[House Hearing, 119 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
119TH CONGRESS MEMBER DAY
=======================================================================
HEARING
BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2025
__________
Serial No. 119-38
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Printed for the use of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Available via http://govinfo.gov
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
62-747 WASHINGTON : 2026
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COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS
MIKE BOST, Illinois, Chairman
AUMUA AMATA COLEMAN RADEWAGEN, MARK TAKANO, California, Ranking
American Samoa, Vice-Chairwoman Member
JACK BERGMAN, Michigan JULIA BROWNLEY, California
NANCY MACE, South Carolina CHRIS PAPPAS, New Hampshire
MARIANNETTE MILLER-MEEKS, Iowa SHEILA CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK,
GREGORY F. MURPHY, North Carolina Florida
DERRICK VAN ORDEN, Wisconsin MORGAN MCGARVEY, Kentucky
MORGAN LUTTRELL, Texas DELIA RAMIREZ, Illinois
JUAN CISCOMANI, Arizona NIKKI BUDZINSKI, Illinois
KEITH SELF, Texas TIMOTHY M. KENNEDY, New York
JEN KIGGANS, Virginia MAXINE DEXTER, Oregon
ABE HAMADEH, Arizona HERB CONAWAY, New Jersey
KIMBERLYN KING-HINDS, Northern KELLY MORRISON, Minnesota
Mariana Islands
TOM BARRETT, Michigan
Jon Clark, Staff Director
Matt Reel, Democratic Staff Director
Pursuant to clause 2(e)(4) of Rule XI of the Rules of the House, public
hearing records of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs are also
published in electronic form. The printed hearing record remains the
official version. Because electronic submissions are used to prepare
both printed and electronic versions of the hearing record, the process
of converting between various electronic formats may introduce
unintentional errors or omissions. Such occurrences are inherent in the
current publication process and should diminish as the process is
further refined.
C O N T E N T S
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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2025
Page
OPENING STATEMENTS
The Honorable Mike Bost, Chairman................................ 1
The Honorable Mark Takano, Ranking Member........................ 2
WITNESSES
Panel I
The Honorable Kim Schrier, U.S. House of Representatives, (WA-08) 2
The Honorable Jill Tokuda, U.S. House of Representatives, (HI-02) 3
The Honorable Dina Titus, U.S. House of Representatives, (NV-01). 4
The Honorable Gabe Vasquez, U.S. House of Representatives, (NM-
02)............................................................ 6
Panel II
The Honorable Susie Lee, U.S. House of Representatives, (NV-03).. 9
The Honorable Marcy Kaptur, U.S. House of Representatives, (OH-
09)............................................................ 11
The Honorable Brian Fitzpatrick, U.S. House of Representatives,
(PA-01)........................................................ 13
Panel III
The Honorable Sanford D. Bishop Jr., U.S. House of
Representatives, (GA-02)....................................... 15
The Honorable Lauren Underwood, U.S. House of Representatives,
(IL-14)........................................................ 15
The Honorable Raul Ruiz, U.S. House of Representatives, (CA-25).. 17
The Honorable Greg Stanton, U.S. House of Representatives, (AZ-
04)............................................................ 18
Panel IV
The Honorable Jahana Hayes, U.S. House of Representatives, (CT-
05)............................................................ 19
The Honorable Vicente Gonzalez, U.S. House of Representatives,
(TX-34)........................................................ 21
The Honorable Salud Carbajal, U.S. House of Representatives, (CA-
24)............................................................ 21
The Honorable Jennifer McClellan, U.S. House of Representatives,
(VA-04)........................................................ 23
The Honorable Lou Correa, U.S. House of Representatives, (CA-46). 25
The Honorable Melanie Stansbury, U.S. House of Representatives,
(NM-01)........................................................ 28
APPENDIX
Prepared Statements Of Witnesses
The Honorable Kim Schrier, U.S. House of Representatives, (WA-08)
Prepared Statement............................................. 33
The Honorable Jill Tokuda, U.S. House of Representatives, (HI-02)
Prepared Statement............................................. 34
APPENDIX--continued
The Honorable Dina Titus, U.S. House of Representatives, (NV-01)
Prepared Statement............................................. 34
The Honorable Gabe Vasquez, U.S. House of Representatives, (NM-
02) Prepared Statement......................................... 35
The Honorable Susie Lee, U.S. House of Representatives, (NV-03)
Prepared Statement............................................. 37
The Honorable Marcy Kaptur, U.S. House of Representatives, (OH-
09) Prepared Statement......................................... 39
The Honorable Brian Fitzpatrick, U.S. House of Representatives,
(PA-01) Prepared Statement..................................... 44
The Honorable Sanford D. Bishop Jr., U.S. House of
Representatives, (GA-02) Prepared Statement.................... 44
The Honorable Lauren Underwood, U.S. House of Representatives,
(IL-14) Prepared Statement..................................... 45
The Honorable Raul Ruiz, U.S. House of Representatives, (CA-25)
Prepared Statement............................................. 45
The Honorable Greg Stanton, U.S. House of Representatives, (AZ-
04) Prepared Statement......................................... 46
The Honorable Jahana Hayes, U.S. House of Representatives, (CT-
05) Prepared Statement......................................... 47
The Honorable Vicente Gonzalez, U.S. House of Representatives,
(TX-34) Prepared Statement..................................... 47
The Honorable Salud Carbajal, U.S. House of Representatives, (CA-
24) Prepared Statement......................................... 48
The Honorable Jennifer McClellan, U.S. House of Representatives,
(VA-04) Prepared Statement..................................... 48
The Honorable Lou Correa, U.S. House of Representatives, (CA-46)
Prepared Statement............................................. 49
The Honorable Melanie Stansbury, U.S. House of Representatives,
(NM-01) Prepared Statement..................................... 50
Statements For The Record
The Honorable Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, U.S. House of
Representatives, (WA-03) Prepared Statement.................... 53
The Honorable Maxine Dexter, U.S. House of Representatives, (OR-
03) Prepared Statement......................................... 54
The Honorable Val Hoyle, U.S. House of Representatives, (OR-04)
Prepared Statement............................................. 55
The Honorable Rick Larsen, U.S. House of Representatives, (WA-02)
Prepared Statement............................................. 56
The Honorable Robert "Bobby" Scott, U.S. House of
Representatives, (VA-03) Prepared Statement.................... 93
The Honorable Pablo Jose Hernandez, U.S. House of
Representatives, (PR-AL) Prepared Statement.................... 93
The Honorable Stephen Lynch, U.S. House of Representatives, (MA-
08) Prepared Statement......................................... 94
119TH CONGRESS MEMBER DAY
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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2025
Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
U.S. House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:31 a.m., in
room 360, Cannon House Office Building, Hon. Mike Bost
(chairman of the committee) presiding.
Present: Representatives Bost, Takano, and Dexter.
OPENING STATEMENT OF MIKE BOST, CHAIRMAN
The Chairman. Good morning. The committee will come to
order.
The chairman may declare a recess at any point. We are
probably going to see votes here, but then we will come back
and continue for the rest of the day. That probably will not
affect the first panel, but it will affect the others.
Well, I am proud to welcome all of you to Members Day here
as chairman of the committee. It is a privilege to lead the
committee. I am a Marine, a veteran, and on behalf of my fellow
brothers and sisters in arms, thank you all. All of us owe a
debt to those men and women who serve and those who continue to
serve our country.
I am proud to say that, over the past few years under my
chairmanship, we have passed a number of bipartisan bills to
make life a little easier for veterans and their families. This
is a mission we will continue. Achieving real success for the
men and women who have taken an oath of office to serve our
country is not a mission that can be done alone. We must work
together to address the issues that affect veterans and their
families in all 50 States and territories. They deserve no
less.
Members Day gives the opportunity to hear from Members that
represent those veterans, whether on the committee or not,
about the issues affecting their districts. Every Member of
Congress has veterans in their district that deserve to have
their voices heard as we work to improve care and services for
our veterans.
A veteran in Hawaii may not face the same obstacles as a
veteran in Pennsylvania, and that is why I am excited that so
many of our colleagues have chosen to participate in today's
hearing. Your advocacy on behalf of your veterans and their
families and survivors is vitally important.
We appreciate you coming in before the committee today to
share your ideas, and I am eager to hear from each of you about
the ideas that you have to ensure that the veterans have the
opportunity to live out the American Dream that they fought to
protect.
Now I recognize Ranking Member Takano for his opening
remarks.
OPENING STATEMENT OF MARK TAKANO, RANKING MEMBER
Mr. Takano. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Good morning. Buenos dias. Aloha. Talofa. Hafa adai. We
have such an amazing diverse country and so many of our diverse
citizens who serve in our military.
I look forward to hearing from our colleagues on Member Day
about their ideas and the legislative proposals to help address
the issues and concerns of veterans in their districts, as well
as efforts to support and promote oversight and accountability
at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and to also
provide--this is very strangely written. I am going to skip
that part.
Although policymaking can feel challenging at times, I hold
out hope that we will come together and that we can come
together on a bipartisan basis to improve the lives of
veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
The Chairman. Thank you, Ranking Member Takano.
Okay. Testifying before us on Panel 1 is Representative
Schrier of Washington. Though she is not here yet,
Representative Titus is also expected to be in from Nevada.
Ms. Schrier. You said Schrier is not here yet?
The Chairman. I did.
Ms. Schrier. Ms. Schrier is here.
The Chairman. Oh, no, no. I was talking about--I am going
down through the list. Going down through the list.
Representative Tokuda from Hawaii, and Representative
Vasquez from New Mexico.
Representative Schrier, now you are recognized for 3
minutes.
STATEMENT OF KIM SCHRIER
Ms. Schrier. Thank you, Chairman Bost, and thank you,
Ranking Member Takano, for the opportunity to testify here
today.
I first want to extend my gratitude to the more than 40,000
veterans that I represent in Washington, the Eighth
congressional District, and all veterans who have sacrificed
for our country.
Serving our country and stepping up is an extraordinary
commitment that impacts veterans and their families for their
entire lives. They have shown up for us, and we definitely need
to show up for them.
As we are all aware, our country continues to face a
worsening veteran mental health crisis. The transition to
civilian life after service can be incredibly challenging,
especially for more intense service and those who have served
their entire adult lives, and these challenges are even more
pronounced in rural areas where there are fewer services, like
the areas I represent.
Specifically, for the past several years, the community in
Wenatchee, Washington, has faced multiple veteran mental health
crises, tragic crises, in part because of our failure to meet
their mental health needs. The closest vet center that provides
full mental health services is 2 hours away from Wenatchee, and
the closer VA mental health services have just failed to
provide sufficient staffing for more than 2 years. I know that
the VA is working hard to close this gap in care, but we need
more and we need it quickly before more tragedies occur. I want
to put that plug in.
I also want to emphasize there is no one-size-fits-all
solution to the veteran mental health crisis. Expanding
telemental health services is a great step, and I am thrilled
about that. We also have to maintain access to in-person
counseling, given that there is a big population that just
wants face-to-face interaction and that is how they do best.
I want to voice my support for the PFC Joseph Dwyer Peer
Support Program Act which would provide funding for peer-to-
peer veteran mental health programs, which has been so
successful, and the Innovative Therapy Center of Excellence
Act, which would support research on alternative cutting-edge
treatments at vet centers. They deserve the best.
Similarly, we need to take a look upstream, just like we do
with all healthcare issues, and understand and address just the
roots of this crisis and what we can do before our veterans
leave the military to help them--set them up for success.
Last, I have spoken here before about Cerner, the
electronic health record, and what a disaster it was at its
rollout, and I appreciate the efforts made to improve it. What
I am hearing, however, in my district is that, despite
improvements, the VA providers are still finding the system
with lots of errors, significant delays, providers are seeing
future patients as they are tripping over the system, and I
just want to advise major caution in any further rollout of
this system until all of these issues are ironed out.
Thank you very much, and thank you to our veterans.
[The Prepared Statement Of Kim Schrier Appears In The
Appendix]
The Chairman. Thank you very much.
We are going to go ahead and go to Representative Tokuda.
You are recognized for 3 minutes.
STATEMENT OF JILL TOKUDA
Ms. Tokuda. Thank you.
Aloha, Chairman Bost, Ranking Member Takano, and members of
the committee. Mahalo for holding this Member Day hearing and
for your continued commitment to those who have served.
You know, about 89,000 veterans call Hawaii home. We are
actually the tenth highest in the Nation of per capita
veterans. They have defended our Nation with honor, and we have
a profound obligation to ensure that they can thrive in post-
military life and receive the care that they have earned.
That responsibility drives the two legislative priorities I
bring before you today. First, the Parity for Native Hawaiian
Veterans Act, which I reintroduced this year with Senator
Hirono. This bill would finally place Native Hawaiian veterans
on equal footing with their American Indian and Alaska Native
counterparts by allowing the VA to reimburse Native Hawaiian
healthcare systems for the care that they provide.
Right now, the VA reimburses Indian Health Service (IHS),
Tribal health programs, the urban Indian organizations, but not
Native Hawaiian health systems. That inconsistency has real
consequences. It means that Native Hawaiians in my community--
veterans--many of them who live in very rural and remote parts
of our neighbor island communities where VA access is already
extremely limited, cannot use the culturally grounded providers
who have served and cared for their families for generations.
Native Hawaiian veterans deserve the same respect, the same
access, and the same pathways to care that Alaskan Native
veterans have already received. This bill simply corrects a
longstanding disparity. Our veterans have earned, quite
frankly, nothing less.
The second issue I want to raise with deep concern and,
quite frankly, profound sadness, Dr. Robert McCormick Browne, a
psychiatrist credibly accused of sexually assaulting and
abusing dozens of children in Hawaii over decades, remains
interred in the National Cemetery of the Pacific. He died by
suicide shortly after the allegations became public, escaping
any criminal accountability.
The VA has confirmed that because current law only allows
review of cases from 2013 forward, they lack the authority to
even consider disinterment. Dr. Browne was buried in 1991. I
offered a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) amendment to address
this, but sadly it was not made in order.
I ask this committee to help advance legislation that would
disinter Dr. Browne and give the VA the ability to address
cases like this. We cannot undo the pain he inflicted, but for
the victims who have come to me seeking help, we can ensure he
is not honored in a place reserved for those who served with
integrity--our heroes.
Finally, I want to remind the committee that an estimated
94,000 veterans living in our country without citizenship
remain at risk of deportation. In Hawaii, we have already
witnessed a self-deportation of one Purple Heart medalist.
These are men and women who wore our uniform. We owe them a
fair attainable pathway to citizenship and protection from
removal, and I hope this committee will work with the
committees of jurisdiction to ensure no veteran is forced to
fight the government they once defended.
Mahalo, again, for hearing our concerns, and I look forward
to working with you to support our veteran communities.
[The Prepared Statement Of Jill Tokuda Appears In The
Appendix]
The Chairman. Thank you.
Now we want to recognize a former member of this committee,
Representative Titus.
STATEMENT OF DINA TITUS
Ms. Titus. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, Mr.
Ranking Member, and members of the committee, for this
opportunity to come back and visit the committee that I enjoyed
so serving on and I think does such important work. Thank you
for that.
In Nevada's First congressional District I hear from
veterans all the time, men and women who served, and with
honor, who have come home and are expecting fair treatment and
support, but they now face unnecessary barriers to the care and
benefits that they earned.
Among these are our atomic veterans and the servicemembers
who worked at the Nevada Test Site and Training Range (NTTR).
These are individuals whose missions were to deal with things
that are very secret. Even their presence there has been
classified and effectively erased. They have suffered from the
effects of exposure to toxic and radiation, but they cannot
seem to get any benefits for their health issues.
They have carried issues without recognition, they have
fought claims without documentation, and they have battled a
system that too often tells them you were never there, and
their records have been masked and hidden and lost and buried
behind classifications.
