[Senate Hearing 119-86]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
S. Hrg. 119-86
HEARING TO CONSIDER PENDING LEGISLATION
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HEARING
BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
MAY 21, 2025
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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
60-595 PDF WASHINGTON : 2026
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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
C O N T E N T S
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May 21, 2025
SENATORS
Page
Hon. Jerry Moran, Chairman, U.S. Senator from Kansas............. 1
Hon. Angus S. King, Jr., U.S. Senator from Maine................. 4
Hon. Margaret Wood Hassan, U.S. Senator from New Hampshire....... 4
Hon. Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member, U.S. Senator from
Connecticut.................................................... 6
Hon. Tim Sheehy, U.S. Senator from Montana....................... 7
Hon. Patty Murray, U.S. Senator from Washington.................. 8
WITNESSES
Panel I
Thomas O'Toole, MD, Acting Assistant Under Secretary for Health
for Clinical Services, Veterans Health Administration, U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs accompanied by Kenneth Smith,
Assistant Deputy Under Secretary, Operations Management, Office
of Field Operations, Acting Executive Director of Education
Services, Veterans Benefits Administration, U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs; and Phillip W. Christy, Acting Principal
Executive Director and Chief Acquisition Officer, U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs................................. 2
Panel II
Morgan Brown, National Legislative Director, Paralyzed Veterans
of America..................................................... 10
Brian Dempsey, Director of Government Affairs, Wounded Warrior
Project........................................................ 12
Jon Retzer, Deputy National Legislative Director for Health,
Disabled American Veterans..................................... 14
APPENDIX
Hearing Agenda
List of Pending Bills............................................ 25
Opening Statement
Hon. Richard Blumenthal.......................................... 29
Prepared Statements
Thomas O'Toole, MD, Acting Assistant Under Secretary for Health
for Clinical Services, Veterans Health Administration, U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs................................. 33
Morgan Brown, National Legislative Director, Paralyzed Veterans
of America..................................................... 74
Brian Dempsey, Director of Government Affairs, Wounded Warrior
Project........................................................ 84
Jon Retzer, Deputy National Legislative Director for Health,
Disabled American Veterans..................................... 99
Submissions for the Record
The New York Times article ``Trump's Push to Defund Harvard
Prompts Clash Over Veteran Suicide Research''.................. 113
American Gold Star Mothers, Inc., Patti Elliott, 2024-2025
National President............................................. 117
The American Legion, James A. LaCoursiere, National Commander.... 118
Gold Star Spouses of America, Inc., Tamra Sipes, President....... 119
Jewish Community Relations Bureau/American Jewish Committee
(JCRB/AJC), Neta Meltzer, Executive Director, Bert Berkley
Chair for Community Relations.................................. 121
Non Commissioned Officers Association of the United States of
America, Levi H. Sadr, Director of Government Affairs.......... 122
Republican Jewish Coalition, Norm Coleman, National Chairman and
Matthew Brooks, Chief Executive Officer........................ 123
Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), Bonnie Carroll,
President and Founder.......................................... 124
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Kristina Keenan,
Director, VFW National Legislative Service..................... 125
Vietnam Veterans of America, Jack McManus, National President.... 126
Questions for the Record
Department of Veterans Affairs response to questions submitted
by:
Hon. Margaret Wood Hassan...................................... 129
Hon. Dan Sullivan.............................................. 130
Hon. Tommy Tuberville.......................................... 132
Statements for the Record
American Battle Monuments Commission............................. 137
American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), AFL-CIO,
Daniel M. Horowitz, Director of Legislation.................... 140
The American Legion, Matthew Cardenas, Policy Analyst............ 143
Coalition for Common Sense in Government Procurement, Roger D.
Waldron, President............................................. 163
Concerned Veterans for America, John Vick, Executive Director.... 167
Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Britt Slabinski, President. 173
Elizabeth Dole Foundation........................................ 175
K9s For Warriors, Daniel Bean, Chief Executive Officer........... 180
Military Officers Association of America (MOAA).................. 182
Medal of Honor Foundation, David J. McIntyre, Jr., Chairman of
the Board of Directors......................................... 188
National Guard Association of the United States.................. 190
Quality of Life Foundation....................................... 193
Reserve Organization of America, Jake Fales, Senior Policy Fellow
for Veterans' Affairs; and Peter Donlon, Senior Policy Fellow
for Defense and Acquisitions................................... 197
Student Veterans of America...................................... 205
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Kristina Keenan,
Director, VFW National Legislative Service..................... 210
Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute............................. 216
HEARING TO CONSIDER PENDING
LEGISLATION
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WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2025
U.S. Senate,
Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
Washington, DC.
The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 4 p.m., in Room
SR-418, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. Jerry Moran,
Chairman of the Committee, presiding.
Present: Senators Moran, Sheehy, Blumenthal, Murray,
Hassan, and King.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JERRY MORAN,
CHAIRMAN, U.S. SENATOR FROM KANSAS
Chairman Moran. Nice to see that works. We have significant
time constraints in our hearing today, and we are going to move
it as expeditiously but as effectively as we can to go through
our agenda. I have not checked with Senator Blumenthal's staff
but I assume he is on his way. I am going to make my opening
statement, and we have cut it in half, maybe the witnesses have
done the same, and we will proceed with our hearing as members
join us.
I call the meeting to order. Welcome. Welcome to our
witnesses and to those in the audience. We are going to hear
from witnesses from the VA, from the Paralyzed Veterans of
America, the Wounded Warrior Project, and Disabled American
Veterans about 20 pieces of legislation on today's agenda.
These bills reflect a wide range of issues facing military and
veteran communities as well as the Department tasked with
serving them. I am grateful for the sponsors of these bills and
will work with them to make certain that they improve services
for veterans, and I look forward to hearing from our witnesses
today about these proposals.
So recognizing that schedules for many of us, myself
included, are particularly constrained this afternoon, in the
interest of time I will withhold further comment. I will
recognize the Ranking Member when he arrives, and I will now
introduce our first panel.
Testifying today from the Department of Veterans Affairs is
Dr. Thomas O'Toole, not an unfamiliar face to us, the VA's
Acting Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Clinical
Services. He is accompanied by Kenneth Smith, the VA's
Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Operations Management, and
Acting Executive Director of Education Services, and Phillip
Christy, VA's Acting Principal Executive Director and Chief
Acquisition Officer.
