterans in acute suicidal crisis have received 
free emergency health care under the new lifesaving policy. But 
unfortunately, veterans still remain at an elevated risk.
    We are pleased to know that veterans experiencing 
homelessness have declined by 11 percent since January 2020. In 
total, the estimated number of veterans experiencing 
homelessness in America has declined by 55 percent since 2010.
    The majority of FRA members were opposed to burial 
restrictions--I am sorry I didn't pause enough there, for the 
in-ground burials at Arlington National Cemetery. More than 73 
percent of FRA members surveyed last January support creating a 
second national cemetery, perhaps on the west coast, in lieu of 
additional restrictions on burials at Arlington National, and 
still be able to obtain the full military honors they 
rightfully earned. We support Expanding America's National 
Cemetery Act. It would authorize the DoD and the VA to 
transform an existing VA cemetery to maintain internment with 
full honors as Arlington National reaches capacity. We should 
not be forced to change their well-earned plans because of 
unnecessary administrative rules.
    I appreciate this opportunity to testify on behalf of the 
Fleet Reserve Association, and I stand ready to answer your 
questions. Thank you.
    [Applause.]

    [The prepared statement of Mr. Handzuk appears on page 203 
of the Appendix.]

    Chairman Bost. Thank you. We are going to go to questions. 
I am going to recognize myself for 3 minutes. Mr. Lischinsky, 
the JWV wrote a letter to the Secretary condemning a VA 
Attorney's appalling and public antisemitism remarks about 
Israel hostages in November. Are you satisfied with the VA's 
response and how this incident had been handled?
    Mr. Lischinsky. Thank you, Chairman. Thank you, Chairman 
Bost. In response to that, on the 29 January, we had a meeting 
with Secretary McDonough, and it was based on questions that 
was coming to the JWV membership. Some of our members were 
concerned, and they asked the question that how do I know that 
that employee did not handle my case, did not evaluate my case, 
didn't touch my case. And we brought that to the attention of 
Secretary McDonough, and he has assured us that there was no 
bias and no prejudice in her work.
    I go back to what I said earlier, that education is the 
important factor. And I hear this throughout this panel, that 
education, no matter what the topic is, is very important. So 
JWV stands behind that. We will be glad to work with anybody 
that wants to deal with antisemitism, bigotry, and hate. And 
although I said earlier that we fought for freedom of speech, 
and we understand freedom of speech, and we value freedom of 
speech, but when freedom of speech is brought into the 
workforce and it has a connotation of antisemitism, bigotry, 
and hate, and your employees are affected by it, and our 
customers are affected by it, and our stakeholders affected by 
it, it is no longer freedom of speech. Thank you, sir, for 
asking that.
    Chairman Bost. Commander Campos, I appreciate your support 
and helping us get Senator Elizabeth Dole veterans package over 
the line. What would the consequences of not passing this 
important legislation be?
    Ms. Campos. The consequences, sir, these are--of not 
providing resources to those that are actually taking care of 
veterans. This is a bipartisan package. There is absolutely no 
reason why it shouldn't move forward. Understand that there is 
no issues with funding and so on, but a lot of caregivers and 
veterans are counting on it. And each day and the services that 
these caregivers provide, there is no amount of money this 
country could pay for the services that they provide in the way 
that they provided. So, a lot of veterans, a lot of our 
members, a lot of the military coalition members, a lot of our 
colleagues here are waiting for this package to get across the 
line.
    Chairman Bost. Thank you. Ranking Member Takano, you are 
recognized.
    Mr. Takano. Mr. Chairman, I may go over slightly, sir, is 
that okay with you? Great. Ms. Monet, it is great to see you 
again. HUD-VASH Voucher utilization has long been an issue we, 
VA and HUD, have tried to address. What are some actions 
Congress can take to increase voucher utilization and get 
veterans in need into housing?
    Ms. Monet. So, I think the most immediate action you can 
take is to really push VA to address this issue that they are 
having with their hiring caps and setting aside special purpose 
funding, but not actually filling those positions. I think that 
is very much low-hanging fruit. The funding is there. They gain 
nothing by leaving special purpose funding on the table, and 
veterans are harmed. I think there are other things that you 
can do to increase housing stock, to incentivize PHAs and 
landlords to take these vouchers. But I think the easiest thing 
to start with is to really work with your friends at 810 
Vermont.
    Mr. Takano. What about, are there other eligibility issues 
Congress needs to address to ensure that all veterans who need 
homeless services can access them?
    Ms. Monet. Absolutely. I think that there are many 
restrictions based on discharge statuses that need to be 
addressed across all programs, particularly for HUD-VASH and 
the HPACT program. But with regard specifically to HUD-VASH, 
there are these issues around the counting of disability 
compensation as income that do actually leave the most 
vulnerable veterans out from accessing vouchers, and project-
based vouchers in particular. And that is a really hard pill to 
swallow, because project-based settings are generally most 
optimized for the most vulnerable and most disabled veterans. 
So, it is just really hard to see them left out.
    Mr. Takano. What about the issue about the benefits making 
some veterans ineligible for housing, is that also an issue we 
need to fix as well?
    Ms. Monet. Absolutely.
    Mr. Takano. That is a serious issue that the Mayor of Los 
Angeles is trying to deal with in terms of the eligibility 