Now, the military, as you all know, pledges to leave no one
behind. When they come home, we in this committee and Members
of Congress should not leave them behind either, and we should
give them the same commitment we do our soldiers on the field.
That is why I introduce the Providing Radiation Exposed
Servicemembers Undisputed Medical Eligibility (PRESUME) Act,
the acronym PRESUME. It would eliminate the unjust requirement
and almost impossible task of having atomic veterans prove a
specific radiation dose before they can access the VA benefits
that they have earned.
Veterans at the test site and other nuclear testing
locations were often exposed to toxic radiation without their
knowledge, and many were never told they were being exposed
during the time, and today they often suffer from illnesses
that they do not know what were caused by--the cancers,
pulmonary issues, and other serious problems.
In order to establish entitlement to what the VA calls
presumptive diseases, these veterans have to prove onsite
participation and radiation dose estimates from the Defense
Threat Radiation Agency. Now, this is data that has been
historically unreliable. When the government controls the data,
the veterans should not bear the burden of having to prove the
impossible and showing where they were and what their dosage
was at the time.
The PRESUME Act would remove these bureaucratic barriers.
It has been endorsed by the Disabled American Veterans, The
Invisible Enemy, Veterans of Foreign Wars, National Association
of Atomic Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, the Veterans
Advocacy Group, and the Enewetak Atoll Atomic Cleanup Group of
Veterans. There are hundreds of veterans, and we need to assist
them, provide them benefits before it is too late, just as we
did the Agent Orange veterans.
I believe it is time for Congress to advance this crucial
piece of legislation, and in doing so we would remove
bureaucratic hurdles, ensure parity with other radiation
victims, like the down-winders, for example, and honor our
promise to those who served in harm's way.
We must never forget that they played a critical role in
our country's winning the cold war, but it was at great
personal cost and often with very little public recognition.
People did not know what they were doing; even they did not
know what they were doing. It is long past time that we honor
those who served so well during these cold war years.
I ask that we continue building on the success of the
Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to
Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act and put our atomic
veterans in place where they belong.
I thank you for this opportunity to speak, and I look
forward to working with you all on this committee and urge that
you move this legislation forward.
The Chairman. Thank you.
Ms. Titus. I yield back.
[The Prepared Statement Of Dina Titus Appears In The
Appendix]
The Chairman. Representative Vasquez, you are recognized
for 3 minutes.
STATEMENT OF GABE VASQUEZ
Mr. Vasquez. Thank you, Chairman Bost and Ranking Member
Takano, for the opportunity to discuss my three bills currently
before the Veterans' Affairs Committee.
We owe an immense debt of gratitude to our veterans. In
exchange for their brave service, we promised assistance so
that they can pursue a higher education, achieve their academic
goals, and become leaders in the workforce as they transition
back to civilian life.
This is why I proudly introduced H.R. 1965, the bipartisan
Veterans Education Assistance Adjustment Act. This commonsense
bill increases the GI Bill's annual book stipend for the first
time in nearly two decades from $1,000 to $1,400 per year, and
it allows for an annual adjustment of this stipend to keep up
with inflation.
This stipend no longer reflects today's costs and falls
woefully short of meeting the financial needs of our veterans
today. At a time when millions of veterans are already working
to make ends meet, Congress should not allow outdated policy to
become yet another barrier to their success.
My bill has garnered the support of 22 bipartisan
cosponsors, including eight members of this committee. Leading
veterans groups such as the Veterans of Foreign War, or the
VFW, and the American Legion have publicly endorsed this
legislation. President Trump's own Department of Veterans
Affairs agreed earlier this year that the book stipend must be
increased. I urge you to make passing this bill a priority of
this committee.
Second, I would like to discuss H.R. 2020, the bipartisan
New Mexico Rural Veteran Healthcare Access Act. This bill would
improve access to healthcare services for rural veterans in
southeast New Mexico by moving both Otero and Eddy counties
from the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) region 22
into VISN 17.
Currently, veterans in the southeast corner of my State
drive as far as 5 to 6 hours to get their healthcare
appointments at the main VA hospital in Albuquerque. By moving
Otero and Eddy counties into VISN 17 and giving them access to
the El Paso VA, that could cut their commute time in half, for
some as short as an hour, removing a massive hurdle that these
veterans face when trying to seek their doctors.
This bill also has bipartisan support, including from a
Republican member of this committee, and represents a
straightforward fix to a serious problem that veterans in my
district face today.
Last, I would like to discuss H.R. 1964, the Las Cruces
Bataan Memorial Clinic Act. This bill would rename the
Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC) in Las Cruces, New
Mexico, in honor of the Bataan Death March.
In April 1942, the Japanese Army marched 75,000 American
and Filipino Prisoners of War (POWs) from the Bataan Peninsula
on a 65-mile death march where thousands perished.
Approximately 1,800 New Mexicans were among them, but only 829
of them returned home.
New Mexico suffered greatly from this tragedy, so much so
that our old State capitol building in Santa Fe was renamed the
Bataan Memorial Building, and White Sands Missile Range hosts
an annual march on base to commemorate those we lost. Renaming
the Las Cruces CBOC would serve as a permanent memorial for the
brave New Mexican soldiers that we lost in Bataan.
I strongly urge you to advance these bills to the House
floor so that we may fulfill our promise to support our
veterans in their education, provide well-deserved healthcare,
and enshrine the memory of those we lost for future
generations, and do so in a bipartisan way.
Thank you. I yield back.
[The Prepared Statement Of Gabe Vasquez Appears In The
Appendix]
The Chairman. Thank you for being here.
I want to say thank you to the panel--go ahead.
Mr. Takano. Just a question. Thank you.
Thank you all for these really impressive legislative
proposals. I had just a few questions for each of you.
Congressman Vasquez, the Bataan Death March CBOC, the
name--the CBOC you would like to rename, what is the problem
there? I seem to recall that the issue was that we name CBOCs
for persons, not for certain events. Is your bill seeking to
kind of change the VA policy on this?
Mr. Vasquez. Thank you, Ranking Member, for that question.
First, I will mention that my Republican predecessors in
this seat introduced the very same bill as I have. Yes, Federal
buildings are typically only allowed to be named after an
individual, not an event, or multiple individuals. These rules
have not always been followed, and the majority and minority
occasionally agree to simultaneously advance multiple bills
that break this rule.
For the veterans in my district--and we just lost one of
our--our last Bataan memorial survivor just a few years ago--
this is a big deal for our community, as you see from the
thousands of people that come from all across the country to
participate in the memorial march.
Mr. Takano. Thank you.
Congresswoman Tokuda, I was not aware that there was not an
analogous relationship between Native Hawaiians and the VA as
we have with Native Americans and Alaska Natives as well. I was
aware that, during the pandemic, this relationship between the
Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and the Indian Health
Service was critical in terms of providing beds for people in
Navajo country whose systems were not able to take care of
them.
Can you tell us, was there a similar kind of challenge in--
among the Native Hawaiian constituents that you have?
Ms. Tokuda. You know, absolutely. First and foremost, we
have Native Hawaiians spread throughout my district on every
single island, and when access to care is already limited, our
Native Hawaiian health system steps up, quite frankly, to be
able to provide that level of care. That is why we want our
veterans to be able to access it as well.
If you think about it, Native Hawaiians are not tribes, so
they are very different and distinct, which is why oftentimes
we have to go back and seek this parity with Tribes and Alaskan
Natives. That is simply what we are asking for in this case,
because as we consider access to care for our veteran
population is 89,000 individuals, we need to make sure that
every clinic, every opportunity is available to them to receive
care where they live versus, in most cases for my constituent
veterans, they have to fly to actually get to the healthcare
that they need, most facilities being on the island of O'ahu.
Mr. Takano. This is an issue I would like to explore
further with you because I know that there are compacts that
are formed between Native American Tribes as well and the VA,
that this is something that they are required to do. I would
like to understand this more, because there are also
implications for the civilian population as well.
I am also aware, Congresswoman Titus, I am very familiar
with Dave Crete and the work of Area 51 veterans that you are
mentioning. I just want to point out, if the Secretary is
listening,--you have your own discretion under procedures laid
out by the PACT Act to expedite relief, and so I would urge
that to happen.
Mr. Chairman, I have asked for hearings specifically on
Area 51, and we should consider legislation that Ms. Titus is
bringing up. I would further also want to expand, not only our
attention to Area 51, but to Red Hill in Hawaii, the
contamination of the water that exposed, not only veterans, but
also the military families that were stationed there.
I would even recommend that the committee do field hearings
both in Nevada and in Hawaii on these matters of toxic exposure
in both cases.
The PACT Act was able to take care of the Enewetak
veterans, the radiation of veterans under a title of the bill
actually named after your predecessor, Ms. Tokuda; it was the
Mark Takai Enewetak Radiation Exposure Veterans. I am at a loss
as to why we were not able to include Area 51, but I would
urge--these Area 51 veterans are dying of, clearly, radiation
related exposure, and I would urge the Secretary to provide
them with relief as soon as possible, but to expedite Ms.
Titus' legislation as quickly as possible, and to also look
very carefully at the consequences of the Red Hill exposure.
Thank you.
The Chairman. Representative Titus, I have a quick
question. During the time that you were studying this--you
know, we deal with this on the committee all the time, but as a
veteran, I sarcastically laugh whenever we have language about
the Vietnam era, and then we say, has anybody served in Vietnam
while also Cambodia, and I say, well, we were not in Cambodia.
You know, have we checked with some of these, if it is a
place where we are to the point that we can release some of
these records that would help make sure that we have the names
of those that were exposed, or do you know that?
Ms. Titus. I do, and I have talked to these veterans. You
know, if you look at atomic veterans, you have got those who
went into Japan after the war, those who cleaned up the testing
at Enewetak and Bikini, those who did the war games at the
Nevada test site, and then more recently, some who have just
done supplemental assistance at the test site now as it exists
with this kind of testing. Those records just do not exist.
Some of them burned up in St. Louis with all the other records,
and others, they say, well, you were not really there, we do
not have any record of it because you were doing secret work
out there in Area 51, and so they cannot even find the evidence
that they were there. They were there, they knew they were
there. I think getting at those records really would make a
difference.
The Chairman. Would help. Yes.
Mr. Takano. Mr. Chairman, it is the Air Force, right? They
do not even acknowledge--they will not even acknowledge that
they were there. It is bizarre.
The Chairman. We have people on the Intel Committee that--
anyway. Then the other question, could you get the name of the
person that is actually--he is buried in the Punchbowl?
Ms. Tokuda. Yes. Dr. McCormick Browne. We know exactly
where he is interred right now, and we would love to have the
legislation actually brought up to date so that we can actually
look at 2013 and before.
The Chairman. The only question I have for you is the--we
are naming it after an event. Okay. The only thing I would ask
is, is all of the stage committee, people in agreement with it?
I mean, that is one thing that you have to do.
Mr. Vasquez. Absolutely. Every major veterans organization
in the State, and specifically in that region, has endorsed my
legislation.
The Chairman. Okay. Well, thank you. I appreciate it.
Wealth of information. Thank you.
Now, testifying before us today on Panel 2. We are going to
get switched over here.
All right. Testifying before us today on Panel 2 we have
Representative Susie Lee of Nevada and we have Representative
Kaptur--Okay. We had to write that in. Okay--of Ohio. We also,
if they may show up, Brian Fitzpatrick from Pennsylvania and
Dr. Raul Ruiz of California.
Representative Lee, you are recognized for 3 minutes.
STATEMENT OF SUSIE LEE
Ms. Lee. Thank you, Chairman Bost, Ranking Member Takano,
and all the members of the Veterans' Affairs Committee. Thank
you for providing me with this opportunity to share my
perspective on an issue very important to Nevada.
This committee was actually the first one I served on when
I first came to Congress, honoring my father's service and the
service of so many veterans in my district. Our men and women
in uniform make countless sacrifices to keep our Nation safe,
so it is our duty to protect them from invisible enemies like
toxic radiation exposure.
I represent southern Nevada, where 10 percent of our
community has served our country in the Armed Forces, and,
unfortunately, hundreds of veterans who were stationed at the
Nevada Test and Training Range during the years from 1972 to
2005 have been denied benefits that they rightfully earned.
Over 20 years ago, Congress passed a bill that entitled
nuclear weapons workers to receive free medical treatment and
fair financial compensation for specific illnesses that they
contracted as a result of their exposure to radiation and toxic
chemicals during nuclear weapons production and testing.
However, as was mentioned in the last panel, certain U.S.
Department of Defense (DOD) employees were doing work that was
so secretive and so sensitive, that even though they are
covered by the law, they were not allowed to even prove that
they worked there and, therefore, they were unable to receive
healthcare.
I just want to tell you, I had a presser with a few of
them. I mean, these are men who are suffering atrocious
cancers, having half their skull removed, trach--you know, one
is on a tracheotomy, they brought radiation home to their
families, their families were exposed. That is why I introduced
my bill, which is bipartisan, the Presumption for Radiation or
Toxic Exposure Coverage for Troops, or the PROTECT Act, with
Congressman Mark Amodei, to correct that and correct this
oversight. It will expand similar VA benefits to veterans who
were assigned to impacted areas of the NTTR, offering them
potentially lifesaving medical treatment and financial
compensation. This legislation will help save lives and bring
justice to thousands of veterans who proudly served our
country.
The PROTECT Act would establish a presumption of exposure
to radiation and toxins for servicemembers at NTTR from 1972 to
2005, meaning that exposure is presumed to have occurred, which
would simplify the process for veterans seeking benefits for
illnesses linked to this exposure. This would help thousands of
veterans, civilian DOD employees, and their families, to
finally receive the benefits, the care, and the justice that is
decades overdue.
This bill is not asking for new funding. It is simply about
ensuring that veterans have access to benefits they are already
legally entitled to.
Thank you again for providing me with that opportunity.
[The Prepared Statement Of Susie Lee Appears In The
Appendix]
The Chairman. Thank you.
Representative Kaptur, you are recognized for 3 minutes.
They have called votes. I want you to know that. We are going
to hear you, and then we will kind of take a break after that.
STATEMENT OF MARCY KAPTUR
Ms. Kaptur. Thank you, Chairman Bost, very much, and,
Ranking Member Takano, thank you for your service to our
country. You really have made a difference for veterans that I
represent, and I thank both of you.
I am here today because of an anomaly. I live in Ohio.
North of me is a State called Michigan. Wars were fought over
this territory years ago, and some of the relationships never
seem to change. I am here to say that I probably represent one
of a half dozen or fewer places in the country where the mother
hospital, the CBOC, for our region is located in another State.
I am not against that State. I am not against the
institution, the University of Michigan; I have a degree from
there. From where I live, the veterans that come from several
counties in northwest Ohio spend half a day trying to access
medical care.
This historic relationship goes back to 1948 after World
War II, before my part of Ohio even had a medical university,
which we do now.
Why I am hear today is to ask, to plea with you, please,
help me find a way to take away the discomfort that attends to
our veterans who have to waste a half a day up in Ann Arbor
getting--either being taken up on a bus or coming back on the
bus. Cancer patients who get infusions, they throw up on the
bus. They have to sit in a waiting room after they get the
infusion. This is not the best America can do, but this anomaly
is really annoying.
Our medical University of Toledo was established in the
1960's. It has existed now for over 60 years. The VA does not
even see us. We are a State university. We have the only
pharmacy school in all of northern Ohio. We have built a Red
Cross blood unit there that serves over 100 different hospitals
in the region. We have tried so very hard to try to get the VA
to see us clearly, and they do not.
I am not against University of Michigan. If some of our
patients want to go there, I am all for it. In northern Ohio
there are only two State medical universities; one in
Cleveland, the Stokes VA, which is the largest, one of the
largest--I think second largest VA in the country, and then us
in Toledo. We are toddling in Toledo, we are not Cleveland, we
are not Columbus, but we have 84,000--87--well, I think the
number is 86,000 veterans---here--86,135 veterans. I am
pleading with you, create a title in a bill that will come
forward that will give us our day in the sun. It is so long
overdue.
