Joint House and Senate Legislative Presentation of Disabled American Veterans & Multi VSOs: Military Officers Association of America, Blue Star Families, Vietnam Veterans of America, National Congress of American Indians, Service Women's Action Network, Gold Star Wives of America, Inc., and Black Veterans Project
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House Veterans' Affairs U.S. House of Representatives
Follow its sittingsSpeaker 2
The bill would give veterans even more options in how they access their health care outside of the VA, especially veterans living in rural and remote areas. Third, reauthorize VA to make sure the VA's programs work for today's and tomorrow's veterans, something that has not been done in decades. The importance of the transition assistance program, or TAP, is an area that remains a key priority for me and many of us, all of us on the VA committee. Ensuring that service members are set up for their next mission in life is not something I take lightly. Thank you to the DAB for highlighting the importance of new veterans understanding the benefits they have earned and that they deserve.
We are also committed to ensuring opportunities for veterans to explore nontraditional education, whether that be through apprenticeships, on the job training, during TAP, or the Veteran Readiness and Employment Program. We must continue to focus our efforts to ensure Veterans are able to find and maintain meaningful employment. The DAV plays an important role in making sure we advance common sense proposals and conduct oversight to meet the needs of all Veterans, no matter their ZIP code and no matter where they work. Veterans should have the choice to use the benefits the VA offers in exchange for their service to meet their own needs. You know where we need to push the agency forward, and not stick to the status quo.
I can promise you one thing, the house, my house republican colleagues and I will never stop fighting for you. And the voices you represent, the hundreds of thousands of veterans outside the DC Beltway who just want their health care on time, their benefits without a headache, and to live the American dream. We take this mission seriously, and I know my House and Senate Republican colleagues as well as VA Secretary Doug Collins and President Trump do too. We made progress with the most recent NDAA, and I proudly supported the following major provisions. Enhancing the financial planning section of TAP to cover topics such as debt management, taxes, and investing.
Improving the warm handover process between VA, DOL, and DOL, allowing service members to attend TAP multiple times and encourage folks to bring their spouses along too. These things make a real difference for transitioning service members, and they must have all the tools needed to prepare for their next phase of life with their family. We will continue to fight to deliver historic economic relief for all veterans, including severely disabled veterans like Eric Edmondson and survivors like Shuri Brightley. We will continue to fight to modernize the VA and its programs forward, through reauthorization. We will continue to ensure veterans, no matter where they live, get the health care they deserve at the VA or in their community.
I look forward to completing your mission alongside each and every one of you, and thank you again for being here today. And with that, I will recognize the ranking member, Tacano, for his opening remarks.
Speaker 4
Well, thank you, madam chair. Good morning, everyone. And I'm glad to see you. Good morning. I'm glad to see so many of you here, ensuring that your voices are heard today. Now, as tradition, I'd like to shout out to those who've traveled from the great state of California.
Where are you in California? Yes. Alright. That can be there. California.
Yes. Welcome to our nation's capital. Welcome to everybody in our nation's capital. I would especially like to welcome DAV national commander Coleman Nee and DAV auxiliary commander, national commander Melissa Pierce, as well as the representatives from all of the organizations on our second panel of witnesses. Now it was great to see you all, and I'm looking forward to an enlightening conversation.
And since you were here last, we have all experienced uncertainty and, at times, flat out chaos. Just last week, Secretary Collins announced an interim final rule that would limit VA's obligations to veterans whose service-connected conditions are improved by medications. The response from the veteran community has been loud and near-universal, and I agree with you. This rule cannot stand. Medication may be able to minimize the effects of injury or illness.
It does not erase them. I know that the secretary has stated that he won't enforce the rule. Frankly, that is not enough. Mister Secretary, if you are listening, I call on you to rescind this rule immediately. The committee intends to submit a comment in the Federal Register, voicing our disapproval, and I highly recommend that each of you do the same.
The link to do so can be found in the banner on top of our website at democrats-veterans.house.gov. This year, in addition to the secretary's harmful interim final rule, we are facing a massive reorganization of the Veterans Health Administration. Neither of these major actions was planned with input from Congress or, as far as I can tell, from the veteran community either. VA needs improvement, but this proposal appears to be more of an effort to align VA with what is happening in for-profit health care. VA should not emulate that model.
I also want to address the hurdles that our veterans face in linking their toxic exposures to their service. We have had several discussions regarding overlooked veteran populations that need care. VA has the authority to create new presumptive conditions and deliver that care, and yet they don't use that authority nearly enough. Instead, we seem to have a VA leadership that wants to do more with less. As we have recently heard the secretary say, you know?
Doing more with less has never worked for veterans. We can't expand benefits to more veterans without having staff at the VA to do so. We need doctors, nurses, and researchers. We need claims examiners in VA, social workers, janitorial staff, and police officers in VHA to ensure VA is meeting its mission. Each of you has served, and today continues you and you continue to serve your fellow veterans and their survivors.
Now, from the moment you raised your hand and put on that uniform, you set yourself apart. That commitment came with a promise that you and your family would be taken care of afterwards. You fulfilled your duty. I consider it my duty and the duty of every American to honor that commitment. Over the past year, we have seen attacks on veterans, and they earned benefits in an attempt to paint you as a group of scammers, or that you are receiving overly generous benefits.
Let me be clear. These are not handouts. These are earned benefits. Benefits that were earned by long days, long nights, months away, missed birthdays, missed anniversaries, through blood, sweat, tears, through a great sacrifice, and for some, the ultimate sacrifice. And for those left behind, the survivor community, we owe you a great debt as well.
And that is why I support the Caring for Survivors Act and the Love Lives On Act. These bills provide meaningful change for an underserved and deserving community. I know everyone is waiting to see progress on the Major Richard Starr Act. I have heard you loud and clear. We need to pass that act.
I strongly urge support for the Richard Major Richard Starr Act, and the lay on action is unacceptable. It's time to get it done. Now, being very transparent with you, none of these bills are cheap. And under the current rules of the house, it's been a struggle to find ways to pay for them. But that's just a lame excuse.
If we can find an extra $500,000,000,000 for the Pentagon that they don't want or need, we can find an extra $50,000,000,000 for our nation's veterans, their dependents, and survivors. Congress must do the right thing, and we should do so without asking veterans to shoulder the costs. Veterans earned their benefits already. They should not be asked to pay for them again when they leave the service. We know veterans are willing to make sure their comrades are taken care of, and I respect that immensely.
But the point is they shouldn't have to. Congress can and should do better. The American public has been told that it is willing to stand up. Excuse me. The American public has told us that it is willing to stand up for those who have served and ensure they get the benefits saved or earned.
And that includes taking a stand against claim sharks. We must pass representative Papas' guard act today. Anytime benefits are increased, the sharks come circling. Claim sharks prey on veterans and siphon off hundreds of millions of dollars a year of veterans' hard-earned benefits, and this is wrong. Now even in the past week, the sharks have come circulating again, pushing out ads in an attempt to profit off of the chaos sewn by VA's rule to roll back disability ratings.
The purpose of these ads is to scare veterans into signing up for their service to, quote, unquote, protect their rights. I've even seen targeted, I've even been targeted by these ads. They are slick, and they are made to look like they're coming from the VA. There must be consequences for this behavior. But the lobbying efforts of these companies are immense, and it has stalled congressional action.
Fortunately, states have stepped into the breach, and I would like to shout out to my home state of California for stepping up on this issue and passing legislation that takes on these claim charts. Thank you, California. And I'm proud to see California's leading the way, but congress is still not off the hook. We must act. So, chair, thank you for holding this important hearing today, and I look forward to frank and a fruitful discussion today.
Speaker 5
Thank you, chairwoman Mace. It's good to be here with my ranking member, Senator Blumenthal, with Congressman Tucano and you for our first joint hearing this year. I want to welcome our witnesses and glad that you're here. This is an important component of what we do to make certain that we are paying attention to those who served. And I'm appreciative of the Disabled American Veterans and the other veteran service organizations, for their presence here today.
And I extend a special welcome to the Kansans who are in the audience today, and I look forward to spending more time with you this afternoon. I'm grateful for the work the VSOs, like the ones we will hear from this morning, do every day across the country and here in our nation's capital to support their fellow veterans and their families and advocate for a stronger and better Department of Veterans Affairs. Our committees are working every day with those same goals in mind. We may talk often about the challenges veterans face after service, but I'm always reminded at these hearings that veterans are not defined by their challenges. Far from it.
Every day, in every state, in every district, veterans bring a wealth of skills, leadership, experience, and values from their military service into their communities. It is our responsibility to make certain that federal programs and policies at the VA and in every other department and agency help veterans translate those strengths into long-term stability, health, and opportunity. This responsibility is why I, along with ranking member Blumenthal, have introduced the National Veterans Strategy Act to coordinate the efforts of federal, state, and local governments along with not-for-profits, for-profit organizations, all in the best interest of our nation's veterans. I'm grateful for widespread support for that bill among the VSO community, and I'm eager to discuss it with our witnesses today. I'm grateful to the VSO leaders today for their tireless work to make certain that the Congress and the VA remain focused on doing what is in the best interest of our veterans and military communities.
I look forward to hearing how your legislative priorities advance veteran success, where Congress can do more to make certain that the VA's policies translate into real improvements in the veterans' well-being. Thank you again for being here. I look forward to today's hearing.
Speaker 6
Thank you, Chair Mace, and thank you, Senator Moran, our chairman in the Senate. I'm honored to be with all of you today, and particularly wanna welcome anyone who has managed to make it here from Connecticut out of the snow. If you're here in Connecticut, thank you, and thank all of the rest of you. Never doubt that you are making a difference. Our VSOs are the lifeblood of our veterans' health care and other benefits and compensation to the men and women who are our national heroes.
You are the ones who stand watch over the VA and over us. And the latest example was your reaction to the cuts that were threatened, cruel, stupid cuts in VA benefits, and you and your voices turned it around. Thank you to the Veterans Service Organization for correcting what would have been a disastrous slash in benefits for countless veterans who rely on medications to manage their service connected conditions. Thank you, all of you. But there's still work to be done.
Still work to be done on that issue, among others. Representative Ticano and I this morning sent a letter to Secretary Collins demanding the immediate rescission of the Department of Veterans Affairs interim final rule. It's entitled evaluative rating impact of medication, a benign-sounding rule that in fact will impact cruelly and dangerously our veterans. I call on Secretary Collins to rescind this rule this morning while you are testifying here. And I thank all of my colleagues who have joined this letter.
I am hoping that this effort will be bipartisan, as so much of our work is and should be, but it has to result in action. I read, just this morning, an excellent article written by Barry Jessenowski. Thank you for this excellent article in the military. I ask that it be put in the record, Madam Chair.
