    [Senate Hearing 119-34]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                                                               S. Hrg. 119-34

                 LEGISLATIVE PRESENTATION OF THE VETERANS
                 OF FOREIGN WARS OF THE UNITED STATES AND
                 IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN VETERANS OF AMERICA,
                  STUDENT VETERANS OF AMERICA, TRAGEDY
                    ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR SURVIVORS,
                 THE ELIZABETH DOLE FOUNDATION, AND NATIONAL
                       COALITION FOR HOMELESS VETERANS

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

                                 JOINT HEARING

                                   BEFORE THE

                         COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS

                                     OF THE

                              UNITED STATES SENATE

                                    AND THE

                                 UNITED STATES
                            HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                        ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS

                                 FIRST SESSION

                                   __________

                                 MARCH 4, 2025

                                   __________

           Printed for the use of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

    [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

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

                                  __________

                       U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
    59-775 PDF                  WASHINGTON : 2025

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                    SENATE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS

                         Jerry Moran, Kansas, Chairman
    John Boozman, Arkansas               Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut,
    Bill Cassidy, Louisiana                  Ranking Member
    Thom Tillis, North Carolina          Patty Murray, Washington
    Dan Sullivan, Alaska                 Bernard Sanders, Vermont
    Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee          Mazie K. Hirono, Hawaii
    Kevin Cramer, North Dakota           Margaret Wood Hassan, New
    Tommy Tuberville, Alabama                Hampshire
    Jim Banks, Indiana                   Angus S. King, Jr., Maine
    Tim Sheehy, Montana                  Tammy Duckworth, Illinois
                                         Ruben Gallego, Arizona
                                         Elissa Slotkin, Michigan

                         David Shearman, Staff Director
                    Tony McClain, Democratic Staff Director

                                  ----------

            HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS

                         Mike Bost, Illinois, Chairman

    Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen,       Mark Takano, California, Ranking
        American Samoa                       Member
    Jack Bergman, Michigan               Julia Brownley, California
    Nancy Mace, South Carolina           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 C. Ramirez, Illinois
    Juan Ciscomani, Arizona              Nikki Budzinski, Illinois
    Keith Self, Texas                    Timothy M. Kennedy, New York
    Jennifer A. 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

                               C O N T E N T S

                                  ----------

                                 March 4, 2025

                                                                       Page

                                    SENATORS

    Hon. Jerry Moran, Chairman, U.S. Senator from Kansas.............     1
    Hon. Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member, U.S. Senator from
      Connecticut....................................................     4
    Hon. Margaret Wood Hassan, U.S. Senator from New Hampshire.......    18
    Hon. Tommy Tuberville, U.S. Senator from Alabama.................    22
    Hon. Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senator from Alaska......................    25
    Hon. Mazie K. Hirono, U.S. Senator from Hawaii...................    28
    Hon. Angus S. King, Jr., U.S. Senator from Maine.................    29
    Hon. Jim Banks, U.S. Senator from Indiana........................    30
    Hon. Ruben Gallego, U.S. Senator from Arizona....................    32
    Hon. Bill Cassidy, U.S. Senator from Louisiana...................    33

                                REPRESENTATIVES

    Hon. Mike Bost, Chairman, U.S. Representative from Illinois......     2
    Hon. Mark Takano, Ranking Member, U.S. Representative from
      California.....................................................     6
    Hon. Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen, U.S. Representative from
      American Samoa.................................................    17
    Hon. Abe Hamadeh, U.S. Representative from Arizona...............    19
    Hon. Chris Pappas, U.S. Representative from New Hampshire........    20
    Hon. Kelly Morrison, U.S. Representative from Minnesota..........    23
    Hon. Herb Conaway, U.S. Representative from New Jersey...........    26
    Hon. Delia Ramirez, U.S. Representative from Illinois............    48

                                   INTRODUCER

    Hon. Jon Ossoff, U.S. Senator from Georgia.......................     9

                                   WITNESSES
                                    Panel I

    Alfred J. ``Al'' Lipphardt, Commander in Chief, Veterans of
      Foreign Wars of the United States..............................    10

      accompanied by

      Patrick Murray, Acting Executive Director of the Washington
        Office

      Kristina Keenan, Director, National Legislative Service

      Michael Figlioli, Director, National Veterans Service

      Mitch Fuller, Chairman, National Legislative Committee

                                    Panel II

    Robert Thomas, National President, Paralyzed Veterans of America.    36

    Allison Jaslow, Chief Executive Officer, Iraq and Afghanistan
      Veterans of America............................................    37

    Jared Lyon, National President and Chief Executive Officer,
      Student Veterans of America....................................    39

                                Panel II (cont.)

    Bonnie Carroll, President and Founder, Tragedy Assistance Program
      for Survivors..................................................    41

    Meredith Beck, Vice President, Government Affairs and Community
      Engagement, The Elizabeth Dole Foundation......................    43

    Kathryn Monet, Chief Executive Officer, National Coalition for
      Homeless Veterans..............................................    45

                                    APPENDIX
                              Prepared Statements

    Alfred J. ``Al'' Lipphardt, Commander in Chief, Veterans of
      Foreign Wars of the United States..............................    59

    Robert Thomas, National President, Paralyzed Veterans of America.    89

    Allison Jaslow, Chief Executive Officer, Iraq and Afghanistan
      Veterans of America............................................   110

    Jared Lyon, National President and Chief Executive Officer,
      Student Veterans of America....................................   121

    Bonnie Carroll, President and Founder, Tragedy Assistance Program
      for Survivors..................................................   152

    Meredith Beck, Vice President, Government Affairs and Community
      Engagement, The Elizabeth Dole Foundation......................   183

    Kathryn Monet, Chief Executive Officer, National Coalition for
      Homeless Veterans..............................................   200

                           Submission for the Record

    Kentucky Public Radio article; ``Kentucky business among hundreds
      losing veteran service contracts amid Trump cuts''.............   211

                            Questions for the Record

    Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States response to
      questions from:

      Hon. Margaret Wood Hassan......................................   217

      Hon. Marsha Blackburn..........................................   218

    Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America response to questions
      from:

      Hon. Marsha Blackburn..........................................   218

                           Statements for the Record

    Gold Star Spouses of America, Inc., Tamra Sipes, National
      President......................................................   223

    Military-Veterans Advocacy, Commander John B. Wells, USN
      (Retired), Chairman............................................   231

    National Guard Association of the United States..................   241

    Quality of Life Foundation.......................................   245

    LEGISLATIVE PRESENTATION OF THE VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS OF THE UNITED
        STATES AND MULTI VSOs: PARALYZED VETERANS OF AMERICA, IRAQ AND
     AFGHANISTAN VETERANS OF AMERICA, STUDENT VETERANS OF AMERICA, TRAGEDY
     ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR SURVIVORS, THE ELIZABETH DOLE FOUNDATION, AND
                    NATIONAL COALITION FOR HOMELESS VETERANS

                                  ----------

                             TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2025

                               U.S. Senate, and
                         U.S. House of Representatives,
                                Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
                                                        Washington, DC.
        The Committees met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m., in Room
    SD-G50, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Jerry Moran,
    Chairman of the Committee, presiding.

        Present:

        Senators Moran, Cassidy, Sullivan, Tuberville, Banks,
    Sheehy, Blumenthal, Hirono, Hassan, King, and Gallego.

        Representatives Bost, Coleman Radewagen, Hamadeh, Takano,
    Pappas, Cherfilus-McCormick, Ramirez, Conaway, and Morrison.

                 OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JERRY MORAN,
                   CHAIRMAN, U.S. SENATOR FROM KANSAS

        Chairman Moran. Good morning, everyone. The hearing will
    come to order. I welcome everyone in the room and certainly
    welcome the Commander. I thank my colleague from the House,
    Chairman Bost, along with Ranking Members Blumenthal and
    Takano, and the rest of my Senate and House colleagues for
    joining us here today in this joint hearing, the final of three
    hearings our Committees hosted this year.
        I, of course, specifically welcome Commander Al Lipphardt,
    his wife Carol, and the rest of his team at the VFW. I also
    welcome all of the organizations represented on the second
    panel and those of you who have traveled here from across the
    country to represent veterans, servicemembers, caregivers,
    families, and survivors. I also want to give a special hello,
    of course, to the Kansans in the audience and those watching at
    home. The VFW is a major and important organization in our
    state. I appreciate the relationship I have with them.
        The work we do on our Committees would not be possible
    without the work and the dedication of the VSO community. Our
    accomplishments are a result of your advocacy and the efforts
    to hold Congress and VA accountable for doing what is in the
    best interest of our veterans and military communities.
        One example of this is the Elizabeth Dole 21st Century
    Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act which was
    signed into law last Congress and supported by the
    organizations, all of the organizations, we will be hearing
    from today. We are working to make certain this legislation is
    implemented in a timely manner and in adherence with
    congressional intent so that it lives up to the promise for
    veterans, caregivers, and survivors.
        All of the policies and programs that we will discuss today
    depend upon a strong and effective VSO community and a strong
    and effective VA workforce to deliver the care and benefits
    veterans and their families deserve.
        As the VA implements new Federal workforce guidance, and we
    work together to root out any waste, I am committed to making
    certain that the necessary VA workforce is preserved. In that
    regard, it would be useful to retain the inspector general to
    work to help the Department and Congress better inform our
    decisions.
        The VA must be forthcoming and transparent with Congress,
    VSOs, and the public about how it is implementing workforce,
    contract, and other changes. The VA must also work to avoid or
    correct actions that could in any way undermine access to the
    care and benefits that veterans and their loved ones rely on.
        I again thank you for you all being here today. I look
    forward to the testimony of the witnesses on both panels.
        And I now yield to Chairman Bost for his opening remarks.

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

        Chairman Bost. Thank you, Chairman Moran. Good morning.
        [Chorus of ``Good morning.'']
        Chairman Bost. I want to thank you all for being here, and
    I want to thank you to my Senate colleagues, Chairman Moran,
    Ranking Member Blumenthal, for hosting us this week. And I
    would like to thank the VFW National Commander, Alfred
    Lipphardt, for being here today. Thank you, Commander.
        I would also like to give a shout-out to the VFW Auxiliary
    National Commander, Brenda Bryant. Thank you for being here.
    And I am pleased that there are folks here from the great State
    of Illinois, and if you would, I just want you to stand if you
    can, or raise your hand, and be recognized. There they are.
    Thanks for being here.
        [Applause.]
        Chairman Bost. And I want to thank you all for traveling
    here to your nation's capital for such important issues.
        This Congress marks a decade on this sacred Committee for
    me, and it is my second term as Chair. It is an honor to serve
    all of you. The mission of the VA Committee has always been
    personal to me. I grew up in a home with veterans, and many of
    you have heard it before, but I am still going to say it again.
    My dad and his brothers, Army, Korean War.
        [Chorus of hooahs.]
        Chairman Bost. My grandfather, one was Navy, Second World
    War.
        [Chorus of hooyahs.]
        Chairman Bost. Other grandfather, Marine.
        [Chorus of oohrahs.]
        Chairman Bost. Oohrah, Korea. Uncle, Marine, Vietnam,
    victim of the ultimate oxymoron, friendly fire, but because of
    VA has had a very successful life, and he is up in his years
    now. I, peacetime Marine. My son is a lieutenant colonel, a
    reservist now, but was active for many years, and my grandson,
    the son of my daughter, just got out of the Corps about 6 or 8
    months ago. He was an F-18 mechanic.
        So as you can tell, it is kind of personal to me, but it is
    an honor to serve you. And every time I sit at the dais, when
    we are getting in debates, whether it is with an agency or
    another side of the aisle, my focus is not on the person I am
    discussing. It is on the veterans we are serving. It is always
    about you. It is always about the veterans, because that is why
    the VA was created, not for bureaucrats, but for the veterans.
        Now I know the sacrifice each of you has made, because my
    family made them. Each of you have fought to protect our
    constitutional rights. I am particularly proud of the work VFW
    has done to improve transition from active duty to civilian
    life. You wrote in your testimony about the Transition
    Assistance Program can be improved, and how it can be improved,
    to ensure all transitioning servicemembers are connected to
    benefits and resources as soon as possible, and I am looking
    forward to working with you on making improvements, where we
    can, to modernize the delivery of care and services at VA and
    DoD when we are using the TAP program.
        Now under my leadership we have listened to the men and
    women serving around the world who just wanted a simple program
    that meets their needs. There is more to do through legislation
    to increase the ability of DoD, their accountability, but to
    make DoD accountable to putting the TAP program as a right
    priority for those people who are leaving service. I am
    optimistic that with our new leadership in the Pentagon this
    will finally happen.
        I do want to let you know, though, 1983, when I left the
    Marine Corps, they had a TAP program. The colonel tapped me on
    the shoulder and said, ``See you later.'' [Laughter.] That was
    it. So we are doing our job to make sure that we help you. But
    remember, like we talk about the VA--if you see one VA, you
    have seen one VA--if you have seen one TAP program, you have
    seen one TAP program. We have to have the ability to help these
    servicemembers as they leave, to make sure they know and
    understand what is available to them.
        VFW will play a vital role, an important role, in making
    sure we advance commonsense proposals and conduct oversight to
    meet the needs of the entire veteran community, no matter where
    they live or where they want to work. Veterans should have the
    freedom to use the benefits of VA, no matter where they are at,
    to meet their individual needs, and they should not be spending
    hours driving in a car to get there or combing through wonky
    paperwork for months on end to figure out what is available to
    them, or needlessly waiting on a phone call to get a simple
    answer. You know where the VA is falling short, and you know
    where we need to push the Agency to bring it out of the stone
    age and into the modern age. We cannot let the bureaucracy
    continue to grow without concrete results for you, the men and
    women who serve.
        You have my commitment that as long as I am in charge, I
    will continue to fight for you and the voices that you
    represent, the hundreds of thousands of veterans outside the
    D.C. beltway who just want their health care on time, their
    benefits when they need them. This old corporal takes this
    mission seriously, and I know our new VA Secretary and my
    friend, Doug Collins, does too. Under President Trump's
    leadership, I know we are going to put you, the veteran, the VA
    services back at the center of the VA mission. And when the
    bureaucrat tries to get in the way, I will continue to be the
    first one to hold them accountable and get the answers for you.
        We made great progress through the Dole Act to provide
    support for homeless program, to ensure VA continues to lift
    veterans out of homelessness and get them back living
    fulfilling lives. My door will continue to always be open. We
    must deliver for our veterans to protect their health care
    choices, expand economic opportunity and education, streamline
    benefits to move VA and the services it provides forward. Now,
    I promise to keep up the fight together with you, and I look
    forward to completing our mission alongside of you.
        I want to thank the Senator again for having us here today,
    and with that I yield back.
        Chairman Moran. Chairman Bost, thank you. You said as long
    as you are in charge. I just want to remind you that you are in
    the Senate today.
        Chairman Bost. I am in the Senate now. That's true. I will
    be on my best behavior.
        [Laughter.]
        Chairman Moran. We look forward to that.
        [Laughter.]
        Chairman Moran. I now yield to the Ranking Member of the
    Senate Committee, Senator Blumenthal, for his opening remarks.

             OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL,
             RANKING MEMBER, U.S. SENATOR FROM CONNECTICUT

        Senator Blumenthal. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you to
    everyone for being here today, Commander Lipphardt, Chief
    Lipphardt, and all of your team and all of the VFW and other
    veterans who are here today. I hope we have a few veterans, a
    few members of the VFW from Connecticut. If you are here--yes,
    indeed. Thank you.
        I have particular honor and pleasure to welcome you today,
    Chief Lipphardt, because the VFW has been a key partner in
    helping pass important legislation for veterans and their
    families, keeping our promises to our Nation's heroes. And I
    want to thank you very, very deeply for the very forthright and
    powerful statement you made in reaction to the firing and the
    funding freezes, in effect saying--and I think I am quoting
    directly--``stop the bleeding.''
        I quoted you last week at both of our hearings extensively,
    and I put your statement into the record. And I think your
    leadership at a time when others perhaps kept their heads down
    is typical of the VFW, and provides a guiding light for other
    similar organizations, and an alarm, a wake-up call. Sounding
    that alarm is a real public service.
        It is tough to focus on efforts and legislative priorities
    when so many of our previous efforts are being rolled back,
    without consulting us. In other words, how do we go forward
    with new legislation when the priorities can simply be ignored
    and the legislation violated?
        For instance, on hundreds of contracts, Secretary Collins
    proudly announced that he had canceled a number--in fact, 875--
    and we are confused now as to which of those cancellations has
    been rescinded. There was an announcement, I think just in the
    last 24 hours, that perhaps now the number has been reduced to
    600. I have demanded information and clarity as to those
    contracts. I believe others on the Committee may have done, as
    well.
        We have been informed that one of those canceled contracts
    is the Veteran-Directed Care Program, something we codified and
    expanded in a bipartisan matter, with the Dole Act. This
    program allows aging and disabled veterans to receive care in
    their home, a cost-effective alternative to nursing home care.
    It is absolutely integral to the VA's continuing of long-term
    care services. But it is just one of the hundreds of contracts
    that Secretary Collins seems intent on canceling. Contracts
    that provide critical services to veterans and their families
    and allow the VA itself to identify waste, fraud, and abuse.
        We cannot confirm that this specific contract is on the
    list of 585 that he canceled last night, or the 875 he
    announced he would cancel last week, because he will not share
    the list with us. He just wants to use the numbers for his
    press release, no transparency, no accountability, no
    consultation.
        In the process, he continues to claim that abruptly
    canceling hundreds of services will not impact veterans' care
    and benefits in any way. If that sounds realistic to anybody in
    this room, I would like to talk to you.
        Mr. Chairman, I would like to submit for the record an
    article from the Kentucky Public Radio, published on February
    25, titled ``Kentucky business among hundreds losing veteran
    service contracts amid Trump cuts.'' I have it here.
        Chairman Moran. Without objection.