Again, thank you all for being here, and Dr. O'Toole, I
recognize you for your statement.
PANEL I
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STATEMENT OF THOMAS O'TOOLE, MD, ACTING ASSISTANT UNDER
SECRETARY FOR HEALTH FOR CLINICAL SERVICES, VETERANS HEALTH
ADMINISTRATION, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS ACCOMPANIED
BY KENNETH SMITH, ASSISTANT DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY, OPERATIONS
MANAGEMENT, OFFICE OF FIELD OPERATIONS, ACTING EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION SERVICES, VETERANS BENEFITS
ADMINISTRATION, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS; AND
PHILLIP W. CHRISTY, ACTING PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND
CHIEF ACQUISITION OFFICER, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Dr. O'Toole. Thank you, Senator, and before I begin I want
to apologize for the delay in getting the testimony before the
Committee.
Chairman Moran. Dr. O'Toole, that was part of my opening
statement, critiquing that fact, which I left out.
Dr. O'Toole. Well, now we are covered.
Chairman Moran. Yes, sir.
Dr. O'Toole. While the Department has provided detailed
views in my written statement, I would like to highlight
several of the bills we will be discussing today.
VA supports the intent of S. 1591, Acquisition Reform and
Cost Assessment Act of 2025, but recommends amendments to
ensure effective implementation. VA does not support Section 6
of the bill, which would require VA to establish a cost
assessment and program evaluation office.
VA supports S. 214, the MEDAL Act of 2025, subject to
amendments and the availability of appropriations.
VA strongly supports the goal of S. 1533. We do recommend
amendments to certain provisions and are happy to work with the
Committee.
Regarding S. 649, Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of
2025, the Department is still examining the bill and is unable
to provide comprehensive views at this time.
The Department supports the principles behind expanding
access and simplifying eligibility for community care as it
appears to be the intent in S. 219, the Veterans Health Care
Freedom Act. However, VA believes enacting the Veterans' ACCESS
Act of 2025 would be a better way of ensuring veterans can
receive care from community providers.
We support the intent of S. 506, to improve care
coordination for veterans dual eligible for Medicare and VA
health care. However, VA has concerns with certain provisions.
Similarly, VA supports the intent of S. 800, which aims to
advance critical research in brain health, blast exposure, and
a potential treatment for veterans adversely impacted by their
military service. We would appreciate the opportunity to work
with the Committee to discuss any concerns we have with this,
and also to discuss our research efforts.
VA supports S. 585, S. 635, S. 778, and S. 1441. Regarding
S. 605, the CHAMPVA Children's Care Protection Act of 2025, VA
does not support extending CHAMPVA benefits to children up to
age 26.
We support the intent of certain provisions in both S. 784
and S. 827, which would expand grant programs aiding
transportation to rural veterans. And we are happy to work with
the Committee on technical assistance toward those bills.
We do not support S. 599, the DRIVE Act.
This concludes my testimony. Thank you, and we are prepared
to answer and respond to any questions you or other members of
the Committee may have.
[The prepared statement of Dr. O'Toole appears on page 33
of the Appendix.]
Chairman Moran. Dr. O'Toole, thank you very much for your
testimony. I appreciate the VA's support for one of the bills
on the agenda that I introduced, the Coordinating Care for
Senior Veterans and Wounded Warriors Act, and your willingness
to work with me to make certain we are facilitating timely and
efficient information sharing between the VA and CMS and
avoiding duplication.
In the interim, between now and potential enactment of this
legislation, what is the VA doing to accomplish these outcomes?
Dr. O'Toole. Thank you, Senator. The concerns we have with
this bill are primarily related to the fact that it addresses
many of the things that we are already doing. One of the
primary concerns is related to--we currently provide care
coordination, and care coordination through the primary care
group at the VA. The added provision of having additional care
coordination runs the risk, in our view, that we could have
redundancy in that care and redundancy in those services.
A significant provision to the bill is the information
sharing between CMS and between the Medicare providers to CMS
and VA care. This is a long-standing challenge and issue, one
that we have currently in the community care effort. We are in
the process, particularly through our EHRM efforts and
expansion in Oracle Health, developing a health exchange that
does provide a more timely way for sharing medical records, and
we expect with more rapid transition of implementation of that
EHR, we will have a better system in place for the record
sharing we are discussing.
Chairman Moran. Thank you. Let me ask Mr. Smith this
question. As VBA continues to tackle the claims backlog as well
as remands from the Board of Veterans' Appeals, timely and
high-quality medical disability exams are important. My bill,
the VA License Portability Act, would permanently authorize the
VA License Portability Pilot Program for contract medical
disability examiners.
Would you speak to why this is important and what the
current hindrance is for veterans receiving medical disability
exams in a timely manner, absent expanded license portability
for contract examiners?
Mr. Smith. Thank you for the question, Senator. We strongly
support this. Of course, we are operating under a pilot program
that has been in existence since 1996, and we are eager to move
to a more permanent structure.
We do have a couple of concerns, just with the designation
of physicians in the bill. We would prefer to use health care
providers because 86 percent of our exams are currently
conducted by non-physician health care providers. And last, I
would say we have concerns with the submission of evidence to
the contract examiners. We would prefer that those records come
directly to VA, because we do not have contractual privity with
the actual providers. They are all subcontractors to the four
main contract vendors.
Chairman Moran. Thank you. I am going to cut my questions
short. Senator King and Senator Hassan, there has not been a
coup. I expect Senator Blumenthal to arrive. And there is
almost no member of this Committee who could remain here past
5, so we are trying to be very timely.
And I now recognize Senator King for his questions.
HON. ANGUS S. KING, JR.,
U.S. SENATOR FROM MAINE
Senator King. I have no questions because I believe that
the testimony is that this witness supports all of the bills
that I have introduced. So I commend you for your insight and
the deep intelligence.
[Laughter.]
Chairman Moran. I think I am going to make sure you are a
co-sponsor of every bill that I introduce.
[Laughter.]
Senator King. But I do note that there are reservations
about some amendments that you want to discuss. I am happy to
work with you on those, because there are some very important
provisions here. So thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Moran. You're welcome. While Senator Blumenthal
gets settled, I will recognize Senator Hassan.