cliff. Ironically, the housing we build for veterans, we can't 
put veterans in there because their disability benefits make 
them ineligible. So that seems to be contradictory. We are 
quickly approaching a year since the flexible authorities the 
VA utilized during the pandemic to address homelessness 
expired. How is the failure to get the Home Act signed into law 
affecting VA and community providers' ability to get veterans 
housed?
    Ms. Monet. Well, there are some instances where the damage 
just has been done, right, where grantees have left programs 
and just are no longer operating services in their community. 
But there are other areas that could really make a difference, 
right. When you think about extending the Section 4201 
assistance, I think back to the end of the public health 
emergency, and I think within the first six weeks of the end of 
the emergency, we were hearing that VA canceled something like 
38,000 prescheduled transportation rides for veterans. And 
there were 10,000, I think over 10,000, they said, missed 
medical and mental health appointments across the country just 
because veterans couldn't access what they needed to. I think 
there was even one veteran they mentioned that passed away 
because they couldn't get to dialysis appointments. And, I 
mean, that is very basic and simple, and it sounds 
counterintuitive, but resources like that really do make a 
difference for veterans who are struggling and have next to 
nothing.
    Mr. Takano. So the expired authorities really have had 
tremendous dramatic impact?
    Ms. Monet. Absolutely.
    Mr. Takano. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Mr. 
Sheldon, I am glad to see that the National Congress of 
American Indians is here this morning, and that Tribal and 
Native voices are recognized in this hearing before our 
Committee. And welcome. I want to thank you for your detailed 
testimony regarding the barriers Native veterans faced when 
accessing VA services. A piece of your testimony that really 
struck me were the issues related to housing on Native lands. 
And I agree with you that being underhoused or homeless is a 
health disparity, and this is an issue we should address with 
urgency. So, underutilization of the VA Native American Direct 
Loan program seems to be a direct cause of housing insecurity 
that some Native Americans face--Native veterans face. How can 
VA improve this program to better reach and serve Native 
veterans in obtaining stable housing?
    Mr. Sheldon. Thank you very much. I appreciate that 
question. As I was prepping for this testimony, I came upon the 
NADL program and what it does in housing and such, and so what 
it was is a new program. So how can we educate Indian country 
on the programs that are being offered? And to me, that is the 
cusp of the question. Working with NCAI, we can use that arm to 
let all of our Tribes across the Nation know programs, working 
better with our veterans.
    Mr. Takano. So, you are saying better outreach. But have 
you seen any improvements to VA's outreach on Tribal lands 
regarding the NADL program, or could they do better?
    Mr. Sheldon. Yes. Yes, absolutely. I think we had Veterans' 
Secretary out at New Orleans, Louisiana. And that type of 
outreach in person means a lot to us in Indian country, and we 
are able to better get the data and share it with other Tribes 
and veterans in Indian country.
    Mr. Sheldon. Great. Well, thank you. My last line of 
questioning is to Mr. McManus. You spoke, Mr. McManus, about 
the importance of the PACT Act for veterans that you represent. 
But in your testimony, you also presented to us some cohorts 
that were left out of the PACT Act. In light of that, can you 
tell us the importance, you know, can you tell us what concerns 
you have about capping or sunsetting the spending that we do on 
toxic exposure, on care and benefits for the toxic-exposed 
veterans? Given that we have maybe more cohorts to consider, 
including into the PACT Act.
    Mr. McManus. Let me start by saying that we believe that 
the PACT Act overall has been a tremendous success and one of 
the greatest pieces of veterans' legislation that has come out 
in the last half a century. So, like any piece of legislation, 
it is subject to debate even after it is enacted and signed 
into law. But it is also subject to regulatory interpretation 
and frequently intent of legislation, when it gets to 
regulatory interpretation, becomes different.
    We think that one of the great things, basis and 
foundations of the PACT Act was the fact that we weren't going 
to have to go through a political quagmire every time we wanted 
to get into a new toxin or a new location where toxins were or 
whatever, and that the funding was there for the benefit of the 
veterans and whatever. We understand that that is up for 
discussion, and that hadn't been universal; and we will wait 
until we hear what your recommendations are before we weigh in 
on that. But we think that really, the strength of that Toxic 
Exposure Fund Foundation is the foundation of that law, because 
it makes it carry on from one generation to another generation 
to another generation.
    Mr. Takano. Well, specifically, the burden of proof has 
been moved away from the veteran, and the benefit of the doubt 
has been expanded to the veteran. But we also, in order to do 
that, we had to have a funding mechanism, and some are 
suggesting we should cap or diminish that funding. And I just 
want to make sure that you all had a chance to talk about the 
importance of the funding part of this.
    Mr. McManus. We hear pro and con on that, and we haven't 
heard anybody come up with any rational program that will 
continue to address the legislation of changing it. So, we are 
not in favor of changing it unless it is something that is 
reasonable.
    Mr. Takano. I hear you. Well, thank you, Mr. McManus.
    Mr. McManus. Thank you.
    Mr. Takano. I yield back, Mr. Chairman.
    Chairman Bost. Mr. Levin, you are recognized for 3 minutes.