        [The article referred to appears on page 211 of the
    Appendix.]

        Senator Blumenthal. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In this
    article, Army veteran Neil Riley is quoted, quote, ``Secretary
    Collins said specifically that it wouldn't impact veteran
    health care or benefits in any way, and that is specifically a
    lie,'' end quote. Mr. Riley's company is a federally certified,
    service disabled veteran-owned small business that had all of
    its VA contracts canceled last week, all of them canceled last
    week. And it is just one of dozens of veteran-owned small
    businesses who had their contracts canceled and were forced to
    lay off hundreds of employees. Many of those employees were
    veterans themselves.
        These contracts help ensure the safety of low-income
    housing for veterans who are homeless or transitioning from
    care. It is not simple waste. It is not waste at all. It is not
    hypothetical. It is not abstruse or abstract. It is one of many
    human examples of impacts of this Administration's actions, and
    it is not happening on some imaginatory mind. It is happening
    in real life.
        It is just the tip of the iceberg. We have also heard
    directly from VA employees and veterans that the VA has
    terminated critical researchers, plan to cancel a PACT Act
    Enterprise Program Management Office contract that could derail
    implementation of the PACT Act. It has delayed facility
    openings and reduced inpatient beds. It has canceled 50 patient
    appointments at a VA facility last week due to staff shortages.
    It has fired Veterans Crisis Line employees in one wave of
    termination, rehired them after receiving the backlash, and
    then fired even more during a second wave, not to mention the
    thousands of other VA employees and veterans fired without
    cause.
        I will introduce, later today, a resolution. I will seek
    unanimous consent for it, asking that these firings be
    reversed. Each of them has their own story. They are men and
    women serving alongside your doctors and nurses. They process
    your disability compensation claims. They ensure veterans have
    a final resting place that honors their service to a grateful
    nation. Many of them are veterans who choose to continue their
    service by serving their fellow veterans. They have been
    callously discarded.
        Chief, your testimony says that VFW members prefer the VA
    to remain the primary provider of their health care. We need
    your help to ensure the VA has the workforce and capabilities
    to provide that health care, which is the rock of our VA health
    care system. And I want to thank you for staying true, keeping
    faith, and being a powerful and eloquent advocate for our
    veterans. We need you now more than ever.
        Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Chairman Moran. Thank you. I now yield to the Ranking
    Member, Ranking Member Takano, for his opening remarks.

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

        Mr. Takano. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Chairman
    Moran.
        Today we close out our annual series of joint hearings with
    the veterans service organizations, and I am pleased to welcome
    our first panel, the National Commander and representatives of
    the Veterans of Foreign Wars and its auxiliary, as well as our
    second panel, representatives from the Paralyzed Veterans of
    America, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Student
    Veterans of America, the Tragedy Assistance Program for
    Survivors, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, and the National
    Coalition for Homeless Veterans.
        And I would like to extend a special welcome to VA's
    Commander in Chief, Mr. Al Lipphardt, and National Auxiliary
    President, Ms. Brenda Bryant. Welcome.
        Before I begin my remarks I have to ask, are there any
    Californians in the room?
        [Cheers.]
        Mr. Takano. I just had to do it.
        I just want you to know, I grew up with stories about my
    three great-uncles who served in World War II in the famed
    442nd Infantry Regiment. And one of my uncles who fought in
    Vietnam sadly died by suicide when I was young. Since joining
    this Committee, I have had the honor of visiting the graves of
    the fallen around the world at cemeteries managed by the
    Department of Veterans Affairs and the American Battle
    Monuments Commission. I urge all Americans watching this
    hearing to put it on your bucket list, to visit some of these
    amazing, hallowed grounds that we meticulously keep and
    maintain.
        It is for those servicemembers and veterans, and for all of
    you, that I fight to ensure that our country honors the debt
    that can never be repaid. Honoring that debt means listening to
    veterans' voices about issues impacting their daily lives and
    how we can address them, and one of the ways we do that is by
    holding these hearings with veterans service organizations.
        It was at these hearings in 2022, when the VSOs stood in
    solidarity, calling on Congress to pass the Honoring our PACT
    Act. Without you, we would never have passed the largest
    expansion of veterans health care and benefits since the
    Vietnam War. Without VFW and countless other VSOs, millions of
    veterans would still be struggling to access health care for
    the toxic exposures they experienced in their service to our
    country. I will always be grateful to you for helping us get it
    done.
        The PACT Act was never meant to be a one-and-done. There is
    still so much more work to be done, because our pact with our
    Nation's veterans is not only about toxic exposures, it is also
    about our promise to ensure that veterans have access to their
    care and benefits, and that we do everything we can to end
    veteran homelessness and veteran suicide; address new
    categories of illness and injury associated with military
    service, for example, blast injury and military traumatic brain
    injury; finally achieve Guard and Reserve parity; ensure that
    VA is welcoming to all, and I mean all, veterans who have
    earned the right to be at a VA facility; ensure that VA's
    infrastructure can supports its mission, and so much more.
        Instead of focusing on these critical issues facing
    veterans, we are being distracted by unnecessary chaos. I have
    grave concerns about how President Trump's Executive orders are
    being carried out across the Federal Government, most
    especially at the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the
    impacts that these orders are already having on veterans.
        Under the Trump administration, more than 2,400 VA
    employees have been illegally fired, and many more have opted
    to leave rather than put up with the chaos and uncertainty that
    has been inflicted upon them. The worst part is they are not
    done yet. We expect the Administration to continue its efforts
    to further dismantle the Federal workforce. I question how
    purging the workforce, firing the watchdogs, making VA hostile
    to women and minority veterans is helping VA serve veterans
    better.
        Now, I have sent numerous letters to VA, seeking
    information on the Department's implementation of President
    Trump's disastrous Executive orders, and have had zero--zero--
    meaningful responses from Secretary Collins, and this is
    extremely troubling.
        I was grateful to see VFW's statement supporting Federal
    employees, especially the veterans, who have been unlawfully
    terminated by this Administration. VFW continues to be a leader
    when it comes to standing up for veterans and what they need.
        So I am heartened to see that the courts appear to be
    paying attention. Last week, a judge in my home state called
    these firings illegal. While it is unclear how this ruling will
    impact the thousands of Federal employees who have already lost
    their jobs, I am hopeful the courts will continue to stand in
    the constitutional role of providing relief for all the damage
    that the Administration has done.
        And yes, damage has already been done. Cuts at the
    Cleveland VA Medical Center have made it harder for veterans to
    access mental health care and prosthetics, among other
    services. Restricting access to these crucial mental health
    services, while we are fighting the crisis of veteran suicide,
    is the height of tone deafness. Arguments that veterans are
    taxpayers too are tantamount to asking veterans to sign up to
    die for their country again. This is unacceptable.
        I have been accused of putting bureaucracy over veterans,
    but I dispute that. What about the veterans who lost their jobs
    to the Trump administration's indiscriminate firings of Federal
    employees? What about Black veterans who are unable to access
    VA home loans due to redlining? What about women veterans whose
    services still are not valued as much as their male peers, and
    are now worried about the loss of gender-specific care at VA?
    What about LGBTQ+ veterans whose health is in jeopardy because
    of the Administration's denial of their very existence?
        Ensuring the institution is there to serve veterans is
    putting veterans first. It is our job to ensure access to
    world-class health care and benefits to all--all veterans who
    have earned the right, and I take that responsibility very
    seriously. It is my hope that I can count on the VSO community
    to help us hold VA accountable to all veterans, and that you
    will also hold Congress accountable by making sure that we walk
    the talk, that we are carrying out our constitutional oversight
    responsibilities by asking tough questions, demanding answers,
    and taking legislative action when it is needed.
        We cannot waver in this because we know that veterans,
    their survivors, and caregivers are depending on us.
        Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I yield back.
        Chairman Moran. Thank you, Ranking Member Takano. I am
    going to, in a moment, recognize the Senator from Georgia,
    Senator Ossoff. I was going to indicate while the Committee
    members are here, when we were in the House we called on
    members to ask questions based upon their seniority in the
    Senate. I do not know whether it is more egalitarian than the
    House, but we call on people in order of their arrival time. So
    if you came here, and started here, and you were early, you get
    rewarded for good behavior. Maybe it is just the Senate needs
    some kind of incentive for good behavior.
        In that regard, let me recognize our colleague from
    Georgia, Senator Ossoff.

                    INTRODUCTION BY HON. JON OSSOFF,
                       U.S. SENATOR FROM GEORGIA

        Senator Ossoff. Well, thank you, Chairmen Moran and Bost,
    Ranking Members Blumenthal and Takano, for the privilege of
    addressing the Joint Committee today and the privilege of
    introducing to you a great Georgian, an American hero, a friend
    of mine, and someone I deeply admire, Al Lipphardt, who is
    Commander in Chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
        Born and raised in Hamilton, Ohio, Al moved to Georgia
    shortly after enlisting as an infantryman in the United States
    Army in 1965, and while training in Georgia he attended Officer
    Candidate School, and was commissioned as an infantry officer.
        During his time on active duty, Al earned his VFW
    eligibility through two combat tours during the Vietnam War,
    from 1967 to 1968, and from 1970 to 1971, and through his
    distinguished service he received the Combat Infantryman's
    Badge, Bronze Star with a ``V'' device, the Purple Heart, and
    numerous other awards, concluding his service at Fort
    McPherson, Georgia, in 1979, with the rank of captain.
        After his military service, Al devoted himself to a life of
    servant leadership in charitable and fraternal organizations.
    He also received his Bachelor of Science degree in business
    administration from Pacific Western University in 1990.
        In 2002, Al joined the VFW at Post 12002 in North Fulton,
    Georgia, as a charter member, and maintains his Gold Legacy
    Life Membership in VFW Post 2667, Newnan, Georgia--that is
    Coweta, County, right, Al?--along with his family members, who
    are also VFW Department of Georgia Auxiliary Post 2667 life
    members.
        Al has served in elected and appointed positions at all
    levels of leadership through the organization, earning the
    coveted Triple Crown Award, achieving All-American Commander
    status at his post, district and department levels. And at a
    moment that brought great honor to the State of Georgia, Al, on
    August 1, 2024, you were elected as the 116th National
    Commander in Chief of the VFW. We are so proud of you and so
    grateful for your service throughout your life.
        And he has been on the road, taking the pulse of veterans
    across the Nation, servicemembers and military families alike,
    traveling across the country visiting with veterans and their
    families in nearly all 50 states, and visiting veterans and our
    men and women in uniform living and serving overseas, in Europe
    and in the Indo-Pacific.
        He lives by the words, ``Believe in what you do and do what
    you believe in.'' Al is a great American, and it is a privilege
    for the Senate and the House to have him testifying today.
        And I would be remiss, Chairmen and Ranking Members, if I
    didn't conclude by noting and honoring the tremendous record of
    bipartisanship, bipartisan commitment to veterans that has been
    a hallmark of the Veterans' Affairs Committees in both chambers
    of Congress. And I know I speak for veterans in Georgia and
    people of all political persuasions today who are deeply
    alarmed by the unnecessary chaos that has been brought to the
    VA in Georgia and across the country in the last few weeks. And
    I humbly urge you to sustain that bipartisanship that has been
    a hallmark of your work and conduct the rigorous apolitical
    oversight that you are obligated to do, beginning today with
    hearing from these distinguished American heroes.
        Again, a pleasure to introduce my friend, Al, to the
    Committee, and Chairmen and Ranking Members, thank you so much
    for the honor of being here today.
        Chairman Moran. Senator Ossoff, thank you for your
    introduction of this great American and hero veteran. I hold in
    highest regard our veterans, and maybe slightly higher than
    that, veterans who serve other veterans. And clearly the
    description you gave of Al Lipphardt demonstrates he is that.
        So, may I now recognize the 116th National Commander of the
    Veterans of Foreign Wars, Al Lipphardt, for his testimony.
    Commander.

                                PANEL I

                               ----------

     STATEMENT OF ALFRED J. ``AL'' LIPPHARDT, COMMANDER IN CHIEF,
     VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS OF THE UNITED STATES, ACCOMPANIED BY
      PATRICK MURRAY, ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WASHINGTON
        OFFICE; KRISTINA KEENAN, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE
    SERVICE; MICHAEL FIGLIOLI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL VETERANS SERVICE;
       AND MITCH FULLER, CHAIRMAN, NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE

        Mr. Lipphardt. Thank you, Chairmen Moran and Bost, Ranking
    Members Blumenthal and Takano, Members of the Veterans' Affairs
    Committee. It is my honor to testify today on behalf of the
    more than 1.4 million members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars
    and its Auxiliary, America's largest war veterans organization.
        While the benefits we afford our all-volunteer force may
    seem generous to those who have never served, these benefits
    are simply the warranty of the service contract each of us
    signed before we put on the uniform. In addition to the
    servicemember's obligations, each contract explicitly entitles
    servicemembers to certain benefits as a result of honorable
    service. This is why the VFW calls on our Nation to honor the
    contract.
        The basic enlistment contract reads, ``My enlistment
    agreement is more than an employment agreement. It effects a
    change in status from civilian to military member of the Armed
    Forces.'' And one line that stands out on this contract, ``As a
    member of the Armed Forces of the United States, I will be
    entitled to receive pay, allowances, and other benefits, as
    provided by law and regulation.''
        This is not charity. This is a contract. Everyone who has
    served honorably, like every member of the Veterans of Foreign
    Wars, met our end of this agreement. We demand our leaders do
    the same. By contract, you must ensure the VA has the resources
    and staff to provide veterans their full earned benefits. This
    is not an ask. Honor the contract!
        [Applause.]
        Mr. Lipphardt. The historic passage of the PACT Act in 2022
    provided health care and benefits to a tremendous number of
    veterans and survivors, some of whom had waited years for
    relief. The VFW is grateful to these Committees for drafting
    and passing this critical legislation.
        [Applause.]
        Mr. Lipphardt. The PACT Act is not the end of the journey
    for toxic exposed veterans and their survivors. This
    legislation was enacted to address health conditions related to
    burn pits and Agent Orange exposure. Just as important, the
    PACT Act included a framework for VA's evaluation of toxic
    exposures not included in the legislation. Veterans frequently
    tell the VFW about their health conditions resulting from
    exposure.
        The military is inherently a hazardous profession, and we
    must take care of our K2 veterans, those who served at Fort
    McClellan, veterans exposed to radiation, forever chemicals,
    and others. The VFW urges Congress to conduct oversight of VA's
    presumptive process because veterans cannot keep waiting.
        [Applause.]
        Mr. Lipphardt. The transition from military to civilian
    life is a critical moment that requires active participation by
    both the Department of Defense and VA. Veterans can face
    difficult transitions, including housing insecurity,
    underemployment, and health concerns. We know that the first
    year from separation has the highest rate for suicide. VA
    currently includes accredited claims representatives in its
    portion of TAP classes, and the VFW leads the way in providing
    critical assistance on major installations across the country.
        The VFW urges Congress to pass legislation like the TAP
    Promotion Act to codify this practice, ensuring that
    servicemembers receive their benefits at the earliest possible
    moment.
        [Applause.]
        Mr. Lipphardt. Furthermore, the VFW believes that military
    commanders must prioritize transition services. The VFW urges
    Congress to establish an Under Secretary of Defense for
    Transition. This position is essential for effective management
    and accountability. Improving transition has the potential to
    enhance recruitment and retention, lowers risk for suicide, and
    sets veterans on a path to success.
        [Applause.]
        Mr. Lipphardt. Many veterans live with PTSD. VA most often
    provides antidepressants and other medications, combined with
    therapy. Veterans are concerned the VA may be overprescribing
    these medications. While these treatments are successful for
    some individuals, many veterans report experiencing only
    temporary relief, adverse side effects, and difficulties when
    going off medications. Not all treatments work for all
    veterans, which is why the VFW is working with Grunt Style
    Foundation, urging Congress and VA to research and provide
    alternative, nonconventional solutions for veterans, and break
    the cycle of overmedication.
        [Applause.]
        Mr. Lipphardt. Treatments that have shown potential include
    HBOT, medical cannabis, MDMA, and other plant-based alternative
    therapies.
        The VFW believes there are additional ways to effectively
    treat PTSD. VA should receive funding to research and deliver
    those treatments today.
        [Applause.]
        Mr. Lipphardt. Now, onto our favorite subject--claim
    sharks.
        [Chorus of boos.]
        Mr. Lipphardt. The VFW continues its fight against
    unaccredited, predatory claims consultants that we call ``claim
    sharks.'' Charging veterans for initial claims assistance is
    prohibited by law. Claim sharks often charge veterans the
    equivalent of 5 to 10 months of their future disability
    payments. This could put them in debt simply for trying to
    access their earned benefits. Some claim sharks obtain
    fraudulent medical opinions, from their own providers; access
    veterans' log-in credentials for VA websites and call centers,
    which are egregious practices. Anyone who assists veterans with
    the preparation of VA claims should adhere to Federal law.
        [Applause.]
        Mr. Lipphardt. The VFW understands that some veterans are
    willing to pay for claims help, but these companies cannot be
    allowed to line their pockets with taxpayer dollars at the
    expense of disabled veterans. The VFW would support commonsense
    legislation to require that everyone who charges veterans for
    claims is accredited. Veterans should never go into debt to
    access their earned benefits.
        [Applause.]
        Mr. Lipphardt. The service of National Guard and Reserve
    members is still overlooked despite a stark increase in
    deployments since September 11, 2001. Though they have served
    alongside active duty servicemembers, both domestic and abroad,
    they do not earn their VA education benefits at the same rate.
    This inequity has been amplified in recent years during the
    frequent activations due to natural disasters, the COVID-19
    pandemic, and border security missions. The VFW urges Congress
    to pass the Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2025, to
    allow any day in uniform for which military pay is received to
    count toward Post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility.
        This is a joint legislative priority for both the VFW and
    the Student Veterans of America. The current VFW/SVA
    legislative fellows have advocated on their college campuses
    around the country to bring awareness to this issue. The time
    is long past for parity. This inequity must end now.
        [Applause.]
        Mr. Lipphardt. For more than two decades, Congress has
    failed to address the longstanding injustice of withholding
    military retirement pay from disabled veterans. Retirement pay
    and disability compensation are separate benefits, earned for
    different reasons. Congress continues to wrongly treat their
    concurrent receipt as double dipping. The VFW has advocated for
    the Major Richard Star Act and other legislation to provide
    full concurrent receipt to all deserving veterans. Congress
    passed the Social Security Fairness Act in the last session,
    ending a similar unjust offset for Social Security recipients.
        It is time to correct this injustice for our military
    retirees. The VFW calls on Congress to fix this now.
        [Applause.]
        Mr. Lipphardt. Lastly, I would like to end with a solemn
    reminder of what is at stake when we go to war. I would like to
    recognize five members of my unit with whom I served in
    Vietnam: Private Lewis Sloan of East Point, Georgia; Corporal
    Kenneth Adams of Santa Barbara, California; Corporal Philip
    Adams of Croton Falls, New York; Private First Class Robert
    Waddell of Batavia, Ohio; and Corporal Rodney Loatman of
    Newark, New Jersey. I would ask these men to stand and be
    recognized, but they can't. Their names are on the Vietnam
    Wall, along with all those who gave the last full measure of
    devotion to this Nation, acknowledged by the contract that we
    signed.
        They died on November 23, 1967, Thanksgiving Day. Their
    names and the recognition of their supreme sacrifice must never
    be forgotten. Our nation must never forget our warfighters.
    This is why we persistently call for the full funding of DPAA's
    mission, proper recognition of American Expeditionary Forces,
    deterring our enemies abroad, and proper support to overseas
    veterans who augment these critical missions.
        Chairmen Moran and Bost, Ranking Members Blumenthal and
    Takano, Members of the Committees, thank you for the
    opportunity to discuss these important issues. My team and I
    are ready to answer any questions that you may have. Thank you.
        [Standing ovation.]