HON. MARGARET WOOD HASSAN,
U.S. SENATOR FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE
Senator Hassan. Thanks very much, Mr. Chair. Dr. O'Toole,
it is good to see you again. A few weeks ago we discussed VA's
plan to fire 80,000 workers. You testified then that despite
being the Acting Chief Medical Officer at the VA, you had not
been consulted about how this plan would affect care for
veterans.
Two weeks ago, I asked Secretary Collins about this, and I
alerted him to the fact that the top doctor at the VA had not
been consulted about how this plan might help or harm veterans'
health care.
Since we last spoke Dr. O'Toole, has anyone at VA asked for
your input or analysis or asked you to oversee any analysis
done by the VA's Clinical Services Department regarding how
firing 80,000 VA employees would affect veterans' care?
Dr. O'Toole. Thank you, Senator, and I appreciate the
opportunity to respond. I will note two things. One is that
there is a larger process. I appreciate the title of ``Top
Doc,'' but there are several clinicians, physicians senior to
me who are actively involved in this. It is very much pre-
decisional. The specifics to the questions you have asked, I do
not know. I am not aware of. But that does not mean that these
analyses are not ongoing. I would have to take it for the
record and respond to you on that. But I am happy to speak to
the legislation we have.
Senator Hassan. Well, that would be excellent. Can you tell
me who the doctors senior to you, or the clinicians senior to
you are, who are involved in this analysis?
Dr. O'Toole. I would like to get back to you on the
specific names on that if I can, ma'am.
Senator Hassan. Okay. You know, part of our job is
oversight, and there have been bipartisan concerns, obviously,
about what Secretary Collins says is a plan or a goal to fire
this many workers. And it is really important that we
understand what kind of analysis is being done before they go
forward with the decision. I expect them to do analysis. I
expect them to measure. I expect them to consult with you and
other clinicians to understand what the interplay between the
clinician is and, let's say, somebody who orders supplies at
the VA. And I think we are running out of time here, and I keep
kind of getting these answers, either they have not consulted
you or you cannot tell me who they are consulting.
So we will certainly submit a question for the record, but
I hope you will take back to the Secretary and his whole team
our expectation that they really lay out who is doing this
analysis.
Now, the President recently signed an Executive order that
requires the Secretary of the VA to commission a feasibility
study and an action plan to expand services to support a full-
service medical service in New Hampshire. This is a really good
first step. We have needed that full-service medical center in
New Hampshire for a long time. We are the only state in the
contiguous United States that does not have its own full-
service medical center.
But I want to make sure that this problem gets the
attention it deserves and that Granite Staters get the best
possible care. It is critically important that the VA and the
Administration engage with New Hampshire veterans, VSOs, and
other Granite Staters on the ground to get their input and
feedback. As you know, my colleagues and I have been advocating
for this full-service VA for a long time, but we want to make
sure that as plans are going forward, veteran care is not
disrupted at our current facility, and I want to make sure that
the Administration is reaching out to get input from folks on
the ground in New Hampshire.
So Dr. O'Toole, how will the VA decide what new clinical
services to provide to veterans in New Hampshire at the
hospital, and how will the VA engage with Granite Staters to
make sure the new facility meets the unmet clinical needs of
our veterans, and what will the timeline be for this kind of
decision?
Dr. O'Toole. Thank you, Senator, and first, fully
acknowledge and agree with all the points you are making, and
that would be the process I would expect would be underway. I
do not know, and I am not prepared to be able to speak to the
specifics to that. I would have to take it for the record, in
terms of where we are with that planning and what the process
will be.
Senator Hassan. Well, I appreciate that. From what I am
hearing on the ground, nobody has heard anything from the VA,
from the White House since the President's Executive order,
which makes us wonder how much of this is window dressing and
how much of this is real, right. So we really would appreciate
outreach, and again, if you all will take that back to the
Secretary's office that would be very helpful.
I have more questions. I will submit them for the record.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Chairman Moran. I now recognize the Ranking Member, Senator
Blumenthal.
HON. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL,\1\
RANKING MEMBER, U.S. SENATOR FROM CONNECTICUT
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\1\ The opening statement for Senator Blumenthal appears on page 29
of the Appendix.
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Senator Blumenthal. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I
apologize. I have another subcommittee, the Subcommittee on
Permanent Investigations, which is ongoing, as Senator Hassan
knows, because she is also a member of that subcommittee, and
it is still ongoing. So I do apologize.
Before I begin, I want to ask consent to enter into the
record a recent New York Times article entitled ``Trump's Push
to Defund Harvard Prompts Clash Over Veteran Suicide
Research.''
Chairman Moran. Without objection.
[The article referred to appears on page 113 of the
Appendix.]
Senator Blumenthal. Thank you. This article, I do not know
whether you are familiar with it, Dr. O'Toole, shows that there
are multiple contracts between the VA and Harvard University
that are planned to be canceled, including contracts involving
VA suicide prevention efforts and contracts ensuring veterans
have adequate access to clinical trials.
VA officials are quoted in the article saying that
canceling these contracts would result in, quote, ``more
veteran suicides that could have been prevented,'' end quote.
They are raising the alarm and pleading with VA leadership not
to cancel these highly critical contracts.
Dr. O'Toole, are you aware of this situation?
Dr. O'Toole. I have seen the article, sir, and I have
heard, obviously I have heard it as you have as well, and the
concerns. I would have to take for the record any specifics on
the status of those deliberations.
Senator Blumenthal. Well those research contracts are
important to prevent veteran suicide, are they not?
Dr. O'Toole. Absolutely, sir. I am not, by any means,
disputing the nature of the research nor the importance of it.
Senator Blumenthal. Do you agree with their cancellation?
Dr. O'Toole. Sir, I am not here to discuss the specifics of
that. I am not prepared to be able to discuss that from a
departmental perspective, but happy to take for the record what
the status of those considerations are.
Senator Blumenthal. Well, I do not mean to be
disrespectful, but veterans may be dying as a result of these
contracts being canceled. You have been involved in the VA for
some time. I am disappointed that you will not express perhaps
a more critical view of what is happening here.
Dr. O'Toole. Well, thank you, sir, and as somebody who has
done research in the VA, I can fully appreciate that. I just do
not want to get ahead of my skis here in speaking for the
Department on this, so I do need to take it for the record.