                        HON. MIKE LEVIN,
              U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM CALIFORNIA

    Mr. Levin. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Ms. Monet, great to see 
you again. You mentioned that you have been working for three 
years to extend the flexibilities and GPD increases provided in 
Isakson and Roe. Homeless veterans have now been without needed 
resources for 10 months since the expiration of these 
authorities, and unfortunately, they are being held hostage in 
exchange for other policy concessions. My question is, is there 
any reason we shouldn't pass the provisions we agree on now 
rather than waiting until we have agreement on everything?
    Ms. Monet. From my perspective, no. There are over 35,000 
veterans homeless on any night, all waiting for you to act, and 
there are countless other provisions in the bill that a lot of 
the folks on this panel have discussed, and I do think that 
urgency is the utmost priority from my perspective.
    Mr. Levin. Well, not surprisingly, I agree with you. I 
think we should pass what we agree on. And around here, we are 
not going to agree on everything, but we need to pass what we 
agree on right away. Ms. Mullaney, thank you for your support 
of the Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act, which I 
reintroduced last week. Obviously, there will be a cost 
associated with it, and it will be competing for limited 
offsets with other proposals. But as our Committees work 
through the legislative process, can you tell us TAP's view on 
what Congress should address first when it comes to things like 
GI Bill parity, Chapter 35 sunset and full MHA for online 
classes?
    Ms. Harrison Mullaney. Yes, thank you for the question. 
Guard and Reserve Parity and Chapter 35 sunset is TAP's top 
educational priority. We really believe that we should focus on 
getting everyone benefits before we start whittling through who 
should get increased. Those that currently have nothing have no 
opportunity to go to school. Congress, we encourage Congress to 
prioritize those before moving forward with the online MHA.
    Mr. Levin. Thank you. Commander Campos and Major General 
McGinn, I appreciate your organizations' support for parity as 
well. Commander Campos, perhaps we will start with you. Can you 
speak about the importance of the legislation to your members 
and the urgency with which you think Congress should act on the 
proposal?
    Ms. Campos. Thank you for that question and for the support 
on this important bill. GI, you know, as I mentioned in my 
remarks, the Guard and Reserve Parity is an opportunity to 
encourage those that are leaving active duty to join the 
reserves. The GI Bill is a recruiting and retention tool, and 
so we can't afford as a country, when we have recruiting 
challenges in the active duty component as well as the reserve 
component, to have that talent lost. And so, we see that this 
is a National Defense issue, and we recognize, and should 
recognize it, as a country, that these are important 
contributions that these service members give and this benefit 
and what we need to modernize the all-volunteer force.
    Mr. Levin. Thank you. And, Mr. Chairman, if I could just 
have another minute or so. General McGinn, if you have anything 
you would like to add.
    Mr. McGinn. Yes, thank you, sir, for the question. I would 
echo my colleagues' comments about recruiting and retention at 
a time when our country is really struggling with recruiting 
and retention. I think the GI Parity Act is one good way to 
entice and attract talent into our services, specifically our 
reserve force, and also to retain them. And to retain them. And 
so, as you know, the cost of growing a soldier or an airmen is 
expensive. The more we can increase our retention rates, then 
that is going to assist us. So that is a cost savings there 
just by retaining some of our soldiers and our airmen.
    And secondly, as far as the parity piece, service and Title 
32 status should not be treated any differently than service 
and Title 10 status. As I mentioned, a day of service is a day 
of service. So that the status of which you are in, I think, is 
certainly something that needs to be corrected.