        [The prepared statement of Mr. Lipphardt appears on page 59
    of the Appendix.]

        Chairman Moran. National Commander, thank you for your
    thoughtful and solid testimony, your compelling testimony.
        We are now going to have that opportunity for us to ask you
    and your team questions. We are going to begin a round of 3-
    minute questions, and I will begin those questions by
    highlighting a couple of things that you said.
        The first question I was going to ask you about, and am
    going to ask you about, you highlighted first, and that is the
    PACT Act. You highlighted that it was not a one-and-done deal
    and that there was more to come, and that there are veterans
    that are not yet receiving the benefits that some now are
    eligible for because the PACT Act requires further action by
    the Department of Veterans Affairs.
        We established a framework to make decisions regarding new
    presumptions of service-connection in an attempt to make it
    easier for toxic exposed veterans to file for and receive
    disability compensation and access to VA health care.
        What are you hearing from VA and from veterans about this
    new presumptive decision process? What are you hearing about
    concerns from veterans whose conditions are not covered by
    presumption service-connection or whose location or years of
    service are not included in the existing presumption? Would you
    please share that with me and the Committee?
        Mr. Lipphardt. Thank you very much, sir. But I would like
    for Mike Figlioli from our National Veteran Service to more
    fully answer that in detail.
        Chairman Moran. Mr. Figlioli.
        Mr. Figlioli. Thank you, Commander in Chief. Thank you
    again for the passage of the PACT Act. And we have said before,
    it is a framework that needed to be looked at, that needed to
    be updated, that needed to be kept up with.
        We are aware that some veterans are not covered by those
    provisions. We have attempted to engage VA. We have not really
    had many meaningful engagements about upcoming disabilities or
    presumptives that might be involved. We have not been able to
    discuss with them the conditions that are being reported to us.
    There has not been much discussion about what conditions they
    plan to review related to any other exposure. We have seen
    Federal Register notices that have been published without
    stakeholder input, and there has been a severe lack of
    transparency from VA, which is been required by the PACT Act.
        So we are aware of other maladies, diseases. We keep
    hearing about these things that VA needs to consider, but they
    have been less than forthright in coming to the table.
        Chairman Moran. Thank you for your testimony. It is
    something that we clearly, in cooperation with you, need to
    follow up, to make sure the VA follows the law.
        Let me ask next about the Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity
    Act, also what you highlighted, National Commander. I
    appreciate the strong support of the VFW. Can you please go
    into any greater detail on why this bill is needed, what gaps
    in education benefits National Guards and Reserve components
    are currently experiencing, and how it impacts recruitment and
    retention.
        Mr. Lipphardt. Thank you very much again, sir. Well, I
    could answer that question for you. I would rather turn it over
    to Ms. Keenan, who is our National Legislative Director, for
    more detail.
        Chairman Moran. Ms. Keenan.
        Ms. Keenan. Thank you, Chief. I served in the National
    Guard myself, and even though I deployed twice, I only earned
    60 percent of my Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. We know that Guard
    and Reserve members are deploying more overseas but also
    domestically, to support natural disasters, border security,
    and other missions, and currently a lot of that service does
    not count toward GI Bill eligibility.
        So we just want parity that every day in uniform, where a
    servicemember is receiving pay, counts toward their eligibility
    for Post-9/11 education benefits. Thank you.
        Chairman Moran. Thank you for your answer. I now recognize
    Chairman Bost.
        Chairman Bost. Thank you, Chairman. Commander, last year,
    just before Congress was leaving town, VA reported a massive
    budget shortfall that claimed that would impact the delivery of
    benefits for our veterans. It scared our veterans, okay, around
    the Nation. Now we know, though, that that was not the case. So
    moving forward, do you think it is necessary for VA to receive
    annual audits and report to Congress to prevent another
    claiming of a shortfall, scaring people? Do you think we need
    to do that?
        Mr. Lipphardt. Thank you very much, sir, and the answer to
    that question, in one word, is yes. But to answer it a little
    more fully, and then I am going to ask Mr. Murray to follow up,
    we need to ensure that the VA is fully funded and fully
    staffed. That needs to be taken care of first.
        Mr. Murray. Chairman Bost, we are very appreciative of
    Congress stepping in to take care of that emergency funding,
    when needed. However, it turns out it might not have been. We
    fully support transparency from VA and making sure that our
    taxpayer dollars are being accounted for properly.
        Chairman Bost. Thank you. Commander, for veterans suffering
    from substance use disorder, many may need help, and showing up
    is the foundational moment in the road to recovery. Do you
    think the VA current Community Care process enables VA to get
    them into the immediate treatment that they need?
        Mr. Lipphardt. Thank you very much, sir. I am going to ask
    Pat to give you more detail, and then I would like to follow it
    up.
        Mr. Murray. Simply, no. The ACCESS Act and the Elizabeth
    Dole Home Care Act had a provision to help try to address that.
    We want to make sure that when veterans are brave enough to
    step up and ask for help, there is someone there to answer the
    phone. There is someone there to take care of that and not send
    them away or make them wait months, drive far too long. All
    those things will hopefully save veterans' lives.
        Chairman Bost. So then I will follow up with that, because
    the passage of H.R. 740, the Veterans' ACCESS Act of 2025,
    would eliminate that red tape. Do you agree with that?
        Mr. Murray. We hope so.
        Chairman Bost. Commander, VA must be held accountable for
    care and benefits that our veterans receive. We would also like
    to see the Committee conduct more oversight of the Department
    to drive improved services to our veterans. Would you like to
    see that?
        Mr. Lipphardt. In a word, sir, absolutely.
        Chairman Bost. Thank you. I want to thank you for being
    here today, and I will yield back. I will yield back, and I
    will yield to Senator Blumenthal.
        Senator Blumenthal. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to say,
    very enthusiastically, I support the goals of the GUARD Act. I
    have been working and fighting for it. Likewise the Parity
    legislation that is so important to our Reserve and National
    Guard. They should be treated equally. There is no question
    that it is a matter of fairness.
        Chief Lipphardt, you referred to that contract that we
    make. When anyone in this room went into the service they
    raised their right hand and they swore allegiance to the
    Constitution and laws of the United States. That contract is
    legally binding on the United States of America, on this
    Congress. And we owe it to our veterans to keep our promises
    and follow the law.
        [Applause.]
        Senator Blumenthal. And that is why I am so angry and
    disappointed that the VA is firing workers who are integral to
    implementing the PACT Act, and terminating contracts that are
    essential to provide those benefits under the PACT Act.
        Would you agree with me that those workers and contracts
    should be reinstated so that the PACT Act is made fully
    available, on a timely basis, to every veteran deserving of
    care and benefits because of their toxic exposure?
        Mr. Lipphardt. Thank you very much, Senator. We certainly
    agree that the contract must be honored. We deploy when
    ordered. We served. When I was wounded in Vietnam, I was
    wounded in the neck and the left arm with shrapnel. But instead
    of just taking my arm off, the medics took the time to just
    pick out the pieces. That is the way that we need to be
    addressing these issues. It needs to be with a scalpel and not
    just a saw. We must take time to look at what is happening, who
    it is happening to. So yes, I do.
        Senator Blumenthal. I think that is a very, very powerful
    statement of the way waste should be eliminated in the VA, not
    with a meat ax but with a surgeon's scalpel, cautiously and
    carefully. And right now my fear is that veterans are regarded
    as trash on the road to some waste removal indiscriminately,
    and draconian actions that, in fact, involve taking off the
    VA's arm in the name of eliminating waste and abuse, in fact,
    creating bigger costs as a result.
        I have two sons who have served, one in the Marine Corps in
    Afghanistan, the other is a Navy SEAL. And I worry about the VA
    being there for them, for our young people, for our future
    generation. I know the VFW is seeking to attract more younger
    veterans, and I think your powerful advocacy is going to be a
    beacon for them. I thank you for being here.
        Mr. Lipphardt. Thank you, sir. And again, veterans are not
    numbers. We are people. We are people that put ourselves out
    there, to secure this Nation. And we deserve to have the VA
    fully funded, fully staffed, so we can receive the best care
    available, period. So thank you again, Senator.
        Senator Blumenthal. Thank you.
        [Applause.]
        Chairman Bost [presiding]. Ranking Member Takano, you are
    recognized for 3 minutes.
        Mr. Takano. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Commander Lipphardt,
    as I mentioned in my opening, I applaud VFW's statement calling
    for an end to the indiscriminate firing of Federal employees,
    especially veterans, who make up roughly a third of the Federal
    workforce. I am worried that these haphazard cuts,
    indiscriminate cuts are going to have on the immediate and
    long-lasting impact on veterans.
        And, you know, it seems like it is fire first, analyze
    after. Cancel contracts first, analyze after. I commit to
    working with you and other VSOs willing to stand with us to
    undo these illegal and unconscionable firings.
        So Commander Lipphardt, recently VA announced the
    termination of $2 billion worth of contracts, and one of those
    contracts was the Program Office at VA tasked with the
    implementation of the PACT Act. How important is the PACT Act
    and toxic exposures to the VFW?
        Mr. Lipphardt. Senator Takano, military service is
    inherently dangerous. I think we could all agree on that. One
    of the dangers is exposure to toxins. I would like to take this
    moment to ask our members in the audience to stand up if any of
    them have been exposed to toxins at any point during their
    military career.
        [Majority of room stands.]
        Mr. Lipphardt. There is your answer.
        [Applause.]
        Mr. Lipphardt. As you saw from our members, this issue is
    very important to us. These are the men and women who placed
    themselves between the weapons of our enemies and these shores.
    We need to be cared for. Thank you.
        Mr. Takano. Wow. All I can say is we owe you. We owe you,
    to honor the contract, to honor the PACT. Thank you. I am very
    sad to see so many affected, but this highlights the importance
    of the PACT Act and why we cannot allow the Cost of War Toxic
    Exposures Fund to be dismantled. We owe it to these veterans to
    ensure that the funding to care for them will always be
    available.
        Commander, as I mentioned in my opening, I applaud VFW's
    statement calling for the end to the indiscriminate firing of
    Federal employees. I am worried that these haphazard cuts--I
    already did that.
        You highlighted the results of VA's last survey on the VA
    health care that showed that veterans are still overwhelmingly
    preferring to get their care from VA, when available. I
    absolutely agree that there is a time and a place for community
    care, and I am concerned that continued growth its utilization
    is having a catastrophic impact on VA's direct care budget.
        What can Congress do to protect VA's direct provision of
    care, where available?
        Mr. Lipphardt. The key is consistency of care, and I am
    going to ask Mr. Murray to expound on that.
        Mr. Murray. Mr. Takano, we support community care as VA
    care. We believe it is a necessary supplement to VA care. We
    would never want that to supplant VA care, though. What we want
    is consistency. When veterans do need to access community care,
    like our members from Senator Hassan's state, New Hampshire,
    are all automatically eligible for community care because they
    do not have those facilities.
        So when veterans need to access it, they expect
    consistency, they expect to be told up front what to expect.
    That is what we want with our community care, not necessarily
    more. We want it to be better.
        Mr. Takano. Thank you. I yield back.
        Chairman Bost. Congresswoman Radewagen, you are recognized
    for 3 minutes.

                  HON. AUMUA AMATA COLEMAN RADEWAGEN,
                U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM AMERICAN SAMOA

        Mrs. Radewagen. Thank you. Commander Lipphardt, in VFW's
    testimony you mentioned inconsistencies in servicemembers
    reporting to TAP on time. Can you please expand on the barriers
    servicemembers face when trying to go through the TAP program?
        Mr. Lipphardt. Thank you, ma'am, and I would like to ask
    Ms. Keenan to expound.
        Ms. Keenan. Thank you for the question. We have heard from
    veterans that say that they were not able to get to TAP on time
    because of mission readiness. So not all servicemembers have
    the ability to choose when they have their free time because of
    the mission. So we want to be able to ensure that commanders at
    DoD take transition seriously, that there is some
    accountability, and that they can get all of their
    servicemembers who are leaving, and 80 percent of the force
    leaves before retirement. Make sure they get to those
    transition courses and that they get there on time.
        Mrs. Radewagen. Commander Lipphardt, how can this Committee
    best support veterans to ensure they have the opportunities and
    resources to maintain meaningful employment?
        Mr. Lipphardt. Thank you, ma'am, for the question. We need
    to codify that contract.
        Mrs. Radewagen. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back the
    balance of my time.
        Chairman Bost. Senator Hassan, you are recognized for 3
    minutes for your questions.

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

        Senator Hassan. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman, and I want
    to thank you and Chairman Moran and our Ranking Members for
    this hearing. I want to acknowledge and thank all the veterans
    who are here today, especially those from the Granite State. My
    dad was a World War II veteran who survived the Bulge, so I try
    to make sure that I honor his memory as best as I can in my
    work here.
        Commander Lipphardt, thank you for testifying here today
    and for your military service. I will add my thanks to those of
    Senator Blumenthal for your advocacy for veterans, especially
    those who are Federal employees. The recent mass layoffs within
    the Federal Government have a direct impact on both the
    veterans who have lost their jobs as well as on the service
    that they provide to our citizens, including to our other
    veterans.
        And to your point about honoring contracts, we talk about
    honoring veterans, and the best way we can do that is with
    actions and not words, which means keeping our commitment. Just
    as you all kept your commitment to our country, the country
    needs to keep its commitment to all of you, and I am committed
    to doing that.
        [Applause.]
        Senator Hassan. And I will add, my dad would have said that
    when a country begins ignoring contracts or laws, it begins to
    lose its freedom. And so I thank you all for fighting for
    freedom, and we all have to be together in this pursuit of
    maintaining it.
        [Applause.]
        Senator Hassan. Commander, I had two questions for you. As
    has been discussed, your written testimony discusses the VFW's
    most recent health survey, which showed that veterans prefer
    using VA medical facilities, but they have concerns about
    appointment availability and travel distance to VA facilities.
    I have been working with Senator Boozman on a bipartisan bill
    to help address this very issue, and I want to thank the VFW
    for their support of this bill.
        Under the VA's current process, it can be difficult for
    veterans to coordinate all of their appointments for the same
    day, something that is especially important for rural veterans
    who may have to travel long distances to receive their care. So
    this bill that Senator Boozman and I have would ensure that
    veterans can view available VA appointments and fully schedule
    them in one easy step, either by going online or placing one
    call.
        Can you please discuss the importance of making sure
    veterans have easy, reliable access to VA-provided care?
        Mr. Lipphardt. Thank you for the question, ma'am, and I am
    going to ask Pat Murray. Mr. Murray?
        Mr. Murray. Ma'am, in an ideal world, veterans can access
    care at VA facility all in one shot.
        Senator Hassan. Yes.
        Mr. Murray. Right? Be able to go to your primary care, be
    able to stop by an orthopedics appointment, then be able to
    swing by the pharmacy on the way out. That is in an ideal
    world. That is tough to do, to try to schedule all that in one.
    Our ask, though, is in developing this scheduling tool, to the
    best extent possible, to buy it, instead of trying to develop
    their own.
        Senator Hassan. I hear you.
        Mr. Murray. VA's IT development is not good.
        Senator Hassan. I hear you, and I thank you. Mr. Chair,
    with just one other quick point, I want to highlight the work
    that the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency does. For those who
    don't know, this agency works to repatriate and identify
    American servicemembers who have gone missing, solemn work to
    show that Americans never leave a fallen comrade behind. The
    agency has accounted for almost 3,500 missing Americans since
    1973.
        And I will submit a question for the record, but as the
    Administration is looking at cutting the Pentagon's budget, I
    am concerned that the mission of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting
    Agency could be undermined or hampered, and I hope we can all
    come together to prevent that from happening. Thank you.
        [Applause.]
        Chairman Bost. Congressman Hamadeh, you are recognized for
    3 minutes.