Senator Blumenthal. Well you are here on behalf of the VA.
And I am just going to be really direct. We have been asking
the VA about these contracts, including the Harvard contracts,
for more than a month, and we have received no response. So
that when people come to me and say, ``Why are you holding
these nominations?'' and I say, ``It is because the VA is
denying us essential information that is necessary for our
oversight and we want accountability. Here is Exhibit A, saving
lives.''
The VA has no more foundational and essential purpose than
stopping veteran suicide, and it has denied us and refused to
provide information, purposefully. It cannot be an accident,
but purposefully. And I know you are on the receiving line of
this complaint, and make no mistake, I know you are not the one
responsible.
So, when you take this message back, and you get back to
us, and I am not going to berate you further, you should make
clear that here is the reason why we are putting a hold on
these nominees and why we are extremely disappointed, I will
put it euphemistically, with the response so far.
And just so we also understand why we are here today, a lot
of great legislation. The Children's Care Protection Act, other
measures that are important to advance the authority of the VA.
We still do not know the number of fired VA employees, as
well as the canceled VA contracts. We have no idea when, if
ever, we will have the VA lift its freeze on rulemaking.
Remember, rulemaking is important to legislation. Legislation
cannot be implemented until the rules are in place. And we have
no idea when that freeze will be lifted so laws can be
implemented.
Here we are talking about new laws. Laws are dead letter if
there are no rules and regulation. Laws are also dead letter if
there is no workforce to implement them. If people cannot
enforce them and carry them out, they have no meaning. And the
VA is planning, it's the stated goal of the VA Secretary, to
cut 83,000 employees who are important to carry out those laws.
So, the laws we have passed already, the PACT Act and the
Elizabeth Dole Act, great bipartisan measures. They are going
to be dead letter if we do not provide the resources for them
to be implemented and if the slash-and-trash approach is
carried forward.
My time has expired. Mr. Chairman, thank you.
Chairman Moran. You are welcome. Thank you, Senator
Blumenthal. Senator Sheehy.
HON. TIM SHEEHY,
U.S. SENATOR FROM MONTANA
Senator Sheehy. No questions at this time.
Chairman Moran. Thank you, Senator. Senator Murray.
HON. PATTY MURRAY,
U.S. SENATOR FROM WASHINGTON
Senator Murray. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Dr. O'Toole, thank
you for being here. You know, women veterans, particularly
those who have suffered from PTSD or sexual assault, tend to
experience menopause much earlier than women who did not serve
in the military. One VA study found that 15 percent of women
veterans experience menopause before the age of 40. That is 10
years earlier than most women. It is really important that we
strengthen menopause research at the VA and DoD so we can
provide better care for women servicemembers and our veterans.
That is why I was very proud to join Representative
Houlahan and Senator Ernst in introducing the Servicewomen and
Veterans Menopause Research Act last month to do that. Can you
tell me today what resources are available right now, at the
VA, for women veterans who are experiencing menopause? Are
there any plans to expand that, and what do you have right now?
Dr. O'Toole. Thank you, Senator, and first I acknowledge
and fully appreciate and agree with what you are saying there.
I do not have that information readily available in terms of
what resources are currently being dedicated. I would have to
get it for the record.
Senator Murray. Okay. How long will that take you to get to
me?
Dr. O'Toole. We will get it as quickly as we can.
Senator Murray. Okay.
Senator King. But do you support the bill?
Dr. O'Toole. Yes. Yes, we strongly support the bill.
Senator Murray. Thank you. During a hearing earlier this
month I actually asked Secretary Collins about the Trump
administration's 90-day pause on VA clinical trials, which is
right now delaying planned trials and putting a halt to ongoing
clinical trials at VA, everything from predicting stroke risks
to addressing substance abuse. Now, Secretary Collins said at
the time, there was no decision regarding what would happen to
VA researchers and trials when that pause ended.
Do you have an answer to that question I asked a few weeks
ago? What will happen after this 90-day pause ends? Where will
you direct these patients whose clinical trials were canceled
or delayed?
Dr. O'Toole. Thank you, Senator. Unfortunately, as noted
earlier, I do not have that information available to me. I have
to take it for the record.
Senator Murray. You do not have any idea?
Dr. O'Toole. I do not. No, ma'am.
Senator Murray. Can you provide my office with a list of
clinical trials that were canceled?
Dr. O'Toole. Again, I do not have that available but we can
get that information to you. Yes, ma'am.
Senator Murray. Well, the VA has to have this information.
Certainly if you care about transparency, which we keep
hearing, I see no reason why this information would be secret.
When can you get that information to us? These are people who
are in trials. These are researchers. Just for the next 10
years they are not supposed to know? When are you going to get
that to us?
Dr. O'Toole. We will get it to you as soon as we can,
ma'am.
Senator Murray. What does that mean? I have heard that from
so many people in the last couple of weeks.
Dr. O'Toole. I would obviously defer to our legislative
team and our research office on those specifics, but I would
imagine we would be able to get----
Senator Murray. It is a disappointing response, I have to
tell you.
Dr. O'Toole. Okay. I would imagine we would be able to get
it to you within the next few weeks, 1 to 2 weeks hopefully.
Senator Murray. Okay. Well, let me try one more. Women are
the fastest-growing demographic within the veteran population.
You know that. VA was not initially built for women. It is our
collective responsibility to honor women who have bravely
served our country by taking action to remove barriers that for
too long have restricted their access to the benefits that they
earned and the health care that they earned. And I really
believe the goal should be a VA system that offers women
comprehensive at every stage of life post-service.
Actually, in my home State of Washington, Puget Sound VA
saw a 7 percent increase in women veterans utilizing their
service over the past few years.
I am appreciative of the mobile mammography centers that
were made available for our Puget Sound veterans, but it is a
temporary fix. Can you provide me any update today on the
progress in establishing a permanent in-house mammography
service for veterans in VISN 20, or a timeline?
Dr. O'Toole. I do not have the specifics, but I am happy to
track those down, and we can get back to you on it.
Senator Murray. Okay. I would appreciate answers to those
questions as soon as you can. This is critical information that
we need. Thank you.
Chairman Moran. Thank you, Senator Murray. Senator
Blumenthal.