We are next to the State's psychiatric hospital. There are
only six of those in Ohio. We have so many vets with Post-
Traumatic Stress (PTS). I wanted to build a wing on that
working with the State--that is a hard job to do--but to try to
get better services to 86,000 veterans.
I speak on behalf, I am sure, of Republicans who are not
here with me today just because of the scheduling, who have the
same issue: It is too far for our people to go.
I thank you for listening, and I will be happy to answer
any questions.
[The Prepared Statement Of Marcy Kaptur Appears In The
Appendix]
The Chairman. Okay. We are going to--Representative Dexter,
you are granted permission to speak from the dais as a member
of the committee. Go ahead.
Ms. Dexter. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman and to the
Ranking Member, for offering this opportunity.
It is an honor to serve this committee. I also want to
thank my colleagues here on the committee and those here today
who are speaking up for our veterans.
Like many physicians, I trained at the VA. There, like at
every stage of my career, I did not take care of Republicans or
Democrats; I just took care of people. This is the spirit that
I bring to this committee, one that is guided by care for our
veterans, not partisanship.
Our veterans deserve durable policy that fulfills our
promise to care for them, and they deserve a Congress that can
come together and deliver it. I appreciate the willingness of
my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to work together on
this mission.
My priorities on this committee are clear: Every veteran--
and when I say every, I mean every woman veteran, every veteran
of color, every transgender veteran, every immigrant veteran,
and every disabled veteran--must receive the high-quality VA
healthcare that they have earned.
Veterans should never wait, worry, or wonder whether the
care they need will be there. Whether they are expanding the
access to mental healthcare, strengthening women's health
clinics, or ensuring that veterans in rural communities can get
timely care, we clearly have work to do. We must end veteran
homelessness and ensure that every veteran and their family
have a pathway to stable, affordable housing.
We know what works: Housing paired with wraparound services
and targeted support. That is why I introduced the Every
Veteran Housed Act to remove barriers to proven interventions
that save lives and restore dignity. No veteran should ever
sleep on the street in the country they served. I look forward
to this committee's support in moving this forward.
We must also create real pathways to economic opportunity.
I am proud that my first bill to pass the House was--my bill to
pass the House was the Focused Assistance and Skills Training
for Veterans' Employment and Transition Success (FAST VETS)
Act. I want to thank Representatives Messmer, McGarvey, and Van
Orden for standing with me in that effort. The FAST VETS Act
improved the Veteran Readiness and Employment, VR&E, program
that is faster to ensure more veterans can enroll and benefit.
I am also working on legislation to strengthen recruitment
and retention for VR&E counselors. Veterans deserve timely
access to high-quality individual career counseling. We cannot
reduce backlogs or improve outcomes without investing in the
people who provide that support. Veterans have earned more than
a waitlist. They deserve a real pathway into the workforce, and
I invite my colleagues to join me in this effort.
Finally, I want to take this opportunity to state plainly
that our values must guide our work on this committee. Our
budgets tell the story of our priorities. This Congress has
found money for billionaires, and it is time that we find money
for veterans. If we say we honor veterans but fail to fund the
programs that keep them healthy, housed, and employed, then our
words do not matter.
I will work with anyone on this committee who is ready to
put veterans above politics and choose progress over posturing.
We have a responsibility to meet this moment with clarity,
compassion, and courage.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I yield back, and look forward to
working together.
The Chairman. Thank you.
Representative Fitzpatrick, you are recognized for 3
minutes.
STATEMENT OF BRIAN FITZPATRICK
Mr. Fitzpatrick. Thank you, Chairman Bost, Ranking Member
Takano. As you continue your critical work, I want to urge you
to consider legislative action on policies to address the
prevalence and impact of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) on
our military and veteran communities.
Myself and several of my colleagues are proud to co-lead
the Veterans with ALS Reporting Act, which would require the VA
to study and provide needed data on the prevalence of ALS
amongst our veteran population and establish a strategy for
improving timely access to clinical trials for our Nation's
veterans.
Chairman, I am also proud to sponsor the Justice for ALS
Veterans Act, which is a bipartisan, bicameral bill which
ensures surviving spouses of veterans who pass due to ALS
receive the full benefits that they have rightfully earned.
Our veterans, as this committee well knows, are due our
utmost support and respect. They are heroes who fought for us.
When they face ALS, we must fight for them and their families.
Veterans, Mr. Chairman, are twice as likely to be diagnosed
with ALS compared to the general population. This makes the
mission even more critical, especially in understanding the
genesis of this trend.
Under current law, surviving spouses and families of
veterans who had a service-connected disability that is deemed
fully debilitating for at least 8 continuous years before death
receive an additional monthly stipend from the VA. However,
with an average life expectancy of only 2 to 5 years after
diagnosis with ALS, our ALS veterans often do not survive long
enough to meet this requirement, leaving their families without
this benefit. Denying a surviving spouse benefits because their
loved ones did not live long enough to meet an arbitrary
requirement is not just unfair, it is a betrayal of our
commitment to those who served.
The Justice for ALS Veterans Act rights this wrong and
ensures that the families of our brave servicemen and--women
receive the support that they have earned and that they are
due.
Thank you, Chairman Bost, Ranking Member Takano, for your
consideration for working with us on this legislation. We look
forward to moving this through committee and, once again, this
Congress, in addressing the prevalence of the impact of ALS
amongst our veteran community.
I yield back.
[The Prepared Statement Of Brian Fitzpatrick Appears In The
Appendix]
The Chairman. Thank you. I know we have got to vote, but
you need----
Mr. Takano. Just real quick. Mr. Fitzpatrick, I fully
support the idea of what you are bringing forward about ALS and
the study of it. We are working on it now. Yes.
Ms. Kaptur, we should definitely find out if we can get a
study on whether we can get a CBOC in that area or a mini--a
mini clinic. I want to talk to you about a program within VA
called Closer to Me, which specifically addresses how to help
cancer patients with infusions who live remotely from clinics.
It saves VA money, and it also--it is a--the Minnesota VA is
the pioneer in this. I wanted to kind of call your attention to
that.
With regard to Ms. Lee, I have already asked the chairman
if he would consider doing a field hearing on Area 51. I
commend your bipartisan work with Congressman Amodei.
Those are my comments. We have got to go vote, I know.
Ms. Lee. I just want to say, we have language that has made
it into the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). We are,
during the conference, we are hoping that it sticks and stays.
Just so you are aware of that.
Mr. Takano. Okay. Well, that is--we have input into the
NDAA process.
Ms. Kaptur. Members, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member, I
just wanted to just put on the record also, we do have a CBOC,
but here is what happens, they do not hire people in the Toledo
area because there is something called a locality pay
adjustment. They hire people in Ann Arbor. They pay--they have
a 28.82 percent adjustment for their higher cost of living
there. Those people drive down, then, an hour and a half a day
down and another hour and a half back. It is such a messed up
relationship. The focus has to be on the veterans.
We really do--maybe there are a couple other places in the
country that have this bi-state relationship; it is not good.
Mr. Takano. It is understaffed, you are telling me, the----
Ms. Kaptur. They drive down and then they go back home, and
they do not interact with our veterans, posts. They are from
another planet. We want the ability for our medical university
to have a direct relationship with the VA. After 60 years, it
is time.
The Chairman. Well, we were speaking of another problem
that we have to deal with, and that is the fact that our VISNs
are not working. They are not uniform, they are not--it is just
like we always say, if you have seen one VA, you have seen one
VA. If you have seen one VISN, you have seen one VISN. They are
not uniform. It is a thing we have been noticing.
I am working with the Secretary at this time and asking him
what--because you can--the person that actually set up the VISN
system has actually said himself that that was not the way it
was planned, and it is not working, and so we need to revamp
it.
We do need to get back, so thank you all for being here. As
a vote has been called in the House, the committee will stand
in recess, subject to the call of the chair. I will expect--I
hopefully will be reconvening 10 minutes after the start of the
last vote. Thanks.
[Recess.]
The Chairman. The committee will reconvene.
Our third panel to testify before us here today is
Representative Bishop of Georgia, Representative Stanton should
be joining us from Arizona, Representative Underwood from
Illinois, and Dr. Ruiz from California.
With that, Representative Bishop, you are recognized for 3
minutes to deliver your testimony.
STATEMENT OF SANFORD BISHOP
Mr. Bishop. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Bost, Ranking Member Takano, distinguished members
of the committee, thank you all for what you do to help
America's veterans.
As a Representative whose district is home to Fort Benning,
Robins Air Force Base, and Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany,
the welfare of our veterans is at the forefront of my work.
I appreciate this opportunity to highlight a bill I have
introduced, H.R. 333, the Disabled Veterans Tax Termination
Act. The purpose of H.R. 333 is to ensure the concurrent
receipt of military retirement and VA disability compensation
for all veterans regardless of their veterans' affairs
disability rating.
Currently, veterans rated lower than 50 percent and who
retired with less than 20 years of service cannot concurrently
receive full retirement pay and disability pay. This bill
eliminates the arbitrary penalties and extends eligibility to
Chapter 61 disability to all honorable retirees.
For those not familiar with veterans' retirement
compensation, currently, veterans receive two types: retirement
pay and disability pay. Currently, if a veteran's disability is
rated less than 50 percent, then whatever the dollar value is
in disability pay, it is subtracted from their retirement pay.
This bill would allow veterans to get their full disability pay
and retirement pay without one being subtracted from the other.
We cannot tell our veterans their service is valued while
simultaneously withholding their earned benefits.
H.R. 333 is supported by every major veteran service
organization, including the American Legion, Veterans of
Foreign Wars, Disabled American Vets, Wounded Warrior Project.
I hope that as the committee prioritizes its work for 2026,
that you will consider marking up and/or incorporating H.R. 333
into your efforts. Advancing this legislation sends a clear
message to both current servicemembers and those considering
enlisting in our all-volunteer force that America will keep its
promise and take care of its own.
I urge the committee to favorably report out H.R. 333, and
I thank you for allowing me to appear before you today.
[The Prepared Statement Of Sanford Bishop Appears In The
Appendix]
The Chairman. Thank you.
Representative Underwood, you are recognized for your 3
minutes.
STATEMENT OF LAUREN UNDERWOOD
Ms. Underwood. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you
to Ranking Member Takano, for the opportunity to testify about
urgently needed legislation to support the health and well-
being of our Nation's veterans.
While I currently sit on the House Appropriations
Committee, I was honored to serve on the House Veterans' Affair
Committee during the 116th and 117th Congresses. Serving
veterans is one of the greatest privileges we have as Members
of Congress, and I am honored to serve our veterans both on and
off this committee.
That is why I am so excited about the momentum behind my
bipartisan, bicameral Lactation Spaces for Veteran Moms Act,
which I am proud to lead in the House, in partnership with
Senator Rosen and Senator Murkowski.
As a nurse, I know the health benefits of breastfeeding for
moms and babies. My bill ensures that every VA medical center
contains a clean private space specifically designed for
nursing for veterans and their families.
Just a few weeks ago, the Senate passed this bill by
unanimous consent. I look forward to working with this
committee to bring it to the House floor as soon as possible.
I am also honored to testify again today on one of the
first bills I introduced in Congress with my friend, Senator
Duckworth, the Co-pay Fairness for Veterans Act. Earlier this
year, the bill passed out of the subcommittee, and I look
forward to working with you to advance that bill to the full
committee for consideration.
At a time when research shows that veterans face worse
health outcomes than the general public and have a higher
burden of chronic diseases, no veteran should go without ready
access to preventive healthcare services that can improve their
health and quality of life.
For nearly 15 years, civilians have accessed preventive
services without co-pays thanks to the Affordable Care Act. The
veterans receiving care through the VA still do not have that
same guarantee. That means that veterans may be charged for
mammograms, cancer screenings, diabetes care, and screens for
depression and anxiety. That is not fair to the folks who have
served our country, and my bill would fix this injustice and
fulfill our promise to our veterans.
Finally, I am excited to share that I am preparing to
reintroduce the Maternal Health for Veterans Act, which was
reported out of the Health Subcommittee last Congress. The
United States is in a worsening maternal health crisis, and
veteran moms are dying. My bipartisan bill authorizes $15
million per year for VA's maternity care programs and requires
annual public reporting and recommendations on maternal health
from VA. I am eager to work with you to advance this bill this
Congress as soon as possible.
Thank you again for the opportunity to collaborate on these
important pieces of legislation to better serve our veterans. I
yield back.
[The Prepared Statement Of Lauren Underwood Appears In The
Appendix]
The Chairman. Thank you.
Dr. Ruiz, we are going to you next, and then Mr. Stanton
has joined us, and we will go to him next. So--go to him after
you. You are recognized for 3 minutes.
STATEMENT OF RAUL RUIZ
Mr. Ruiz. Thank you, Chairman. It is good to be back in the
VA Committee. Good to see everybody. I want to thank you,
Chairman Bost and Ranking Member Takano, for holding this
hearing and providing me the opportunity to urge you, Chairman
Bost, to allow a vote on the Major Richard Star Act. This
critical and bipartisan piece of legislation that Republican
Bilirakis and I are leading will rectify an injustice that has
kept combat disabled veterans from receiving their full
military and retirement benefits.
Currently, over 50,000 combat disabled veterans who were
medically retired are being shortchanged. They are being
shortchanged while costs are going up. Because of an outdated
and unfair policy, they are forced to give up a portion of
their retirement pay just to receive the disability
compensation. They get injured and they cannot get their
retirement pay. This is wrong and it must end.
That is why we must vote and pass the Major Richard Star
Act, which is a bipartisan effort, to finally correct this
injustice that has affected thousands of our Nation's heroes.
Military retirement pay and disability compensation are two
separate benefits. One is earned through years of dedicated
service. The other is owed because of injuries sustained while
defending our country. These brave men and women should not be
punished for getting hurt in the line of duty.
This bill is named in honor of Major Richard A. Star, a
father, husband, and a combat veteran who was medically retired
due to injuries sustained in war. Sadly, Major Star lost his
battle with cancer in 2021. His legacy lives on through this
bill and in our commitment to do right by those who served.
The Major Richard Star Act would allow veterans to receive
both retirement and disability benefits that they have earned
without an offset. It is supported by all leading veteran
service organizations, and it has overwhelming bipartisan
support with over 300 cosponsors in the House. Look, guys, if
we pass this out of committee, if you allow a vote and it gets
to the House floor, with 300 cosponsors, this would pass out of
the House floor. It is a done deal. That means 300 votes, this
bill will pass the House, but it needs to pass committee first.
That is why you, Chairman Bost, are the gatekeeper first, and
then Speaker Johnson is the second gatekeeper to allow a vote
on this major bill.
Do not--I am urging you not to deny this justice for
veterans. It is in your hands, it is your responsibility. You
have the decision-making authority to get it out of this
committee. It is not just a policy. It is a matter of fairness,
a matter of dignity. It is a matter of honoring the promises we
make to those who wear the uniform.
I stand with our veterans. This is a pragmatic way to show
that you all really care, support our veterans by passing this
legislation that will actually improve their lives. Please pass
the Major Richard Star Act out of this committee.
Thank you, and I yield back.
[The Prepared Statement Of Raul Ruiz Appears In The
Appendix]
The Chairman. Thank you.
Mr. Stanton, you are recognized for 3 minutes.
STATEMENT OF GREG STANTON
Mr. Stanton. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman and Ranking
Member Takano, for holding this important hearing; Ranking
Member Takano for making a trip to Phoenix to visit our VA
hospital. I appreciate that greatly.
My Veterans Advisory Council for Arizona District Four, a
group of former servicemembers and their families, have raised
an important issue again and again, and that of predatory
``claim sharks.'' When veterans file for VA benefits, they do
so with the help of an accredited representative. Plenty of
veteran service organizations offer this important assistance.