Speaker 6
And its headline is veterans aren't campaign props. Congress must start acting like it. I couldn't have said it better. And to quote the article, recent congresses rank among the least productive in modern history, paralyzed by dysfunction, partisan infighting, and an apparent inability to do the basic job voters sent them to Washington to do. We should over, yeah.
That deserves your applause, for sure. Thank you, Barry. We need to overcome this kind of dysfunction, not only for our veterans, but for our whole country. And I hope that this hearing will mark a critical step in that effort. And the best example would be passing the Richard Major Richard Star Act.
Most of you know I have championed this bill for years. I went most recently to the floor of the United States Senate and asked for unanimous consent. It was blocked by one of my colleagues. I ask all of you, make your views known about the Richard Starr Act. Make sure that your member of the Senate or Congress joins in supporting a measure that is about basic fairness so that our combat veterans are not deprived of benefits they have earned.
These are not beneficence. They're not a charity. They're not philanthropy. You've earned them. It's not double-dipping.
It is deserved. The Richard Star Act should pass during this session of the United States Congress. And I will go to the floor and again ask unanimous consent that it be approved. Let me say finally, I am deeply grateful to all of you for the support that you've provided to a range of other measures. I've read your testimony, the Guard Act, the kinds of basic architecture that we need to sustain.
We've seen a systematic degradation of VA health care and the first ever net reduction in VA staff, a concerted effort that has forced thousands of physicians, schedulers, registered nurses, and others to leave federal service. Veterans have seen increased mental health care wait times, politically motivated policies that threaten at-risk veterans, and decreased quality of veterans' decisions. These administrative actions also demand scrutiny and reversal. Thank you for all you do for America and for the veterans of the United States. Thank you.
Thank.
Speaker 2
you. And we have with us today National commander Coleman Nee as a DAV life member of chapter three in Boston, Massachusetts, and lives in Cape Cod with his family. He's a marine veteran of the Persian Gulf War and a graduate of American University right here in Washington. The son of a World War II veteran, Commander Nee walked into a recruiter's office at the age of 18, and joined the Marine Corps Reserve. It was an opportunity to serve something bigger than himself, while pursuing higher education.
But instead of attending his college graduation, Commander Ni was called to active duty and boarded a plane to Saudi Arabia in response to Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait. There is a motor transport operator. He supported infantry units with supply runs for 6 months. Like so many of our veterans, Commander Knee's service did not end when he took off the uniform. From 2011 to 2015, he served as the secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Veterans' Services.
Under his leadership, the department created a number of new initiatives to increase access to services for all veterans, including the more than 47,000 returning Massachusetts veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. As secretary, commander Nye also oversaw the creation of a first-in-the-nation initiative to support veterans and their families coping with the stresses of returning from war, and oversaw management of the Massachusetts Women Veterans Network, one of the most successful women's veterans advocacy organizations in the nation. Commander Nee went on to spend nearly 9 years as CEO for a company dedicated to empowering people with disabilities to succeed in employment and leadership positions. Before being elected to the organization's highest post, Commander Nee served on DAB's board of directors, national interim legislative committee, and the national executive committee. Through his time in the Marine Corps and his decades of mission-driven work, Commander Nee has shown who he is, a servant leader who appreciates and honors service.
It is now with great pride and appreciation and admiration that the committee recognizes DAB national commander Coleman Nee to deliver some opening remarks.
Speaker 7
Thank you, madam chairwoman. Thank you. Thank you, chairwoman. Thank you for that very kind introduction, and I appreciate you stepping in for my good friend, representative Steven Lynch, who could not be here. I believe Representative Lynch is still digging out a parking spot up in Boston, so thank you for stepping in.
Chairwoman Mace, chairman Moran, ranking members Blumenthal, Anne Tucano, and members of the committees on veterans affairs, thank you for the opportunity to present the 2026 legislative priorities of DAV, disabled American veterans, and our partners in the auxiliary, of which I am also a proud member. Together, our over 1,000,000 members represent more than 6,000,000 wounded, ill, and injured veterans, all of whom return for more time of service forever changed. Now my written testimony details DAV's key legislative goals for this 119th Congress, and it summarizes our many programs and accomplishments that we've made over the last year. So I'll use my limited time here today to highlight some of our critical policy goals. But before I do that, please let me introduce my DAV colleagues joining me here today.
Our national adjutant and CEO, Barry Jizanowski. Our national executives, ex-headquarters executive director, Cody Van Boxel. Our Washington headquarters executive director, Jim Marsalik. Our national service director, Scott Hope. National legislative director John Retzer.
Our national voluntary services director, John Kleindienst. Our national caregiver support program director, Ron Minter, our national employment director, Jeremy Yost, and my good friend and my partner and my commander, our auxiliary national commander, Melissa Pierce. I'd also like to recognize the many DAV members and leaders who joined me here today. Obviously, not every one of our members could make the trip to Washington, but their contributions have been critical to DAV's success as the nation's premier veteran service organization. I also wish to express my gratitude to our national executive committee, members of our interim legislative committee, as well as my chief of staff, Mike Valier, for all their support.
And finally, I wanna thank my beautiful family, my wife Karen, my son Jack, and my daughter Kate, who have remained steadfast partners and supporters not only of me, but of veterans everywhere. Members of the committee, I sit before you as a service-disabled veteran of the Gulf War. I know from my own time in uniform, as well as from the experiences of my comrades in arms, that there is a price paid by all those who serve. Now as a former Massachusetts secretary of veteran services, I oversaw more than $100,000,000 in state funding for veterans and dependents. This included financial aid and programming.
Suffice it to say, I understand the difficulties you all face when it comes to making decisions that affect the lives of your fellow countrymen. It's not easy, and there's no shortage of critics. So let me take this opportunity upfront to simply say, thank you for all that you do. Long before gaining that insight, I watched and admired those who made it home from Vietnam built one of the nation's first memorials to the 25 sons of South Boston who made the ultimate sacrifice there. Witnessing my friends and neighbors from Southie honor our fallen heroes had a profound impact on me.
It illustrated the importance of banding together to accomplish a task bigger than oneself. And like many of those seated behind me, I found military service reinforced that idea. As a marine motor transport operator, I spent a lot of time getting tossed around the insanely uncomfortable cabs of military vehicles. It wasn't the kind of thing that gets glamorized in Hollywood, but getting marines and supplies where they needed to was enough for me to know that I did my part. But as we all know, military service comes with trials and tribulations that can last far beyond our time in uniform.
Fortunately, the Department of Veterans Affairs is there to assist us throughout our lives. When I pursued my higher education, it was the GI Bill that paid my tuition. When the VA home loan guarantee program helped Karen and me buy the house that we live in today. When my service connected disabilities contributed to me stepping down as CEO from an organization that I had ran for nearly nine years, it was VA disability compensation that helped me keep our finances in order. When I needed the medical care for those same disabilities, it was VA hospitals and vet centers that provided the care I needed and still need today.
And when I am called to stand my final post, the VA's National Cemetery Administration leaves the burden for my family and ensures that I am laid to rest with honor and dignity. None of this is unique to me. Countless veterans can share that same story. You know, with everything happening in our country today, I can't help but wonder if the VA will be there for future generations as it was for me and for all of our nation's veterans. The VA stands at a defining crossroads, one that will shape not only the institution itself, but our nation's enduring commitment to those who have worn its uniform.
On one path lies the dismantling, fragmentation, and gradual erosion of a system that was built to serve veterans. On the other hand, lies a principled effort to modernize, strengthen, and safeguard the VA for future generations who will answer the call to serve. This is not merely a political or bureaucratic debate. It is a moral issue. It is a strategic issue.
It is even a national security issue. As an organization founded before our nation had a federal agency charged with honoring veteran sacrifices, we, DAV, know that the VA was not created by accident or convenience. It was built out of necessity and obligation. After each major conflict in American history, our nation confronted the same question. How will we keep our promise to those who bore the cost of the war?
The VA emerged as the answer. Its mission is singular in American governance, to serve a population not defined by age, income, or geography, but by service and sacrifice. Yet today, VA faces intense pressure. Critics point to long wait times, uneven quality of care, outdated infrastructure, and administrative inefficiencies. These criticisms are not unfounded.
The VA, like many large institutions, has struggled to adapt to changing demands, particularly the complex needs of post-9/11 veterans. But acknowledging flaws is not the same as abandoning the mission. Cost to dismantle or significantly privatize VA is often framed as pragmatic solutions, offering veterans choice by shifting care to the private sector. On the surface, this may sound reasonable. In practice, it risks hollowing out the only health care system in this country that is purpose-built for veterans.
Private health care systems are not designed around military service. They don't specialize in combat trauma or polytrauma rehabilitation. They don't take into account the lifelong consequences of military toxic exposures, and they are not accountable to veterans in the same way that a public institution is accountable to the people it serves. Dismantling once begun is rarely reversible. As resources, talent, and expertise are siphoned away, the VA's ability to function deteriorates.
This creates a self-fulfilling prophecy in which weakened performance is used to justify further destruction of the department. Veterans are left navigating a fragmented landscape of providers, insurers, and bureaucracies, often at the moments when they are least equipped to do so. Preservation, on the other hand, does not mean defending the status quo. Preserving the VA means reforming it with seriousness and resolve. It means modernizing facilities, investing in digital health infrastructure, streamlining our claims processing, and holding leadership accountable for performance.
It means expanding our mental health capacity, strengthening rural access, and ensuring that care keeps pace with evolving medical science. Most importantly, preservation means recognizing that VA is not simply a health care provider. It is a covenant with those who have earned its service. If our nation is serious about honoring the promise made to those who served, then our priorities must be clear. Here are some of DAV's critical policy goals for this year.
First, we must make the claims and appeals process work for veterans, not against them. Timely, accurate decisions are not a courtesy. They are a moral obligation. We must also strengthen presumptive policies so that veterans exposed to toxic substances are not forced to prove what history and science already know. No veteran should have to be forced to wait decades for the health care and benefits that they have already earned.
Equally urgent is closing the gaps in mental health care and suicide prevention. Every veteran in crisis deserves immediate, comprehensive support because no one who served this nation should ever feel forgotten or alone. Our survivors also deserve better. Modernizing and strengthening their benefits ensures financial security after a veteran is gone. Their sacrifices have earned the gratitude of a grateful nation, and we must never neglect them.
As veterans age, long-term care must keep pace with their needs. That means expanding assisted living options and strengthening support for caregivers, many of whom bear enormous responsibilities with limited resources. These unsung heroes deserve not just our thanks, but meaningful support that makes a difference in their lives. We must also protect veterans programs from arbitrary budget caps and pay-go offsets that quietly erode funding year after year. Our nation should never balance its budget on the backs of those who have stood to defend it, they already paid.