Senator Blumenthal. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have one
more question. And by the way, I strongly support Senator
Murray's Servicewomen and Veterans Menopause Research Act. It
is a great piece of legislation, another example of how a
hiring freeze and firings are chipping away at VA research, and
we should have the answers to the questions that she asked.
Let me turn to the Elizabeth Dole Act. Earlier this week,
the VA announced it will be implementing Section 101 of the
Elizabeth Dole Act, which would definitively give a veteran and
their referring VA clinician the final decision regarding
eligibility for community care. Our Committee is still waiting
to learn or hear how or when the VA will implement dozens of
other critical sections of the bill. This is what I am talking
about--implementation, rulemaking, time-sensitive provisions
such as raising the grant and per diem rate for homeless
veterans and expanding home and community-based care for
veterans with ALS or spinal cord injuries, provisions that
directly impact the most vulnerable veterans we serve. They
were top of mind when, in a bipartisan way, our Committee and
our Senate passed this measure, overwhelmingly.
If the VA is stalling implementation of the Dole Act and
planning to fire tens of thousands of staff, how can the
Department adequately implement this additional legislation
that we are considering today?
Dr. O'Toole. Well, Senator, thank you, and I would first
acknowledge that the provisions in the Dole Act are ones that
we fully endorse and are actively working to implement, and
being personally involved in several of the sections, it is
something that we are working on, and I am hoping that we will
have results shortly. And I am happy to be reporting back to
your staff on those updates.
Senator Blumenthal. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, in the
interest of time, I am going to submit my other questions for
the record, and we can go on to our next panel.
Chairman Moran. Thank you, sir. Senator King, in quick
summary of the bills I have introduced that are being
considered today, at least half of the bills that I have
introduced, you are the primary co-sponsor. So I look forward
to seeing great success in my efforts [laughter.] The other
ones are with Senator Blumenthal. We will see how you compare.
[Laughter.]
Chairman Moran. They loved every one of his bills.
Thank you all very much for your presence here today. As
you can see, the Committee has lots of questions that are
broader than the scope of this hearing, and we would continue
to encourage the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide the
information requested by any member of this Committee, any side
of this Committee, and to forthrightly provide us with the
information our staffs have asked for.
Thank you, Dr. O'Toole, and your team.
I welcome our second panel, and I will go ahead and
introduce you, even though you cannot quite get there yet.
Testifying with us today is Morgan Brown, the National
Legislative Director for the Paralyzed Veterans of America;
Brian Dempsey, the Director of Government Affairs for Wounded
Warrior Project; and Jon Retzer, the Deputy National
Legislative Director for the Disabled American Veterans.
I thank all three of you for being here. Thank you for the
work that you do for veterans, and thank you for your
organizations that you represent who take such care and concern
for those who served our country.
Mr. Brown, we will recognize you first.
PANEL II
----------
STATEMENT OF MORGAN BROWN, NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR,
PARALYZED VETERANS OF AMERICA
Mr. Brown. All right. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking
Member Blumenthal, Members of the Committee. PVA certainly
appreciates the opportunity to appear before you today to
discuss some of the bills that you are looking at.
First, though, I would like to just take a moment and
recognize the fellows that are here from the Elizabeth Dole
Foundation. We have had the privilege of spending some time
with them the past couple of days, and I know that they have
been out visiting some of the congressional offices, and
hopefully you had an opportunity to speak with some of them.
PVA supports the overwhelming majority of the bills that
are on the agenda today. I would be remiss if I did not
publicly acknowledge our support of the Rural Transportation
bills, the 3R Caregiver bill, the SAVES Act, and the Fourth
Administration bill. So I am just going to limit real brief
comments on three of the others.
The first is the Veterans Accessibility Advisory Committee
Act. Over the last five decades, Congress has spent a
considerable amount of time passing legislation to improve
disability access to both Federal facilities, especially the
VA, and, in some cases, into the private sector. These laws
provide critical protections to people with disabilities when
they interact with all levels of the government and many
everyday accommodations like medical offices, grocery stores,
and hotels.
Despite all of this effort and these legal requirements,
our members routinely face disability access barriers when it
comes to accessing VA care within VA facilities and within the
community. We have appeared before the Committee before. We
have discussed some of the problems that we have encountered.
Senator Murray mentioned the fact that a lot of VA facilities
were not originally fitted for women veteran health care.
I recall one instance where a woman veteran clinic was
established for VA but it did not have like the outdoor
controls, the handicapped controls, so that one of our members
could enter that facility. And unfortunately, the office staff
were positioned within the facility in such a manner that they
were not able to see anybody at the door, and our member was
stuck outside of the door until somebody came to the door and
was able to let them in. Those are the types of barriers that
we are talking about.
Because of the complex nature of injuries and illnesses
that our members face, we tend to access VA care much more so
than the average veteran, and we believe that VA should lead
the way in accessibility for disabled veterans, so we are
strongly supporting this bill, which directs VA to create an
advisory committee on issues relating to the accessibility of
VA benefits, services, and facilities, but not just within VA,
granted the push toward the private sector. We need to make
sure that there is greater emphasis on the accessibility of the
primary care facilities, as well.
Next, you are familiar that VA pays eligible veterans and
caregivers mileage and other travel expenses to and from
approved health care appointments, but the current
reimbursement rate is too low. Fifteen years ago, Congress set
the rate at 41 cents per mile. That was based on the Federal
rate at the time. Since then, the Federal rate has increased
significantly, but VA has remained stagnant, even though the
cost of gas and vehicle maintenance and car insurance has
increased dramatically. We support this bill, which ties the
veteran's mileage rate to the GSA rate, and we believe that
this will help improve veterans' access to their health care
services and reduce their financial burden.
Senator King. Which bill is that, please?
Mr. Brown. That is S. 599.
Finally, we support the CHAMPVA Children's Care Protection
Act. This is the bill that would allow the surviving spouses,
family members using the CHAMPVA program to remain in the
program until age 26. Back in 2011, after the ACA extended this
health care to all of the other Federal programs and health
insurance programs, DoD made the change. VA did not. And so
these family members of veterans are forced out of the program,
the latest at age 23, and we believe that this program should
allow them to remain in until age 26. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Brown appears on page 74 of
the Appendix.]
Chairman Moran. Thank you very much, Mr. Brown.