                           HON. ABE HAMADEH,
                    U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM ARIZONA

        Mr. Hamadeh. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. First off, thank you
    to our distinguished guests from the Veterans of Foreign
    Affairs, Foreign Wars. As a fellow veteran, I deeply appreciate
    your organization's vital work in ensuring we fulfill our
    promises to those who have sacrificed so much for our country.
        Today I have been particularly interested in discussing how
    we can improve access to quality health care for veterans,
    especially those in suburban and rural areas within Arizona. We
    must ensure that all veterans, regardless of where they live,
    have timely access to the care and benefits they have earned. I
    appreciate your insights on these critical issues and how
    Congress can better support the VFW's mission to serve
    veterans.
        Now, Commander, the VFW has been a strong advocate for
    concurrent receipt. Can you elaborate on how the current offset
    between military retired pay and VA disability compensation
    impacts veterans?
        Mr. Lipphardt. Thank you very much, sir, for the question,
    and it is not a compatible thing. It seems like--that we are
    combining the retirement pay with compensation. Retirement pay
    is for retirement. Compensation is for those service-connected
    disabilities that we incurred as a result of our service. They
    are two separate, distinct things, and the time is now to stop.
    It needs to be separated.
        Mr. Hamadeh. I agree.
        [Applause.]
        Mr. Hamadeh. What specific legislation do you ask Congress
    to support regarding this?
        Mr. Lipphardt. I am going to ask Mr. Murray for the
    specifics.
        Mr. Murray. You start by passing the Richard Star Act.
        [Loud applause.]
        Mr. Murray. There are other parts of concurrent receipt
    that need to be addressed, as well, including those who have
    lower than a 50 percent disability rating, those who received
    separation pay from their services. Those are all being offset
    by current VA disability compensation plans. We want to
    eliminate all those. But Major Richard Star Act would be a good
    start. Seventy-five percent of Congress co-sponsored that last
    year and it never saw a single vote. We need to stop that, put
    it on the floor, pass it, and get it to the President's desk.
        [Applause.]
        Mr. Hamadeh. Very good. And Commander, I know you alluded
    earlier to the PACT Act, but what feedback has the VFW gotten
    from veterans about their experiences accessing the newly
    expanded benefits in health care?
        Mr. Lipphardt. Our National Veteran Service Director, Mike
    Figlioli, sir, if you would please respond to that.
        Mr. Figlioli. Thank you, Commander in Chief. Thank you for
    the question. You know, like VA there continues to be
    challenges with wait times, access, scheduling, traveling to
    and from facilities. Generally, veterans are comfortable with
    the PACT Act, but those challenges still remain. We have still
    got to invest in IT systems that allow people access to handle
    their own case management, allow them to get into the
    facilities quicker, and make sure that everything is fully
    staffed and fully funded.
        Mr. Hamadeh. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
        Mrs. Radewagen [presiding]. Congressman Pappas, you have 3
    minutes for questions.

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

        Mr. Pappas. Thank you very much. Commander, thank you for
    your testimony. I want to welcome all the veterans who are here
    today. This is an impressive show of force, not just for VFW
    but for veterans all across our country. And I want to give a
    special shout-out to any veterans from the ``Live Free or Die''
    State of New Hampshire, who are joining us here.
        I was really glad, Commander--oh, we have got a couple back
    there. All right.
        Commander, I was really glad that you mentioned the GUARD
    VA Benefits Act, which, as we know, would reinstate criminal
    penalties for these claim sharks who are charging unauthorized
    fees for assisting veterans with their claims. I have to say,
    we have educated our colleagues on this issue; you have. We
    have gained a significant number of co-sponsors on a bipartisan
    basis for this bill. This is going to be the Congress where we
    get this across the finish line. We have got the claim sharks
    on the run. Let's finish the job.
        [Applause.]
        Mr. Pappas. Thank you for your help in that regard, and
    your leadership. It is so important.
        I wanted to ask about another issue. You mentioned about
    breaking the cycle of overmedication, and mentioned a number of
    alternative therapies that I think are groundbreaking for
    veterans to improve quality of life and outcomes. One thing
    that I hear from veterans is about the benefit of alternative
    therapies like acupuncture and massage therapy, that can be
    really game-changing in terms of alleviating physical pain. But
    we know that therapy providers face obstacles due to VA
    reimbursement policies that sometimes limit their ability to
    care for veterans.
        So I am wondering if you could discuss the need to be able
    to focus on alternative therapies like massage therapy and the
    difference that can make for veterans.
        Mr. Lipphardt. Thank you, sir. I am going to ask our
    National Legislative Director, Chair. We are very lucky to have
    him on the panel today. He is very, very knowledgeable in this
    area, to include his work with Grunt Style Foundation. So I
    would like to ask Mr. Fuller to please, take that.
        Mr. Fuller. Thank you, Commander in Chief and Congressman.
    Thank you for the question. And you mentioned three great
    alternatives, and many veterans suffer from post-traumatic
    stress disorder and physical injuries. If PTSD is not treated,
    the effects could be detrimental in many ways, including the
    risk of homelessness, substance abuse, relationship problems,
    financial instability, difficulties in transitioning back to
    civilian life, or even in the worst case, suicide.
        Veterans show a willingness to confront mental health
    challenges with the alternative treatments that you mentioned,
    and we are also advocating for more access to other alternative
    modalities, so we can address our own unique mental and
    physical health challenges. These include psychedelics such as
    MDMA, psilocybin, and ibogaine, ketamine infusion, and
    cannabis, which includes medical marijuana and hemp-derived
    consumables, which were made legal by the 2018 Farm Bill.
        Our ask here is simple. We ask the VA to give veterans
    every option in the toolbox. Move beyond merely studying the
    effectiveness of these tools. And if they work, and we are
    confident that they do, start executing the implementation of
    these options. The pharmaceutical cocktail, as the lone default
    option, causes harm for many of us in this room and those that
    are watching. This must end. Our lives are at stake.
        [Applause.]
        Mr. Pappas. Thank you. Thank you very much for those
    comments. And Commander, you said it--not all treatments work
    for all veterans. And we have got to be working together on an
    evidence-based approach to make sure we are opening doors of
    opportunity for veterans to get the care that works for them.
        I yield back my time.
        Mr. Lipphardt. Thank you, sir.
        Mrs. Radewagen. Senator Tuberville, you are now recognized
    for 3 minutes for your questions.

                         HON. TOMMY TUBERVILLE,
                       U.S. SENATOR FROM ALABAMA

        Senator Tuberville. Thank you very much, and thanks to all
    the veterans here and for your service, especially those
    traveling from Alabama. Got anybody from Alabama here?
        [Cheers.]
        Senator Tuberville. We have got to get louder than that.
    Come on.
        [Cheers.]
        Senator Tuberville. Also all the veterans service
    organizations, thanks for what you do. A lot of times your work
    goes unnoticed.
        You know, our VA operates the largest health care system in
    the United States and is one of the largest systems in the
    world. And as a member of these Committees, we must ensure our
    veterans are receiving the best around the world.
        Now, we have got to get rid of the fraud, and we have got
    to get rid of the waste. I know President Trump has taken a hit
    from a lot of people, but folks, we are not going to have a
    country if we do not get this mess all straightened out. We are
    in trouble. Our veterans are going to be in trouble if we do
    not get this straightened out. We have got to get it going in
    the right direction.
        Commander, you mentioned in your testimony dissatisfaction
    among veterans with the community care referral process. I,
    too, am very dissatisfied. I get more calls on that than
    anybody. We are at 60 percent rural in the State of Alabama,
    and we have almost 500,000 veterans. The red tape is
    disastrous. Veterans must cut through this red tape, and we
    need to be provided community care.
        Would you say your members receive mental health care more
    frequently through the VA directly or the community care
    network, Mr. Commander?
        Mr. Lipphardt. For a more complete answer, sir, I am going
    to ask Pat, Mr. Murray.
        Senator Tuberville. Okay.
        Mr. Murray. Yes, and that one, Senator, we will take for
    the record and get back to you. We actually do not know the
    breakdown of the mental health care they receive in the
    community versus at VA, but we would be more than happy to
    learn more about that. I believe there a bill coming up in the
    Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee next week that looks to
    maybe address that.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    VFW Response: The VFW does not currently have data from our members on
     mental health care usage through direct VA care compared to VA's
     community care network. We will discuss potentially including more
     questions on mental health care usage in future surveys.

    VFW survey data from 2024 indicates high satisfaction with VA health
     care. Of the 3145 respondents, 77% were enrolled in VA health care. Of
     the participants enrolled in VA health care, 85% said they would
     recommend VA health care to others.
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Senator Tuberville. Mr. Murray, let me ask you this. If a
    veteran gets denied community care, what is your advice to
    these veterans, if they get denied community care and are told,
    ``Hey, you've got to drive 3 hours to a VA.'' What is your
    advice to them?
        Mr. Murray. My advice would be to urge that if they are
    eligible for community care, based on drive time or wait time
    access, to press that issue, because that is what the MISSION
    Act put in place. That is the law. We want VA to adhere to the
    law. When applicable, community care is incredibly helpful. So
    if a veteran will receive better care through the community,
    instead of driving 3 hours, for example, then yes, we want that
    to be the case.
        Senator Tuberville. Yes, there is no doubt. In a lot of
    states, community care is going to have to be a necessity,
    because veterans can't drive for hours and hours.
        Commander Lipphardt, in your testimony you mentioned the
    importance of veterans having accessible treatments. I have got
    a bill on the floor, hyperbaric chambers, where veterans can
    use a hyperbaric chamber. I am being fought at every turn. What
    is your thought on that?
        Mr. Lipphardt. Thank you very much, Senator. I am going to
    send it back to Mr. Fuller.
        Senator Tuberville. Thank you.
        Mr. Fuller. Senator, as you may have heard me say earlier,
    we advocate for all alternatives, like the hyperbaric oxygen
    chamber, which has proven to be an effective treatment for
    traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and tissue regeneration, which
    can prevent amputations. It has proven very effective, and I
    would bet you have a good understanding of TBI and CTE as a
    former football coach.
        Senator Tuberville. Exactly.
        Mr. Fuller. So it is effective, and it is something that we
    will advocate for.
        Senator Tuberville. It helps football players. It helps
    anybody with concussions----
        Mr. Fuller. Yes, sir.
        Senator Tuberville [continuing]. And it damn sure would
    help veterans, and we need to get that done.
        Mr. Fuller. Yes, sir.
        Senator Tuberville. Thank you very much.
        Mr. Fuller. Yes, sir.
        [Applause.]
        Mr. Lipphardt. And I just would like to add one thing to
    that, and it is kind of a general for all our conversations
    this morning. I don't think there is any group of people that
    appreciates effort more than a member of the Veterans of
    Foreign Wars. Actually, all veterans appreciate effort. But,
    you know, it is achievement that we can celebrate. Until it is
    done, it ain't done, and we have got to get it done.
        [Applause.]
        Mrs. Radewagen. Representative Morrison, you are now
    recognized for 3 minutes for your questions.

                          HON. KELLY MORRISON,
                   U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM MINNESOTA

        Dr. Morrison. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Commander
    Lipphardt, and all the witnesses for being here to testify
    today. I just want to start by saying, as the daughter-in-law
    of a disabled Vietnam veteran and the wife of an Army combat
    veteran, I want to offer my profound gratitude to every veteran
    in this room.
        Last week, I received the devastating news that the VA's
    mass firings hit the Minneapolis VA, which serves veterans in
    my district. My team and I have heard some truly gut-wrenching
    stories about employees who are terminated--combat veterans,
    disabled veterans, people who put their lives on the line to
    defend our country, people who may not have served but were
    honored to work for those who did. All of them, terminated
    without cause, through no fault of their own.
        In my view, there are two big problems here. First, the
    impact on VA's ability to deliver care and benefits to our
    veterans. The Minneapolis VA is already dealing with staffing
    shortages. The last thing we should be doing is firing people
    for no good reason. And as a doctor, let me tell you, the whole
    team plays a role in optimizing the delivery of care, from the
    provider to the facilities workers to the person who greets the
    veteran at the door.
        My second point is one that I think we need to be talking
    about more. Veterans make up a tiny percentage of the
    population, but 30 percent of our Federal workforce are
    veterans. So if you slash 1,000 Federal jobs, odds are you are
    putting about 300 veterans out of work. And at the VA we are
    talking about firing veterans who made the conscious decision
    to serve their fellow veterans, after serving their country.
        So regardless of whether or not you agree with the wave of
    terminations we are seeing across the Federal Government, I
    think it is clear that these actions will disproportionately
    harm veterans, which is incredibly troubling to me.
        So Commander Lipphardt, my first question for you is
    simple. Do you think firing thousands of VA employees will be
    helpful or harmful for your members?
        Mr. Lipphardt. With all due respect, ma'am [laughter], it
    is going to kill us.
        [Applause.]
        Mr. Lipphardt. Of course it is going to impact us. To me,
    there is nothing more sacred than taking care of those who
    served this Nation, who stopped their own lives to give service
    to this Nation. And it has got to be fixed. It has got to be
    fixed.
        We have 1.4 million members. Those are our members. That is
    not who we represent. We represent 18 million veterans, all
    veterans. All veterans need to be respected, need to be treated
    with respect. They have been honorably discharged. Thank you,
    ma'am.
        [Applause.]
        Dr. Morrison. Thank you. Sir, if you would allow me one
    more brief question. I can say confidently that preventing
    veteran suicide is a top priority of every member here today,
    House and Senate, Democrat and Republican. We know that access
    to mental health care is essential. But can you share a little
    bit more about how transition assistance and housing access can
    also have a role to play in eliminating veteran suicide?
        Mr. Lipphardt. Thank you, ma'am. I am going to ask Pat, Mr.
    Murray, because he has got some examples of what is happening.
        Dr. Morrison. Thank you.
        Mr. Murray. Thank you, Commander. Ma'am, we know that there
    is more to combatting veteran suicide than simply mental health
    appointments. We have heard too often that at VA it is their
    number one clinical priority. It needs to be the number one
    priority, period.
        We are very focused on also the benefits that can help
    alleviate that, including housing. Things like a roof over your
    head, food on your table, being gainfully employed, money in
    your wallet can be preventers to help veterans from starting to
    take that negative slide and ultimately make a fatal final
    decision.
        So housing is one of the key components that we see as
    keeping veterans not just from dying by suicide but helping
    launch them forward for success. That is really what we want to
    focus on, making veterans the best Americans that they can be.
        Dr. Morrison. Thank you very much, and a shout-out to any
    Minnesota vets out there.
        [Cheers.]
        Chairman Moran [presiding]. The Chair now recognizes
    Senator Sullivan.