And finally, just last week, a new regulation was published by the VA. It would have reduced compensation for some disabled veterans simply because they take medication for their service-connected disabilities. We're pleased Secretary Collins listened to veterans and announced that the VA would not be implementing the role. No veteran should be penalized for taking the medication they need to survive. Every generation of veterans inherits a system built by those who came before.
The VA that treated World War two veterans like my dad enabled the care of Korean and Vietnam veterans. The reforms driven by Gulf War veterans like myself laid the groundwork for post nine eleven care. What we decide now will determine whether future veterans inherit a robust, integrated institution or a patchwork of programs that treats their needs as transactional rather than holistic. The choice before us is not between reform and stagnation. It is between responsibility and retreat.
The VA stands at a crossroads. History will judge which path we choose. What lies beyond is not merely an institutional outcome, but a statement of our national character. Let us choose preservation. Let us choose reform.
And above all, let us choose to keep the promise to those who have always kept faith with us. Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes my testimony. May God continue to bless DAV, the men and women who serve our great nation, and the United States of America. Thank you very much.
Speaker 2
We could do a second round, potentially. Let's just do the first round, but let's see how long it takes. Alright. Beautifully stated, with a beautiful Boston accent. So, thank you.
So I'm going to recognize myself. We'll have approximately 3 minutes each on this initial round, and I'm gonna recognize myself for questions. Commander Ni, how important is community care for veterans, home health care, and rural and remote areas?
Speaker 7
I believe, integrated community care with VA facilities is critical for a lot of our rural veterans. Many of these areas that we go to don't have readily access to VA services right away. It's why I'm very proud of our VAD, DAV, transportation network. We're getting many of these veterans to their medical appointments, but integrated coordinated care with our VA services is something that DAV has, for a long time, supported. But it has to be done in the right manner.
It has to be integrated with their VA health care records, so that we're collecting that data nationwide.
Speaker 2
And then, in addition to transportation means, are there other things that we can be doing to improve community care in rural areas?
Speaker 7
Yeah. I'm going to, if you don't mind, answer your question, madam chairwoman, but I also have some great experts up here as well. I may refer to them occasionally, just to give some follow-up background. And I know John Retzer, our national legislative director, might have some comments.
Speaker 8
Great question, Chairwoman. I appreciate that. And with community care, one of the things that we really want to see is, first and foremost, the standards that VA has in training are also extended and required by our VA community providers. And why is that? When you look at the toxic exposure, traumatic brain injury, women, veterans, special needs, those all need levels of competency that meet the standards of the very diverse needs of our population.
So that's one of them. The second part is we need a robust interoperable system, the electronic health record modernization. As we watch VA go through 26, 27, as they deploy to the thirteen and 26 sites, we really need to make sure that they have taken and addressed all the incidents that you have all identified as concerning and safety issues, and make sure that they roll it out very seamlessly and ensure that change management within the staff is also adopted and that it is working between DOD, VA, and community care seamlessly.
Speaker 2
Thank you. And Commander Nate, next question is for you, but you may ask somebody else. In some of your testimony, you've discussed alternative therapies in healthcare. Any thoughts on technologies that are more valuable than others? What should we be focused on alternative therapies or tools for recovery and healing for our veterans when they come home?
Speaker 7
Great question, madam chairwoman. Yes, I personally am a huge believer in alternative therapies. I myself have used alternative and naturalistic therapies for my disabilities. We've done a significant amount of work on that and, in fact, we've done a significant amount of research. I believe, John, would you like to weigh in a little bit on some of the specifics?
Speaker 8
Great. Actually, what we look at is alternate options. And we really appreciate, you know, alternate options. Student research on psychedelics, we are looking at options in how HBOT can have efficacy with regards to our post traumatic stress disorder. And we are continuing to also ensure that our women veterans with regards to menopause research are also there.
Speaker 2
All right, thank you, and I now yield to ranking member Takano. Thank you.
Speaker 4
Mister Ni, how would you characterize this past year in terms of information flow between the department and the VSO community?
Speaker 7
Yeah. I mean, I think I know Jim Marsalack, our Washington executive director, who does deals directly every day with the VA, and I'd like him to weigh in a little bit. But before that, I can say that, honestly, over the years, what I've seen is when your vet service organization community has an active working partnership with the VA, the system is a lot better and more gets done. Jim, would you like to weigh in on the specifics of this particular conversation?
Speaker 9
Yes. Thank you, commander, and thank you, ranking member Tacano, for the question. I think the commander said it perfectly as well, that working together is very important. Right? So if we're able to collaborate more, the better off VA is gonna be as well.
As you just seen last week, what occurred, I think if we were involved earlier, we could have told them, hey. This is not gonna go over well in the veteran community. This is not a good thing for veterans at all. So the collaboration has improved a little bit over the last year. I think deputy secretary Paul Lawrence was at the conference.
He spoke on Sunday. Before he made formal remarks, I was able to meet with him. He did assure me we will be collaborating more. We have a meeting later this week to discuss a couple of things. So that's I'm optimistic.
I'm excited about being able to sit down with him and his team and find out how we could work better together.
Speaker 4
Okay. Well, I'm glad you're optimistic about that, that information flow seems to be improving. But I can tell you that I've seen that getting data from DA has been very difficult. This interim final rule being announced without any input from veterans, much less Congress, I thought was a huge misstep and a mistake. We have several bills that would radically improve benefits for survivors like Love Lives On and Caring for Survivors.
DAV supports these bills. Right? Is that correct, Commander Nee?
Speaker 8
Is correct, ranking member. DAV supports the major richest star, Love Lives On, and we wanna ensure that we bring parity with all our veterans as they are.
Speaker 4
Well, great. Thank you. I know as a non-veteran, I would never ask you or your members to bear the cost of your earned benefits. Would you agree that veteran and survivor benefits are earned and therefore should be paid by the general public?
Speaker 7
I would agree with that, mister chair, mister ranking member. Thank you.
Speaker 4
I ask the same for the major Richard Starr act. Should veterans shoulder the cost of the Major Richard Starr Act?
Speaker 7
No. They should not. We are opposed to you. We are opposed to any reduction of benefits or services that help our injured or ill veterans in VA care.
Speaker 4
Should we allow arbitrary congressional rules to stand in the way of doing what is right for veterans? No. The answer is no. Thank you so much. I yield back.
Speaker 6
Thank you, madam chair. Thank you for that excellent testimony, Mr. A. I have just a few questions. I'm very interested in your emphasis on the need for standards for community care, and at the same time, improving the quality of care in the VA. If the emphasis is exclusively on expanding community care, doesn't that endanger the quality and availability of care for the VA if all the resources go to community care?
Speaker 7
Thank you for that question. I believe if all the resources were going to community care, no, that would not be something we're in favor of. I believe VA works better if there is a coordinated community care network. But in my own experience, having that information, and that medical record flow from the community back into your VA record helps tremendously. There's a.
Speaker 6
And you would agree that standards comparable to what the VA has to meet should be applied to community care. Correct?
Speaker 6
And information about what is happening in community care should be the same. The data, the basic information that's provided should be the same. Correct?
Speaker 6
And would you agree that there ought to be a commitment to repair and upgrade VA's aging infrastructure?
Speaker 6
And to replace the 30,000, yes, it's 30,000 physicians, nurses, and others essential to VA health care should be filled and replaced. Would you agree?
Speaker 7
I would agree, and I think mister Retzer might have some thoughts on that as well.
Speaker 8
Thank you. Member. I appreciate the line of questioning, and, really, what DAV has always supported is a balance amongst community care, but we have to make sure. If you look at our veterans independent budget of fiscal year 2027, we provide a recommendation to decrease community care budget. And the reason is that we've got infrastructure issues.
We have inflation, market values that are really plaguing the Department of Veterans Affairs. We wanna make sure that we internally strengthen VA's health care system to meet the needs of all of our veterans, to include rural veterans. And so, as you look at our report, it'll give you some guidelines. One of the things that we notice with the community care is, too, is the cost of emergency and urgent needs and going out to community care. So we did a recommendation in our report, citing a plus-up with regards to strengthening.
Speaker 6
Patients, because my time is about to expire, I'm going to interrupt with apology. We have encountered tremendous difficulty. And I will say on both sides of the aisle, I don't want to speak for anyone, but the flow of information from the VA has been highly obscure. And even after the last hearing that we had when Secretary Collins promised to fully answer all of our questions, to this moment, we've received half or less than he promised to provide. So I hope you will join in this effort to demand full and complete transparency from the Department of Veterans Affairs, so that you can be effective advocates for the Veterans of America.
Thank you so much for being here today.
Speaker 11
Thank you, madam chairwoman. And it's good to be in the house with all my brothers and sisters. I miss you terribly, so I'm glad everyone made the trip. You know, for decades, congress has appropriated millions and millions of dollars to the Department of Veterans Affairs for Oh, that's They need to cook. Thank you to help me out.
I'm in my country. Millions of dollars for suicide prevention inside the VA. Millions of dollars, decades and decades. And every year, the suicide rate increases. We're losing that battle.
You hear the number 22 veterans a day, up to 40 veterans a day. Does anyone on the panel, don't mind, know how many spouses of veterans commit suicide? Does anybody know the answer to that question? From what I understand, every 8 days, a spouse takes his or her life. I don't know if that's concrete.
I'd like to put that onto the panel to find that answer out for me, but through my research, that's what I'm hearing. Every eight days, a spouse of a veteran takes their life. I heard you say that you're supporting alternative medic alternative means of treatment, psychedelics, neuroplastigens. We're trying to find a name that doesn't scare everyone away. And today, thousands of our brothers and sisters go overseas for this treatment, and it's highly effective.
And out loud, I'll say there are three members of congress, myself, mister Korea, mister Bergman, that are openly engaged with the VA, with DOD, HHS, FDA on moving research on these medications to save us from that one inch pistol range. And to date, it's like pushing a wet noodle up a hill. It is amazing. And some of the responses I've gotten was like, well, how many do you actually think this will save? And my response is one.
If it saves one veteran, we're moving in the right direction. But we're not making enough noise. The three of us can't do this alone. You would think in the House of Representatives, this is where the power lives. But when I look out into the crowd and if DAV supports this effort, I'm calling for an all hands muster.
You have to be present. Is this direction the way that we want to go? I adamantly believe it is. It's either taking a step somewhere else or continuing down the road of opioids and SSRIs and all the other stuff that we pump into our bodies to make ourselves feel good, and it inevitably leads to one place for those unfortunate ones. Then I don't have a question, more than a statement.
If we're all in like we are when we're in combat, and you look to your left and your right and like, hey. I'm here with you. We're going. This is what we have to do. So I'm asking for your help.