Senator Blumenthal. Mr. Chairman, if I could just----
Chairman Moran. Senator Blumenthal.
Senator Blumenthal [continuing]. Apologize to the panel. I
am obligated to go to the floor of the Senate. I would have
asked you a question about how the cutbacks in staff might
affect your view of how the Department is functioning. I will
submit that question for the record. I appreciate the Chairman
giving me this opportunity to apologize and explain the reasons
for my absence. It is not out of lack of interest. And I know
Senator King will be here. I yield to him my time. And since
the Chairman seems to regard him as a favorite anyway----
[Laughter.]
Senator Blumenthal [continuing]. I know I will not be
missed.
Chairman Moran. Just because you are associating with
Senator King does not mean you can get your way on everything.
[Laughter.]
Senator Blumenthal. Thank you.
Chairman Moran. Senator Blumenthal, thank you. Senator
Blumenthal and I both had nothing on our schedules whenever the
point in time is we chose this date and time for this hearing,
and it just has not worked to remain that clear today. We are
still trying to figure out--I am still trying to figure out
what time of the day and what day of the week is our best
opportunity to be most available to most members so that we can
hear the most amount of testimony and interact with those who
come before us.
Mr. Dempsey, you are recognized.
STATEMENT OF BRIAN DEMPSEY, DIRECTOR
OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT
Mr. Dempsey. Chairman Moran, Ranking Member Blumenthal, and
distinguished Committee members, thank you for inviting Wounded
Warrior Project to testify on legislation intended to improve
access to care and benefits for our Nation's veterans.
Today's agenda includes many bills that are aligned with
our mission to honor and empower wounded warriors, and I am
pleased to speak on several that would have a heightened impact
on the post-9/11 wounded, ill, and injured veterans we serve.
To help those struggling with invisible wounds we strongly
support the Precision Brain Health Research Act as the next
step in Federal action to address the service injuries caused
by blast exposure. Low-level blast injuries have received
increased attention thanks to recent reporting from The New
York Times and 60 Minutes, but they have also been the subject
of congressional action on the prevention side. The Precision
Brain Health Research Act would bring focus to veterans' health
care.
The bill would leverage VA's biomarker research
capabilities and precision medicine initiative to learn more
about the long-term health effects of blast injuries and
translate those findings into better and more personalized
treatment plans. Over time, the bill will help transform the
way we care for those affected by brain injury and ultimately
help many veterans lead longer, healthier, and more productive
lives.
On a similar note, we support the Coordinating Care for
Senior Veterans and Wounded Warriors Act. With clear
acknowledgement in its title, this bill speaks to the fact that
many veterans are relying on Medicare and VA's geriatrics and
extended care programs earlier in life after being
catastrophically wounded in service.
Five percent of VHA-enrolled veterans under the age of 45
have Medicare coverage, along with another 15 percent of those
between the ages of 45 and 60. For many in these categories,
the bill would help address their priorities like better care
coordination and patient advocacy through a 3-year pilot
program aimed at improving care, lowering costs and eliminating
gaps in care and duplication of services. There is clearly much
that can be learned from this pilot, so we strongly advocate
for the bill's passage as a key for systemic improvements.
To help care for women veterans, we are proud to endorse
the Servicewomen and Women Veteran Menopause Research Act,
which would require VA and DoD to evaluate and conduct research
on menopause, perimenopause, and midlife women's health. This
legislation represents a long-overdue recognition of the unique
and evolving health care needs of servicewomen and women
veterans as they age.
To help the hidden heroes who have supported the most
severely injured warriors in our community, we are pleased to
endorse the Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment, and
Retirement Act. By passing this legislation, Congress can
invest in the well-being of caregivers, ensuring they have the
resources needed to reclaim their careers, stabilize their
financial futures, and transition out of their caregiving roles
with dignity.
Finally, I want to highlight our support for the Veterans
Accessibility Advisory Committee Act of 2025, which has
companion legislation that was passed by the House yesterday.
Establishing an advisory committee on equal access will help
ensure that accessibility is built into every aspect of VA's
operations, from facilities and medical equipment to digital
platforms and communication tools, all of which are critical
parts of a system that should provide accessibility groups with
a seat at the table.
Thank you again for the opportunity to testify at today's
hearing. Like I said, we support many of the bills on today's
agenda. But this concludes my testimony, and I look forward to
your questions. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Dempsey appears on page 84
of the Appendix.]
Chairman Moran. Thank you, Mr. Dempsey. Mr. Retzer, you are
now recognized.
STATEMENT OF JON RETZER, DEPUTY NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR
FOR HEALTH, DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS
Mr. Retzer. Thank you, Chairman Moran, Ranking Member
Blumenthal, and Members of the Committee. Thank you for the
opportunity to testify today, and in respect of your time, that
you are all busy, I just want to highlight that DAV, out of all
the 20 bills, we support 20 of them with some recommendations,
and 5 we have no concerns. However, we urge the Committee to
carefully review the following legislation.
S. 506 aims to enhance the care coordination for veterans
enrolled in both VA and Medicare, but it lacks clarity on case
management and oversight and training standards. Without strong
VA oversight, veterans face fragmented care and inadequate
coordination between providers, especially since many private
sector providers lack specialized expertise in service-
connected conditions. DAV urges the Committee to prioritize VA-
led case management and provide necessary training to ensure
seamless, high-quality care for the dual-enrolled veterans.
S. 635 expands homecare access through nurse registries
within the Veterans Community Care Network. While increasing
homecare options is critical, the inclusion of non-medical
roles, such as companions and homemakers, raises oversight
concerns and liability issues tied to the nurse registry.
Regulatory changes vary across states, potentially limiting
veterans' access to reliable home-based care. DAV recommends
refining the bill's language to clearly define the nurse
registry's functions within existing VA homecare initiatives,
ensuring consistency and quality of services.
Finally, S. 219, the Veterans Health Care Freedom Act,
proposes expanding private sector options, but DAV strongly
opposes this measure. While community care is vital for
veterans facing excessive wait times or travel burdens, a
balanced approach is necessary. Diverting resources from VA
without additional funding would weaken specialized care
designed for service-disabled veterans. Private sector
providers often lack the expertise adequate to address
conditions related to military service, leading to fragmented
and inconsistent care. DAV urges Congress to increase in the VA
staffing infrastructure and research to strengthen the VA
system and maintain VA as the primary provider while
integrating an effective Community Care Network.