                           HON. DAN SULLIVAN,
                        U.S. SENATOR FROM ALASKA

        Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Commanders,
    veterans, great to see you.
        Last year I retired, after 30 years on active duty and in
    the Reserve in the United States Marine Corps.
        [Cheers.]
        Senator Sullivan. I knew that would get a shout-out. So I
    am now joining another esteemed group of Americans and
    Alaskans. I am officially a United States veteran. I love that.
        [Applause.]
        Senator Sullivan. I am a proud member of VFW Post 9785 in
    Eagle River, Alaska.
        [Applause.]
        Senator Sullivan. Now, I know my fellow Alaskans, we travel
    far for these meetings. I know we have some here, hopefully in
    the audience. Any Alaskans? By the way, Alaska has more
    veterans per capita than any state in the country. I have some
    of my fellow Alaska veterans in the audience. How about a round
    of applause for them, traveling the furthest way, maybe with
    the exception of Hawaii.
        [Applause.]
        Chairman Moran. Senator Sullivan, with all due respect, you
    have 3 minutes time.
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Sullivan. I am just very happy to see everybody.
        Let me begin by an issue that I know the VFW and the
    American Legion have all really supported, and I just want to
    thank you, but I want you to keep an eye on it. This is the
    Camp Lejeune Act that passed. You are seeing ads on TV,
    relentless ads. They are not helpful ads. We passed that act to
    help sick Marines and their families from Camp Lejeune, and the
    TV ads are all these law firms that are charging 60 to 70
    percent contingency fees to take the money from the sick Marine
    families and put it in their pockets. That is one of the most
    disgusting things I have seen in my 10 years in the U.S.
    Senate.
        Commander, can I just get your commitment, working with all
    the VSOs, the Department of Justice, and others, to not allow
    that to happen, where these law firms were doing these ads?
    Billions of dollars of ads, by the way, not to help Marines but
    to take their money. Can I get your commitment? The law firms
    will get paid, to a certain degree, but no 60 and 70 percent
    contingency fees. That is highway robbery. Commander, can I get
    your commitment on that, staying with us?
        Mr. Lipphardt. Absolutely. VFW is committed.
        Senator Sullivan. Thank you. All right.
        [Applause.]
        Senator Sullivan. Thank you. We have got to take care of
    sick Marines and their families, not law firms that do not need
    the extra money.
        One final question I have. I know it matters to a number of
    my colleagues. Senator King and I are actually working on
    legislation with Senator Cramer, that we are going to be
    introducing soon, called Supporting Rural Veterans Access to
    Healthcare Services. In big states like ours that are very
    rural, our veterans, who live in rural communities, have a
    harder time accessing their services. But they have earned
    their benefits, just like anyone who lives in a big city.
        So can we work with the VFW once we introduce it to get
    your support on this bill, that really tries to emphasize
    making sure every veteran, whether you live in a big city or a
    small little community in rural Alaska or rural Maine, gets the
    benefits that they have earned. Can I get your commitment to
    work with the VFW on this important bill?
        Mr. Lipphardt. Absolutely, sir. We will certainly be
    honored to work with you.
        Senator Sullivan. Great. Thank you. Thank you very much,
    Mr. Chairman.
        Chairman Moran. Senator Sullivan, thank you, and thank you
    for your service.
        [Applause.]
        Chairman Moran. Now, Representative Conaway.

                           HON. HERB CONAWAY,
                  U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM NEW JERSEY

        Dr. Conaway. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As a veteran myself,
    hailing from New Jersey, I want to express my gratitude for
    you, Mr. Lipphardt, for your testimony, for your colleagues
    here who have offered valuable information to this Committee,
    to help our deliberations.
        As Members of Congress, it is our responsibility to ensure
    that every veteran receives high-quality medical care and
    mental health services. We heard today you do not leave a
    comrade in the field, and I fear that across many
    administrations we have been doing exactly that, and it is
    shameful and it needs to end. I would add, we do not leave an
    ally in the field either, and sadly we are seeing that, as
    well.
        Increased enrollment in VA care, it is important that we
    prioritize equipping our medical facilities with tools and
    technology of the 21st century so that veterans can get the
    care they richly deserve.
        We have heard about canceled contracts. We have heard about
    mass firings across various facilities in our country. And as a
    practicing physician myself, and worked in hospitals for much
    of my career, I understand fully well how important it is that
    a team is there and ready and willing to take care of those who
    present themselves for care.
        And we know that many veterans, particularly as they are
    leaving the service, suffer from PTSD, they might have
    experienced military sexual trauma, anxiety, stress, and other
    mental health and addictive disorders, just to name a few.
        What is your thought about the shortfalls that we are
    seeing in health services for our veterans? Do you agree with
    me that we are seeing shortfalls, and are there particular
    things that you would like to see the VA do in respect to those
    deficiencies?
        Mr. Lipphardt. Thank you very much, sir, and again, for a
    more detailed answer--I am kind of a big picture guy. I am not
    the detail guy. So I am going to ask Mr. Murray.
        Dr. Conaway. Always travel with one. That is a good idea.
        Chairman Moran. Mr. Murray.
        Mr. Murray. Thank you, Chief. Sir, we have already heard
    for many years that VA has been struggling to fill all these
    vacancies. There are tens of thousands of open positions that
    VA cannot fill. What we have seen in the past few weeks is the
    indiscriminate firing of people, not for performance but simply
    because they are in a probationary status.
        In order to get those services that veterans have earned,
    it needs to be a fully staffed and fully funded VA. There are
    examples all across the country. In fact, we are joined here by
    Mike Slater, who gave us this picture at the Vet Center in
    Springfield, Massachusetts. ``Due to abrupt and unplanned staff
    shortages, we are not able to greet you at this time. If you
    have a scheduled appointment, your counselor will be out to get
    you at the time of your appointment. If you are here for any
    other reason, please call and leave a message. We apologize for
    this impact on your care.''
        That is reducing services for veterans. Vet Centers are
    critical points of contact for VA. If we want to improve
    services, we have got to make sure that people are there to
    actually answer the phones and greet them at the door, when
    they show up for that care.
        [Applause.]
        Dr. Conaway. And yet we have seen the indiscriminate
    cancellation of contract design to make sure that we are
    recruiting health care providers into VA care. And, of course,
    as we have heard, and I think it needs to be put in this, if
    you cancel contracts and there are statutes and there are
    constitutional mandates, then you don't have your freedom. And
    we have got to make sure that stops.
        Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate it. Thank you,
    veterans.
        Chairman Moran. Senator Hirono.

                         HON. MAZIE K. HIRONO,
                        U.S. SENATOR FROM HAWAII

        Senator Hirono. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am glad to join
    my colleagues from both the House and Senate today, and it is
    good to see all of the veterans out there. I think every state
    is represented, from what I heard in the time that I have been
    here. But of course, I want to acknowledge, I hope, the
    presence of the people from Hawaii. I hope you are still out
    there.
        [Cheers.]
        Senator Hirono. Yes, Okay. You deserve to get a shout-out.
        Each of us sits on a number of committees. I sit on five.
    But one thing about the Veterans' Committee is that we each
    have a commitment to listen to and working with the veterans to
    be of assistance. I cannot say that about every committee that
    I sit on, but this is one Committee where we are united in
    wanting to be of service to all of you who have been of service
    to our country.
        So we have, through so much of the advocacy that you have
    presented to us, made some major legislation, most recently, of
    course, the PACT Act. But we have the Dole Act. We have had the
    Isakson and Roe Act. We have had a number of very significant
    pieces of legislation that have served to help veterans, and
    that is so much because of your advocacy and your continuing
    pointing out to us that more needs to be done in terms of, for
    example, the area of PTSD care, suicide. Women veterans, yes,
    women veterans, finally acknowledging that women veterans
    should have care that is very specialized to them. So thank you
    very much.
        We are in the midst of thousands of people getting fired,
    and as mentioned, every group that gets fired, because right
    now they happen to be in probationary status, includes a lot of
    veterans. So it is not just the VA that fired, most recently,
    1,400 people who are on probationary status, but you have the
    DoD, Department of Defense, you have the Department of Justice.
    Thousands of people are getting fired, not because of any
    indication of fraud or waste but indiscriminate firings.
        So there is chaos and fear all across the country at the
    moment. This is not the way to run a government. This is
    certainly no way to treat Federal workers, of whom many are
    veterans. And at the same time, the 1,400 people from VA were
    fired, we get a notice that some 300,000 job openings need to
    be filled at the VA. And in Hawaii, just in Hawaii, in our
    system, we have 5,000 vacancies.
        Now there are a lot of other departments that have had to
    deal with a hiring freeze, but because of the hue and cry and
    the need for the veterans, the hiring freeze was lifted for the
    VA. But we are talking about hundreds of thousands of
    vacancies. [Pause.] The word ``crazy'' comes to mind.
        So as we continue to work with you, I just want you all to
    know that so many of us have been here to reinforce our
    commitment to work with you. I will continue to do so, because
    obviously there is a lot more that needs to be done. And I want
    to thank the Chairs of both the House and Senate Committees for
    this hearing, and each one of you. And, Commander, thank you so
    much for coming here with your team. Aloha.
        [Applause.]
        Chairman Moran. Senator Hirono, thank you. And I recognize
    Senator King.

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

        Senator King. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I don't think it has
    been noted yet that this hearing happens to fall on a very
    appropriate day, the only day of the year that is a military
    command, March 4th.
        [Applause.]
        Senator King. And we should be marching forth on the GUARD
    Act, on the Richard Star Act, and on protecting our veterans
    that work for the U.S. Government. Marching forth.
        [Applause.]
        Senator King. Go ahead, Mr. Commander.
        Mr. Lipphardt. I was just going to say thank you for your
    invitation to come back.
        [Laughter.]
        Senator King. Yes, sir. Any time.
        Mr. Lipphardt. We remembered 1930.
        Senator King. Any time. Any time.
        These staffing cuts. Now, we talked about 1,400. Actually,
    there have been 2,400 firings at the VA, but then there was the
    hiring freeze, which left a couple of thousand places open. So
    we are really down 5,000 people in the last month at the VA.
        And here is how random it is. First they were going to have
    the hiring freeze apply to doctors and nurses, and then they
    said, ``Oh no, those are direct care workers. We are going to
    exempt them.'' If nobody is there to answer the phone when a
    veteran calls for an appointment, that is a denial of benefits.
        [Applause.]
        Senator King. And I think the point has been made, about 30
    percent of Federal employees are veterans, so when you see a
    headline that says 1,000 people fired at the CIA or wherever it
    is, that is 300 veterans. In our hospital in Togus, in Maine,
    we just had 7 people laid off; 5 were veterans. That is a hell
    of a way to treat somebody who has put their life on the line
    for this country.
        Mr. Lipphardt. Absolutely.
        Senator King. So the other piece that you ought to realize,
    they say they are firing people who are on probation, and
    probation meaning go to work in the last year or two. In the
    Federal Government, if you are promoted you are on probation.
    So you can have somebody that has worked for an Agency, for the
    VA, for 10 years. They get promoted, they happen to be on
    probation, and they are getting fired. And I hate the picture
    of that guy with the chainsaw, laughing about firing people
    from our government.
        [Applause.]
        Senator King. In fact, you put it really well in your
    statement. I love it. You said, ``I was wounded in combat
    during Vietnam. I am thankful that medics who treated me chose
    not to take my whole arm for the sake of efficiency. It took a
    trained eye, a skillful hand, and human intuition to fix me up
    and get me back in the fight.''
        Here is the quote: ``in my experience, those operating with
    a scalpel have a better chance of saving limbs than those who
    operate with a chainsaw.''
        Thank you, Mr. Commander, for making that statement.
        Another point is transition. In my view, we should be
    putting as much money, time, and effort into the transition out
    as we do on the recruiting in.
        Mr. Lipphardt. Yes, sir.
        Senator King. That is a real disservice to veterans.
        [Applause.]
        Mr. Lipphardt. Absolutely.
        Senator King. And finally--my wife says I say ``finally''
    too much and it gets people's hopes up [laughter]--but finally,
    your voice, is more important right now than perhaps it has
    ever been. We need to hear from the veterans of America. They
    need to speak up about what is going on and how we protect
    those who, as I said, when they signed up for their job, put
    their lives on the line for this country.
        So thanks to the VFW. Thanks for your advocacy. Keep at it.
    We need you.
        [Applause.]
        Mr. Lipphardt. Senator, thank you. Thank you very much. And
    please know that the Veterans of Foreign Wars has changed the
    direction. We are moving forward. You are going to hear from
    us, and you are going to see us a lot more. So thank you.
        [Applause.]
        Chairman Moran. Senator King, thank you. Senator Banks is
    recognized.

                            HON. JIM BANKS,
                       U.S. SENATOR FROM INDIANA

        Senator Banks. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to
    all of you for being here. As the only Hoosier on the House or
    Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, the work that goes on in
    this Committee is so important, but we can't do our job without
    the help of all of you. So on behalf of all the Hoosiers in the
    room, it is an honor to represent you, and all of the fellow
    veterans who are here, thank you for your important work.
        Commander, I am new to the Senate. I served in the House
    for 8 years. I served on the House Committee for 6 of those 8
    years. I am rolling up my sleeves and I am getting to work on a
    lot of issues important to veterans and all of you.
        So real quickly, I am preparing to reintroduce legislation
    that I worked on in the House to refund certain veterans their
    Montgomery GI Bill contributions, who later became eligible for
    the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Is that something we can work on
    together?
        Mr. Lipphardt. In a word, sir, absolutely. And I would like
    to call on Ms. Keenan for some detail on the legislation.
        Senator Banks. Very good.
        Chairman Moran. Ms. Keenan.
        Ms. Keenan. Yes, thank for the question. We are happy to
    work with your office to look at that. That kind of money back
    for student veterans can be really beneficial at a critical
    time where they are going to need that funding. So love the
    idea and happy to work with your office.
        Senator Banks. Very good. Secondly, Commander, I am also
    working on legislation to make sure that veterans can always be
    buried with their spouses, regardless of what kind of burial
    they choose. Is that something we can work on together, as
    well?
        Mr. Lipphardt. Again, sir, thank you very much, and the
    answer is absolutely.
        Senator Banks. I look forward to that, and I appreciate
    that very much.
        Commander, the VA has been cooperating with nonprofit
    mental health organizations and public-private partnerships to
    prevent veteran suicides. Since Congress passed the Commander
    John Scott Hannon Act, that you all were such a big part of
    helping us get over the finish line, and other legislation,
    what results have we seen from those efforts and how can we
    expand them?
        Mr. Lipphardt. Thank you very much sir, and I am going to
    ask Pat to respond for the specifics.
        Mr. Murray. Thank you, Chief. Senator Banks, we know that
    some of those community connections, whether it is with mental
    health or whether it is with transition, that is where the
    rubber meets the road. That is what we want to see, because
    they are the folks that are in the community that know these
    things. VA can do a great job for a lot of these, but they
    cannot do it for everything. We want to really focus, put
    resources into some of those great organizations in the
    community that can really effect change. The Commander John
    Scott Hannon Act provided that. We want to make sure that those
    connections, those contracts, and that funding stay in place
    for that critical mission.
        Senator Banks. Very good. My last question, Mr. Commander,
    the VA has been resistant to new approaches when it comes to
    leasing and construction. It takes the VA about 5 years to
    lease a clinic and 10 to 20 years to build a new hospital.
    Similar to the innovation in mental health, how do you think
    that the VA should be partnering with local governments and
    private health care systems to develop new medical facilities?
        Mr. Lipphardt. Again, sir, thank you very much, and I am,
    again, going to ask Pat to respond.
        Mr. Murray. Thank you, Commander. Senator, VA construction
    is behind. If you look at the $130 billion worth of backlog,
    there is a lot that needs to be done. They need to figure out
    more dynamic ways to do that, like the private sector does. If
    you look at other major health systems, like Kaiser, they put 3
    percent of their operating budget into their infrastructure. VA
    is closer to 1 percent.
        There are certain things you can do to move the process
    along so you are not designing, then bidding, then building.
    There is an integrated way you can do that that will hopefully
    shorten the length of the overall construction contracts. But
    we need to make sure that VA also has proper staffing at
    Central Office for the project management positions. We do not
    have to talk about doctors and nurses, but there are people
    that oversee the building of VA facilities. They need some help
    there, as well.
        Senator Banks. I agree. I look forward to working on that
    with you, and all those other issues. Thank you again for being
    here. God bless. I yield back.
        Chairman Moran. Senator Banks, thank you. Senator Gallego.

                          HON. RUBEN GALLEGO,
                       U.S. SENATOR FROM ARIZONA

        Senator Gallego. Thank you, and Senator Banks, I would join
    you because I am one of those veterans, actually, that paid
    into the GI but never used the modern GI Bill. So you have got
    a co-sponsor there.
        Thank you again to Veterans of Foreign Wars for being here.
        [Applause.]
        Senator Gallego. Look at that. Things get done. I am glad
    my dues are going to something like this. I am a member of
    Chapter 720 in Scottsdale, so thank you again for everything
    you do.
        Honestly, I am concerned. The guys I serve with are
    relatively young. We were in Iraq in 2005. They are in their
    early 40s, and they have committed their lives to service. They
    left the war and then came back, and they are working for
    different parts of the DoD, VA and other parts of the
    government, and they are scared. They feel like they are being
    disrespected. They passed up good, lucrative careers in the
    private sector because they wanted to have a mission-oriented
    job that was still in service to the country. And now some of
    them are questioning about whether they are going to be able to
    pay the rent if something goes bad, or the mortgage. And the
    fact that veterans are being treated this way, in such a
    disgraceful manner, by the guy with the chainsaw and a bunch of
    20-year-old kids that probably have served or even gotten close
    to a weapon ever in their lives, really scares the heck out of
    me.
        So I really encourage, obviously, us to worry about our
    veterans that are being serviced in the VA, but when 30 percent
    of the workforce is veterans, and we know, at least from my
    experience coming back from the war, the thing that was the
    most stabilizing for me coming back with PTSD was that I was
    able to get a job right away, but the fact that 30 percent of
    our workforce is potentially endangered and fired, you could
    really put these men and women into a very hard situation.
        But more to the VA, Commander Lipphardt. What concerns do
    your members have about the way these cuts are being handled,
    and what would you ask those making these types of staffing and
    budget decisions to take into account before acting on VA cuts
    or layoffs, or even just the reparametering of contracts that
    are very important for veterans, veteran outreach, and suicide
    hotlines?
        Mr. Lipphardt. Thank you very much, sir. I am going to ask
    a member of the panel here who, I believe, shared the same dirt
    that you did while you were deployed, and that is Mr. Murray.
        Chairman Moran. Mr. Murray.
        Mr. Murray. Thank you, Chief. Senator, I believe we
    probably just crossed paths. I was there in '06.
        You have our commitment to make sure that these cuts, these
    firings, are stopped. We often care about veteran unemployment.
    If we do not care about veterans not having jobs then what are
    the Veterans of Foreign Wars doing here? That is something that
    we have to make sure stays in place. Because while every
    position may not be deemed essential, you know, per government
    shutdown rules, they are very important positions, as we
    highlighted, the people who answer the phones. We need to make
    sure that these veterans are gainfully employed, and the ones
    who are high performers are not let go indiscriminately.
        Senator Gallego. Thank you.
        Chairman Moran. Thank you, Senator. Senator Cassidy.