When you travel around the lower chamber, the upper chamber, you're hanging out at the administration, ask these questions. Why aren't, why can't, or why haven't we moved research in the VA and the DOD? And why isn't the FDA supporting this? Why is the FDA not supporting this? And God bless each and every one of you and your families for your service.
Thank you.
Speaker 12
Thank you, madam chair. And, commander, thanks very much for your testimony. And to all the members that are here in this room, thank you for your service, for making this country so great. Commander, I share your deep concerns that you expressed about VA not being there for future generations in efforts to dismantle the workforce, to carry out reorganization without significant feedback from the veteran community and stakeholders, and to implement policies that threaten rather than increase or improve benefits, and how that will really undermine the ability of VA to be there and to deliver and create this self-fulfilling prophecy around privatization that I think we all are in agreement we need to guard against. You asked an essential question, which is how will we keep our promise to those who have borne the battle?
And then conveniently, you gave us all the answers. You gave us a good road map in terms of what Congress needs to do to answer that question and to make good on the debt that we owe to all those who have worn the uniform of this country. And I regret that it's taken so long to get things like the Major Richard Starr Act considered and across the finish line. Things like the Love Lives On act, which is really important to survivors. One issue that I hear, which is a top concern of veterans in New Hampshire and I believe across the country, that is always brought up to me is dental coverage.
And I know that Representative Brownlee isn't here. She has led on that issue for a number of years. But could you talk about this as a priority in terms of treating the whole veteran and making sure that we have the right providers at the VA to be able to expand this and make sure that more vets get access to dental coverage?
Speaker 7
Yeah. Thank you very much for that question, Congressman. Dental care is essential. Dental care, proper dental care helps many of our veterans prevent cancer, diabetes, other very serious health issues. It helps in employment rates.
I know when I go to many veteran homeless stand downs, one of the major services that's provided with the longest lines is for the dental care because that helps them to get employment and helps with their mental health. And I think if you talk to all of our members, they will tell you all of our service connected disabled veterans in this country deserve comprehensive holistic health care, and dental care is health care, period.
Speaker 12
Thank you for that response. Absolutely. Well, I wanna recognize the great veterans from the Live Free or Die State of New Hampshire who are joining us here. And we had a conversation yesterday that touched on a number of issues. Included among those was dependency and indemnity comp, compensation, which we know is a critical benefit to surviving spouses and family members who have supported our service members and veterans.
They talked about waits, people waiting months to be able to get access to these benefits. Do you have any recommendations for congress on what we should be doing to shorten that time frame and to make sure these benefits actually provide the kind of support that survivors and family members deserve?
Speaker 7
Yeah. Absolutely. We do. Thank you. That's a great question.
I know, we've worked extensively on this, and I believe Scott Hope has some very specific comments on this particular matter.
Speaker 13
Thank you, commander, and thank you for the question. Our dependency and indemnity compensation is specifically for surviving spouses. Anything that we can do to bring in additional funds and parallel what other federal agencies have for individuals who pass away of a service-connected disability, we would definitely support. We are willing to link shields to defend what is currently available, and we will raise our swords to assist you or any member of your staff to fight for something in the future.
Speaker 14
Thank you, madam chair. First of all, let me start off by saying thank you for your service and thank you for making your voices echo in the halls of Congress today. I honor you today with my thanks. I think just listening in on the conversation, what we're all really talking about is reform. And I think that we can all agree that the VA needs reform.
Right? But the question here is how do we do that reform responsibly so that, one, it improves performance, but more importantly, delivers better outcomes for all of you. And I think in these conversations, what I'm looking for is trying to find the right balance. And so I wanna ask any member of the panel who could answer this, you know, what metrics should Congress monitor to ensure that we are improving access without hollowing out the VA facilities? Right?
At what point does expanding Communicare risk weakening the VA's internal capacity? As a non-veteran myself, these are the conversations that I would like to have so that I can make an informed opinion.
Speaker 7
Well, I thank you very much for the question. Obviously, as someone who provides who let is reliant on VA health care for my own health, I'm interested in that as well. I believe that we've done a significant amount of work on this, and let me ask John to give you a little bit of background, please.
Speaker 8
Thank you. And as we address health care reform and how we balance community care, we have to address the access standards, which you have all done for some time with Choice Act, Mission Act. And now we're at a point where we also have the introduction of the Access Act, which DAV supports. And we believe, you know, as we look at it, not only do we have to look at the Access Act with regards to how it facilitates services for the urban metropolitan, but we do have to address very specifically how do we do that differently for our rural and remote veterans. Along with our women veterans, when we have over 1 million this year now enrolled in the VA health care system, they are the highest users of community care.
So we gotta figure out how to bring that back into the VA health care system. So we do need to look at the model of health care and flip it upside down to say it's not a hospital model only. We need to look at really strengthening the CBOX, and that CBOX methodology could really strengthen.
Speaker 14
I'm gonna reclaim my time. I guess, you know, I want what type of metrics should Congress develop when we are talking about actually addressing those issues?
Speaker 8
Right? Yes. And I think because we have such limited time, we'd love to work with your staff on it, and we have some recommendations within the veterans' independent budget that talks about the staffing infrastructure and the budget requirements.
Speaker 14
Alright. Thank you. I'm about to run out of time, but just a quick question. If Congress does nothing differently over the next five years, what's the single greatest risk to the long-term viability of the VA system?
Speaker 8
It's gonna be that we need mandatory funding to keep it strong and healthy.
Speaker 2
Thank you. And I know that ranking member Takano has a few more questions, so I'll allow a second round, two minutes. Our side went over by one minute, so I'm gonna give ranking member Takano three minutes. But before I do that, I'm gonna say something real quick. I love what everyone has said here today, and congressman Luttrell, I'm with you.
I suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, and I have authored legislation on plant-based therapies. I've had a bill in the House and had that companion bill in the Senate with Senator Cory Booker and Senator Rand Paul. One of the problems is up here, as Congressman Latrell said, is that anything up here is like pushing a wet noodle up a hill, and I'm gonna steal that one. We really, to move things fast is not happening. And the stats on plant-based therapy for veterans who are suffering from PTSD and have suicidal ideation.
The stats of success are through the damn roof. It's amazing what it's done to save lives. I mean, the majority of veterans who suffer from PTSD and pay thousands of dollars or are sponsored by someone who can afford thousands of dollars to go down to Costa Rica or wherever for these plant-based therapies, in some cases, it's over 75% of improvement. And, why we are denying veterans the ability to do that unless they're in some sort of special program at Johns Hopkins that the vast majority of vets can't get into is beyond me, because it literally saves lives. So, as congressman Luttrell said, and as a daughter of a Vietnam veteran, I've been to a lot of my father's Vietnam reunions.
They don't have them anymore. Last year was probably the last one. And I have talked with men who served with my father who have a lifetime of trauma. And it is only by God's grace that they are still alive. So I really appreciate this very candid conversation, and we do need your voices here on the Hill.
So thank you all, God bless you. And with that, ranking member Takano, you got three minutes.
Speaker 4
Thank you. Sorry. Commander, have you heard anything from your members about negative impacts on their health care due to VA staffing shortages?
Speaker 7
Great question. Great question, Randy. Remember, yes. I think they raise.
Speaker 4
Your hand if you have problems with staffing shortage at VA direct care. Go ahead. I'll respond. Yes. I let the record show that nearly all of the audience raise their hands.
Speaker 7
Yeah. No. It is a very serious issue, sir. And for those of us again, for those of us who rely solely on VA for our health care, timely and, you know, convenient appointments, again, are not just a courtesy. There's something that is an obligation.
Speaker 7
Yes. I have heard anecdotes around community care, that issues around military service not being understood, insensitive comments, things of that nature.
Speaker 4
So, the level of training and preparedness of community providers, as compared to VA providers, is a significant issue, would you say?
Speaker 4
Would your members support training requirements for community providers? Yes. And should those requirements be enforced through the community care agreements? We're about to enter into a 10 year agreement. Should they be, in other words, if VA has a requirement about suicide prevention and medications and opioids.
Should community care providers be trained in those standards as equally as they are within the VA?
Speaker 7
Providers should be trained, specific should have specific military training so that they recognize the issues at a very specific.
Speaker 4
And my understanding is that previous contracts, including going forward, and a hearing that I had previously on Communicare, that VA told me that third party administrators have, you know, that they're not required to do this. And so when they build the networks for communicare providers, they can't really get their providers to do all these trainings to be up to the same standards as VA doctors and providers. Do you think that's a problem?
Speaker 4
And would you change that? Would you ask VA to make sure that third-party administrators build networks that require their providers to take the same training that VA doctors get?
Speaker 4
I think we should do that. Could you elaborate on your written testimony regarding the risks to adequately staffing VA's own health care system that are presented by legislation that would create grant programs to fund services outside of the VA?
Speaker 4
I've just run out of time. I'm respectful to the chairman, but if you could quickly maybe get the written testimony.
Speaker 2
And thank you so much. Our first panel is now dismissed. I wanna thank you all for being here. We will take a three-minute recess to get the second panel installed. Thank you.
Speaker 13
And the second panel, I mean, the testimony is the long thing. So if you get it.
Speaker 2
And welcome to our second panel. I wanna thank you all for being here. We have a lot of information from important organizations to hear from on this panel, so I would like us to get right to it. Today, we are joined by Lieutenant General Brian Kelly of the Military Officers Association of America, Doctor Lindsey Knight of Blue Star Families, Mister Tom Burke of Vietnam Veterans of America, Mister Larry Wright Jr. of the National Congress of American Indians, Captain Rita Graham of Service Women's Action Network, Miss Barbara Burt of Gold Star Wives of America, and Mister Richard Berkshire of Black Veterans Project. Again, welcome to all of you and to all of your members in the audience here today.
Lieutenant General Kelly, you are now recognized for five minutes for your opening statement.
Speaker 13
Thank you, Chairwoman Mace. And although not here, thanks to chairman Buston, chairman Moran, and to our ranking members, Tacano and Blumenthal, and all distinguished members of both committees. On behalf of the Military Officers Association of America, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. I'm honored to be here today along with so many members of our community who work tirelessly to support and help those who serve and have served, our veterans and their families who allow our nation to remain free and strong. I wanna invite the MOA members and staff who are here today to stand.
They represent more than 356,000 members whose voices strengthen our advocacy and who work to preserve and protect the earned benefits of over 22,000,000 Americans who serve, have served their families and survivors across all ranks and all uniformed services. Thank you. Let me begin by thanking both committees for your leadership in advancing the veteran caregiver reeducation, reemployment, and retirement act, MOA's top veterans' health care priority this year. This legislation includes meaningful steps to address the financial, professional, and emotional burdens borne by caregivers who enable veterans to live with dignity and independence. As the bill progresses, we respectfully request your continued support to bring it to the floor in both chambers and in short passage, as strengthening education, employment, and retirement opportunities for caregivers honors their service and helps family members avoid choosing between caring for a veteran and securing their own future, all while reducing long term reliance on public assistance.