DAV members who rely heavily on the VA health care system
believe it remains the best choice because it provides the
comprehensive, whole-health model of care tailored to veterans'
unique needs. Our nation's veterans deserve nothing less.
This concludes my testimony, and I am pleased to answer any
questions you or the Committee may have.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Retzer appears on page 99 of
the Appendix.]
Chairman Moran. Thank you for your testimony. Senator King?
Senator King. I am comfortable with the testimony. I look
forward to working with all of you as we refine these bills. I
appreciate the comments today, and we will continue to be in
touch as we move forward with these bills. But thank you. Very
helpful testimony. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Moran. Thank you, Senator King. Mr. Brown, your
testimony was very compelling or catching to me about the VA
and its incapacity, its lack of capability of meeting the needs
of veterans with disabilities. It seems like one of the last
places we would expect to find that to be a problem, and it is
legislation that I am introducing that you are talking about.
But until you gave your testimony it was not that evident to me
that there would be such a significant challenge at the
Department of Veterans Affairs in meeting the needs of all
veterans.
What impediments does the VA have in fixing this problem,
and what efforts are they undertaking to, I don't want to say
whittle away, but to solve this problem even over a period of
time?
Mr. Brown. Well, in truth, I mean, VA has made great
strides in trying to improve accessibility.
You know, one area I did not have a chance, because we were
attempting to try to shorten things up here, but is probably a
good example of an area maybe for the Committee to look at is
the accessibility of diagnostic equipment. We are talking about
mammograms, the x-ray machines, dental chairs, weight scales,
even x-ray machines themselves.
In 2017, the U.S. Access Board published new accessibility
standards for medical diagnostic equipment, and shortly after
that VA jumped on board, very proactively, so that they would
adopt those standards to ensure the needs of disabled veterans
were met. But since that time we have no updates. We do hear
from our members who have been unable to receive dental care at
VA facilities because the chairs cannot accommodate them, they
cannot get their x-rays or their mammograms because the
equipment could not access them.
So clearly there is a problem there, and I would encourage
the Committee, maybe, this should be an area to do some
additional oversight on, and not only see how far VA has come
toward adopting these standards but what else needs to be done.
Chairman Moran. Mr. Brown, thank you. What you are doing is
again causing me to recognize it is not necessarily the
automatic door or the curb cut, things that I might think of as
being an impediment, but it is the actual equipment and the
access to that equipment.
Mr. Brown. You know, sometimes I think--if I may, sir--it
may be because some of these changes are being made, or they
are not being made with the view of the veteran in mind. And
case in point, we had a veteran that went into the chapel
between appointments, and was stuck in the chapel because the
door did not have the push bar or the automatic door opener for
them to get out, so they were stuck in the chapel until
somebody came along to let them out.
Had you had an advisory committee like this legislation is
proposing, you would have veterans on that committee that would
serve as advisors to the Department and then offer suggestions
coming specifically from the perspective of a veteran with a
complex illness or injury.
Chairman Moran. Senator King?
Senator King. I want to follow up on exactly that point. It
strikes me that you have members all over the country, as all
of you do. Perhaps you could have a project of examining the
accessibility of various VA facilities and letting the VA know.
In other words, give them an inventory--the back door at the
Veterans Hospital in Knoxville is not accessible. Do you see
what I mean, to use your membership and other veterans and VSOs
to kind of survey the veterans facilities and advise the VA and
us about where accessibility needs to be. Because often
individuals who are not wheelchair-bound do not really
appreciate the height of the button, for example. I think you
could be very helpful in that.
Mr. Brown. So I thank you for the recommendation. I know in
many cases once a problem is identified, working through our
service officers we do notify the facility, and then we work
with the Department to get those corrected. But sometimes--and
I am just putting on my old IG hat from my time in military
service--a problem may be identified in one facility and
actually exists in other facilities. So there needs to be a
system internally to where a problem has been identified, look
throughout the Department, does this problem exist elsewhere,
and here is how to correct it.
But I will take that back to my leadership and we will see
what we can do.
Senator King. I am thinking of a nationwide audit.
Mr. Brown. Okay.
Chairman Moran. Thank you, Senator King. My thoughts are
just, personally, I visit lots of VA facilities. I ought to ask
the question and be observant myself. So thank you for
highlighting that.
Mr. Dempsey, the Veterans Caregiver Reeducation,
Reemployment, and Retirement Act, tell me, and tell the
Committee, why it is important to assist family caregivers
transitioning back into the workforce or into retirement once
they are no longer needed as full-time caregivers.
Mr. Dempsey. Thank you for the question, Chairman. A recent
report that RAND had published, and again, Wounded Warrior
Project is often focused on the post-9/11 wounded, ill, and
injured community, that RAND report had found that about 36
percent of post-9/11 caregivers had reported income below 130
percent of Federal poverty levels, and that many were lacking
basic health insurance or emergency savings. And particularly
for those who are leaving the program of Comprehensive
Assistance for Family Caregivers there can be additional
challenges when those caregiving responsibilities conclude, as
many of the benefits are not portable or inclusive of
retirement benefits.
So what the Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment,
and Retirement Act would do essentially is bundle all of those,
I think, elements that are essential to whether it be
reclaiming your career, entering retirement on a comfortable
level, and making sure that your financial security is future
and that you can enter the world post-caregiving
responsibilities with more confidence and security.
Chairman Moran. Thank you. Mr. Retzer, you mentioned dual
enrollees, and this is perhaps a question for any and all.
Would you put into the record and educate me and perhaps others
on what challenges dual-enrollees face, and how do you think
this pilot program could establish the ways to address those
challenges?
Mr. Retzer. Thank you for that question, and if VA had a
system of interoperability, an EHRM that was in place, so let's
put that up front, saying it is there for us, and to have the
providers, between VA and Medicare, to be able to understand
the priority of the veterans. The veteran's complexity is they
are at the VA medical center under eight priorities. We know
that Priority Group 8 is a grandfathered-in priority, but when
we look at the various priorities, they have service
connections, Medal of Honor, Purple Heart requirements that
fill in broad spectrum, plus their income.