Too many predatory unaccredited companies, so-called claim
sharks, take advantage of our veterans, charging high fees to
help file VA benefit claims. Veterans were swindled out of over
$400 million last year alone.
That is why I am proud to back Congressman Pappas'
Guidelines for User Age-Verification and Responsible Dialogue
(GUARD) VA Benefits Act, which would reinstate explicit
criminal penalties on claim sharks.
I have got a bill, the--bipartisan legislation, the
Standardized Accreditation Information for Veteran Ease, or
SAVE, Act. The SAVE Act, H.R. 1746, requires the VA to keep an
updated, searchable data base of accredited representatives and
create a trademark that they can use on their website, social
media, or marketing materials to be easily identified.
It is a commonsense solution to help veterans more easily
differentiate between those who are legitimately accredited by
the VA and those who are not. It is a direct suggestion from
the veterans on my advisory council.
Congress should also look more fully to highlight Veterans
Service Organizations (VSO) services during the Transition
Assistance Program for servicemembers and their families
transitioning from Active Duty. Veterans will not know what
they have access to and a right to free assistance if we do not
advertise it better.
My advisory council and I are also concerned, I know as you
are as well, about addressing veteran homelessness and ensuring
vets get the very best healthcare. Before I came to Congress, I
served as mayor of the city of Phoenix, and the city was
recognized by President Obama at that time as the first city in
the Nation to end chronic homelessness among military veterans.
We learned a big lesson. It is one thing to put a roof over
a chronically homeless veteran, but it is another thing to
provide the support services to keep them off the street, to
break their cycle of homelessness. Mental health services,
healthcare, substance abuse treatment, that is how we broke the
cycle of homelessness.
President Trump's proposal for the Department of Housing
and Urban Development is massively disrupting homelessness
funding and shifting away from a housing plus services model.
Because of this, more than 4,000 veterans could lose housing,
increasing veteran homelessness by 12 percent. We have no way
of estimating the number of veterans who may be living in other
programs funded by the continuum of care programs that are not
designated specifically for veterans.
I hope the Trump administration will work with Congress to
prevent this unfortunate backsliding.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
[The Prepared Statement Of Greg Stanton Appears In The
Appendix]
The Chairman. Thank you.
Do you have any----
Mr. Takano. Yes.
The Chairman. You are the last one here, so you are the
only one who can give you a question.
Mr. Takano. It is not really--I just want to commend you on
your interest in--Congressman Stanton--on the claim shark
issue. It is something that I am very passionate about as the
author of the Honoring Our PACT Act, which expanded eligibility
for VA benefits to 3.5 million veterans, and we know that over
1.5 million veterans have had their claims approved.
This has also been, unfortunately, an incentive for for-
profit unscrupulous operators known as claim sharks to target
veterans. I really--I really commend you for standing up and
looking to protect veterans from the predations. I mean, it
means they could lose thousands and thousands of dollars of
their earned benefits because of that, and so I appreciate
that.
I also share your concern related to veteran homelessness,
and the administra--if you want to respond, that is fine, but--
so I commend you on both counts, so thank you.
The Chairman. Thank you.
Mr. Stanton. Yes. I will just address it real quick. You
know, we--those of us who have worked in the issue of
homelessness--in addition to being a former mayor, I ran the
Continuum of Care for my region--we know what works to break
the cycle of homelessness: it is housing plus services. The
administration wants to go in a different direction, which is
just more emergency beds. It certainly, in the short run, would
probably get more people off the streets in the short run, but
in the long run, it does not break the cycle of homelessness,
and we know it will result in more homelessness overall.
That is why I think, for both veterans and the larger
community, we should keep going on the housing plus services
model.
Mr. Takano. Thank you for that. I appreciate it.
Mr. Stanton. Thank you for the opportunity to testify, and
for saving, of course, the best for last.
The Chairman. Thank you. Next, we need the fourth panel to
move forward, of those that are here. We need to switch over
our nameplates. All right. We are going to start. I will
introduce who is supposed to be here and who is here.
Today, for the fourth panel we have Representative Hayes of
Connecticut; Representative Correa should be along from
California; Carbajal of California as well; Gonzalez of Texas;
Stansbury of New Mexico; and McClellan of Virginia.
Representative Hayes, we are going to start with you, and
you are recognized for 3 minutes.
STATEMENT OF JAHANA HAYES
Ms. Hayes. Thank you.
I appreciate the opportunity to appear before the Veterans'
Affairs Committee to share my policy ideas on how we can better
serve veterans and their families.
I keep coming back to this committee. I came before you in
June to discuss my Caring for Survivors Act, which would expand
benefits for survivors of servicemembers and veterans who have
given their lives in service to the United States of America.
Today, I would like to encourage you to advance the legislation
through this committee as a next step toward eventual passage
on the House floor.
When a servicemember dies in the line of duty or a veteran
dies from service-related injuries or illnesses, their
surviving family members receive a monthly benefit known as
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, or DIC. Unfortunately,
the DIC rate has been minimally adjusted since the VA
established the benefit in 1993, and currently, has lower rates
and more stringent rules than other Federal survivor programs.
My Caring for Survivors Act modernizes DIC benefits through
two reforms. The bill raises the monthly DIC benefit by more
than $450 per recipient, bringing DIC payments in line with
surviving payments that other Federal civilian employees are
eligible to receive. Additionally, the bill reduces the
timeframe a veteran must be disabled to qualify for DIC
benefits from 10 to 5 years. Together, these provisions would
increase DIC benefits and broaden eligibility to ensure
families receive the financial help they deserve.
I recognize the cost concerns of implementing this
legislation, but the cost is likely lower than the reported
estimate based on outdated--based on updated data from the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
I often hear from survivors of servicemembers and veterans
in my district and across the country who depend on DIC
benefits to cover their basic expenses. I became interested in
this because veterans, their surviving spouses stop me at
parades and at events; I receive emails from people all over
the country telling me the story of what it means to them and
their families.
These individuals continue to express the life-changing
difference the Caring for Survivors Act would make, including
the financial difference between barely getting by and having a
small degree of security, while also an acknowledgment that the
Congress recognizes the sacrifices of our servicemembers and
veterans.
Supporting our veterans and military families is an
intentional choice that we can make. I encourage this committee
to hold a vote on my Caring for Survivors Act and advance the
legislation to the House floor. It would be an incredible show
of support for the surviving family members of our veterans who
have died in the line of service.
With that, I yield back.
[The Prepared Statement Of Jahana Hayes Appears In The
Appendix]
The Chairman. Thank you, ma'am.
Representative Garcia.
Mr. Gonzalez. Gonzalez.
The Chairman. Gonzalez, I apologize.
STATEMENT OF VICENTE GONZALEZ
Mr. Gonzalez. Thank you, Chairman Bost, for holding this
hearing today.
I appreciate the opportunity to testify before this
committee to advocate for the construction of a new Department
of Veteran Affair Medical Center in the Rio Grande Valley.
We have an increasing number of veterans. We have got about
50,000 veterans in the region that do not have the necessary
medical care in the region. They are traveling 300 miles to get
this care. 24,000, about half of the servicemembers, have a
service-connected disability.
Unfortunately, because neither the Coastal Bend nor the Rio
Grande Valley currently have a VA medical center, many
constituents are forced to travel over 300 miles to get the
care they need. I urge the committee to work with me to right
this wrong.
I would also like to highlight the significance of H.R.
2102, the Major Richard Star Act. This important bill would
ensure that all combat disabled veterans receive concurrent
receipt of their disability compensation and their retirement.
We must ensure our disabled veterans do not struggle to make
ends meet.
Finally, recognizing the service of veterans must also
include recognizing the bravery of military working dogs who
perform their jobs with extreme courage. Military working dogs
save countless lives by detecting explosives and leading search
and rescue missions. It is time they are honored as heroes.
That is why I have reintroduced the Sergeant Fieldy Act, to
allow the burial of deceased military working dogs in veteran
cemeteries. This bill is to honor Sergeant Fieldy, who served
three tours in Afghanistan and earned the K-9 medal of courage
award in 2016, and was selected as a military hero dog in 2018.
I urge you and your colleagues to work with me in this
bipartisan way to advance this bill.
Last, I cannot end this conversation without talking about
our deported veterans. I cannot think of anything more
disgraceful than to deport folks who have worn our uniform and
fought for our freedom. There is record of them being about 37
countries around the world. I intend to reintroduce the
Repatriate Our Patriots Act.
I hope finally we can get this done. This should be a
bipartisan issue. We need to stop deporting American veterans
to foreign countries. It is a real disgrace and a real blemish
on our record.
Thank you. I yield back.
[The Prepared Statement Of Vicente Gonzalez Appears In The
Appendix]
The Chairman. Thank you.
Representative Carbajal, you are recognized for 3 minutes.
Semper fi.
STATEMENT OF SALUD CARBAJAL
Mr. Carbajal. Semper fi, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Chairman Bost and Ranking Member Takano, for
allowing me to speak before this committee today. I always
appreciate coming before a fellow marine, Mr. Chairman.
As a veteran myself, I know firsthand the sacrifices that
come with military service and the challenges that follow when
that service ends. That is why in Congress I have made it my
mission to ensure that every veteran has access to the care and
benefits they have earned without delay and without unnecessary
barriers.
One area I have been focusing on is the long wait times and
frustrating delays our veterans face when they call local VA
medical centers and clinics. I believe that if you serve our
Nation, the process to access your healthcare should be fast
and simple. Enhancements have been made over the years, bit it
is still not enough. Yet for many veterans on the Central Coast
and beyond, a simple phone call to schedule an appointment or
ask a question can turn into endless holds, confusing
transfers, and dead ends. I know that personally as well.
My staff and I consistently hear from veterans who have
phone wait times exceeding an hour or more or they are promised
a callback within 24 to 48 hours, only to never receive a call.
I have even heard from constituents who were forced to drive
more than an hour to the nearest CBOC to make an appointment in
person after failing to get through to anyone on the phone.
Simply put, this is unacceptable, and I think you agree with
me.
To me, this is a sign the system is failing our Nation's
veterans. It is critical for Congress to act and provide
additional resources to the Veterans Health Administration.
Only with stronger investments into our local VA systems can we
ensure medical centers and clinics have the staff and tools
they need to answer calls quickly, schedule appointments
efficiently, and treat veterans with the respect they deserve.
I have long called for these investments, and I will
continue to advocate for our veterans until this issue is
fixed.
Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member, thank you for allowing me to
come before your committee today--subcommittee.
[The Prepared Statement Of Salud Carbajal Appears In The
Appendix]
The Chairman. Thank you.
Ranking Member.
Mr. Takano. Thank you.
Thank you very much for your proposal, Congressman
Carbajal. I will be more than glad to work with you on trying
to advance it.
Congresswoman Hayes, your legislation which would address
the DIC payment gap is long overdue. I am a cosponsor of your
bill. I want you to know that the majority is moving--I commend
the majority for moving forward a bill that we had in
legislative hearings yesterday. I do not endorse the pay-for,
but what I think is really important about the legislation that
you are the lead on is that it takes care of the entire issue,
which is the 11 percent differential in the survivor pay that
the spouse of a veteran receives versus what a Federal
employee's spouse survivor would get, right. It is a long
concept. The legislation moved forward by the majority would
take care of like 1 percent of the cost of living, but not even
in a permanent way.
I am hopeful, I am hopeful that I can work with the
chairman to actually incorporate and take care of a bigger
chunk of that differential, and maybe even the full
differential, depending on what this pay-for that I am working
on can net out to be.
I want to just, again, commend you for your dogged advocacy
for these survivors, and they need and deserve this money. It
is shameful that we have not done more for them over the years.
We need to do it now. We need to get it done in this Congress,
and I am hopeful we can do more for these DIC payments this
Congress.
Go ahead.
Ms. Hayes. Well, thank you, I appreciate that. I welcome
you to take any or all of the pieces of this legislation to
incorporate. I do not care who gets the credit for it. What I
am conc---I mean, coming to Congress and hearing these stories
and understanding the discrepancy between our surviving spouses
and other Federal employees is something that, quite frankly, I
was embarrassed about as I spoke to widows and children. What I
found is that many of them had lost their family member way too
soon, at a point where they were still figuring out life and
struggling with bills. We are not talking about people in
retirement who have planned for unfortunate instances.
I have come before this committee, I have talked to
organizations around the country and just gotten just a much
better appreciation for what this means to families. I think of
all the things that we do in Congress, something that we should
all be able to agree upon is to take care of our veterans and
their family members who allow us to even have the ability and
the freedom and the right to come here and debate these things
openly and have dissenting opinions and disagree and really
thrive in this republic that we call America.
I just feel like that is one of the things that we can get
right. It is a really small thing. We talk about the procedure
and the process and how we get it done, but we get so many
things done here and we just figure it out. I think this is one
of those things that we just need to figure out.
Mr. Takano. Well, the way I phrased it is, if we can find--
if this Congress found it possible to, you know, fund trillions
of dollars in permanent tax breaks, we can find the few
billions of dollars it would take to make sure that the
spouses--the surviving spouses and children of veterans, combat
veterans get equal treatment to the surviving spouses and
children of Federal employees.
Ms. Hayes. They have earned it.
Mr. Takano. They have earned it.
Thank you. I yield back.
The Chairman. Thank you all.
Well, I will tell you what, we are going to go to
Representative McClellan and--unless you want to stay, we have
asked the questions, so you all are good, yes.
You are recognized for 3 minutes to present.
STATEMENT OF JENNIFER MCCLELLAN
Ms. McClellan. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and Ranking Member
Takano, and members of the committee, for holding this Member
Day today.
I am here to discuss one of my top priorities this
Congress, which is to improve the Department of Veterans
Affairs work study program. I have a bill, H.R. 5965, the
Student Veteran Work Study Modernization Act, that will do just
that.
As you know, our veterans give so much to our communities
and it is imperative that we do everything within our power to
support their needs as they transition out of Active Duty
service and back into civilian life. This includes efforts to
modernize, improve, and expand the availability of programs
that train and educate our veterans for civilian jobs following
their service.
One such program that serves veterans as they transition
into civilian life is the VA work study program, which allows
veterans to receive a part-time paying job on campus or at
another VA-approved employer while enrolled as a student in a
2-year or 4-year higher education institution, vocational, or
professional program.
Currently, however, only students who are enrolled at least
as a three-quarter time student are allowed to participate in
the VA work study program. This requirement excludes half-time
students, ignoring the fact that our student veterans are older
than traditional students, often have children or other family
members to care for, have unique mental health needs and
financial considerations that are distinct from traditional
students. As a result, the requirement to be a three-quarter
enrolled student does not take into consideration the needs of
those veteran students who need half-time enrollment as a
necessity.
I introduced the Student Veteran Work Study Modernization
Act to provide student veterans with a flexible work study
program that considers their unique needs and circumstances.
This legislation was led by--previously led by former
Representative Matt Cartwright and would update the VA work
study program to improve accessibility for student veterans.
Specifically, the bill creates a 5-year pilot program to
expand VA work study eligibility for student veterans who are
enrolled half time and require the VA to report data on the
work study program to Congress, including the number of
participating veterans, percentage of student veterans who
obtain a 4-year degree, and how many student veterans obtain
full-time work.
This bill passed out of committee in 2022 via voice vote,
but did not advance in the Senate. I am hoping that we will be
able to get it across the finish line this year. I thank you
for your support and your attention today.
[The Prepared Statement Of Jennifer McClellan Appears In
The Appendix]
The Chairman. Thank you.
Do you have a question?
Mr. Takano. Well, just wanted to say, Representative
McClellan, thank you so much for this legislation. I look
forward to working with you. You know, we can definitely
improve the work study program for our veterans, so thank you
very much.
Ms. McClellan. Thank you.
The Chairman. We are possibly looking at your bill for one
of the hearings.
Ms. McClellan. Thank you very much.
The Chairman. Representative Carbajal. No, I am sorry,
Correa. I am sorry, Lou. You are all by yourself now on the
panel. You are recognized for 3 minutes, my friend.