You have my written testimony, but today I'm focusing my opening remarks on two priorities that go to the heart of the system integrity and long-term force sustainability. The Guard VA Benefits Act and the TAP Promotions Act. First, the Guard VA Benefits Act. Federal law establishes who may charge veterans for assistance with VA disability claims. That law exists to protect veterans, preserve the integrity of the claims process, and ensure accountability for those who operate within it.
When criminal penalties for unaccredited agents were removed in 2006, Congress did not authorize a new industry to emerge outside the existing framework. Yet, that is exactly what has happened. Unaccredited for-profit companies now openly charge veterans for services that federal law already restricts. They operate beyond VA oversight, and without meaningful consequences. Faced with growing claims volumes, the answer cannot be to simply change the law to accommodate those who are breaking it.
If the system is under strain, our responsibility is to fix the system, not to legitimize practices that siphon earn benefits away from veterans. As someone who spent decades in uniform, responsible for people, processes, and accountability, I can say this clearly. Weakening standards to compensate for system stress only compounds the problem. It erodes trust, which is our ultimate currency, undermines legitimately accredited representatives, and sends the wrong message to service members who expect the rules to apply evenly. The Guard VA Benefits Act restores accountability without restricting access to lawful, accredited assistance.
It reaffirms that the solutions to system challenges are better performance and better oversight. MOA urges Congress to advance this legislation and make clear that earned benefits belong to veterans, not to companies exploiting gaps in enforcement. Second, the TAP Promotion Act. MOA believes that service does not exist in silos. It begins the day someone raises their right hand, and it continues into burial honors.
From a readiness and force management perspective, the transition from service member to civilian is truly a consequential period. Not only for the individual, but for the credibility of the all-volunteer force. Yet, transition outcomes vary widely. Too many servicemembers leave the uniform, not understanding their earned benefits, available resources, or where to turn to for trusted help. That lack of continuity increases the risk for the veteran.
As both an MSO and a VSO, MOA occupies a unique position in this space. We support service members while they are still in uniform, and continue that support throughout their life as a veteran. That continuity matters. The TAP promotion act strengthens outreach, improves consistency, and ensures service members and their family members receive timely, accurate information before separation, not after problems arise. It reinforces connections to organizations like ours and the others at this table who are there testifying before this committee that remain with veterans long after their service departs.
This belief in life cycle responsibility is also why MOA launched the Total Force Plus conference. With Total Force Plus, we bring together leaders from the uniformed services, the Pentagon, the VA, Congress, industry, and the nonprofit community to collaborate and advance solutions across this life cycle together. There are plenty of venues that focus on the types of the next ships, the next planes, the next tanks, the next weapons. Total Force Plus focuses on the people who make strong national defense possible, because outcomes improve when responsibility is shared rather than passed along, and everybody believes that people truly outrank everything. From first salute to final honors, how we care for those who serve and those who stand beside them directly impacts who will be willing to serve next.
That group of people that was behind us before with those hats on is your biggest advocates. How they are treated will tell whether they tell somebody else to serve, and that is important. MOA stands here today ready for you to serve, and I thank you. I look forward to your questions.
Speaker 2
Thank you. I would now like to recognize Doctor Knight for five minutes for your opening statement.
Speaker 16
Thank you, Chairwoman Mace, Chairman Moran, Ranking Members Blumenthal and Takano, and distinguished members of the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony on Blue Star Families' 2024 priorities. Blue Star Families is the nation's largest military and veteran family-supporting organization. It is its research-driven approach builds strong communities with a focus on innovative and data-informed solutions. Since 2009, our research has gathered trusted feedback from over 150,000 active duty and veteran connected families.
Our goal is to enable military-connected families to thrive in the communities that they call home. Since our founding, Blue Star Families has delivered more than $336,000,000 in benefits, counts over 440,000 members, and supports more than 1,500,000 people annually. 33% of our membership base is comprised of veterans, veterans' spouses, and veterans' family members. Using this data and member insights as our guide, Blue Star Families has three primary legislative priorities in 2024. The first one, in 2022, as a result of the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019, Blue Star Families was awarded funding by the VA under the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Program.
Blue Star Families appreciates the extensive work your two committees have done to extend this program past the original three-year pilot legislation. But we call on you both to work together to extend the program for at least another 3 years, and then to work toward a long-term authorization for the most successful initiatives. As recipients of the staff sergeant Fox grant, BlueStar Families operates a program at BlueStar Support Circle's Upstream Solutions to Crisis. Through this community-based suicide prevention program, we prioritize veterans who are at risk of suicide by ensuring that their friends and family members can recognize and understand signs and intervene before a veteran's struggle becomes a crisis. As a quick aside to Representative Luttrell, because he brought up the question of how many veteran spouses die by suicide a year.
I don't have the number on veteran spouses, but I do have the most recent number from a DOD annual report in 2023 on the suicide in the military. That report states that 146 family members, 93 of which were active duty spouses, died by suicide. I think it is an open question and one that our research team is certainly interested in pursuing in partnership with the VA to find out what the corollary number is for veteran spouses. But I also wanted to point out this is why community and family-based interventions and programs matter. Service members do not stand on their own.
They stand as part of a unit, whether that is a family, a community. They are connected to others. And, oftentimes, those individuals are most able to tell when a crisis is going to happen before the emergency is at our feet. That is the entire theory of change behind our program. To date, nearly 200 individuals have completed this eight-week non-clinical program with Blue Star Families.
Support circles was externally validated by the University of Alabama, and participants demonstrated through pre- and post-surveys statistically significant improvements in their capacity to help others experiencing suicidal thoughts and their own self-efficacy to intervene. Our program increased participants' confidence in discussing suicide from 55 percent to 74 percent, enhanced knowledge of appropriate language and resources, and significantly imparted skills to mitigate factors for loved ones who might be having thoughts of suicide. Additionally, the share of participants indicating that all firearms were stored and unloaded increased from 30 percent to 43 percent as a result of this program. Veteran suicide prevention, however, is not a nice to have. It is a moral imperative.
I think everyone in this room would agree with that. And it also saves VA healthcare resources when done right, and done upstream and in a preventative fashion. In 2025, using the first three years of participant data, we had an external firm conduct an economic analysis of the outcomes. That analysis projects that the Blue Star support circles generate health care and economic cost savings 17 times greater than program costs. That amounts to roughly $13,247 of net cost savings per cohort participant.
Our participants show measurable PHQ-9 depression improvements, reducing major depressive disorder related healthcare costs, and preventing costly emergency visits and psychiatric hospitalizations. The second legislative priority that we have is that we are calling on Congress to enact the Building Readiness and Integration for Dependents Going to Civilian Environments Act. This is sponsored by Senator Alex Padilla and Representatives Sanford Bishop and Jen Kiggans. The measure would establish a three-year pilot project at four US military bases where national organizations serving the military and veteran community would coordinate the extension of military transition services to military families. Challenges veterans face around the transition are persistent.
In our 2025 annual military family lifestyle survey, 58 percent of veteran respondents described their overall transition from military to civilian life as difficult or very difficult, and 44 percent found it more difficult than expected. The transition from military to civilian life is not just a personal journey for the service member. It is a profound change experienced by the entire family. However, many support services for spouses cease at the time of separation, which is often when families require them most. Successful military to civilian transitions depend on comprehensive support strategies that recognize the unique needs of veteran family members, not just in their capacity as caregivers, but as individuals navigating a significant transition themselves.
A true measure of a successful transition extends beyond the veteran's employment or access to benefits, is reflected in the family's stability, well-being, and connection to their community as they establish their new life as a veteran family. Finally, Blue Star Families calls on Congress to pass the Major Richard Star Act. As many of you know, this bill will allow 52,000 combat-injured medically retired veterans to receive their earned retirement pay and disability compensation without offset. The STAR Act has 315 House and 77 Senate cosponsors. That is three quarters of Congress, and it could pass today if brought to the floor on each side of the Capitol.
Thank you all, and distinguished members of the committee, for inviting Blue Star families to provide our priorities, views, and research. I'm happy to answer any questions.
Speaker 2
Thank you. I would now like to recognize Mister Burke for five minutes for your opening statement.
Speaker 10
Chairman Moran, Chairman Bost, ranking members Blumenthal and Takano. I appear before you today as a Vietnam veteran and a proud president of Vietnam Veterans of America, an organization born not from comfort or consensus, but from necessity. Our motto is simple, and it is unyielding. Never again shall one generation of veterans abandon another. That promise was forged by Vietnam veterans who came home to a country that did not know what to do with us.
We did not return to parades, gratitude, and too often we had returned to silence. Some questions, even if Vietnam was a real war. We learned quickly that if veterans did not fight for each other, no one else would. So we fought. We fought for ourselves when no one else would, and we won battles many said we could not win.
Long before PTSD had a name, Vietnam veterans forced this nation to recognize invisible wounds as real injuries. Long before Agent Orange or toxic exposure were politically safe to acknowledge. We demanded accountability for harms caused in service to this country. There were no playbooks, no large budgets, no convictions, only conviction, perseverance, and the refusal to be ignored. That's how Vietnam Veterans are built.
We may not have the largest balance sheets, but our passion is rooted in lived experience and the hard knowledge of what happens when a nation looks away from those they send to war. That is why, although our name reflects one generation, our mission has never been confined to one. We speak today not only for Vietnam veterans, but for all veterans, because we know what abandonment looks like, and we will not allow it to be repeated. Never again show one generation of veterans abandon another. That history brings me directly to the Vietnam veterans' highest priority, the full accounting of our prisoners of war and those still missing in action.
For those who serve, this is not an abstract. These are names not in a database. They are friends we trained with, people we served beside, and we expected them to come home. The promise that no one would be left behind did not end when the battle stopped, and it does not weaken over time. That is why VBA has never wavered on POW M and A accountability for all wars.
It is a sacred obligation, not a discretionary program. Reducing budgets for the agencies responsible for recovering our missing service members is unacceptable. It breaks faith with families who have waited decades, and with those currently serving who trust our country will not forget them. Accounting for the missing is not about the past. It is about trust.
Vietnam Veterans of America also carries the same sense of passion into a cause our members know all too well. The fight for veterans exposed to toxic exposures. For too many of us, the war did not end when we came home. It followed us. It surfaced years later in our bodies, and too often in our families.