                           HON. BILL CASSIDY,
                      U.S. SENATOR FROM LOUISIANA

        Senator Cassidy. Thank you. Thank you all for being here.
    Happy Mardi Gras to my people from Louisiana and for everybody
    who wishes you were from Louisiana, if only on Mardi Gras day.
        [Laughter and cheers.]
        Senator Cassidy. Mr. Lipphardt, in your testimony you
    talked about how investing in technology can help with the
    backlog for veteran benefit applications. Way back when,
    multiple Secretaries ago, I remember asking him something, and
    he said the main point we should be about is the veteran.
        And so with that spirit, I have thought about how AI could
    take a stack of papers required for someone's application for
    you name it, and in 5 minutes has done everything that has to
    be done for a human to sit there and review it intelligently.
    Wouldn't that be great? Because I think I have learned that it
    can take up to 40 days for the VA claims management system to
    simply register a new claim submission. If 40 days is shrunk to
    5 minutes, or 30 seconds, how much better is it for the
    veteran? That is where I am coming at this from.
        And by the way, we know that if you miss the deadline then
    everything starts over. So if you can catch the deadline, even
    if you suddenly realize that there is something else you have
    to add, and it can just quickly put it back in, how much better
    for the veteran?
        Is there anything else--and I am struck. I do not mean to
    offend you, but you might be like the oldest guy on the panel.
    So I am struck that maybe the oldest guy is the one who is
    talking about using tech in order to make things work better
    for the veteran. What other ideas do you have, or anyone else
    has, how we can do this, so that we can kind of channel it into
    our conversations with Secretary Collins to maybe up the game?
        Mr. Lipphardt. Thank you very much, sir, and I guess my
    first comment, relative to that, is that is 2025. Technology is
    here. We need to use technology. That is how we are going to
    move ahead. The Department of Defense has implemented it. It is
    about time that the Veterans Administration adds it.
        I would like for Pat to be a little more specific.
        Chairman Moran. Mr. Murray.
        Mr. Figlioli. Mr. Figlioli.
        Chairman Moran. Sorry.
        Mr. Figlioli. Thank you, Commander in Chief. Senator, we
    are looking at AI. We understand its value and its processing
    times will be reduced for claims, especially when VA is
    processing more claims than ever. VA is using AI in some areas
    already for certain disabilities, looking at that evidence,
    trying to get that claim granted as quickly as possible. So it
    is not out of the question. It is here. As the Commander in
    Chief said, it is the way of the world, very similar to looking
    at health records and other advancements.
        AI on the way. Getting those claims processed faster,
    absolutely. The transformation of the electronic health record,
    which is another electronic initiative, I think that needs to
    be completed, as well.
        But again, if we do not look forward, we end up looking
    backward. And we need to keep pushing VA forward to invest in
    IT infrastructure, make sure the programs are up to date,
    people are trained on them, and those programs are fully
    funded.
        Senator Cassidy. So I am a physician, as well. So you are
    discussing--I am over but I will quickly finish up. You also
    bring in the electronic health records. Part of the problem in
    some of this, is this related to service activity or not, is
    there is so much noise and you have got to get the signal. And
    I think what you are saying is that if we use AI and couple it
    with our massive amount of electronic health record data, we
    could pick out the signal of that which is, my gosh, this is
    service-related after all, we were never able to detect it
    before, and that is one more way we can serve the veteran.
        Mr. Figlioli. I would agree with that, and we also, at the
    same time, the only run-in on AI may not be exactly it. People
    still make mistakes. Machines make mistakes. Working with AI I
    think has its place, but it also needs to be subject to human
    review.
        Senator Cassidy. A human has to be in the loop. I am
    totally with you on that.
        Mr. Figlioli. Yes, sir.
        Senator Cassidy. Thank you all for your service. Once more,
    Happy Mardi Gras.
        [Applause.]
        Chairman Moran. Senator Cassidy, thank you.
        Before we close out this panel and transition to our second
    panel, let me again thank you, Commander. I often give our
    witnesses the chance to provide any additional momentary
    thoughts, things that you wanted to correct if you made any
    errors, or anything you would like to make certain that you
    reiterate. Commander?
        Mr. Lipphardt. Thank you very much, sir. I would like to
    just, again, comment about the contract. You know, contracts
    are contracts. There is an obligation there. I wish we could go
    back to shaking hands, because my word is my bond. It is the
    only thing that belongs to you. It is the only thing that
    belongs to me. Our word must be honored, and that is all we are
    asking.
        As Senator Ossoff introduced, my life's mantra is,
    ``Believe in what you do. Do what you believe in.'' And I know
    that is what this Committee does. I know that you are
    dedicated. But again, where are we frustrated here, as
    veterans? Efforts appreciated, but we have got to get across
    the goal line.
        I am an Army guy. I remember the Army-Navy game from a
    couple of years ago. Navy had the ball, on the goal line. It
    was like 6 inches away, and the touchdown, it would have
    changed the game. But they made a good effort, but they did not
    get it across the goal line, and so Army celebrated. We
    celebrated.
        [Laughter.]
        I am so honored to have been here.
        Unidentified Voice. I object.
        Mr. Lipphardt. I am so honored that we have so many of our
    members as well as others here in the room. It is just, I
    think, is a testimony to the passion that we feel and the
    change that we are making to better serve you.
        Chairman Moran. Commander, we also feel that. We thank you
    and your members and your leadership team for being with us
    today.
        I smiled when you said what you said because occasionally I
    am complimented--occasionally I am complimented--for my
    efforts. And my standard response is, ``Someday I would like to
    be complimented for my results.''
        Mr. Lipphardt. There you go. Absolutely.
        [Applause.]
        Chairman Moran. And we are going to take a brief recess.
    Commander, I am going to come down and shake your hand, in the
    days of shaking hand meaning something important. It still
    means something important to me. But we are going to recess.
        We would ask the VFW audience, as they depart, to depart on
    this side, and your colleagues with other VSOs--we will see if
    this works--will come in the room on this side. Let's see a lot
    of organization from the VFW.
        We stand at recess.
        [Recess.]
        Chairman Moran. The Committee will return to order, and we
    will proceed to a second panel of witnesses, and we are, as we
    said earlier, delighted that you are here. We will say it again
    in this setting. Thank you very much for your presence, for
    your members and other veterans who are joining us today in
    this hearing room. And this is our final panel of four panels
    for the joint sessions that we have had for a long history.
        With us today, our second panel consists of Mr. Robert
    Thomas, the National President of the Paralyzed Veterans of
    America; Ms. Allison Jaslow, Chief Executive Officer of the
    Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America; Mr. Jared Lyon,
    National President and Chief Executive Officer for the Student
    Veterans of America; Major Bonnie Carroll, President and
    Founder of Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors; Meredith
    Beck, Vice President for Government Affairs and Community
    Engagement at the Elizabeth Dole Foundation; and Ms. Kathryn
    Monet, Chief Executive Officer for the National Coalition for
    Homeless Veterans.
        I looked at the list of witnesses on this second panel
    before I attempted to pronounce your names, and there was no
    one that I thought I was going to have any difficulty with. But
    my takeaway, in addition to that relief that I know how to
    pronounce your names, is there is no one on this panel that I
    do not know, no one on this panel that this Committee has not
    worked well with, and we are delighted to have the opportunity
    to hear from each of you today.
        With that, let us begin to do so, and I now recognize Mr.
    Thomas, Paralyzed Veterans of America.

                                PANEL II

                                  ----------

       STATEMENT OF ROBERT THOMAS, NATIONAL PRESIDENT, PARALYZED
                          VETERANS OF AMERICA

        Mr. Thomas. Chairman Moran, Chairman Bost, and Members of
    the Committees, thank you for the opportunity to testify on
    behalf of the tens of thousands of veterans with spinal cord
    injuries and disorders.
        Today I want to focus on PVA's top priority, preserving
    VA's specialty care system, specifically the VA's preeminent
    system of care for veterans with spinal cord injuries and
    disorders.
        On more than one occasion I have testified before these
    Committees about our concerns that the SCI/D system of care is
    being slowly starved of staffing, infrastructure upgrades, and
    funding needed to ensure its survival, not for the sake of VA
    but for the sake of the veterans it serves.
        My friend, Rick, a fellow PVA member, received care in the
    community for 8 years for his SCI, until he was introduced to
    the VA's SCI/D system of care. Once under VA care, his health
    improved. He believes he would have died if he had not begun to
    receive specialized health care from VA medical professionals
    who understand our injuries and illnesses.
        Despite best intentions, community health care providers
    are not as well equipped to meet our complex needs. That is why
    so many veterans like myself choose care provided by the VA.
    The entire model is designed with us in mind. That is why
    thousands of PVA members and their families and supports have
    signed a petition opposing any effort to dismantle the VA's
    SCI/D system of care and the lifesaving services it provides.
    We choose VA.
        Unfortunately, this system is facing challenges of epic
    proportions, and the consequences if not addressed now will
    prove devastating for veterans with specialized health care
    needs.
        For example, more than 25 SCI/D centers can only use half
    its beds because staffing vacancies exceed 50 percent. The
    leadership there recently denied again the center's request to
    backfill vacancies. As a result, overtime is increasing, and we
    expect additional resignations due to burnout and/or closures
    of additional SCI beds.
        Staffing shortages in the system are not new. The SCI/D
    system of care has been short hundreds of nurses for years,
    with total staffing vacancies hovering around 35 percent. The
    Department has been concealing its vacancy problems through the
    use of overtime, which, if taken away, may reveal much more
    staffing issues. Without proper staffing, veterans may be
    forced to accept care in the community, even when it is not the
    quality or type of care they would receive at a VA facility,
    and most importantly, when it is not their decision to do so.
        In addition to staffing shortages, the system also
    continues to suffer from infrastructure deficiencies. The
    average age of an SCI/D center is nearly 40 years old.
    Consequently, we saw major incidents at several centers last
    year. For example, a plumbing system failure at one facility
    flooded half of the center. It took one month to repair the
    system, restore the impacted areas, and move patients back to
    the SCI/D center.
        We call on Congress to invest in necessary funds to ensure
    sufficient specialty care staffing and address infrastructure
    deficiencies to meet the demands for care.
        For those of us with catastrophic injuries, VA is the
    cornerstone of our care. The cause of inaction is clear. The
    lives of veterans like Rick and myself and thousands of other
    veterans with SCI/D are at stake.
        In recent weeks there have been many changes in Federal
    Government staffing and funding. While we understand and
    generally support the underlying desire for veterans to
    streamline access to the care and benefits, the arbitrary and
    haphazard way that these efforts are being approached is
    failing that mission and harming veterans.
        PVA members are concerned that VA-provided care will not be
    available in the future, and that the lifesaving research will
    be curtailed. Even though many clinical providers may be
    protected by staffing changes, not all are included, including
    recreational therapists who help teach veterans with SCI/D how
    to reengage in the social part of community following a
    catastrophic disability. They are equally concerned about
    access to benefits like home modifications being delayed
    because of new staffing shortages.
        How can we expect physicians, nurses, claims raters,
    vocational rehab counselors, and other staff to be focused on
    their mission to care for the veterans while the specter of
    losing their jobs hangs over their heads? They carry the
    workload of multiple positions. They can't. As the body charged
    with VA oversight, I urge you to act before veterans are harmed
    any further.
        I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

        [The prepared statement of Mr. Thomas appears on page 89 of
    the Appendix.]

        Chairman Moran. Mr. Thomas, thank you. Ms. Jaslow.

    STATEMENT OF ALLISON JASLOW, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, IRAQ AND
                    AFGHANISTAN VETERANS OF AMERICA

        Ms. Jaslow. Chairman Moran, Chairman Bost, Ranking Members
    Blumenthal and Takano, and Members of the Committee, on behalf
    Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and our over 425,000
    members and supporters nationwide, thank you for the
    opportunity to represent our Nation's Post-9/11 veterans here
    with you today.
        Being the CEO of IAVA has been the privilege of a lifetime.
    The young second lieutenant who boarded a plane en route to
    Iraq a little more than 20 years ago certainly did not envision
    that this is where I would be today. But here I am, and for
    every day that I have sat in this seat, I have sought to bring
    it for my generation of veterans. I have done my best to show
    up for our members, regardless of where they live in the
    country, or what their racial or ethnic background is, or how
    they vote.
        I can also spend my time here today articulating a list of
    legislative priorities for you so that you and your staff can
    effectively pander to our community, along with the rest of
    your colleagues. But as our staff and our cavalries are sitting
    behind me today know at this point, that is not really my
    style.
        One of the most profound experiences I have had in my life
    was being appointed as a summary courts officer following a
    fellow platoon leader's death in Iraq in 2005. I will never
    forget our battalion's paralegal looking me in the eyes that
    same day, as he handed me his orders, and said, ``This is the
    literal definition of soldiering on, ma'am.''
        The following morning I entered that lieutenant's quarters
    on our base in Taji, Iraq, with a noncommissioned officer that
    was also appointed to help me inventory his belongings, pack
    them up, and ship them to Dover Air Force Base behind his body.
        My soldiers were also soldiering on that day, back on the
    road, providing security to convoys, dodging roadside bombs,
    and ducking small arms fire, and continuing the mission that
    their country had asked them to see through, even if it no
    longer made any sense.
        Soldiering on is something that many of us who have served
    have gotten good at. It helped me get through a second 15-month
    deployment in Iraq, and even after I got out of the Army, it is
    a mindset that served me well as I sought to be a force of good
    in places like this very body, where we find myself today.
        I may well be good at soldiering on at this point in my
    life, but frankly I am tired of it, and I know our members are
    tired of it too. We are tired of soldiering on after we learn
    that another one of our buddies has taken their life because
    they just couldn't deal with the torment that war had inflicted
    on them anymore. We are tired of soldiering on when the rest of
    America seemingly does not notice. And we are tired of
    soldiering on as our elected leaders give us lip service
    instead of the leadership we deserve.
        Our nation is at the hill of a crossroads right now, and
    our members, while they may want care for the cancer that they
    got from prolonged exposure to a burn pit in Afghanistan, or
    the ability to use cannabis to bring relief to their wartime
    wounds, what they really want is what the rest of America
    wants. They want leadership. And not just from their President
    but also from the rest of their government, including this
    Congress that has abdicated so much of its authority in recent
    decades. Whether it be its war powers authority as Post-9/11
    generation veterans have gotten deployed over and over again
    without question, or the simple need to tell a President, even
    if that President is from their own party, that they have
    crossed the line that the average citizen knows they should not
    have crossed.
        It then makes me wonder what the hell we fought for. If you
    asked many of us who served in wartime, we will likely tell you
    that despite the complicated politics of the conflicts we found
    ourselves in, what helps us soldier on in battle was our
    commitment to the men and women to the left and right of us.
    That was true for me when I was a 22-year-old platoon leader,
    and it remains true today.
        But I wish it were not the case. I joined the Army because
    I love my country, and what we stand for, and was willing to
    put it all on the line to defend it. But what I did not realize
    back then, but do now, is how much that made and my fellow
    Post-9/11 unique.
        What I also did not realize as a young, naive lieutenant
    was how different it made us from the very people who sent my
    generation of veterans to war, despite the fact that we all
    swore a similar oath, that many of the same people who asked us
    to risk our lives in defense of our country were so lacking in
    courage themselves that they were unwilling to risk their
    political lives to do the same. And that should weigh more
    heavily on your conscience than it seems to these days.
        So if you really want to get the backs of the Post-9/11
    veterans, how about you stop asking us and our fellow Americans
    to keep soldiering on when none of us is satisfied with the
    leadership we have in this country right now. How about you
    follow my generation of veterans lead and make sacrifices on
    behalf of our country that prove that you are worthy of the
    office that you hold. And if you really care about troops who
    are still serving in uniform and this country we all love, you
    will do so starting today.
        Later this evening, the eyes of the entire country will be
    focused on this building and watching to see who is and who is
    not meeting the moment tonight. Our IAVA cavalry members will
    be watching too, and have every right to judge, and judge
    harshly. If you want their stamp of approval going forward, it
    is my recommendation that you meet what the moment of asking of
    you tonight and of the days ahead.
        The time for asking us to soldier on has come to an end.
    Thank you for your time.
        [Applause.]

        [The prepared statement of Ms. Jaslow appears on page 110
    of the Appendix.]

        Senator Blumenthal [presiding]. Thank you, Ms. Jaslow. I
    assume that is directed to Members of this Committee and the
    United States Congress.
        Ms. Jaslow. Yes, sir. All 535.
        Senator Blumenthal. Thank you. We need you to be specific,
    forceful, and direct as you have been, and to name names.
        Mr. Lyon, you are recognized for 5 minutes.