STATEMENT OF LOU CORREA
Mr. Correa. [Inaudible] for veterans; psychedelics,
treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), treating drug
addiction for veterans. Three weeks ago, I had the opportunity
to go to Mexico to visit a clinic treating patients for PTSD. I
met an Air Force fighter pilot from the Midwest there to get
treated. I asked him, I said, what is your name? Did not want
to tell me who he was. He just said, I need to get over my drug
addiction, I do not want my wings taken away from me.
My ask today, look at our legislation that Jack Bergman and
I have introduced, H.R. 2623, Innovative Therapies. Twenty
suicides per day in America, that is way too many. These
veterans, these armed services officers should be getting their
treatment here in the United States.
Second of all, Orange County (OC) Veterans Cemetery. We are
still fighting for funding, California, home to the largest
number of vets in the United States. We need an OC veterans
cemetery.
Third, continue to ask we look at the issue of deported
veterans.
Finally, I would like to talk about anesthesiology,
potential changes to the VA surgical anesthesia patient safety
standards. Bottom line, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member, let us
continue to have medical doctors that are administering
anesthesia to our veterans who are undertaking their
treatments.
Four simple asks, Mr. Chairman. All reasonable.
[The Prepared Statement Of Lou Correa Appears In The
Appendix]
The Chairman. Ranking Member.
Mr. Takano. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman.
With regard to, you know, psychedelics and treatment, I
think there is bipartisan interest on this topic. The chairman
and I have both--I have--on the Democratic side we have held
roundtables on the issue, and so--and I can tell you, at Loma
Linda--at the Loma Linda Medical Center, not far from both of
us in Southern California, that there have actually been trials
of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). I have--it is a
good moment to maybe check in on this. Maybe we----
Mr. Correa. Mr. Ranking Member and Mr. Chairman----
Mr. Takano. Yes.
Mr. Correa [continuing]. we have Members of Congress who
are veterans who have been treated----
The Chairman. That have done it.
Mr. Correa [continuing]. and cured.
The Chairman. And cured. That is correct. One on this
committee.
Mr. Correa. There you go.
Mr. Takano. Yes. Mr. Chairman, I really want to get an
update and do a hearing and bring----
The Chairman. Yes, this is an issue that all of us are kind
of monitoring. We were a little upset whenever the Feds did not
approve the----
Mr. Takano. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or
whatever.
The Chairman [continuing]. the FDA based.
Mr. Takano. That is right.
The Chairman. Remember they did not approve it. We were
hoping it would, which would clear. Now, we would love to try
to figure out how to get the VA to go ahead and go through some
testing and stuff like that. I know we are working with General
Bergman, and this is--you are not getting any pushback from us,
we are just trying it get it through.
Mr. Correa. Mr. Chairman, VA Secretary Doug Collins is
fully onboard with us on this.
The Chairman. I know he is aware of it as well, and he is--
it is--let me say this, because when it was first brought to
me, being an older White male who grew up in the sixties, when
someone said psychedelic, it was like, whoa, whoa, whoa. Then I
realized, so many people do not understand.
I was actually talking with one of our members at an event
last night. He said that he has got--he said he likes the idea,
but he is--he said, I do not want it to be like the marijuana
test where you have to take marijuana all the time, or opiates.
I said, no, you do not understand. It is a three-time max
during the same process, 7 to 10 days, and it works.
And so--and it is a shame that we happen to have groups pay
for people to go to Mexico to get a treatment that actually
works.
Mr. Correa. One final comment on this, Mr. Chairman, these
medications, psychedelics, ibogaine, are very powerful.
The Chairman. Yes.
Mr. Correa. They have to be administered by trained
physicians.
The Chairman. Right.
Mr. Correa. You will flatline and you will die if you do
not have trained personnel around. That is part of the ask,
which is, not only do you normalize this, but you have got to
have the trained----
The Chairman. If you talk to the people that have actually
done it, they will tell anybody going into it, it is not a fun
thing, but it is a cure.
Mr. Takano. It is important to anyone listening that we are
not encouraging people to self-administer-----
Mr. Correa. No.
The Chairman. Not in any way, shape, or form. This is a
very good procedure.
Mr. Takano [continuing]. that this is supervised. There is
actually follow up, and it is very carefully monitored.
I really thank you for raising this issue.
Mr. Chairman, it is a good opportunity----
The Chairman. It is.
Mr. Takano.--for you and I to work together on this issue.
With regard to deported veterans, it is a shame and a
scandal and--let me think of all the words I can think of
that----
Mr. Correa. An injustice.
Mr. Takano. Thank you. It is an injustice for men and women
who have worn the cloth of our Nation to be deported. That is
actually something that Americans do not believe happens, and
it does happen. I do have legislation called the Veteran
Service Recognition Act. It is bipartisan. You know,
Representative Gonzalez, Vicente Gonzalez was--preceded you,
raised this issue. I wholeheartedly agree that we need to turn
our attention to this issue. We should not be deporting anyone
who has served our country. This is just simply wrong.
Anybody who serves the military, they are legally here in
the country. They have a green card, they have a pathway to
citizenship. We should be making sure that the military
facilitates that they get their citizenship when they are
serving our country so that this does not become an issue.
Mr. Correa. On the veteran cemetery, a lot of the funding
is in place, real estate is there, just a little short on----
Mr. Takano. Is this the old El Toro----
Mr. Correa. No. El Toro did not want us.
Mr. Takano. Okay.
Mr. Correa. We are moving to Anaheim, who gladly is
welcoming us. We are just a few million dollars short and we
will have a veteran cemetery for Orange County veterans.
Mr. Takano. This is the State veterans cemetery?
Mr. Correa. State, Federal. Yes.
Mr. Takano. We are looking for completion money.
Mr. Correa. Correct, correct.
Mr. Takano. Okay. Got it. Thank you.
The Chairman. Representative Dexter.
Ms. Dexter. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I just wanted to raise the fact that the State of Oregon
has approved psilocybin for medical use in observed situations.
We have a VA in Portland. I wonder if there might be a
mechanism for veterans at least to be able to get reimbursed
care within the United States in the State while we are waiting
for Federal legislative change.
Also want to underline the importance of honoring the
service of our veterans who are being deported. It is shameful.
Thank you.
The Chairman. We want to remember this--and I do not
disagree with you on these issues--but that issue specifically
on the deporting would be a judicial committee, not this
committee, but glad to hear about it here.
Mr. Correa. Finally, sir, anesthesiology for veterans that
are getting treated at the VA. Make sure it is a physician, you
know. You do not need a doctor until you need a doctor.
The Chairman. Yes. With anesthesiology and all of them, as
we look into it, it has always been the policy of VA to follow
the guidelines of the State in which the VA is located. A lot
of these are pushing, and that is why we--we get drug in as
Members into turf battles quite often. I agree with you. If
your State says that, then it would happen. That is a whole lot
of the way the VA has handled it over the years. Watching them
all of a sudden say, no, we are going to do it different in the
State and we are located in the State, sometimes gets a
little--it is an issue I have dealt with quite a bit, so----
Mr. Takano. Mr. Chairman, before we move on.
Mr. Correa, thank you so much. I have known you for a long
time, and you have, you know, a dogged interest in representing
the interest of veterans and their care, and I thank you so
much for that doggedness.
Mr. Correa. We owe veterans tremendous: our freedom and a
whole lot more.
Mr. Chairman, thank you for serving.
Mr. Takano. Yes.
The Chairman. You are worth it. That is always my answer
when people say that. You are worth it.
Mr. Takano. America is worth it.
The Chairman. Yes.
Mr. Takano. Our country is worth fighting for.
Mr. Chairman, we do have on our side some pending requests
for information from VA related to psychedelics. We would be
helpful--we would be very grateful for your help for the
Secretary to get those requests fulfilled.
The Chairman. I will be speaking with him later today.
Mr. Takano. Thank you.
Mr. Correa. Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member, members, thank
you for your time and indulgence.
Mr. Takano. Thank you.
The Chairman. Representative Stansbury, you are recognized
for 3 minutes for your opening statement.
STATEMENT OF MELANIE STANSBURY
Ms. Stansbury. Thank you.
Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member, members of
the committee.
First and foremost, let me say thank you for your service
to this great Nation. To all of our veterans out there, we
thank you for your service and your sacrifice.
I come before you today to talk about the veterans issues
that are important for New Mexico. In particular, I want to
focus on the issue that I think so many veterans are struggling
with across the country, and that is to increase services for
mental illness, depression, and for housing and transitional
services.
In New Mexico, we have a long and proud tradition of
service. Our communities have one of the highest rates of
military service in the United States. Our communities come
from every Tribal, rural, urban community across the State and
have a long stretch of service that goes back to both our
Navajo Code Talkers, those who were captured at Bataan, and
many, many others who have served in the Armed Forces since.
That is why service is not only a part of our blood and our
culture, but it is also our responsibility as Members who
represent our servicemembers in New Mexico and to ensure that
they have the program, services, and care that they deserve
when they come back, including for the invisible wounds of war,
including PTSD, depression, anxiety, and so many other
disorders and conditions that make it difficult to transition
back to civilian life.
In New Mexico, we have seen firsthand the consequences of
lack of care, inadequate access, particularly in our rural and
Tribal communities in which people have to travel long
distances, and there are additional cultural issues that play
in care. As we pass the historic PACT Act which expanded VA
care and support for our veterans that have been exposed to
various substances, it is also important that we make a similar
investment in mental health, housing, and other transitional
services on that scale.
I come before you, not with a specific bill, but mostly for
an ask to increase funding for those things.
Finally, I do want to highlight a couple of bills that we
are championing that are important to our veterans and to our
military families. We ask for your support in passing the Major
Richard Star Act, which is very important to ensure that there
is full medical retirement and also VA disability without
benefit offsets.
We also wanted to elevate to your oversight
responsibilities that we are hearing about a lot of delays with
the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of
Veteran's Affairs (CHAMPVA) benefits, limited provider access,
and VA appeals that are continuing to take a year or longer. We
ask for your support in helping to get a more expedited review
of those benefit and disability reviews.
With that, I say thank you so much for your service and for
the opportunity to testify.
[The Prepared Statement Of Melanie Stansbury Appears In The
Appendix]
The Chairman. Ranking Member.
Mr. Takano. Thank you, Representative Stansbury, for your
interest and commitment to expanding mental health services. I
have been to--I have actually visited New Mexico, the
Albuquerque VA, the medical center there, and they do
tremendous work there. We need to do better in terms of, in a
very rural State such as yours, making sure that we get mental
health services. It is a struggle everywhere in terms of
getting the providers and--but there are solutions, and I am
looking forward to working with you on your legislation.
Ms. Stansbury. Thank you.
The Chairman. Let me say a couple things. One, we have
heard from several on the Richard Star Act. Understand this,
that the jurisdiction on the Richard Star Act is House Armed
Services Committee (HASC) first, Veteran Committee second.
Leadership is aware. Actually, the Speaker spoke with a lot of
VSOs specifically on that issue yesterday, and it was not a
negative, it was looking at it, trying to figure it out.
Then also on your other issue with the CHAMP. When you have
those problems, if your staff wants to reach out to our
committee, we are glad to try to help you guide through that.
Ms. Stansbury. Absolutely. Thank you.
Mr. Takano. Mr. Chairman, I just want to point out that we
have a subcommittee hearing next week on CHAMPVA that the
committee is doing.
The Chairman. Okay. That will be good.
Thank you for being here.
Ms. Stansbury. Thank you. Thank you, sir. I yield back.
The Chairman. Do you have any closing remarks?
Mr. Takano. The closing remarks I have, Mr. Chairman, I
appreciate, you know, convening this Member Day. I just want to
reiterate my commitment to working with you in getting the
pathway forward on the DIC----
The Chairman. Revenue stream.
Mr. Takano. You know what I am talking about.
The Chairman. Uh-huh.
Mr. Takano [continuing]. working out the pay-for on that.
The Chairman. Yep.
Mr. Takano. I do want to get that done. I am happy to hear
that the Speaker is seriously engaging a pathway forward on the
Star Act.
The Chairman. Yes. With that, I want to say, first off,
thanks for being here. I want to say to our Members, even
though they are gone, thank them for coming in. It is truly
always good during this day to hear their ideas and proposals.
With that, I ask unanimous consent that all members have 5
legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include any extraneous material.
Hearing no objection, so ordered.
The hearing is now adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 11:30 a.m., the committee was adjourned.]
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A P P E N D I X
=======================================================================
Prepared Statements of Witnesses
----------
Prepared Statement of Kim Schrier
Thank you, Chairman Bost and Ranking Member Takano, for the
opportunity to testify before you here today.
I first want to thank the more than 40 thousand Veterans I
represent in Washington's Eighth District and all of those who have
sacrificed their lives in service to this country. Serving our country
is an extraordinary commitment that impacts Veterans and their families
for their entire lives, and it's important that we show up for them in
the same way that they've shown up for us.
As we are all aware, our country continues to face a worsening
Veteran mental health crisis. The transition to civilian life after
service can be incredibly challenging, especially for those that have
served their entire adult lives, and these challenges are even more
pronounced in rural areas, like those I represent. My district spans
more than ten thousand square miles, and there are multiple Veteran
communities - hours apart from one other - that each have unique needs
to be met.
For the past several years, the community in Wenatchee, WA has
faced numerous Veteran mental health crises due in part to our failure
to meet their mental health needs. The closest Vet Center that provides
full mental health services is 2 hours away, and closer VA mental
health services have failed to provide sufficient staffing for more
than 2 years. I recognize and appreciate the work the VA has done to
close this gap in care and increase access to tele-mental health
services, but we must also ensure Veterans have access to continuous
care without further delay. Time and time again, we have witnessed
tragedy while Veterans wait to access care.
I also want to emphasize that there is no one-size-fits-all
solution to the Veteran mental health crisis. Expanding tele-mental
health services is a great immediate step we can take to give more
Veterans more access. We must simultaneously maintain and increase
access to in-person mental health services so that our senior Veteran
population and those that prefer face-to-face connection can continue
to receive care. I also want to voice my support for the PFC Joseph P.
Dwyer Peer Support Program Act, which would provide grant funding for
peer-to-peer Veteran mental health programs, and the Innovative
Therapies Centers of Excellence Act, which would support research on
alternative treatments at Vet Centers. The traditional therapy setting
may not be the best option for many of our Veterans, and we should be
open to innovation and research in mental health care.
Similarly, we need to start focusing on a proactive approach to
Veteran mental health care. The crisis facing our Veteran population is
not a new one, and we cannot continue to just react - we need to look
upstream to best understand and address this issue. I look forward to
working with the committee on proposals to reach our service members
during service and before they leave the military and ensure that they
are set up for a lifetime of success after service.
Last, I want to bring attention to ongoing issues with the VA's
reportedly improved Electronic Medical Record System. Updates to this
system were first launched at the Mann-Grandstaff Medical Center in
Spokane, WA in 2020, which is the closest Medical Center to Veterans
residing in the eastern portion of my district. Despite improvements,
VA providers continue to find that the system is fraught with errors,
leading to significant delays in care, providers seeing fewer patients,
and some patients being denied care altogether. As the system is rolled
out across the country, the VA must ensure that it will not exacerbate
existing issues with the VA health care system, and I urge the
Committee to provide careful oversight of this process.
I appreciate the bipartisan work the Committee has done to support
Veterans, and I ask that you continue to prioritize the expansion of
Veteran mental health services. Thank you for your time.
Prepared Statement of Jill Tokuda
Chairman Bost, Ranking Member Takano, thank you for hosting this
Member Day hearing in the House Veterans' Affairs Committee. About
89,000 veterans live in Hawai`i. I am grateful for their contribution
to America's defense, and I am working to ensure we keep our end of the
bargain to help our veterans succeed in post-military life and get the
care they need for service-related conditions.