Vietnam veterans were exposed to Agent Orange long before anyone was willing to admit what it was doing to our bodies, and evidence now demands serious research into how toxic exposure may affect spouses and biological descendants. This fight is not limited to one generation. Vietnam veterans have stood with all veterans that have been harmed by toxic exposure, including those suffering from the Gulf War illness whose symptoms were dismissed for far too long. We push for recognition because we know exactly what happens when denial replaces accountability. This nation must fully accept its responsibility to every veteran harmed in service, and the Vietnam veterans will continue to speak about this.
And this brings me to, deeply, veterans must never be used as political leverage. No veteran should ever be helped or ignored because it is politically convenient. Care must never depend on party loyalty, polling, or legislative timing. When veterans become bargaining chips, progressive stops, trusty roads, and real people pay the price. Vietnam Veterans of America did not pick sides.
We pick outcomes, and we will work with anyone, any party who is serious about delivering results for those who served. Vietnam Veterans of America will continue working across the aisle on a wide range of legislative issues. We look forward to working with both committees and every member willing to engage in good faith. We will offer our expertise directly to any office wherever it is helpful, because results matter more than credit. Before I close, I must ask how a nation that asks so much of its service members can accept that so many will die from suicide, sleeping in the streets, or fall apart in transition once the uniform comes off.
How do we explain that the danger does not end when the service is over? Be that in combat or in any area of other service. How can we accept the danger? Continues in paperwork in silence. These law veteran losses are mostly caused by delay, diffusion of responsibility, and the excuse of complexity.
And when systems fail to act, veterans pay the price with their lives. These are our people. They stood watch. They carried the burden, and they deserve urgency. They do not deserve explanations about why help must wait.
Vietnam Veterans of America will not accept a system that saves resources while it costs lives. Vietnam veterans taught this nation something important. The progress does not come from waiting to be invited. It comes from showing up, from telling the truth, and from refusing to go away. That is who we are, and that is what we continue to be as long as we have breath in our bodies.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Speaker 2
Thank you. I now recognize Mister Wright for five minutes for your opening statement.
Speaker 17
Good morning, distinguished members of the committee. I'd address you in my tribal language, my language, out of respect and to raise awareness for our native code talkers who are instrumental in helping our country during World Wars 1 and 2. My name is Larry Wright Jr. I'm the executive director of the National Congress of American Indians. Previously, served as tribal chairman for the Ponca Tribe, Nebraska, for eleven years.
I am also a proud veteran. Thank you for the opportunity to testify on behalf of American Indian and Alaska Native veterans who continue to proudly serve this country at higher rates than any other demographic in the United States. As noted in my written testimony, the contributions of Native American veterans span from the Revolutionary War to today. Whether serving as code talkers during World War Two or helping raise the American flag at Iwo Jima, Native American veteran veterans have demonstrated courage, commitment, sacrifice, and undeniable service to this country. Many were here before we were even citizens of this country.
Many of these veterans commit to continued service upon returning to their communities, whether in tribal governance, community development, or other forms of public service. Native American veterans carry forward a long tradition of warrior societies rooted in responsibility, protection, and leadership. This is why it is important that NCI is here today to advocate for the needs of our veterans, including health care, housing, food, and other support mechanisms that ensure their continued success and contributions to our communities and this country. First, on health care. Since I last testified before your committees, I am proud to report that the Congress has continually provided advanced appropriations for the Indian Health Service.
Many of our veterans live far away from VA health care facilities, making IHS the only way for many of our veterans to access health care. I thank you for your support in this effort and ask that you continue to ensure Native American veterans relying on IHS receive the same advanced appropriations as the VA does. Second, on housing. Many of our veterans have difficulty finding safe and affordable housing on or near the tribal communities. NCI supports the Native American direct loan program, which provides necessary financing for homes located on tribal trust lands at a 2.5% interest rate.
Given the high cost of housing across the United States and the unique financing challenges associated with trust land, below market interest rates are critical to putting our deserving veterans in healthy homes. To ensure that the program is successful, we urge Congress to provide a direct directive to the VA to put it into its current hiring freeze, and more specifically, to hire necessary VA staff that can educate Native American veterans on the program and provide much-needed technical assistance to improve its utilization. Likewise, NCI strongly supports the continuation and expansion of the tribal HUD-VASH program. As part of this process, we encourage your committees to remove any unnecessary restrictions for Native American veterans who reside in current assisted stock units. In some tribal communities, these units are the only vacant units available to Native veterans.
They should not be penalized because of limited housing options. Third on food. NCI has been paying close attention to the changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. We were disappointed to see that recent changes to SNAP remove the work requirement exemption for veterans, native and non-native alike. The elimination of this exemption creates unnecessary burdens in accessing critical nutrition for the bravest among us, rather than serving as an incentive for employment.
A significant portion of our veterans reside in remote travel areas where local unemployment rates are often three times or more than the national average. In these regions, failure to secure a job that satisfies specific hourly requirements is more frequently due to geographic limitations than a lack of effort. Fourth, on additional resources. The VA Advisory Committee on Tribal and Indian Affairs has served as a critical mechanism to ensure that tribal voices remain at the table as the VA develops policies, programs, and services that directly impact more than 145,000 Native American veterans that the VA serves today. NCI strongly believes that any disruption to the advisory committee's operations undermines the VA's ability to effectively serve Native American veterans.
We urge your committees to ensure that the advisory committee has the legal framework and financial resources required to meet its obligations. To this point, we appreciate the introduction of the National Veterans Strategy Act, which would establish metrics to determine the well-being of our veterans regarding their physical health, mental health, spiritual health, economic security and opportunity, education, family, social engagement, and civic engagement. This important bill rightfully recognizes tribal governments and tribal organizations as key stakeholders to determine these metrics. Indian country knows firsthand the shortfalls that our veterans face, and we are eager to work with congress to close those gaps. Thank you for your time.
I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.
Speaker 2
Thank you so much. I will now recognize Captain Rita Graham for your opening remarks in five minutes.
Speaker 18
Good morning, distinguished members. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Rita Graham. I served as an army field artillery officer, and I now serve as the policy director for the Service Women's Action Network, or SWAN. On behalf of women veterans everywhere, and on behalf of SWAN, I respectfully highlight three priorities today.
Number one, closing the gender-based research gaps under the PACT Act. Number two, restoring comprehensive reproductive health care access for veterans. And three, protecting evidence-based policies on women serving in ground combat units. These priorities reflect what we are seeing from women veterans across the country. Veterans who, like me, volunteered to serve fully knowing the risk of combat.
But what we did not expect was that after our service, our access to health care and benefits that we earned could depend on whether or not the VA systems recognize our service and sacrifice. It leads me to priority number one, ensuring the PACT Act implementation fully addresses reproductive infertility impacts. The PACT Act has been hugely successful in establishing long-term harms from toxic exposure. However, implementation gaps remain for women veterans specifically. Women veterans report substantially higher infertility rates than civilian women, yet researchers consistently identify significant gaps in data on reproductive health outcomes among women exposed to military environmental hazards.
Substances linked to reproductive toxicity, miscarriage risk, and infertility are routinely encountered in everyday military environments from motor pools, maintenance facilities, firing ranges. Yet, infertility and many reproductive health conditions are not currently included among toxic exposure presumptive conditions. Improving service connection can be particularly difficult due to complex nexus and service-connection requirements. While VA data shows success in women's veterans enrollment proportional to their population in toxic exposure screenings. However, the gap that we see today is that publicly available data related to claims approvals and denials and condition-level outcomes are not consistently disaggregated by gender, making it difficult to fully assess whether benefits are being delivered appropriately.
This issue is not whether women are being exposed to these chemicals. That's already been well documented. The issue today is that research systems to track these toxic exposures were built when the workforce was primarily male. Therefore, reproductive outcomes were not systematically tracked. Our challenge today is whether or not these outcomes are being fully and effectively measured.
And let me be clear, this is not primarily a benefits issue. It is a measurement and accountability issue. SWAN urges Congress to require gender-disaggregated reporting, prioritizing longitudinal reproductive health research, and ensuring veterans with service-connected infertility have clear treatment pathways. Recognizing reproductive harm from toxic exposure does not expand the PACSAC's mission, but instead fulfills it. Priority two, restoring comprehensive reproductive health care access.
In December 2025, the VA reversed its policy permitting reproductive health services in cases of rape and incest. This policy reversal affects countless numbers of survivors of military sexual trauma within the female veteran population. VA data proves that roughly one in three women will experience military sexual trauma throughout their life. And reporting under the Deborah Samson Act has documented more than 1500 incidences of sexual harassment on VA campuses every single year. These data highlight a serious ongoing risk, where a veteran who survives sexual violence may seek care inside a VA system, yet lack the full range of pregnancy-related medical counseling available in their counterparts' civilian health care systems.
At SWAN, we believe that no veteran should lose their bodily autonomy because of their service to our country. Swan urges Congress to ensure survivors of sexual violence have access to the same medically appropriate care available in their civilian health care counterparts. Our final priority, number three, protecting evidence-based policies that affect women's military service. Last month, the Department of Defense announced a new or re-review of women in ground combat positions. This review comes despite more than a decade of research and operational experience that proved that integration challenges are solved through leadership, standards, and infrastructure, not inclusion.
Today, there are approximately 5,000 women who serve in ground combat roles, and thousands more have already transitioned to veteran status like myself. While not directly under the scope of this committee, the policies that affect who can serve today will shape the population that the VA and this committee will serve tomorrow. Swan encourages continued oversight to ensure personnel decisions remain evidence based to sustain a strong military. Before closing, Swan would like to appreciate the VA's reversal of the interim final rule on medication and disability ratings, and hope this will lead to more transparency and congressional oversight for all future regulatory changes. In closing, when I became one of the first women integrated into a ground combat unit, I did not consider it a historic milestone.
I was doing my job, as did so many other women veterans around the country. And now today, we women veterans ask for something very simple. We ask that the veteran health care system and benefits fully reflect the realities of our service. Thank you, and I look forward to any questions.
Speaker 2
Thank you. I will now recognize Ms. Barbara Burt for her opening remarks.
Speaker 3
Chairwoman Mace, chairman BOSS, chairman Moran, ranking member Tucano, ranking member Blumenthal, and distinguished members of the committees. My name is Barbara Burt. I was born in Kansas and now live in Hanson, Massachusetts on a small farm. I appear today on behalf of Gold Star Wives of America Incorporated, representing widows and widowers across the nation who have lost their spouses as a result of military service. Gold's Our Wives of America was founded in 1945 to advocate for policies and financial support for military survivors and their children.
Eighty years later, that mission remains as urgent as ever. I am the widow of Robert Burke, Jr., who served in the United States Army, the Army Reserves, and as a full-time recruiter in the Kansas Army National Guard. As the effects of Agent Orange emerged, Bob's health declined. In 2019, he was diagnosed with multiple system atrophy, a devastating neurodegenerative disease. Within two years, it took everything from him, including his life.