    But to back up onto my recruiting and retention, I think 
that is the key issue to our members, and I think that is 
something that we all see as a struggle these days.
    Mr. Levin. Mr. Chairman, am I okay for one more minute? 
Colonel Lischinsky, in your testimony, you called for gender-
specific care at all VA facilities and more providers with 
expertise in women's health. I was proud to support the Deborah 
Sampson Act, which included several provisions to improve care 
for women veterans at VA. That bill included a provision that 
authorized $1 million annually through fiscal year '25 and 
additional funding for the Women Veterans Health Mini-Residency 
program.
    Since its implementation in 2008, around 10,000 VA 
providers have participated in this program, which trains 
nurses and physicians working in primary care and emergency 
medicine on core women's health topics, including trauma-
informed care, intimate partner violence, and menopause. I am 
currently working with my colleague and friend, Representative 
Buddy Carter of Georgia, on legislation to reauthorize this 
crucial funding and ensure the Women Veterans Health Mini-
Residency program can continue to train VA providers. Colonel 
Lischinsky, why is it so important that we train VA providers 
to provide gender-specific care?
    Mr. Lischinsky. Thank you, Mr. Levin.
    Mr. Levin. There you are.
    Mr. Lischinsky. Thank you, Mr. Levin. You know, having 
served as a combat service support brigade commander, women 
were a big part of that organization. We have come a long way 
since the days before. I don't want to say old, but the days 
before, that we handed a female pilot a uniform, a male 
uniform, and we said to them, make it fit, it will work. Some 
of our healthcare systems are a little bit antiquated, and we 
are expecting that our female soldiers, airmen, marines 
throughout the whole service to make them fit in the world that 
I served in, we need to continue to have the Mini-Residency 
program. We thank you for the funding of that. And we also say 
that we should be taking best practices that are out in the 
civilian world for our female service members. We should be 
adapting them as well so they could have fit. They are entitled 
to the exact same health care system as a male is. So, I do 
want to say on behalf of the Jewish War Veterans of the United 
States and for all veteran organizations, thank you for 
supporting that, and thank you for continuing to support that.
    Mr. Levin. Thank you, sir. Thanks, everybody, for your 
testimony, and I will yield back.
    Chairman Bost. And I want to say thank you to everyone that 
was here. And I want to say I apologize for the lack of amount 
of members being here. It was a scheduling issue that occurred 
both in the Senate and in the House. Know that this Committee, 
both our Committee on the House side, and I am sure the Senate 
Committee, if Tester was here, he would say that as well. We 
are here to serve you. We thank you for the partnership that 
you provide with us to make sure that our veterans are being 
provided for. We know that there is other areas we have to 
expand on and work on. We also know that we are required to 
make sure that whatever we are doing, that the funding is 
coming from somewhere. It is a very big challenge. But I have 
told you in my opening, and I do mean that we are going to work 
every way possible to make sure that as many needs as we can 
are being provided for. And just making a promise to you and 
moving a bill that is not going to move on both sides of the 
aisle and not going to get signed by the President is just 
that. It is a nice show, but I am not here for a show. I am 
here to try to help our veterans. I told you off the beginning 
that it was personal to me, like it is to you. And I thank you 
all for being here, and I thank everyone for your testimony and 
everything you do every day. With that, we are going to adjourn 
this. And this concludes the joint hearing.
    [Whereupon, at 12:55 p.m., the Joint Committees were 
adjourned.]

                            A P P E N D I X

                          Prepared Statements

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