I would like to share with you two legislative initiatives I am
pursuing in the Veterans Affairs Committee's jurisdiction.
The first is the Parity for Native Hawaiian Veterans Act, which I
re-introduced this year with my colleague, Senator Hirono. The bill
would allow Native Hawaiian veterans to receive care from Native
Hawaiian Health Care Systems by requiring the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs to reimburse these systems for services provided. VA already
pays for care at Indian Health Service, Tribal Health Programs, and
Urban Indian Organization facilities, but not at Native Hawaiian Health
Care Systems. My bill would correct this disparity and ensure Native
Hawaiian veterans receive the same benefits as their American Indian
and Alaska Native counterparts.
The second bill addresses a deeply disturbing case involving Dr.
Robert McCormick Browne, a veteran buried in the National Cemetery of
the Pacific. He has been credibly accused of sexually abusing dozens of
students over decades in Hawai`i while practicing as a psychiatrist.
Dr. Browne died by suicide shortly after these allegations became
public, escaping criminal accountability. It is appalling that he
remains interred in a VA cemetery. I led the Hawai`i delegation in
sending a letter to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs about this issue,
but VA confirmed they lack authority to review his case for
disinterment because current law applies only to interments on or after
December 20, 2013; Dr. Browne was interred in 1991.
I offered an NDAA amendment this year to disinter Dr. Browne from
Punchbowl Cemetery, but the Rules Committee did not make it in order. I
respectfully ask for this committee's help in advancing legislation in
the coming year to, at minimum, disinter Dr. Browne from the National
Cemetery of the Pacific and to revisit the 2013 cutoff that prevents VA
from addressing cases like this. Nothing can undo the harm he caused,
but one small measure of justice would be to ensure that survivors and
their families no longer risk seeing his headstone at Punchbowl.
Thank you for listening to my concerns this morning and thank you
for your persistent efforts to improve the lives of America's veterans.
Prepared Statement of Dina Titus
Chairman Bost, Ranking Member Takano, and Members of the Committee,
thank you for the opportunity to speak today and for your continued
leadership on behalf of our Nation's veterans.
In Nevada's First Congressional District, I hear from veterans
every day: men and women who served with honor, who returned home
expecting fair treatment and support, and who now face unnecessary
barriers to the care and benefits they rightfully earned.
Among them are our atomic veterans and the servicemembers who
worked at the Nevada Test and Training Range. Individuals whose
missions were so classified that their own presence was effectively
erased, even as they suffered from the effects of toxic and radiation
exposure.
For decades, these veterans have carried illnesses without
recognition, fought claims without documentation, and battled a system
that too often tells them they ``were never there'' because their
records were masked or buried behind classifications.
The military pledges to leave no soldier behind. As Members of
Congress, we must live up to that same commitment.
That is why I reintroduced the PRESUME Act, to eliminate the unjust
requirement and almost impossible task of having atomic veterans prove
a specific radiation dose before accessing the VA benefits they earned.
Veterans at the Nevada Test Site and other nuclear testing
locations were often exposed to toxic radiation without their
knowledge. Many were never told they were being exposed, and today,
these atomic veterans suffer from pulmonary issues, cancers, and other
serious illnesses.
Currently, to establish entitlement to what the VA calls
``presumptive diseases,'' veterans must provide proof of onsite
participation and radiation dose estimates from the Defense Threat
Reduction Agency, data that has historically been unreliable.
When the government controls the data, veterans should not bear the
burden of proving the impossible. The PRESUME Act would remove these
bureaucratic barriers and is endorsed by Disabled American Veterans,
The Invisible Enemy, Veterans of Foreign Wars, National Association of
Atomic Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Military-Veterans
Advocacy, and Enewetak Atoll Atomic Cleanup Veterans.
There are hundreds of atomic veterans, and we must act before it is
too late, as we did with Agent Orange veterans.
It is time for Congress to advance this crucial piece of
legislation. By doing so, we can remove bureaucratic hurdles, ensure
parity with other radiation programs, and honor our Nation's promise to
those who served in harm's way.
We must never forget that these men and women played a critical
role in securing the U.S.'s victory in the cold war at great personal
cost and with little public recognition. It is long past time we honor
that service with the care and justice they deserve.
Mr. Chairman and Ranking Members, as we continue building upon the
success of the PACT Act, I urge the Committee to keep atomic veterans
front and center. Their service was extraordinary. Their sacrifice was
honorable. Their delay in receiving care has been unconscionable.
We cannot change the past, but we can ensure that the path forward
is one of dignity, transparency, and justice.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak, and I look forward to
working closely with the Committee to deliver for all veterans.
Prepared Statement of Gabe Vasquez
Thank you, Chairman Bost and Ranking Member Takano, for the
opportunity to discuss my three bills currently before the Veterans
Affairs Committee.
We owe an immense debt of gratitude to our veterans. In exchange
for their brave service, we promised assistance so that they can pursue
a higher education, achieve their academic goals, and become leaders in
the workforce as they transition back to civilian life.
That is why I proudly introduced H.R. 1965, the bipartisan Veteran
Education Assistance Adjustment Act. This common-sense bill increases
the GI Bill's annual book stipend for the first time in nearly two
decades--from $1,000 a year to $1,400 a year and allows for an annual
adjustment of this stipend to keep up with inflation.
This stipend no longer reflects today's costs and falls woefully
short of meeting the financial needs of our veterans today. At a time
when millions of veterans are already working to make ends meet,
Congress should not allow outdated policy to become yet another barrier
to their success.
My bill has garnered the support of 22 bipartisan cosponsors,
including eight Members of this committee. Leading veterans groups such
as Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the American Legion have publicly
endorsed this legislation, and President Trump's own Department of
Veterans Affairs agreed earlier this year that the book stipend needs
to be increased.
I urge you to make passing this bill a priority of the committee.
Second, I would like to discuss H.R. 2020, the bipartisan New
Mexico Rural Veteran Health Care Access Act. This bill will improve
access to health care services for rural veterans in southeast New
Mexico by moving Otero and Eddy County from the Veterans Integrated
Service Network Region 22 into VISN 17.
Currently, veterans in the southeast corner of my State drive as
far as five to 6 hours to get to their health care appointments at the
main VA hospital in Albuquerque. By moving Otero and Eddy Counties into
VISN 17 and giving them access to the El Paso VA, they could cut their
commute in half--removing a massive hurdle these veterans face when
trying to see their doctors.
This bill also enjoys bipartisan support, including from a
Republican Member of this committee, and represents a straightforward
fix to a serious problem veterans in my district face every day.
Last, I would like to discuss H.R. 1964, the Las Cruces Bataan
Memorial Clinic Act. This bill would rename the Community-Based
Outpatient Clinic (CBOC/''see-bock'') in Las Cruces, New Mexico in
honor of the Bataan Death March.
In April 1942, the Japanese Army marched 75,000 American and
Filipino POW's from the Bataan Peninsula on a 65-mile death march,
where thousands perished. Approximately 1,800 New Mexicans were among
them--but only 829 of those soldiers returned home.
New Mexico suffered greatly from this tragedy. So much so, that the
old State capitol building in Santa Fe was renamed the ``Bataan
Memorial Building'' and White Sands Missile Range hosts an annual march
on base to commemorate those we lost.
Renaming the Las Cruces CBOC will serve as a permanent memorial for
the brave New Mexican soldiers lost in Bataan.
I strongly urge you to advance these bills to the House floor so
that we may fulfill our promise to support our veterans in their
education, provide well-deserved health care, and enshrine the memory
of those we lost for future generations.
Thank you, and I yield the balance of my time.
Prepared Statement of Susie Lee
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Prepared Statement of Marcy Kaptur
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Prepared Statement of Brian Fitzpatrick
Chairman Bost, Ranking Member Takano, Members of this Committee:
Thank you for holding this Member Day hearing and providing me with
the opportunity to share the concerns of my constituents.
As you continue your critical work, I want to urge you to consider
legislative action on policies to address the prevalence and impact of
ALS on military and veteran communities. I am proud to co-lead the
Veterans with ALS Reporting Act, which would require the VA study and
provide needed data on the prevalence of ALS among veterans and
establish a strategy for improving timely access to clinical trials for
veterans. I am also proud to sponsor the Justice for ALS Veterans Act,
a bicameral-bipartisan bill, which ensures the surviving spouses of
veterans who pass due to ALS receive the full benefits they have
rightfully earned.
Our veterans are heroes who fought for us, and when they face ALS,
we must fight for them and their families. Veterans are twice as likely
to be diagnosed with ALS compared to the general population. This makes
the mission even more critical--especially in understanding the genesis
of this trend.
Under current law, surviving spouses and families of veterans who
had a service-connected disability deemed ``fully debilitating'' for at
least eight continuous years before death to receive an additional
monthly stipend from the VA. However, with an average life expectancy
of only two to 5 years after diagnosis, ALS veterans often do not
survive long enough to meet this requirement, leaving their families
without this benefit.
Denying a surviving spouse benefits because their loved one didn't
live long enough to meet an arbitrary requirement is not just unfair,
it is a betrayal of our commitment to those who served. The Justice for
ALS Veterans Act rights this wrong and ensures that the families of our
brave service members receive the support they have earned.
Thank you for this opportunity to testify, and I look forward to
working with you all to move this bill through Committee once again
this Congress and in addressing the prevalence and impact of ALS among
our veteran community.
Prepared Statement of Sanford Bishop
Chairman Bost, Ranking Member Takano, and distinguished members of
the Committee, thank you for all you do to help America's veterans.
As a representative whose district is home to Fort Benning, Robins
Air Force Base, and Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, the welfare of
our veterans is at the forefront of my work. I appreciate this
opportunity to highlight a bill I have introduced, H.R. 333, the
Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act.
The purpose of H.R. 333 is to ensure the concurrent receipt of
military retirement and VA disability compensation for all veterans,
regardless of their Veterans Affairs disability rating.
Currently, veterans rated lower than 50 percent or who retire with
less than 20 years of service cannot concurrently receive full
retirement pay and disability pay. This bill eliminates those arbitrary
penalties and extends eligibility to Chapter 61 disability to all
honorable retirees.
For those not familiar with veterans' retirement compensation,
currently veterans receive two types - retirement pay and disability
pay. Currently, if a veteran's disability is rated less than 50
percent, then whatever the dollar value is in disability pay is
subtracted from their retirement pay. This bill would allow veterans to
get their full disability pay and retirement pay without one being
subtracted from the other.
We cannot tell our veterans their service is valued while
simultaneously withholding their earned benefits.
H.R. 333 is supported by every major veterans service organization,
including the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled
American Veterans, and Wounded Warrior Project.
I hope that as this committee prioritizes its work for 2026, you
will consider marking up and/or incorporating H.R. 333 into your
efforts.
Advancing this legislation sends a clear message to both current
service members and those considering enlisting in our all-volunteer
force: America will keep its promise and take care of its own. I urge
the Committee to favorably report out H.R. 333. Thank you.
Prepared Statement of Lauren Underwood
Thank you, Chairman Bost and Ranking Member Takano, for the
opportunity to testify about urgently needed legislation to support the
health and well-being of our Nation's veterans.
While I currently sit on the House Appropriations Committee, I
previously had the honor of serving on the House Veterans Affairs
Committee during the 116th and 117th Congresses. Serving veterans is
one of the greatest privileges we have as Members of Congress, and I am
honored to serve our veterans both on and off this committee.
That's why I am so excited about the momentum behind my bipartisan,
bicameral Lactation Spaces for Veteran Moms Act, which I'm proud to
lead in the House, in partnership with Senators Rosen and Murkowski. As
a nurse, I know the health benefits of breastfeeding for moms and
babies. My bill ensures that every VA medical center contains a clean,
private space specifically designated for nursing for veterans and
their families. Just a few weeks ago, the Senate passed this bill by
unanimous consent! I look forward to working with this committee to
bring it to the House floor as soon as possible.
I am also honored to testify again today on one of the first bills
I introduced in Congress with my friend Senator Duckworth: the Copay
Fairness for Veterans Act. Earlier this year, the bill passed out of
the subcommittee, and I look forward to working with you to advance it
through full committee consideration.
At a time when research shows that veterans face worse health
outcomes than the general public and have a higher burden of chronic
diseases, no veteran should go without ready access to preventive
health care services that can improve their health and quality of life.
For nearly 15 years, civilians have accessed preventive services
without copays thanks to the ACA--but veterans receiving care through
VA still do not have that guarantee. That means they may be charged for
mammograms, cancer screenings, diabetes care, and screenings for
depression and anxiety. That's not fair to the folks who have served
our country. My bill will fix this injustice and fulfill our promise to
our veterans.
Finally, I am excited to share that I am preparing to reintroduce
the Maternal Health for Veterans Act, which was reported out of the
Health Subcommittee last Congress. The United States is in a worsening
maternal health crisis--and veteran moms are dying. My bipartisan bill
authorizes $15 million per year for VA's maternity care programs and
requires annual public reporting and recommendations on maternal health
from VA. I am eager to work with you to advance this bill as soon as
possible.
Thank you for the opportunity to collaborate on these important
pieces of legislation to better serve our veterans. I yield back.
Prepared Statement of Raul Ruiz
Thank you, Chairman Bost and Ranking Member Takano for holding this
hearing and providing me the opportunity to urge you, Chairman Bost, to
allow a vote on the Major Richard Star Act.
This critical and bipartisan piece of legislation will rectify an
injustice that has kept combat disabled veterans from receiving their
full military and retirement benefits.
Currently, over 50,000 combat-disabled veterans who were medically
retired are being shortchanged. Because of an outdated and unfair
policy, they're forced to give up a portion of their retirement pay
just to receive the disability compensation.
This is wrong, and it must end.
That's why we must vote and pass the Major Richard Star Act, which
is a bipartisan effort to finally correct this injustice that has
affected thousands of our Nation's heroes.
Military retirement pay and disability compensation are two
separate benefits. One is earned through years of dedicated service.
The other is owed because of injuries sustained while defending our
country.
These brave men and women shouldn't be punished for getting hurt in
the line of duty.
This bill is named in honor of Major Richard A. Star, a father,
husband, and combat veteran who was medically retired due to injuries
sustained in war. Sadly, Major Star lost his battle with cancer in
2021. But his legacy lives on through this bill, and in our commitment
to do right by those who've served.
The Major Richard Star Act would allow veterans to receive both
retirement and disability benefits without an offset.
It's supported by all leading Veteran Service Organizations, and it
has overwhelming bipartisan support with over 300 cosponsors in the
House alone.
That means with 300 votes, this bill will pass the House, but it
needs to pass committee first. You, Chairman Bost, are the gatekeeper
first and Speaker Johnson is the second. Don't deny this justice for
veterans.
This is not just a policy change.
It's a matter of fairness.
A matter of dignity.
A matter of honoring the promises we make to those who wear the
uniform.
I stand with our veterans. This is a pragmatic way to show you
really support veterans by passing legislation that will actually
improve their lives.
Thank you, and I yield back.
Prepared Statement of Greg Stanton
Thank you, Chairman Bost, Ranking Member Takano, and Committee
members, for the opportunity to testify today on behalf of Arizona's
half a million veterans.
CLAIM SHARKS
My Veterans Advisory Council, a group of former service members and
their families, have raised one issue again and again: that of
predatory ``claim sharks.''
When veterans file for VA benefits, they can do so with the help of
an accredited representative. Plenty of Veterans Service Organizations
offer such assistance.
But predatory, unaccredited companies - ``claims sharks'' - take
advantage of our veterans, charging high fees to help file VA benefits
claims. Veterans were swindled out of $419 million last year alone.\1\
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\1\ 2025.12.02 War Horse: VA Warned These Companies They May Be
Breaking the Law. Most Are Still in Business; research from the Federal
Trade Commission
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That's why I'm proud to back Congressman Pappas' GUARD VA Benefits
Act, which would reinstate explicit criminal penalties on claim sharks.