After Bob's death, I became trapped in grief. Gold Star Wives of America Incorporated became my restoration. Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, DIC, was created to prevent economic collapse after the loss of a service member. The word indemnity recognizes the loss caused by military service is permanent. Yet today, that promise is not being fulfilled.
As a new member of Gold Star Wives of America Incorporated, I was struck by who these military spouses are. Many gave up careers, education, and financial security to care for their veterans. They met medical, emotional, and financial needs without a guarantee of a future. When the spouse returned broken in body, in spirit, or in a flag-draped casket, they stepped forward into a life of caregiving, loss, economic instability without hesitation. They served a nation that has not always served them.
For more than thirty years, Gold Star Wives of American Corporators has advocated for updating the inadequate level of DIC. We are often told it costs too much. Meanwhile, I watch grieving spouses struggle with inadequate heat, food insecurity, housing instability, and unmet medical needs, and still show up. They show up for each other, for their communities, and for this country. These brave, selfless women and men validated my grief and showed me that purpose can grow from loss, what the Bible calls beauty for ashes.
Today, most surviving spouses live on approximately $1,700 per month from the DIC. Some receive Social Security, many do not. Every year that DIC remains inadequate, military spouses pay the consequences, not in theory, but in daily hardship. That hardship means choosing between heat and medication, groceries, and gasoline. It means delaying care, skipping meals, and living with the constant fear that one unexpected expense will undo what little stability remains.
For many, it means losing a family home and moving into shared or unstable housing. Members of the committee, you can change this. HR 6,047 provides a modest but meaningful increase, and we thank Chairman Boast and the House Committee for advancing this bill. As noted at markup, this is a down payment, progress, not completion. That completion is S611 and HR2055, the Caring for Survivors Act.
Today, DIC replaces only 43% of disabled veterans' compensation. This bill raises that to 55%, aligning military survivors with other federal survivors. This is not just a matter of fairness. It is a matter of survival. HR 1685, the Justice for ALS Veterans Act, reflects medical reality.
ALS carries a two- to five-year life expectancy. Policies requiring 8 years of total disability create structural exclusion. We also support S410 and HR-104, the Level of Zaun Act, which affirms that our nation's responsibility to military families does not end at loss. Chairman Moran, thank you for your leadership. Finally, we support HR 264, the Service Connected Suicide Compensation Act.
Like the PACT Act, it shifts the burden of proof away from grieving spouses and toward fairness and compassion. Members of this committee, we urge your favorable consideration of these bills, and are confident that bipartisan leadership can move them to the President's desk. Thank you for the opportunity to testify on behalf of Gold Star Wives of America, Incorporated.
Speaker 2
Thank you. I would now like to recognize Mister Richard Brookshire for five minutes for your opening statement.
Speaker 1
Chairman Moran, chairwoman Mace, ranking member Blumenthal and Tucano, and distinguished members of the committees. Black Veterans Project represents the first comprehensive reparative justice effort, mobilizing black veterans and military families systematically denied access to the GI bill during the height of Jim Crow, as well as those who endured systemic racial inequities across the Department of Veteran Affairs benefits program since the end of legal segregation. PPP leverages data-driven research, narrative storytelling, and impact litigation to redress the federal government's sustained legacy of racial bias that has siphoned an estimated 100,000,000,000 in wealth-generating opportunities from black veterans and military families since World War Two. While the families of white veterans now hold 32 times more wealth than those of black veterans, a gap of $164,000 per household. Black veterans remain twice as likely to live in poverty, and represent fully one third of the homeless veteran population.
Since 2020, Black Veterans Project has worked with Yale Law School and the National Veterans Council for Legal Redress to FOIA internal VA data, exposing the systemic denial of billions in disability pay to Black veterans in the post 09/11 era. Monk versus United States, a legal case leveraging these findings, is poised to become the first race-based class action reckoning with the legacy of racial discrimination in VA's benefits programs. While more recent disparities that VA has taken years of strategic advocacy to bring to light, efforts to further investigate and address systemic inequities were haphazardly upended last year when the Office of Equity Assurance was liquidated under the auspices of government efficiency. For decades, VA flat out ignored repeated requests by advocates to access its racial data. A 2021 lawsuit by Black Veterans Project compelled the release of just two decades' worth of disability grant rate data by race, substantiating what black veterans and advocates had long suspected.
Sustained and systemic disparities in the administration of a veterans benefits program. Despite a government record spanning the widespread obstruction of civil war pensions through the multigenerational obstruction of veterans housing, education, and health care benefits from World War Two through the Gulf Wars, accountability remains elusive. In January 2024, VA summarily eliminated its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives focused on improving outreach to minority, women, and veterans adversely affected by persistent inequality. Seemingly overnight, it terminated more than 60 employees and reallocated more than 14,000,000 in earmarked funding to wage a shameless war on woke. Now innocuous rule changes and unregulated artificial intelligence are wreaking havoc in ways that will undermine access, with too few guardrails in place to ebb their impact.
The deployment of anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion narratives levied through dubious executive orders has shown confusion and fear, threatening those working to mitigate adverse discriminatory outcomes at VA and beyond. The very systems built to catalyze integration and guarantee accessibility for all veterans have been eroded by partisan political gain. And the dignity of our nation's veterans has become collateral damage for an anti-woke agenda that serves to distract from the rapid privatization of our nation's largest public health care system. Worse still, powerful forces are actively colluding to redefine who is entitled to the myriad of benefits earned through military service and whose contributions and uniforms are ultimately remembered, honored, and uplifted. As we mark our nation's 250th anniversary, historical erasure is adding insult to injury.
The veneration and advancement of anti-democratic discriminatory narratives and policies present a nexus of crisis across our federal government that must be confronted, and a decay of values that must be uprooted and repaired. Americans envision a multiracial democracy in which all veterans are respected and protected. That is not the moment in which we find ourselves. We are at a pivotal crossroads where apathy, animus, and willful ignorance are converging. This must be met with moral clarity and conviction.
The shared values of integration, equal opportunity, equity, and inclusion are structural necessities that equip the best of us to do the most for all of us. That is the America for which countless souls have perished. That is the America for which I donned a uniform, and that is the America your committees must embody to adequately care for those who have borne the battle no matter their identity. Black Veterans Project looks forward to working with each of you to repair past and present harms and to rebuild the public trust required for VA veterans in our nation to thrive into the future. Thank you.
Speaker 2
Thank you so much, Mr. Berkshire. I will now recognize myself for three minutes of questions. My first question goes to you, General Kelly. The barriers within the transition process preventing veterans from accessing and understanding their benefits, what are those barriers?
Speaker 13
I think, first, thanks for the question, chairwoman, and thanks for having us here again today. I think first and foremost, when you get into those rooms, when, you know, I've gone through the transition assistance program as many veterans I'm sure, representative Luttrell went through as well. You get in there and there's focus on a very short period of time, and most people are focused on only their disability claims. The information that comes out and what's gonna happen. There are so many other benefits and so many other things that have to happen, that the information isn't necessarily passed in the right way.
In addition, to make the connections that have to happen afterwards to help people make their transitions to the VA and access to all those other benefits and have continued continuity in that, really requires a focus, which for which many of the VSOs, many of the MSOs who you see here are prepared instead to do that. Not just on the disability side. In fact, we don't even do disability claims at MOA, but to make sure that those veterans have access to all of the benefits that they have, and have information from a trusted source so that they don't go looking for somebody who is out there just doing it for profit.
Speaker 2
And so, what are some of those key benefits you think that they're missing hearing about?
Speaker 13
Education, housing, other health care that's not related to your disability claims. There's a variety of those in there that they've earned through their service, that are just being lost or sometimes they're being sent to folks who are there to prey on them in regard to helping them get a disability out payment for which then they'll reap the benefits, which is unfortunate for me.
Speaker 2
And then how do we, I guess, for that continuity, make sure they know all their benefits, how do we remove some of those barriers or some of your ideas?
Speaker 13
I think, you know, we've listed some of them in our written testimony, but, you know, certainly, the work that's being done for the Guard VA Act to help make sure we police some of those sharks, as you call them, out of there is important. Make sure we get the right groups of people involved in that transition so that the connections and the discussions can be made, and we can know who the trusted sources are, so the veterans, even if they don't have the information the first time, have the right places to follow-up and make sure that they get access to all their benefits.
Speaker 2
Thank you. And I have 45 seconds left, Captain Graham. My last question is for you. How can the VA be more efficient with how it delivers benefits to veterans, their families, women, etc., everything you talked about?
Speaker 18
Thank you for the question. I think, first of all, just having proper reporting data coming from the VA. The question obviously is how to receive the benefits, but we need to know the VA needs to know what issues there are. A lot of the data that we pull is anecdotal from individuals. The VA just needs a better understanding of what these issues are for service women, and that comes from better research disaggregated by gender.
Speaker 15
Thank you. And I wanna thank the ranking member, Congressman Takano, for yuting to me. I'm running a little behind schedule. From the moment my buddies carried me to safety, I have dedicated my life to supporting our nation's veterans and serving them in order to try in a minuscule way to honor their bravery and their sacrifice. That mission is why I'm here today as a member of congress, and that's why I continue to join you in fighting tirelessly against Donald Trump's attack on the VA.
Because I see clear as day that the end goal here is to privatize and eventually dismantle the VA. And this effort has started even before this administration. It's been ongoing, and we've been fighting this for a very long time. At this point, President Trump has fired more veterans than any other president in American history. He's taken an axe to the VA workforce.
He's killed collective bargaining rights to ensure a culture of fear, and consistently withheld oversight authorities from Congress. His administration plans to gut the Veterans Health Administration's management structure and outsource $1,000,000,000,000 away from VA clinicians and to a civilian provider network that does not have the specialized infrastructure to provide service informed care. Over one year into his second term, there is still no clear strategy on how Donald Trump's VA plans to deliver more resources to veterans, not less. He claims that he cares about veterans, and I state, the president says, I quote, under my leadership, our nation will always uphold the legacy of our veterans, and as president, I will always have their backs, end quote. Frankly, I'm tired of his broken promises, and the veteran community should be too.
His administration has turned its back on veterans every single time an opportunity has presented itself. Secretary Collins' most recent ambush interim final rule should be a sobering call to action. Do not be fooled. Until Secretary Collins rescinds that rule, it remains in effect. It remains in effect.
If you think that this is the end of this administration's effort to attack disability compensation, then you are wrong. If that was the case, secretary Collins would have consulted all of us or at the minimum rescinded the rule and assert a clear consultation plan with all stakeholders being consulted, beginning with the members of congress and then, of course, with the VSOs. You are the voice of our nation's veterans, each and every one of you. You should have been consulted. This is not a Republican versus Democrat issue.