So then we look at the aging population, which we know
right now that 49 percent of the veteran population that are
enrolled in the VA health care system is 65 or older, so they
are meeting the requirements of Medicare. They have to enroll
into at least Medicare B.
We would have to have training on the VA side, where the
care coordinator has the expertise and the knowledge of both
hemispheres, and to be able to understand what the priority
groups are within the VA system to identify first their service
connections that can be dealt with within the VA system,
identifying also their demographics on where they live, because
that is where the challenge comes. Like for your constituents
in Kansas, they are mostly rural. So aging population in a
rural community, they have to also be trained in the cultural
competency, the understanding of the social dynamics of their
own state, so that they can best facilitate when it is best to
leverage Medicare when the costs can actually be saved on the
veteran by providing care directly from VA, or in the veteran
community program.
So there is going to have to be a very robust training
program and oversight ensuring continuity of that care is not
broken. It is really a big component of training and rule bases
established.
Chairman Moran. Senator King.
Senator King. Mr. Retzer, I wanted to follow up on your
testimony and just thank you for your strong testimony about
community care not encroaching on the underlying mission of VA-
provided care. I think that is something that we just have to
keep our eyes on. There are those, I think, who would like to
move further and further in that direction, but I believe that
preserving the fundamental veterans' health care system is
critically important. I take it you agree.
Mr. Retzer. Yes, Senator King, thank you for that. I think
it is very important to look at what the veterans' needs are
right now. We have heard concerns surrounding the veteran
population of enrollment has stayed plateaued and the access to
health care that veterans are enrolled in has also plateaued.
One thing that we have noticed in the VA dashboard reports
and the annual budget is this trend that is not being spoken
about, but it is reported, and that is the episodes of care. In
2019 to 2023, what we saw was that there was an estimate of 120
million veteran episodes of care annually that was provided in
2019, and then in 2023, it was roughly about 130 million
estimated episodes of care. That is a very important number
because, like Senator Murray, one of the things that she is
really sponsoring is our women veterans. There are now nearly 1
million enrolled in the VA health care system. We have an
upward trajectory. And just like I said previously to Senator
Moran's question is our veteran population of 49 percent at 65
and older, so they are needing more care.
Let alone, statistics also show us that 70 percent and
higher ratings are being given more, so that means younger
veterans have more catastrophic ratings from VA that is going
to require medical assistance and services, to include long-
term care.
So I think it is really important that we look at the needs
of our veterans, and to even address the rural complications,
remote areas, but also look at the specialized care that is
really challenging our women veterans, our minority, LGBTQ+. So
it is so important that we do some good research, and that is
why DAV also says research is important.
Senator King. Do those episodes of care, does that data
break out community care versus Veterans Administration health
care?
Mr. Retzer. I would have to go back and look. I do know
that there are----
Senator King. See if you could look to see if there are any
trends in that data.
Mr. Retzer. Yes, there are some trends that indicate where
community care is and how many they are having and also with
rural veterans care. So we know that out of the 2.7 rural
veterans, how much of their care is in what direction.
Senator King. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Moran. I am sorry you caused me to think of
another question that you may or may not have an answer to, any
of you. The veterans who are not enrolled in the VA, or not
receiving health benefits, some may be just utilizing Medicare.
Do we know the characteristics of the population that the VA
does not serve? You started down a path of statistics about
who, you mentioned women, Senator Murray's issue. What is the
typical veteran who is not utilizing the VA? Do we know that?
This may not be the panel.
Mr. Retzer. That is an interesting question, Senator, and
with the data that we----
Chairman Moran. That is what I say when I do not know the
answer.
[Laughter.]
Mr. Retzer. And actually, the interesting thing is this may
spell out for you where we are at. We know that we have talked
about 9 million enrolled veterans. And we know currently that
as we look at the trajectory and the reports estimating that
the numbers are coming down in the veteran population, and we
are sitting at about 18 million. So that is kind of indicating
to us that in the general population, half of them are enrolled
in the VA health care system. Where are the rest going then? So
they must be in the private sector, is what we look at, and we
would anticipate that, if they are not enrolled in the VA
health care system.
But we are looking further into that to see where the
implications are.
Chairman Moran. I would be interested. This is a question
for the VA, as well, and they may know these numbers. But is it
young veterans who are not taking advantage of services from
the Department of Veterans Affairs? People in rural America?
People with disabilities? Women? Maybe there is no pattern to
this, but I am going to try to find out in my own capacity who
is not being served, and then look for ways that we can meet
that particular segment of our veteran population. Make sense?
I guess I am not supposed to be asking you to confirm that what
I am asking is a good question.
I have one more thing. Senator King, do you have anything?
Senator King. I am all set. Thank you.
Chairman Moran. Okay. And that is--just one moment. I have
a bill not with Senator King but with Senator Rosen, Fallen
Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act, that is
included in today's hearing. It would make certain that
veterans buried overseas in cemeteries under the care of the
American Battle Monuments Commission have grave markers that
are accurately representing their religious faith.
I saw an episode on television about this topic, and it was
compelling, and I am grateful for the support of today's
witnesses. I want to just ask for unanimous consent that we put
into the record comments on this legislation from the Jewish
Community Relations Bureau of Kansas City, the American Gold
Star Mothers, Inc., the Republican Jewish Coalition, Veterans
of Foreign Wars, Gold Star Spouses of America, the American
Legion, Vietnam Veterans of America, Non Commissioned Officers
Association, and TAPS, the Tragedy Assistance Program for
Survivors.
With no objection, it is so ordered.
[The information referred to appears on pages 117-126 of
the Appendix.]
Chairman Moran. Would any of the three of you like to
conclude? I always try to give my witnesses, our witnesses, the
chance to add anything to the record or correct anything that
you feel needs to be corrected. Any additional comments?
[No response.]
Chairman Moran. Thank you very much for your testimony.
[Pause.]
Chairman Moran. I look forward to working with all of you
and your organizations, as this Committee does, to improve the
circumstances and honor of those who serve.
The hearing record will remain open for five legislative
days, and should any Committee member wish to submit additional
statements or questions for the record, you may use that time
to do so. I ask that today's witnesses respond to any questions
for the record that you may receive following today's hearing,
Doctor, in a timely manner.
And with that the hearing is adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 4:55 p.m., the hearing was adjourned.]
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