I've also introduced bipartisan legislation, the Standardized
Accreditation information for Veteran Ease, or ``SAVE'' Act.
The SAVE Act, H.R. 1746, requires the VA to keep an updated,
searchable data base of accredited representatives, and create a
trademark they can use on their website, social media or marketing
materials to be easily identified.
It's a common-sense solution to help veterans more easily
differentiate between those who are legitimately accredited by the VA
and those who are not. And it's a direct suggestion from veterans on my
Advisory Council.
Congress should also look to more fully highlight VSO services
during the Transition Assistance Program for service members and their
families transitioning from active duty. Veterans won't know that they
have access to and a right to free assistance if we don't advertise it
better.
OTHER PRIORITIES
My Veterans Advisory Council and I are concerned about addressing
veteran homelessness and ensuring vets get the very best health care.
When I served as Mayor of Phoenix, the city became the first in the
Nation to end chronic homelessness among military veterans.
We learned a big lesson: It's one thing to put a roof over a
chronically homeless veteran, but it's another thing to provide the
support services to keep them off the streets. Mental health services,
health care, substance-abuse treatment. That's how we broke the cycle
of homelessness.
But President Trump's Department of Housing and Urban Development
is massively disrupting homelessness funding, and shifting away from a
`Housing Plus Services' model.
Because of this, more than 4,000 veterans could lose housing,
increasing veteran homelessness by 12 percent.\2\ And we have no way of
estimating the number of veterans who may be living in other programs
funded by the Continuum of Care program that are not designated as
specifically for veterans.
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\2\ https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/hud-policy-change-could-push-
4000-veterans-disabilities-out-housing
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I hope the Trump Administration will work with Congress to prevent
this backsliding.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Prepared Statement of Jahana Hayes
Thank you.
I appreciate the opportunity to appear before the Veterans Affairs
Committee to share my policy ideas on how we can better serve veterans
and their families.
I keep coming back to this Committee.
I came before you in June to discuss my Caring for Survivors Act,
which would expand benefits for survivors of service members and
veterans who have given their lives in service to the United States of
America.
Today, I would like to encourage you to advance the legislation
through this Committee as a next step toward eventual passage on the
House floor.
When a service member dies in the line of duty, or a veteran dies
from service-related injuries or illnesses, their surviving family
members receive a monthly benefit known as Dependency and Indemnity
Compensation, or D-I-C.
Unfortunately, the D-I-C rate has been minimally adjusted since the
Department of Veterans Affairs established the benefit in 1993 and
currently has lower rates and more stringent rules than other Federal
survivor programs.
My Caring for Survivors Act modernizes D-I-C benefits through two
reforms.
The bill raises the monthly D-I-C benefit by more than $450 per
recipient, bringing D-I-C payments in line with surviving payments that
other Federal civilian employees are eligible to receive.
Additionally, the bill reduces the timeframe a veteran must be
disabled to qualify for D-I-C benefits from 10 to 5 years.
Together, these provisions would increase D-I-C benefits and
broaden eligibility to ensure families receive the financial help they
deserve.
I recognize the cost concerns of implementing this legislation.
But the cost is likely lower than the reported estimate based on
updated data from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
I often hear from survivors of service members and veterans in my
District and across the country who depend on D-I-C benefits to cover
their basic expenses.
I became interested in this because veterans and surviving spouses
stop me at parades, events, and I receive e-mails from people all over
the country telling me the story of what it means to them and their
families.
These individuals continue to express the life-changing difference
the Caring for Survivors Act would make, including the financial
difference between barely getting by and having a small degree of
security, while recognizing the sacrifice of our service members and
veterans.
Supporting our veterans and military families is an intentional
choice that we can make.
I encourage my colleagues on this Committee to hold a vote on my
Caring for Survivors Act and advance the legislation to the House
floor.
It would be an incredible show of support for the surviving family
members of our veterans who have died in the line of service.
With that, I yield back.
Prepared Statement of Vicente Gonzalez
Thank you, Chairman Bost and Ranking Member Takano for holding
today's Member Day hearing.
I appreciate the opportunity to testify before the committee and
advocate for the construction of a new Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) Medical Center in the Rio Grande Valley and several pieces of
legislation that are vital to South Texans.
Over the past few years, the veteran population has increased
considerably in my district and throughout Texas.
According to the 2024 estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, there
are now more than 49,000 Veterans in our region of South Texas.
Of these veterans, over 24,000 suffer from a service-connected
disability.
Unfortunately, because neither the Coastal Bend nor the Rio Grande
Valley currently have a VA Medical Center, many of my constituents are
forced to travel over 300 miles to obtain the medical care they have
earned.
I urge the committee to work with me to right this wrong and bring
a full-service VA Medical Center to the South Texas.
I would also like to highlight the significance of H.R. 2102, the
Major Richard Star Act.
This important bill would ensure that all combat-disabled veterans
receive concurrent receipt of their disability compensation and their
retirement.
We must ensure our disabled veterans do not struggle to make ends
meet.
Finally, recognizing the service of veterans must also include
recognizing the bravery of military working dogs who perform their jobs
with extreme courage.
Military working dogs save countless lives by detecting explosives
and leading search and rescue missions. It is time they are honored as
heroes.
That is why I will be re-introducing the Sergent Fieldy Act, to
allow the burial of deceased military working dogs in veteran
cemeteries.
This bill is in honor of Sgt. Fieldy, who served three tours in
Afghanistan, earned the K-9 Medal of Courage Award in 2016, and was
selected as the Military Hero Dog in the 2018 Hero Dog Awards.
I urge you and your colleagues to work with me in a bipartisan way
to advance this bill and ensure that military working dogs receive the
recognition they deserve.
Thank you, and I yield back.
Prepared Statement of Salud Carbajal
Thank you, Chairman Bost and Ranking Member Takano for allowing me
to speak before this committee today.
As a veteran myself, I know firsthand the sacrifices that come with
military service--and the challenges that can follow when that service
ends.
That's why, in Congress, I've made it my mission to ensure that
every veteran has access to the care and benefits they have earned--
without delay and without unnecessary barriers.
One area I've been focusing on is the long wait times and
frustrating delays our veterans face when they call local VA medical
centers and clinics.
I believe that if you've served our Nation, the process to access
your healthcare should be fast and simple.
Yet for too many veterans on the Central Coast and beyond, a simple
phone call to schedule an appointment or ask a question can turn into
endless holds, confusing transfers, and dead ends.
My staff and I consistently hear from veterans who have wait times
exceeding an hour or more. Or they are promised a call back within 24
to 48 hours, only to never receive a call back.
I have even heard from constituents who were forced to drive more
than an hour to the nearest CBOC to make an appointment in person after
failing to get through to anyone on the phone.
Simply put, this is unacceptable. To me, this is a sign the system
is failing our Nation's veterans.
It's critical for Congress to act, and provide additional resources
to the Veterans Health Administration.
Only with stronger investments into our local VA systems can we
ensure medical centers and clinics have the staff and tools they need
to answer calls quickly, schedule appointments efficiently, and treat
veterans with the respect they deserve.
I have long called for these investments, and I will not stop until
this issue is finally fixed.
Thank you.
Prepared Statement of Jennifer McClellan
Hello and thank you, Chairman Bost, Ranking Member Takano, and
members of the Committee for holding this Member Day hearing today. I
am here to discuss one of my top priorities this Congress: to improve
the Department of Veterans Affairs Work Study Program. My bill, H.R.
5965, the Student Veteran Work Study Modernization Act, aims to do just
that.
Our veterans give so much to our communities, and it's imperative
that we do everything in our power to support the needs of veterans as
they transition out of active-duty service back to civilian life. This
includes efforts to modernize, improve, and expand the availability of
programs that train and educate our veterans for civilian jobs
following their service.
One such program that serves veterans as they transition into
civilian life is the VA work-study program which allows veterans to
receive a part-time, paying job on campus or at another VA-approved
employer while enrolled as a student in a 2-year or 4-year higher
education institution, vocational, or professional program. Currently,
however, only students who are enrolled as at least a three-quarter-
time student are allowed to participate in the VA work-study program.
This requirement excludes half-time students, ignoring the fact that
student veterans are older than traditional students, often have
children and other family members to care for, have unique mental
health needs, and financial considerations that are distinct from
traditional students. As a result, this requirement does not take into
consideration the needs of students for whom half-time enrollment is a
necessity.
I introduced the Student Veteran Work Study Modernization Act to
provide student veterans with a flexible work-study program that
considers their unique needs and circumstances. This legislation,
previously led by former Representative Matt Cartwright, would update
the VA Work Study Program to improve accessibility for student
veterans. Specifically, this bill would:
Create a 5-year Pilot Program to expand VA work-study
eligibility to student veterans who are enrolled half-time.
Require the VA to report data on the VA Work-Study
Program to Congress, including the number of participating veterans;
the percentage of student veterans who obtain a 4-year degree; and how
many student veterans obtain full-time work with the VA.
In 2022, this bill passed out of the House Veterans' Affairs
Committee via voice vote and also passed the House under suspension.
Unfortunately, it did not advance in the Senate. I urge the members of
this committee to once again advance this legislation so we can
continue improving the resources available to veterans as they
transition back into civilian life.
Thank you
Prepared Statement of Lou Correa
Chairman Bost and Ranking Member Takano:
Thank you for the opportunity to discuss key priorities facing
veterans in California's 46th Congressional District and across the
Nation.
First, I would like to discuss the importance of ensuring our
Nation's heroes who gave their lives to defend our freedom are
dutifully honored. Orange County, California is home to more than
100,000 veterans and yet remains the largest county in California
without a dedicated veterans cemetery. It is important that we support
Federal programs that provide funding for veterans cemeteries to honor
those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. The Veterans Cemetery
Grants Program (VCGP) is a critical program, but we need to ensure it
is robustly funded and that it comprehensively takes into account the
accessibility of existing facilities when making awards.
Establishing a cemetery in Orange County to serve our local
veterans has received unprecedented, bipartisan support from local,
State, and Federal lawmakers and more than 100 veterans organizations.
Currently, the closest veterans cemetery is Riverside National
Cemetery. Families and loved ones must drive through severe traffic
congestion and face long travel times to reach this cemetery, creating
additional burdens for those who are grieving. Establishing a cemetery
in Orange County will give local veterans the opportunity to be laid to
rest in their home community, closer to their loved ones. It is
important that we support programs like the VCGP that are used to fund
veterans cemeteries in our local communities.
Another issue I would like to discuss is research on innovative
therapies to treat conditions like posttraumatic stress disorder
(PTSD), depression, and more. Every day we lose nearly 20 veterans to
suicide. Oftentimes our veterans return with invisible wounds. While
traditional treatments work for some, others are left behind to battle
conditions long after their service to our country.
There is increasing evidence from preclinical studies and clinical
trials supporting the use of psychedelic therapies, including MDMA and
psilocybin, to treat mental health conditions. There are several
psychedelic treatments in the pipeline for Food and Drug Administration
approval within the next two to 5 years. Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) researchers have conducted research on these substances using
external funds, and last December the Department announced $1.5 million
in internal funding to study MDMA-assisted therapy for veterans with
PTSD and alcohol use disorder. This is the first time VA funding has
been used for research on psychedelic compounds since the 1960's.
It is important that we build on this announcement by creating
centers to both continue this specialized research on psychedelic
therapies but to also create a framework for treating veterans with
these therapies once they receive FDA approval. That is why Rep. Jack
Bergman and I introduced H.R. 2623, the Innovative Therapies Centers of
Excellence Act of 2025. This bipartisan legislation will direct the VA
to designate at least five centers of excellence for conducting
research on psychedelic substances including MDMA, psilocybin, and
ibogaine. Establishing these centers will ensure more research is
conducted on therapies that could help treat our veterans. Once FDA
approval is granted, these centers will be able to deliver psychedelic
therapies and can develop education and training materials for health
care personnel within the VA to treat veterans with these therapies. I
ask for your support of this legislation, which will make sure our
Nation's heroes receive the most effective treatments for their
invisible wounds.
I would also like to discuss the importance of ending the practice
of deporting our Nation's veterans. These veterans risked their lives
for our Nation and deserve our compassion and gratitude. Veterans
should have a clear path to citizenship, which is why I am grateful to
have joined Ranking Member Takano in introducing H.R. 5535, the Veteran
Service Recognition Act of 2025. Our veterans served with honor and
they should be treated with respect and dignity regardless of
immigration status. This bill is an important step toward giving
noncitizen veterans a pathway to citizenship in the country they put
their lives on the line for.
Additionally, I would like to express concerns with potential
changes to the VA's current surgical anesthesia patient safety
standards. The current standard ties both nursing and physician
standards to State licensure and nurse or medical practice laws. The
Office of Nursing Services is proposing to create two different
standards of care--the standard available in the veteran's community
and a different, lower standard in VA hospitals. Our veterans deserve
the save exact standard of care as others in the community, not a lower
or different standard.
Thank you for the opportunity to discuss these issues today. I am
grateful for your service and look forward to continuing to work
together to support our veterans.
Prepared Statement of Melanie Stansbury
Thank you, Chairman Bost and Ranking Member Takano for the
opportunity today to address the House Veterans Affairs Committee.
Today, I come before you to discuss a critical issue that should be
nonpartisan, that impacts veterans in every Congressional district
across the country--the mental illness crisis among our Nation's
veterans and the need for additional support from Congress.
New Mexicans have a long and proud tradition of service that
extends throughout our communities. As we reflect on the sacrifices
made by service members, we must also recognize the challenges many
veterans face upon returning home.
It is our solemn duty as Americans to ensure veterans and their
families are respected, supported, and given access to the resources to
live full and healthy lives after their service.
But too often, our servicemembers do not have the necessary support
upon their return to deal with the invisible wounds of war--PTSD,
depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, and the conditions that
compound them.
These challenges can be isolating and devastating, and when left
untreated, they can lead to tragic outcomes.
In New Mexico, we have seen firsthand the consequences of
inadequate access to care, particularly in rural and Tribal communities
where long distances, workforce shortages, and cultural barriers
further complicate treatment.
We know that Congress can play a role in supporting our Nation's
veterans. The historic PACT Act, passed with bipartisan support, has
been transformational in expanding VA health care and benefits for
veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic
substances. We need that level of investment again to address the
mental health crisis plaguing our Nation's veterans.
Before I close, I want to highlight concerns from my constituents,
including the need to pass the Major Richard Star Act so veterans
receive full medical retirement and VA disability without benefit
offsets. I've also heard about delays in CHAMPVA benefits, limited
provider access, and VA appeals that take a year or more.
I would be grateful to work with you to address these issues, save
lives, restore dignity, and honor the service of those who sacrificed
so much for us.
Thank you.
Statements for the Record
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Prepared Statement of Marie Gluesenkamp Perez
Thank you, Chairman Bost and Ranking Member Takano, for the
opportunity to testify today. Below are just a few of the issues I hear
about from veterans in my district that I'd like to bring to your
attention.
Rural Veterans Care in Lewis County
Since assuming office in 2023, I have heard time and time again
from veterans and their loved ones in Lewis County, Washington about a
range of issues they have faced to receive care through the VA Puget
Sound Health Care System. Most notably, in 2021, the Chehalis
Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) closed, cutting off many
veterans from accessing nearby care. Following the closure of the
clinic, the veteran community in the area began a nearly 2-year
petition drive - gathering tens of thousands of signatures to
underscore the need for this clinic. Last year, I delivered these
signatures to former Secretary McDonough, and earlier this year I
delivered these signatures to Secretary Collins, reiterating my request
for a clinic to be reopened in the location it is most acutely needed -
Lewis County, Washington. I was incredibly disappointed to receive a
response from Secretary Collins that there is no plan to reopen the
Chehalis clinic.