    STATEMENT OF JARED LYON, NATIONAL PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE
                  OFFICER, STUDENT VETERANS OF AMERICA

        Mr. Lyon. Chairmen Moran and Bost, Ranking Members
    Blumenthal and Takano, as well as Members of this Committee,
    thank you for inviting Student Veterans of America to share our
    legislative priorities this year.
        I am honored to represent the 840,000 students using their
    GI Bill and our over 1,600 chapters worldwide, building
    stronger communities for student veterans, military-connected
    students, their families, caregivers, and survivors.
        Research shows that belonging is essential to student
    success, be that in a traditional college environment, online
    learning, or vocational training. This is especially true for
    veterans transitioning to campuses that may not fully
    understand the value of their military service. SVA chapters
    foster that sense of community, offering mentorship, peer
    support, and clear pathways to academic and career achievement.
        If you are here with SVA today, I would ask that you please
    stand or raise your hand so we can recognize your commitment.
        [Applause.]
        Mr. Lyon. Thank you. Our mission is to empower veterans to
    succeed to, through, and beyond higher education, that goes
    beyond earning degrees and certificates. It is about
    strengthening our workforce, fueling innovation, reinforcing
    our economy, and elevating civic life. For student veterans
    that are here today and the thousands more who could not be in
    Washington this week, meaningful success depends on financial
    stability, a sense of belonging, and access to rewarding
    careers.
        Like many veterans, I followed a path of post-military
    service from community college to a state university, and then
    earning a master's, all while juggling work obligations, family
    obligations. And my experience taught me that earned benefits
    must work seamlessly to encourage further engagement with VA
    services.
        When benefits fall short, delays in housing payments, or
    stagnant book stipends, veterans lose their trust and they may
    walk away entirely. That is why we ask for these Committees to
    see the GI Bill as the front door to the VA for recently
    separated servicemembers. We thank representatives Ciscomani,
    Stansbury and Van Orden for introducing the Expanding Access
    for Online Veteran Students Act last Congress. We urge support
    for legislation that mandates the monthly housing allowance,
    ensuring veterans are not penalized for enrolling online, where
    many pursue coursework while working full-time, raising
    children, or managing their service-connected disabilities. A
    full national average MHA for online learners would move us
    toward true parity.
        [Applause.]
        Mr. Lyon. We also request an increase in the annual book
    stipend, which has not been updated since 2009. Many veterans
    in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or law
    programs see material costs that easily surpass $1,000 per
    semester. We appreciate those in Congress who have already
    championed raising this to a more realistic level. Nearly 75
    percent of student veterans are working while they are
    attending school, often in jobs that are unrelated to their
    degrees. Modernizing VA work study to include career-relevant
    placement such as cybersecurity, accounting, engineering, or
    health care would open doors for veterans balancing academics
    and employment. We applaud the bipartisan efforts to
    reintroduce legislation that supports this goal.
        These women and men bring discipline, life experience, and
    leadership to the classroom and their campuses. They often
    outpace civilian student peers in GPA and graduation rates, and
    they graduate into fields where American employers urgently
    need talent. By investing in them, Congress boosts our economy,
    our campuses, and our communities. Working with Congress, the
    VA, DoD, Department of Education, and Department of Labor helps
    SVA power scholarships, leadership training, research, and
    professional development for thousands of veterans annually.
    When universities partner with SVA chapters through Veterans
    Centers, collaborative programs, and flexible policies, they
    create a culture where student veterans thrive, benefiting the
    entire institution.
        Our full written testimony goes further into areas like
    bridging childcare gaps for student veterans, ensuring parity
    for National Guard and Reserve benefits, and expanding
    accountability in higher education. We encourage you to review
    it for a more complete picture of our policy recommendations.
        At SVA we believe ensuring veterans receive earned
    education benefits transcends politics. This is about
    fulfilling America's promise to those who serve, and we know
    that promise yields tremendous returns for veterans, schools,
    employers, and communities alike.
        Thank you, Chairmen Moran and Bost, Ranking Members
    Blumenthal and Takano, and Members of these Committees for your
    leadership. Your work reinforces that this Nation truly values
    service and the interests of those who wear the uniforms. I
    welcome your questions. Thank you.
        [Applause.]

        [The prepared statement of Mr. Lyon appears on page 121 of
    the Appendix.]

        Chairman Moran [presiding]. Thank you, Mr. Lyon. The Chair
    recognizes Major Carroll.

      STATEMENT OF BONNIE CARROLL, PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER, TRAGEDY
                    ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR SURVIVORS

        Major Carroll. Chairmen Moran and Bost, Ranking Members
    Blumenthal and Takano, and distinguished Committee members, the
    Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors is grateful for the
    opportunity to share issues of importance to the 120,000-plus
    surviving family members of all generations, representing all
    services, and with losses of all causes of death, who TAPS is
    honored to serve.
        As a Gold Star spouse of Brigadier General Tom Carroll, I
    want to express TAPS' deep gratitude to Congress and this
    Committee for passing the bipartisan Senator Elizabeth Dole
    21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvements Act.
    This important law included multiple long-term priorities for
    surviving families, many of whom were caregivers first, such as
    expanding eligibility for the Fry Scholarship and provisions
    within the Love Lives On Act.
        A top legislative priority for TAPS is ensuring surviving
    spouses are allowed to remarry and retain benefits, at any age,
    not wait until age 55. Today's surviving spouses are often
    widowed in their 20s and 30s, yet the law forces them to wait
    decades, sometimes half a lifetime, to remarry without losing
    their earned benefits.
        Grief does not expire, and love after loss should not come
    at the cost of financial stability. TAPS urges Congress to end
    this unjust penalty and honor the sacrifice of our Nation's
    young widows with fairness and dignity.
        TAPS is proud to work with Chairman Moran, Senator Warnock,
    and 22 original Senate co-sponsors, along with Representatives
    Hudson, Neguse, Van Orden, Morrison, Luttrell, and Khanna on
    the Love Lives On Act, and we urge swift passage of this
    legislation.
        TAPS has advocated for many years to strengthen dependency
    and indemnity compensation. Stringent limitations on DIC
    payments have widespread negative impacts on finances, housing,
    employment, transportation, food security, and the medical and
    mental health care for surviving families. Raising DIC from 43
    to 55 percent of the compensation paid to 100 percent permanent
    disabled veterans will increase DIC by an average of $454 a
    month, and provide long overdue parity with other Federal
    survivor benefits.
        TAPS strongly supports the Caring for Survivors Acts and
    thanks Senators Blumenthal and Boozman and Representatives
    Hayes and Fitzpatrick for reintroducing this important
    legislation.
        TAPS is also working to expand CHAMPVA coverage for
    eligible surviving children up to age 26, to align with private
    insurance plans. Surviving families who have lost loved ones as
    a result of military service should be provided the same access
    to affordable health care and mental health services as their
    civilian counterparts. TAPS strongly supports the CHAMPVA
    Children's Care Protection Act and appreciate Ranking Member
    Blumenthal and Congresswoman Brownley for their leadership on
    this issue.
        As a leading voice for the families of those who have died
    as a result of illnesses connected to toxic exposures, TAPS was
    instrumental in the passage of the historic PACT Act. Though a
    tremendous victory, the work does not stop. Of the survivors
    seeking our care in 2024, 37 percent, or more than 3,200, were
    grieving the death of a military loved one due to illnesses.
        TAPS is working with Congress to ensure PACT Act
    implementation and funding and to expand presumptive
    conditions. We fully support the Aviation Cancers Examination
    Study Act and the Ensuring Justice for Camp Lejeune Victims
    Act, and creating a presumption of service-connection for all
    conditions from K2 deployments.
        Ensuring timely, comprehensive health care and mental
    health support for our Nation's benefits, their families,
    caregivers, and survivors is not just a priority. It is a moral
    imperative that will uphold the sacred promise we make to those
    who serve and sacrifice. We thank Chairmen Moran and Bost for
    introducing the Veterans' Assuring Critical Care Expansions to
    Support Servicemembers Act of 2025, which will improve health
    care and mental health outcomes.
        Military service exposes individuals to unique stressors
    and potential traumas. The presumption of service-connection
    for veteran suicides would acknowledge that mental health
    challenges veterans face are often a direct consequence of
    their service. TAPS strongly supports the introduction of the
    Service-Connected Suicide Compensation Act.
        TAPS has stood beside more than 27,000 survivors grieving
    the death of a devastating loss of a military or veteran loved
    one to suicide. These families not only endure unimaginable
    grief, but face stigma and bureaucratic barriers that compound
    their trauma. Requiring them to prove service-connection in
    their darkest moments is unjust and unnecessary. We can do
    better.
        On behalf of our survivor community, TAPS urges Congress to
    take action, remove these burdens, and honor the sacrifice of
    our Nation's heroes and their families. Thank you for the
    opportunity to testify. I look forward to your questions.

        [The prepared statement of Ms. Carroll appears on page 152
    of the Appendix.]

        Chairman Moran. Thank you. I now recognize Meredith Beck.

    STATEMENT OF MEREDITH BECK, VICE PRESIDENT, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
        AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, THE ELIZABETH DOLE FOUNDATION

        Ms. Beck. Thank you very much, sir. Members of the
    Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. As
    many of you know, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation recently
    commissioned RAND to conduct a new landmark study, updating us
    on America's military and veteran caregiver community--who they
    are, how they are faring, and what they contribute to our
    Nation.
        The report identified that while caregivers provide a
    minimum of $119 billion in unpaid care to veterans, they also
    face serious impediments to economic stability. Lost wages, and
    inability to plan for retirement, and unforeseen out-of-pocket
    expenses often result in financial and mental health strain.
        There are several actions Congress can take to relieve some
    of this burden. Recently the VA released the newest proposed
    rule for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family
    Caregivers. While we appreciate that the rule was finally
    published after almost 2 years of financial limbo, we have
    numerous concerns. The rule is still far too complicated and
    would be incredibly difficult to implement in a standardized
    and transparent manner.
        Additionally, we are concerned that those with significant
    mental health and cognitive disabilities would be excluded. EDF
    asks Congress to exercise its oversight authority to minimize
    further turmoil and ensure that those whom Congress intended to
    support are included.
        EDF also asks that Congress grandfather the legacy cohort
    of PCAFC participants, those Post-9/11 caregivers who were
    admitted to the program prior to September 30th of 2020. These
    caregivers have repeatedly been found eligible and endured
    multiple pauses, regulation and leadership changes, lack of
    previous program standardization, and questionable assessments.
    Grandfathering this relatively small population would allow the
    VA to focus on its mission of supporting all generations of
    caregivers by ending this years-long struggle.
        In addition to PCAFC, the VA has many programs that benefit
    both veterans and caregivers. The Veteran-Directed Care Program
    has incredibly high satisfaction rates and notably costs less
    than other VA clinical support services. In theory, veterans
    can use the program to hire individuals familiar to them, to
    provide care, pay for transportation to appointments, hire
    skilled care when needed, and all without paying the overhead
    costs of an agency.
        Unfortunately, gaining access to these programs is often
    incredibly difficult. In many instances, the veteran is subject
    to a case mix tool, ensuring that they are not receiving
    redundant services. While this makes sense generally, the
    current system does not allow complementary programs for those
    who need them most.
        Shawn Lopez, a Maryland Dole Caregiver Fellow, cares for
    his 100 percent service-disabled father. In addition to other
    diagnoses, Shawn's dad battles stage four cancer, suffers from
    progressive dementia, and requires constant supervision for
    safety. If Shawn were not providing around-the-clock care, his
    father would require very costly institutional care, for which
    the VA would be responsible.
        Because Shawn is enrolled in PCAFC, the case mix tool was
    employed to determine his dad's eligibility for additional
    support. Even with his serious health diagnoses and despite his
    constant need for supervision, Mr. Lopez scored far too low to
    qualify him for concurrent enrollment in PCAFC and VDC.
        After much research, Shawn learned that the scoring
    algorithm is weighted so heavily toward those with physical
    needs and mostly excludes consideration for those with
    cognitive and mental health needs. It was not until Shawn's
    father fell and broke five ribs that he even came close to
    qualifying. After a significant amount of advocacy, Mr. Lopez
    was eventually rated at the necessary level, but if he improved
    in only one ADL he will no longer qualify, leaving Shawn to
    support his dad on his own or find an institution.
        Not only is it wrong to deny family caregivers the support
    services they need to care for their loved ones, it does not
    make any fiscal sense. Shawn's stipend through PCAFC is
    approximately $40,000 a year, whereas a skilled nursing
    facility is far more expensive, approximately $160,000 a year
    in Maryland.
        Therefore, EDF asks Congress to work with the VA to provide
    oversight to this vital program to ensure veterans are able to
    stay in their homes as long as medically appropriate.
        While much work remains to be done, many of these issues
    outlined in RAND were addressed in some way with the Dole
    package that Ms. Carroll mentioned. The foundation thanks
    Committee members and their staffs as well as leadership of
    both parties for their hard work to find common ground and
    achieve final passage.
        However, we are deeply concerned that the current seemingly
    arbitrary Federal staffing reductions, the previously
    identified VHA budget shortfall, cuts to research funding and
    contract pauses and cancellations, will greatly impact the VA's
    ability to provide its direct, vital services to those in need
    and implement the Dole Act.
        The VDC program was fortunately expanded in that Dole
    package. However, to continue current operations, much less
    expand, the program must ensure that providers are certified
    and recertified periodically in accordance with MISSION Act
    requirements. Unfortunately, the contract that provides for
    those certifications was recently halted, leaving the future of
    the program and those enrolled in jeopardy.
        Let me be clear. We agree that the realignment of resources
    and staff is often necessary. We are concerned, however, that
    the process does not allow for the careful review and
    implementation necessary to ensure that services, especially
    those for the most vulnerable, are not interrupted.
        Thank you, and I look forward to your questions.

        [The prepared statement of Ms. Beck appears on page 183 of
    the Appendix.]

        Chairman Moran. Thank you, Ms. Beck. Ms. Monet.

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

        Ms. Monet. Chairmen, Ranking Members, and distinguished
    Members of the Committees on Veterans' Affairs, thank you for
    the opportunity to join you. NCHV is a resource and technical
    assistance center for a national network of community-based
    service providers and local and state governments that serve
    thousands of homeless, at-risk, and formerly homeless veterans
    annually.
        We thank you for your leadership and passage of the Dole
    Act. We encourage you to focus on implementation of the
    homeless provisions within the bill. Of note, we urge you to
    ensure that authorizing caps and appropriations levels are
    sufficient to allow VA to pay for increased per diem rates
    authorized under this legislation and to fund Section 4201
    assistance. Our written testimony includes appropriations
    recommendations for other critical programs.
        Veteran homelessness dropped to the lowest level ever
    recorded last year, 32,882 veterans on any given night. The
    2024 point-in-time count data for veterans needs a little bit
    of context, so I am going to give it to you. This represents a
    7 percent decrease since 2023, and a 55 percent decrease since
    2009, compared with increases across the board for every other
    homeless population across those same timeframes.
        While the PIT is not a perfect measure of homelessness, it
    is the best national measure we have for comparison's sake. We
    are, and we have been, reducing veteran homelessness
    consistently in the last 7 of 10 years counted.
        This is no mistake. As VA staff and partners across the
    country have dedicated time and talent toward this mission and
    have had the discipline to research, iterate, and implement
    evidence-based and other promising practices along the way.
        In spite of these efforts, we know that we can do more to
    ensure that our crisis responses, homelessness prevention,
    affordable housing, and supportive service programs can be what
    be veterans need, and we look forward to doing that with all of
    you here. Congress plays a major role in this, and my written
    testimony presents NCHV's priorities for your consideration.
        Before I dive into them I would be remiss if I did not
    mention the vast uncertainty that has been created as our
    Federal partners have moved quickly to make changes across the
    government. The speed and doubt that have resulted have made it
    hard for grantees across the country to focus on homelessness
    rather than issues that impact their ability to work, including
    the potential implications of grant pauses, shifting grant
    operating requirements, reductions in VA staff, including in
    those who serve homeless veterans, and other Federal reduction-
    in-force initiatives.
        Further, while we are still learning more about last
    night's wave of contract cancellations, we know at least one
    cancellation was related to the Enhanced-Use Lease Program to a
    SDVOSB that managed oversight, including things like lead paint
    testing, evaluating life safety issues in these facilities, and
    ensuring that veterans in EUL housing get the case management
    that they need.
        We do have concerns that quality of care will falter as a
    result, and we urge you to work with the Administration to
    ensure that contract cancellations do not result in adverse
    outcomes for veterans.
        These factors have really complicated the already hard work
    of ending veteran homelessness, and so we do want you to
    collectively keep your eye on everything that we have seen so
    far and all of the changes that we know are to come, to ensure
    that there is minimal impact, not only to veterans but the
    community that serves these veterans. VA has been an essential
    partner in the work on veteran homelessness, and that has to
    continue.
        I would like to pivot a little bit back to homelessness
    priorities, and I have three major ones that I would like to
    discuss today. The first is HUD-VASH utilization. We need your
    help to ensure that VHA and PHA's public housing authorities
    are appropriately resourced, and we need you to codify Federal
    guidance exempting VA disability compensation from eligibility
    requirements for HUD-VASH and LIHTC-funded affordable housing.
    For far too long, homeless veterans who needed assistance the
    most, with the highest levels of service-connected
    disabilities, were being excluded from these benefits because
    of their disability income. We absolutely, unequivocally
    support legislation that would codify this change for the
    program, and we also encourage the reintroduction of
    legislation that would codify these changes for the Low-Income
    Housing Tax Credit Program.
        Second, we urge you to ensure that veterans with other-
    than-honorable discharges and those who served in the Guard and
    Reserve without being activated can access all homeless
    programs. The HCHV program currently does not serve this
    population, and we request that you expand its eligibility
    criteria to make it uniform across all programs.
        Third, our Nation's housing affordability crisis is all but
    guaranteed that rents are unaffordable for everyone, including
    veterans. In most counties across the country, economists agree
    that a person earning the minimum wage is not able to rent a
    one-bedroom apartment without being severely cost burdened, and
    we know that only 1 in 4 people eligible for Section 8 receive
    them because of chronic underfunding of that program. We
    support legislation that would create a voucher program for all
    extremely low-income veterans and legislation to prohibit
    source-of-income discrimination so that people can actually use
    these vouchers.
        Thank you for the opportunity to join you today. I am open
    to any questions you may have.

