[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 106 (Thursday, June 17, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H2898]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    VETERANS DESERVE TIMELY SERVICE

  (Mr. KELLER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, America's veterans have served our Nation 
honorably, and they deserve timely access to the benefits they have 
earned through their service.
  The National Personnel Records Center was forced to scale down its 
operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is currently staffed at 25 
percent capacity, well below the staffing level needed to process the 
estimated 5,000 records requests it receives on an average day. These 
service records are required for veterans to access medical benefits; 
adjudicate disability claims; and request a commendation, award, or 
regalia, such as a Purple Heart or campaign service medal.
  To date, there is a backlog of half a million veterans' requests at 
the NPRC and, in some cases, veterans have waited for over a year for 
documentation. That is unacceptable.
  That is why I introduced the Records Act, which would compel the NPRC 
to fully reopen, address the backlog, and develop a plan to prevent 
this from ever happening again.
  These men and women were willing to lay down their lives in service 
to our Nation, and we need to continue working to ensure our veterans 
get the level of responsiveness from their government that they 
deserve.

                          ____________________