The veterans who previously received care from this clinic have
been told that they will need to travel to Olympia to get care, in many
instances doubling their drive time. In an attempt to mitigate access-
to-care problems for Lewis County veterans, the VA offered a Mobile
Medical Unit (MMU) in Chehalis, Washington, that operates only on
Wednesdays with only eight appointments available. Even still, this
leaves hundreds of veterans unserved and outside of the VA's own drive
time standard who must now resort to the Community Care Network. Rural
communities, like the ones I represent in Lewis County, already
struggle to attract and retain health care providers. Despite the VA's
assertion that there is adequate provider availability through
Community Care in the area, I still hear from my constituents about
egregious wait times to schedule appointments or only being able to
schedule appointments months out. In fact, some Veterans Service
Organization (VSO) representatives advise veterans that they need to be
more vigilant and persistent when seeking Community Care-telling them
it's up to them to call each day to follow up and ensure they can get
the appointments and care they need.
By closing the CBOC and replacing it with an inadequate MMU, the VA
Puget Sound Health Care System has put lifesaving care out of reach of
many veterans.
Rural Transportation to Care
Given the current situation, I am focused on making sure veterans
in the rural areas in my district are able to get to their
appointments. That's why I introduced the Rural Veterans Transportation
to Care Act, which would modernize the VA's Highly Rural Transportation
Grant Program. The program is currently limited in statute to counties
with fewer than seven people per square mile. With updated 2020 Census
data, there are only eligible counties in 13 states, including only one
county in Washington State. One of the counties in my district no
longer receives these critical funds because their population now sits
at 7.15 people per square mile. Many very rural counties, like those in
my district, are just missing out on this program because of outdated
restrictions with arbitrary thresholds on the eligibility of the areas
that the program serves.
My bipartisan bill would improve how the VA measures rurality,
expand eligibility to both rural and highly rural counties, include
tribal organizations as eligible entities, and increase the maximum
award amount to keep up with rising prices. This would help more
veterans living in rural areas get transportation to VA or VA-
authorized health care facilities. I appreciate that the committee held
a legislative hearing considering this legislation last Congress, and I
urge continued support for these updates.
Medical Companion Programs
I have also heard from veterans in my district that there is a
major barrier to care for veterans who do not have an adult who can
take them to or home from surgery involving anesthesia. These surgeries
end up getting canceled or postponed, which risks worse outcomes for
our veterans.
I have been heartened to hear about some VA medical facilities
organizing programs to provide caregiver services to veterans who don't
have anyone to accompany them. These Medical Companion Programs
facilitate time-limited, VA-paid, medical companion services in which
the companion accompanies a veteran through their surgery process. I
strongly support more medical companion programs to ensure these
veterans can make it to and from the life changing surgeries they need,
and was glad to successfully include report language in the Fiscal Year
2026 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Report
supporting these programs, and look forward to working with you to
consider how we may be able to best strengthen these programs.
Community Building Opportunities
One of the best things we can do for suicide prevention for our
veterans is make access to health care easier, so that our veterans can
be healthy and engaged members of their communities. Another is
investing in community programs where our veterans can harness the
skills they learned during their service and re-engage with their
communities in a way that is meaningful and fulfilling to the reasons
they joined our armed services in the first place-to protect and serve
our Nation.
During roundtables with veterans across my district, I have been
impressed with the ideas our veterans have in how we can better serve
them. One idea that was particularly interesting to me involved
creating opportunities for community building through auto shop
programs to fix their own cars like they could on base when they were
serving, and to hone old skills and build new ones that can feed back
into their communities.
Once again, thank you to the Chairman and Ranking Member for the
opportunity to shine a light on the unique challenges facing veterans
in Southwest Washington. I look forward to working together to deliver
better for our veterans and communities.
Prepared Statement of Maxine Dexter
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
It is an honor to serve on this committee. I also want to thank my
colleagues on the committee and those here today to speak on veterans'
issues.
Like many physicians, I trained at the VA. There, like at every
stage of my career, I didn't take care of Republicans or Democrats. I
took care of people.
That is the spirit I bring to this committee--one that is guided by
care for our veterans, not partisanship. Our veterans deserve durable
policy that fulfills our promise to care for them--and they deserve a
Congress that can come together to deliver it.
I appreciate the willingness of my colleagues on both sides of the
aisle to work together on this mission.
My priorities on this committee are clear. Every veteran--and when
I say ``every'' I mean every veteran of color, every transgender
veteran, every immigrant veteran, and every disabled veteran--must
receive the high-quality VA health care they have earned.
Veterans should never wait, worry, or wonder whether the care they
need will be there. Whether we are expanding access to mental health
care, strengthening women's health clinics, or ensuring that veterans
in rural communities can get timely care, we clearly have work to do.
We must end veteran homelessness and ensure that every veteran and
their family have a pathway to stable, affordable housing.
We know what works: housing paired with wraparound services and
targeted support. That is why I introduced the Every Veteran Housed Act
to remove barriers to proven interventions that save lives and restore
dignity.
No veteran should ever sleep on the street in the country they
served. I look forward to this committee's support in moving this
forward. We must also create real pathways to economic opportunity. I
am proud that my first bill to pass the House was the FAST VETs Act. I
want to thank Representatives Messmer, McGarvey, and Van Orden for
standing with me in that effort. The FAST VETS Act improves the Veteran
Readiness and Employment (VR&E) program faster to ensure more veterans
can enroll and benefit.
I am also working on legislation to strengthen recruitment and
retention for VR&E counselors. Veterans deserve timely access to high
quality, individualized career counseling. We cannot reduce backlogs or
improve outcomes without investing in the people who provide that
support. Veterans have earned more than a waitlist. They deserve a real
pathway into the workforce, and I invite my colleagues to join me in
this effort.
Finally, I want to take this opportunity to state plainly that our
values must guide our work on this committee. Our budgets tell the
story of our priorities. This Congress has found money for
billionaires, and it is about time find it finds money for veterans.
If we say we honor veterans but fail to fund the programs that keep
them healthy, housed, and employed, then our words do not matter. I
will work with anyone on this committee who is ready to put veterans
above politics and choose progress over posturing.
We have a responsibility to meet this moment with clarity,
compassion, and courage.
Thank you, and I look forward to working together.
Prepared Statement of Val Hoyle
Thank you for the opportunity to testify today on behalf of the
veterans in my district who have been advocating since 2011 for the
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to fund Roseburg's State
Veterans Home grant application. Our veterans have served, sacrificed
and shown the ultimate commitment to our country. In return, it is our
responsibility to make sure they are taken care of and can get the
healthcare they need.
There are more veterans in Oregon's Fourth Congressional District
than any other district in Oregon, and I am proud to serve them in
Congress. With the majority of my district being rural, having limited
access to resources, and our veterans having deep roots in our
community, it is vital that we give them the dignity they've earned to
allow them to age in place.
According to the State Veterans Home Construction Grant Program, in
order to receive funding, states must provide 35 percent of the funding
for the homes, with the VA providing the remaining funds. The Oregon
State Legislature has done their job to secure matching funds several
times, including when I served in the legislature in 2011 and again in
2024.
Because the Roseburg State Veterans Home's application has
consistently been overlooked, the cost of the project continues to
increase due to inflation and other extraneous factors, meaning the
funding the State needs to secure is rising. Since the latest funding
is set to expire in 2027, the VA needs to award funding for this
project as soon as possible.
However, the State Veterans Home Construction Grant Program has
been chronically underfunded by Congress--by nearly $1 billion. Because
of this, the VA appears to be prioritizing minor grants for repairs and
modifications of existing State homes, rather than new construction,
leaving an inexcusable amount of veterans in my district around the
country wondering if they will ever receive the care they've earned.
That is why I submitted an amendment to the House's National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 to increase funding for the
program. Unfortunately, majority leadership on the Rules Committee
refused to allow this amendment to come up for a vote.
By appropriating sufficient funding to the State Veterans Home
Construction Grant Program, we can enable individual states to pick up
some of the slack where the Federal Government has failed our veterans,
all while saving money at the Federal level.
I call on my colleagues on the House Veterans Affairs Committee to
work with the VA to prioritize the State Veterans Home Construction
Grant Program and ensure our aging veterans across the country can live
with the dignity they've earned and deserve.
Prepared Statement of Rick Larsen
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Prepared Statement of Robert "Bobby" Scott
Chairman Bost, Ranking Member Takano, and members of this
distinguished Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today
about the importance of fully supporting our veterans.
I am a veteran myself and proudly represent one of the largest
veteran communities in our country. I understand the many challenges
veterans experience. My district is home to the Hampton VA Medical
Center which is one of the fastest growing VA Medical Centers in the
Nation. With the main medical center and its three community-based
outpatient clinics, the Hampton VA Health System serves more than
108,000 Veterans across southeastern Virginia and northeastern North
Carolina. But demands on our VA are growing significantly. Our region
is home to 300,000 veterans, and the VA expects enrollment to grow by
approximately 23 percent over the next 10 years.
In April of this year, the much-anticipated Chesapeake VA North
Battlefield Outpatient Clinic opened to make it easier for Veterans to
access care and they would no longer be required to cross from the
Southside to the Peninsula. But that clinic opened with less than a
third of the required staff needed to adequately serve the veterans
population on the Southside. Only about 150 clinic workers were in
place in April for a facility that requires a staff of 500 to be fully
functional. Secretary Collins himself stated that he expected to for
the facility to be fully staffed next month. But as of November 24,
2025, just over half of the 500 staff required have been onboarded
meaning veterans are not able to fully access care at this facility.
This did not happen by accident. In the first 100 days of his
presidency, President Trump harmed veterans access to care by
instituting a hiring freeze across the system. He then squeezed our
Federal workforce and fired more than 6,000 veterans from their jobs.
More than 1,000 probationary employees were laid off in February, and
the VA has said they are looking to eliminate roughly 80,000 positions
even as the facilities are short staffed. Every position at the VA is
mission critical and it makes little sense to lay off hardworking VA
employees at a time when our VA health system is feeling the strain of
increasing demand. The uncertainty and treatment of these employees
will not go unnoticed by potential applicants at VA.
To make matters worse, on August 6, 2025 the U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs announced the termination of collective bargaining
agreements for most VA-bargaining-unit employees. When workers come
together to bargain, they earn higher wages, better benefits, and safer
workplaces. Unions represent and benefit all workers regardless of
whether they are in the bargaining unit or not, and unions protect all
employees from retaliation and discrimination, and guard against
favoritism by management. Secretary Doug Collins stripping employees of
their bargaining rights is the latest salvo in the Trump
Administration's war on veterans and civil servants. Veterans benefit
from a VA that is staffed by workers that are well-compensated,
properly trained, and who work in a safe environment.
The VA is already facing severe staffing issues including in my
district, and the Trump Administration's ongoing attacks on the Federal
workforce in recent months is exacerbating this problem. Had the
administration consulted with the unions representing Federal employees
at the VA and other agencies, they would have been informed that
blanket hiring freezes and chaotic firings are inefficient and
ultimately harmful to the people they are meant to serve. Our veterans
deserve better.
It is important for Congress to take our oversight responsibilities
seriously and I believe more meaningful oversight of the Veterans
Administration is warranted. I encourage this committee to move
legislation forward that will strengthen VA facilities, improve
recruitment, and treat veterans with the care and respect they deserve.
Prepared Statement of Pablo Jose Hernandez
Thank you to the Members and staff of the House Committee on
Veterans Affairs for allowing me to submit these priorities. Over the
past 4 months, I have convened a series of veterans' roundtables across
my district, hearing firsthand the experiences, concerns, and
priorities of those who have served our Nation. Their message has been
clear and compelling. In light of what I have heard, I respectfully
urge your full consideration of the following request to strengthen the
support available to veterans in Puerto Rico.
H.R. 2632--TRICARE Equality Act
H.R. 2632--TRICARE Equality Act directs the U.S. Department of
Defense (DOD) to improve TRICARE Prime access and travel benefits for
Puerto Rico veterans. The bill also requires coordination between the
Federal Electronic Health Record Modernization Office and Puerto Rico's
Department of Health to share health data.
TRICARE, the healthcare program that serves military personnel,
retirees, and their families, is currently available in Puerto Rico
through the TRICARE Overseas Program (TOP).
Approximately 38,000 individuals in Puerto Rico rely on TRICARE,
including active-duty service members and their families, members of
the National Guard and Reserve, and around 24,000 military retirees and
their families. Under the TRICARE Area Office for Latin America and
Canada, Puerto Rico offers several health plan options such as TRICARE
Prime Remote, TRICARE Select, and TRICARE Reserve Select.
However, because Puerto Rico is excluded from the full TRICARE
Prime network, beneficiaries on the island face significant barriers to
accessing care. Many are forced to pay for services upfront and submit
claims for reimbursement later, encountering gaps in access to
specialty care that often require travel to the mainland and endure
delays in receiving necessary treatments.
The TRICARE Equality Act addresses these disparities by directing
the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to improve TRICARE Prime access
and travel benefits for Puerto Rico's military community, ensuring they
receive the same level of healthcare access as their counterparts on
the mainland. It also requires the Federal Electronic Health Record
Modernization Office to coordinate with Puerto Rico's Department of
Health to share health data and improve care delivery.
H.R. 6168 - Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act (H.R. 6168)
In addition to improving healthcare access, addressing food
insecurity among veterans in Puerto Rico remains one of my top
priorities. For this reason, I introduced H.R. 6168--Puerto Rico
Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act, which would transition the island
from its capped Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP) to the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This transition would finally
provide Puerto Rico's families and veterans with equitable benefits so
they can put food on the table with dignity.
Although these bills fall under the jurisdiction of the House Armed
Services Committee and the Agriculture Committee, I urge my colleagues
on both sides of the aisle to support all efforts that strengthen care
and reduce food insecurity for veterans in Puerto Rico. Our veterans
deserve reliable, equitable access to the benefits they have earned.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Prepared Statement of Stephen Lynch
Chairman Bost, Ranking Member Takano, and Members of the Committee,
thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today about a
program that is vital to our Nation's ability to house and provide
services to our veterans experiencing homelessness.
The VA Grant and Per Diem (GPD) Program provides critical
assistance to community-based organizations that serve our veterans and
support them in attaining and retaining permanent housing. The
reimbursements provided under the GPD program are particularly
essential for service providers that operate in high-cost housing areas
of the country, such as my district of Boston, Massachusetts and the
surrounding areas.
As you know, the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans
Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act of 2025 was signed into law on
January 2 of this year, after having passed both the House and Senate
with overwhelming bipartisan support. An important provision of this
law authorizes the VA to pay community-based Veteran service providers
a Grant and Per Diem Program Reimbursement Rate of up to 200 percent of
the State Home Domiciliary Rate for up to 50 percent of grant
recipients.
Earlier this year, after the Dole Act's initial passage, the VA
cited concerns about exceeding the GPD Program authorization of
appropriations (AoA) if the Act's authorized rates were fully
implemented. In response, Congress added language to H.R. 1815, the VA
Home Loan Program Reform Act, increasing the AoA for the GPD Program to
$344,000,000 for Fiscal Years 2025 and 2026. H.R. 1815 was signed into
law on July 30 of this year.
Unfortunately, after 11 months and Congress having increased the
authorization to address the VA's concerns, reimbursements are still
not being paid out at this higher authorized rate. While the Department
did increase its reimbursement rate from 115 percent to 133 percent of
the State Domiciliary Rate in September, this still falls far short of
congressional intent laid out in the Dole Act. This failure to
implement the Act's requirements has placed community-based, Veteran
GPD providers who operate in high-cost regions under considerable
financial stress, as they continue to operate and deliver an essential
service for Veterans with inadequate reimbursement, well short of
actual cost. This rate is unsustainable and could force providers to
shut down, leaving already vulnerable veterans literally out in the
cold. We cannot allow that to happen. Our veterans deserve better.
I urge the Committee to press the VA to fully implement the full
scope of the Dole Act as Congress intended and ensure that Veteran
service providers that deliver this critical program can continue to do
so without significant financial risk.
Thank you very much again for the time.
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