        [The prepared statement of Ms. Monet appears on page 200 of
    the Appendix.]

        Chairman Moran. Thank you very much. I am going to
    recognize Ranking Member Takano for his questions, for 3
    minutes.
        Mr. Takano. Thank you, Chairman Moran, and let me just say
    that I have been impressed with many of your comments over the
    past 2 weeks, especially your interest in doing oversight on
    the internal process that VA does to establish new
    presumptives. I really want to thank you for those comments.
        My first question is for Ms. Monet. You have been
    stewarding the progress to end veteran homelessness in your
    years of work at the National Coalition of Homeless Veterans.
    And during the Biden-Harris administration we saw homelessness
    reach new lows.
        Unfortunately, Secretary Collins seems to think this
    progress was not real. He recently told the Military Times,
    quote, ``We have spent millions of dollars and added countless
    programs to the homeless situation and to suicide prevention,
    and seen nothing,'' he said, end quote.
        Quote, ``I am ready to see results, and I am ready to take
    whatever we have and say what can we do better,'' end quote.
        Ms. Monet, was the progress we saw during the Biden-Harris
    administration real, and to what do you attribute it? What
    roadblocks do you foresee arising that could prevent further
    progress?
        Ms. Monet. So the progress we have seen was absolutely
    real. VA programs helped hundreds of thousands of veterans
    every day--well, not every day--across the course of a year. I
    am sorry. But, you know, there are things that we can do to
    improve, and I think I laid out a few of them in my testimony
    today. When I think about roadblocks, I do think a lot about
    things that are not really tied to VA. We do not have a lot of
    affordable housing. We know that people are struggling to stay
    employed. We know that veterans are overrepresented in the
    Federal workforce that is getting fired at a very rapid pace.
        There are these challenges that we have to contend with,
    and within VA there are some things that we can do, right. We
    can connect services to veterans a little bit better. We can be
    thoughtful about prevention and how we really learn about
    preventing homelessness and the risk factors. There is so much
    that we could do. But I think that we can do it if we commit to
    it.
        Mr. Takano. Yes. Yes. Thank you so much for your response.
        I would like to ask Mr. Lyon, I met with many of your
    student veteran members from SVA yesterday, and I was disturbed
    to hear stories about many contract employees who serve as
    counselors. Can you tell us about the situation before these
    recent firings in terms of the number of counselors, the vital
    role they play? And they, oddly enough, play a role in terms of
    preventing waste, fraud, and abuse within the VR&E program. The
    VR&E program, by the way, is the program for veterans, student
    veterans. It is not about the GI Bill. It is about their
    service-connected disability and being able to get them
    education, which will make them gainfully employed.
        Mr. Lyon, do you want to respond?
        Mr. Lyon. Thank you very much for the question, sir, and
    you are right. We have had many conversations with the highest
    levels of VA, from appointed officials to senior government
    employees, about the impact that terminations are having, which
    I think have been well addressed by the first panel this
    morning and my colleagues up here today.
        But in particular, when we continue to hear that mission-
    critical roles are not being cut, we are seeing, in particular
    with the VR&E program, a program that was already chronically
    understaffed and had delays with not only approving benefits
    but then also addressing concerns for these service-connected
    disabled veterans while in school, have been exacerbated by
    some of the recent terminations and some of the canceling of
    contracts, the very contracts that were staffing some of the
    oversight for fraud, waste, and abuse of the program, but also
    approving. This is causing, in many instances, weeks if not
    multiple months of delays just to hear back from the initial
    claim, a VR&E claim.
        Mr. Takano. Well, that has meant delays, you know, really
    incredible delays, and sometimes students not being able to get
    the courses, hardships on families, student veterans' families.
        I yield back, Mr. Chairman.
        Chairman Moran. Thank you, Representative Takano.
    Representative Ramirez.

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

        Ms. Ramirez. Thank you, Chairman, and thank you, Ranking
    Member. I am really grateful that we are holding today's
    hearing.
        I want to start by acknowledging and thanking the veterans
    service organizations that are joining us today for all the
    tremendous work you do every single day on behalf of our
    veterans. The work that we do, the legislation that we pass to
    bring more veteran benefits, none of that could happen without
    your help. So I just want to thank all of you for being here.
        And each time we come together I think it is important for
    us to rehearse our why. Or at least for me, I believe it is my
    responsibility to ensure that every veteran has full access to
    the full spectrum of benefits that they have earned, frankly
    that they deserve. As a former nonprofit community director of
    an organization that served people who are unhoused, people
    experiencing homelessness, including many veterans, I
    understand that often the gap between our ability to fulfill
    our mission and the realities on the ground are often about
    resources. For many, housing and homeless service providers'
    Federal grants are an essential part of the resources layered
    together to meet the needs of our neighbors, particularly our
    veteran neighbors.
        So I am clear that to ensure that every veteran has full
    access to the full spectrum of benefits they have earned and
    deserve, we have to make sure that the programs and services
    the VA offer are fully funded. And we know that fully funding
    our programs can make an impact on veteran homelessness.
        Ms. Monet, you were just talking about it. Over the past
    few years, there has been a record investment on veteran
    homelessness, addressing veteran homelessness, and as a result,
    in the national point-in-time count data, that I participated
    in, in the past as the executive director of a shelter, not
    only have we made progress in reducing veteran homelessness,
    but veterans are the only population, across the country, that
    has seen a decline in rates of homelessness, according to this
    count.
        So Ms. Monet, I want to follow up on that. I want to ask
    you if there is a freeze on the grants that serve unhoused
    veterans or that support that veteran permanent housing is
    needed, what impact do you think it would have on the ability
    to end veteran homelessness? And let me give you a follow-up to
    that. More broadly, what I am interested in hearing is what
    would those freezes mean for the organizations and the
    communities that depend on Federal resources?
        Ms. Monet. So when we experienced the last freeze it was
    chaotic. Organizations were sort of pushed to the brink, and a
    lot of them were really running numbers, looking at their
    budgets, thinking really intently about their cash-flow, and
    questioning the level of commitment that the Federal Government
    has to this initiative.
        At NCHV, because we have a toll-free referral line, we got
    calls from veterans who were upset that they had been looking
    for housing for 3 or 4 weeks, finally found somewhere that
    would take their subsidy, but could not get their check cut
    because of the funding freeze. We got calls from medical center
    staff who said that their SSVF provider did not have enough
    cash-flow to cut checks for a whole community of veterans come
    February 1, and they were looking for other funds to support.
        You know, there were a lot of instances where our members
    were facing this uncertainty and trying to figure out how do we
    work through this, what does this pause actually mean, what
    activities will be acceptable or not acceptable, and really
    thinking intently about that versus serving the veterans in
    front of them. And that is not what we want them to be doing.
        Ms. Ramirez. Thank you, Ms. Monet. I know my time is up so
    I just think, in summary, what you are saying is freezing funds
    means our veterans are at risk of homelessness, it is chaos,
    and it means it takes us back, when in fact we should be doing
    more for our veterans. Thank you, Ms. Monet.
        I yield back, Chairman.
        Chairman Moran. Thank you, Representative.
        Mr. Lyon, we have a long history, mostly related to COVID,
    and student access to education during those difficult times. I
    really appreciate your strong support, your organization's
    strong support for the National Guard GI Bill Parity Act.
        Based upon your focus, the organization's focus on the
    success of student veterans, explain why this change is needed
    and how the bill, if signed into law, would impact the outcomes
    of National Guard and Reservists.
        Mr. Lyon. Thank you very much, sir, and I really appreciate
    the question. When you look at the service of those in uniform,
    regardless of if it is active duty, Guard, or Reserve, every
    day in uniform should count equally with regard to your
    benefits. And unfortunately, as the GI Bill is a benefit that
    requires specific and nuanced related service, as pertains to
    Guard and Reserve members wearing that uniform, they are not
    equally eligible.
        There are countless instances in which we hear from student
    veterans that have been activated for any number of supports,
    from overseas deployments to work down on the border, to
    natural disasters. And when they are, their service does not
    count equally for their ability to be eligible for the GI Bill.
        If we are able to get this done and pass this bill, we
    would be able to say, indefinitively, that every day in uniform
    counts equally. So this would be exceptionally impactful for
    those members of the Guard and Reserve that find themselves as
    student veterans.
        Chairman Moran. Disadvantageous circumstance for those in
    the Guard and Reserve is a result of the law, not a result of
    interpretation of the law or bias toward those not in active
    duty. It is the law that needs to be changed. Is that true?
        Mr. Lyon. Yes, sir.
        Chairman Moran. Major Carroll, thank you and your team for
    ongoing work with Senator Warnock and I in advocating for Love
    Lives On Act. As you know, we have been challenged by the
    expense of this legislation. That is not a reason not to do it,
    and we are fully committed to its passage and implementation.
    But do you have suggestions of how we could advance--we have
    advanced several steps of this legislation--any suggestions as
    to what we do next?
        Major Carroll. Love Lives On is incredibly important to our
    surviving families. It is probably the top priority for those.
    It is something that our families are already receiving
    compensation for. All of those who are receiving those
    benefits, the DIC, are already getting them. It is only when
    they remarry that that is taken away.
        The rate is so low right now, and our team has done
    extensive work into that, looking at that, talking, I know, to
    your team, to many members on exactly what that would mean. But
    it would allow our families to be whole, to allow our children
    to be raised in a two-parent household. It would allow our
    families to move forward with their lives. And we are very,
    very hopeful that the amount required will be recognized as an
    amount that is owed to these families who have sacrificed so
    much for this country.
        Chairman Moran. You and others associated with you are such
    valuable advocates. Even what you said just now, it suggests to
    me how would one say no. It is hugely important for us to have
    success, and more rapid success.
        As I indicated earlier, it is nice to be thanked, I
    suppose, for your efforts, but this is one that would be great
    to be thanked for results.
        Major Carroll, do you have recommendations for how the VA
    and Congress can better work with the VSO community to reach
    survivors and make certain that they are aware of the benefits
    and resources that they may be entitled to?
        Major Carroll. Absolutely. We have surviving family members
    who receive some benefits, DIC, but through our networks,
    through public awareness, through community efforts, through
    other VSO partnerships we are reaching out to surviving
    families. One of the ways we did this is also through the
    National Cemetery Administration, where we reach all those who
    are survivors of anyone buried at a national cemetery or a
    state cemetery. We are very active with the National Funeral
    Directors, to reach all of those whose loved ones lives
    included service to this country, to ensure that they have the
    benefits that they have earned and that their families will
    never be forgotten for that service.
        Chairman Moran. Thank you. Speaking of national cemeteries,
    Ms. Monet, there are 156 national cemeteries across our
    country, and the NCA runs the Cemetery Apprenticeship Program,
    which offers training and employment in either a caretaker or
    an administrative position to veterans who are, or at risk of
    becoming, homeless. Would you speak to the importance of that
    program?
        Ms. Monet. Absolutely. At NCHV we think that employment is
    an important part of solutions for veteran homelessness. It
    gives folks the dignity of a job, some income, connections to
    other people in a network, and the Cemetery Caretaker
    Apprenticeship Program is absolutely an important part of that.
    I think that we would love to see that program expanded, and we
    would love to see more opportunities for supportive employment
    of veterans within VA and other Federal agencies.
        Chairman Moran. Thank you. And Ms. Beck, you indicated, I
    wrote down, ``learning more,'' and what you, I think, were
    saying before I got all my notes in place, learning more about
    contract cancellation. What happens that you are going to learn
    more? Where are you getting information, and what can you tell
    me about those sources?
        Ms. Beck. The information that we have at this point, sir,
    is that the new round of contract cancellations, I believe is
    totaling 585, is that that is a reduction in the number of
    contracts from last week that they said were going to be
    reduced. We certainly hear from a number of those contract
    providers who are very concerned about their ability to
    continue to be able to provide those services. And then we
    certainly hear from caregivers who are concerned about that, as
    well.
        As Ms. Monet indicated, we do not have any visibility on
    what the actual contracts are that will be included in that
    585, but there is definite concern, especially about the one
    that I mentioned, from our perspective, about the veteran-
    directed care perspective.
        The other piece of it that is of concern that we hear about
    quite a bit is from the research perspective, not just the
    funding cuts to the research but also the staffing freezes, and
    how that impacts the ability to execute active contracts and
    research initiatives that are ongoing. We are hearing from
    those at NAVREF, the national association that represents the
    nonprofit community that supports the research done within the
    VA, and those would be programs and services and clinical
    trials that are incredibly important for PACT Act
    implementation and otherwise.
        Chairman Moran. Have you had any success in outreach to the
    VA, either you asking them or they are telling you what is
    transpiring?
        Ms. Beck. No, sir, we have not.
        Chairman Moran. Let me ask both Ms. Jaslow and Mr. Thomas.
    I do not want you to feel left out of my questioning. Anything
    that you would add to the knowledge base as to what is
    happening in regard to contact cancellation or pause? Mr.
    Thomas?
        Mr. Thomas. Well, with the contract cancellations, we are
    hearing a lot of fear from our members that the SAH grants and
    things like that are being canceled. And our members with ALS
    need their housing and everything done now. They cannot wait
    because this is something that is demanding upon them to be
    able to get around and move in a house that is really
    accessible for them. So that is something that is really hard,
    canceling those contracts from the SAH grants.
        Chairman Moran. So the only knowledge that anyone has is
    coming from their members or from contractors who are in the
    circumstance of either fearing or experiencing a contract
    cancellation?
        Mr. Thomas. The information that we are getting is coming
    from our members. They are in the process of getting the SAH
    grant, calling the individual that they are in contact with.
    And then all of a sudden that individual is not there. So
    again, this makes them go back through the entire process all
    over again. It is causing many delays.
        Chairman Moran. Understand. As my usual practice, are there
    any or all of you who have anything you want to make certain is
    clearly put on the record before we close this hearing?
        Mr. Lyon. Sir, I just wanted to make one point relative to
    the data, in particular, VA's Enrollment Manager. We are
    reporting issues, particularly those individuals in Chapter 35,
    that did not receive their February payments. In addition, we
    have gotten reports, specifically from Alabama, California, and
    North Dakota, that also have payment issues.
        So we are both getting it from specific members but also
    the school certifying officials within the system. They can
    show on their end that the Enrollment Manager demonstrates that
    the payments have been processed, but then they cannot see the
    distribution. And then we are also getting the input from the
    actual veterans.
        It currently numbers less than 1,000 veterans impacted, but
    impacted, nonetheless.
        Chairman Moran. And that is a consequence of what, that the
    payments are not being made. They show on the record but not
    actually being fulfilled. And what has transpired that causes
    that to happen?
        Mr. Lyon. The school certifying officials are reporting
    staffing challenges.
        Chairman Moran. At the VA.
        Mr. Lyon. Yes, sir.
        Chairman Moran. Okay. Anyone else? Ms. Beck.
        Ms. Beck. Sir, I was just going to say that for example,
    again, with that veteran-directed contract, which is of great
    concern to us, you know, many of us advocated for the passage
    of the Dole Act and the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act itself,
    based off of that and other home-based services, that in that
    particular example the contractor was on the previous list to
    be terminated and also has a stop work order in place, as the
    only contractor who does that certifying work to bring on new
    contractors for expansion.
        And so I think that is where we were seeing the information
    that it was coming from, is having that stop work order in
    place.
        Chairman Moran. And that is still true?
        Ms. Beck. Until we get clarity on the new list, it is in
    place as of this moment. Yes, sir.
        Chairman Moran. Thank you. Ms. Jaslow.
        Ms. Jaslow. Sir, I just would be remiss if I didn't take
    the opportunity to thank you for your leadership on the PACT
    Act specifically. That continues to be an important law to our
    entire community. You are looking at somebody who slept next to
    Camp Trash Can for 15 months, on my second deployment. And we
    all know that it almost did not make it across the finish line.
    So I just want to make sure that I thank you on behalf of our
    members for your leadership on that important law, that will be
    an important law not just today but for many, many years, as we
    all age and understand the consequences of our toxic exposure.
    So thank you.
        Chairman Moran. I thank all of you for your efforts in
    regard to convincing members of the Senate and the House that
    the PACT Act was something of value and important to pass.
        I think that concludes the hearing. I do not want to leave
    anything out. Oh, I know what I was going to say. I knew there
    was something there. Ms. Beck, you do not have to advocate for
    the Elizabeth Dole Act because everybody else advocates for it,
    for you. It seems just consistent, constant.
        Ms. Beck. It is a benefit of being in a very supportive
    community, sir.
        Chairman Moran. It is demonstrated again this morning.
        Again, we thank you all for your advocacy. The record will
    remain open. If we ask additional questions, please respond
    quickly. And with that the hearing is adjourned. Thank you.
        [Applause.]
        [Whereupon, at 12:58 p.m., the hearing was adjourned.]

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