This is not even a Trump issue. This is an issue of privatizing the VA, which has been an effort that has been underway for decades, and we must stand up to it. This is a veteran's issue. And my promise, my commitment is to fight to uphold our nation's promise to veterans, even when that makes us unpopular and causes confrontation. More than ever, Republicans, Democrats, and VSOs alike need to come together to protect our nation's veterans.
So let's get to work to codify protections that ensure that Donald Trump or any other future president cannot come after veterans' disability compensation ever again. Before I close, I wanna get the panel's view on a particularly offensive angle of this ambush rulemaking that the public may not fully appreciate. And, again, I wanna establish a precedent that no future president, no future administration, regardless of their party affiliation, can do this again. So this question is open ended to the members of the panel that's here. Can you explain why it was so inappropriate to use an interim final rulemaking process for such a controversial policy, and address the message that's being sent by the administration to the VSOs and the entire veterans community in seeking to jam this through before a single comment was filed?
Basically, I'd like each of you to explain to me why it's important that you be consulted when such a rule is being made. General?
Speaker 13
Senator Duckworth, first, thanks for your support of veterans and what you do. It's amazing. You know, all of us think we have the ears of our veterans and have some information to provide. And so transparency in terms of consulting us, giving us information, we think would have provided the secretary and the VA with some information that may have adjusted the outcomes, which means anxiety and all the things that went associated with this recent thing would have been avoided, and we think that could happen in the future. This group of people has information to provide and should be consulted.
Speaker 17
Good. Go ahead. Thank you. Yes. We're from Indian country, we're very, it's very important that we have those consultation processes in upholding the trust and treaty responsibility that The United States has to our tribal people.
And in this case, especially our veterans, when we look at, there's 145,000 native veterans in this country. A law was passed creating a veterans VA tribal advisory committee, and this kind of information, that kind of consultation should have gone through that committee as upheld by law.
Speaker 15
I was very proud when I was at VA under General Shinseki to set up the situation where we dealt with our First Nation veterans on a nation to nation basis. That is quite important, especially for a population that has the highest per capita service in our nation's military than any other population. So, thank you. I think you have a unique voice, and you should have a seat at the table because your veterans in particular have unique needs that should have been addressed. That was not, you were not consulted, and that is completely inappropriate.
Speaker 18
On behalf of Service Women's Action Network, we also fully believe that the filing of the interim file or the interim rule is so important because it's happened to us already, where our reproductive health access was taken away under interim final rule. So this just shows a pattern of these unofficial systems without any of the veterans, the VSOs, being consulted on ways to take away further and further minority health care and minority veteran benefits.
Speaker 2
Absolutely. Very generous. It's fine. I wanna hear from our veterans, and thank you, Senator Duckworth. Ranking member to Connol, you're now recognized for 3 minutes.
Speaker 4
Well, thank you, madam chair. Miss Graham, my colleagues and I in both the House and the Senate have introduced legislation to overturn VA's final rule restricting abortion access. How important is it to your members to overturn this rule and allow veterans access to abortion?
Speaker 18
You for the question. We believe it's incredibly important. If nothing else, there is no other health care in the VA system that men can have that women cannot other than this abortion ruling. When these actions get taken place, women veterans are just told time and time again that our service does not count as much, it does not mean as much, and that we don't deserve the same benefits.
Speaker 4
Can you tell me, how do women veterans feel that they've put on the uniform of our country, put their lives on the line to defend the rights of all Americans, but yet have this right over their own health care taken away?
Speaker 18
It's insulting. Both as a veteran and on behalf of SWAN, it's insulting that the fact that our health care could even be limited in this system that we've earned, that we've deserved. And so it's insulting, and it's also terrifying. Women veterans especially need trauma-informed care that the VA is really excellent at providing and has only improved over the years. When we can't receive trauma-informed care for reproductive health access, women will die.
Women will their health outcomes will be adversely impacted. So it's hugely detrimental.
Speaker 4
Thank you. Mister Wright, how is the implementation of the Act regarding awarding grants to states and Indian tribes to improve veteran outreach? How's that been going this year?
Speaker 17
The Indian country is very thankful for the Dole Act and the impact that it has. And in particular, this law was signed in January 2025. Two landmark provisions, that represent a significant step forward for Indian country, is expanding homeownership opportunities for Native American veterans.
Speaker 17
It is. There are other opportunities that we would like to see continued to help with that, with the Native American direct loan program, Hudvash, our two other programs that are very helpful for Indian country.
Speaker 4
Well, thank you. Mister Brookshire, last May, black veterans of America participated in our roundtable assessing disparities for minority veterans. And where we highlighted the importance of the VA's now-shuttered Office of Equity Assurance. What has been the impact that this office closure has had on your community?
Speaker 1
Thank you for the question. It's the inability to track data and to move on findings that the office of equity insurance was beginning to materialize findings that were beginning to materialize under the office, that were pinpointing where disparities were most concentrated and trying to get down to the root cause issues. That, obviously, that work has been abandoned.
Speaker 4
Well, we've seen an explosion of the use of artificial intelligence at the VA in both clinical and nonclinical spaces. What concerns do you have about these use cases, and what recommendations do you have for better protecting veteran data as AI continues to expand at the VA?
Speaker 1
The use of AI at this point is an evolving technology with a lot of concern about exacerbating racial bias in the system if implemented without proper oversight and regulation. And I believe that many veterans organizations, including Black Veterans Project, want a AI Veterans Bill of Rights, and so that we understand how our data is being leveraged at any given moment.
Speaker 2
Alright. I will now recognize ranking member Blumenthal for three minutes.
Speaker 6
Thank you. Thank you, madam Tara. I'm gonna go a little bit off script, because, as you know, you're here on a very important day. It's the day of the State of the Union address. And, typically, a president delivering the State of the Union address talks about veterans.
I certainly hope tonight President Trump will talk about veterans. And I have a sort of a wish list. I don't know whether you do. I'd like to see the president of the United States commit to immediate passage of the Richard Star Act. I'd like to see the president of The United States commit to replace all of the 30,000 workforce who have been fired or encouraged to leave, positions that are open now, and are essential to veterans' health care and other benefits.
I'd like to see him commit to restoring contracts. We don't know how many exactly, and we don't know which ones they are, but we know that hundreds have been canceled. The VA has not been forthcoming. I'd like to see the president commit to the full funding of all the programs that benefit veterans' education and training, that are so essential to their making productive lives when they leave active duty. And I would like to see him commit to rescinding the interim final rule that we've been discussing here today.
We're sending it. The secretary of the VA can do it right away, and I'd like to see the president commit to it, as well as the reversal of the ban, which, Miss Burke, you were talking about, that bars providing reproductive health care to veterans. Those are just some of the steps that I'd like to see him take, and I would like to invite anyone who wants to add to that wish list to do so now.
Speaker 10
Sir, if I might. And the interim rule, according to our research, has been in existence since 1958. Evaluating disability ratings in light of the medications veterans are taking. This is really not a brand new concept, but the way it was introduced created confusion and concern across the entire veterans' community. We were BBA was engaged in professional dialogue with Secretary Collins and senior officials to ensure veterans were protected.
Our concern is not political. It's about clarity, transparency, and ensuring no veteran is harmed now or in the future. Never again means never again. Well, veterans should not be blindsided by regulatory action without clear communication and opportunity for input, which we never had. And we did not, obviously, have a clear communication from the VA.
Our goal really is simple, is to protect veterans today and to prevent problems for future generations.
Speaker 6
Well, thank you, sir. I hope the president's listening or someone in the White House is listening to you, because that interim rule needs to be rescinded. Or we need to do legislation that will, as you put it very well, clarify what the rules are and make sure that veterans understand they don't have to sacrifice their medical benefits in order to comply with this rule, which is the threat that was raised, the confusion that was created, and the unfortunate impact on the veterans community without any real communication with them. Thank you. My time has expired.
Thank you, madam chair.
Speaker 11
Thank you, madam chairwoman. Mister Brookshar, ideally, in my opinion, as a veteran, you're probably gonna appreciate what I'm about to say. The transition from active duty to veteran is it really doesn't exist as far as information moving from one space to the other. In my opinion, we should be able to take all of our information, our service records, our medical records, everything that we've touched, tasted, felt, and smelled inside active duty, and it should automatically move into the veteran system. I'm leaving the navy.
PSD says, alright. Hey. Look. Calls the VA up. Morgan's inbound.
We're gonna drag the system. We're gonna drag all the information. It lands inside the VA. The VA says, I've got him. He's good to go, and everything is actioned.
When I'm dealing with VSOs that touch the homeless population, the homeless population doesn't have all their information. They either lost or were how wherever that goes. How do we get out in front of the issue that affects our homeless population while they're still in the DoD? Is there a trajectory that we're missing? Is there an information breakdown that we could catch?
And when you are engaging with the homeless population, is there something that kinda elevates to the top? Like, hey. This is what we're seeing in the vast majority of our homeless veterans that we could probably catch while they're still active duty, or the VA can pay more attention to. Until, which I've been working on this for three years now, until the system itself moves effectively and efficiently for us.
Speaker 1
I appreciate the question. I would like to consult with the organizations that focus specifically on that, black veterans organizations that focus on that, and get back to you.
Speaker 11
Because I deal with black veterans, empowerment with Sean Dedwiler. I don't know if you're familiar with that gentleman. So this is where he operates. And I've asked the same question to him, but I'm trying to gather as much information as possible here, so we can legislate that appropriately. Because, to your point, no veteran should be forgotten.
No veteran should be dismissed. Alright? And the system itself, ever since its creation, has created that problem set. I like to say we take the veteran out of the equation, make the system correct, and the veterans are better taken care of. And the reason I ask you that specific question about our homeless population, and it's the answers that I get, some even up to, hey.
Some of the veteran homeless population is like, hey. I don't I'm happy where I met. And how do we how are we supposed to address that?
Speaker 1
Again, I don't know how to specifically answer that question, but the first thing that comes to mind is, there's a disproportionate amount of homeless veterans who are facing other than honorable or dishonorable discharges. And so you have to kind of address some of the root causation of that within the DOD. That puts them at a disadvantage to begin with when they get out. And black folks are overrepresented in, even today. In the present day, they're twice as likely, almost three times as likely depending on branch of service, to get out with another denirable discharge, which affects their accessibility to benefits.
So I think there's a need to address the kind of more systemic, racial justice issues relative to the UCMJ. Thanks, Patrick. Alright.
Speaker 2
Thank you. I would like to thank Chairman Moran, ranking member Blumenthal. I would like to thank you for being here today. I will now recognize Ranking Member Takano for closing remarks.
Speaker 4
Thank you. Very brief, and I wanna really thank the sincere interest of my colleague from Texas, congressman Latrell, and his questions. Congressman, your concern about the transition of military service members going smoothly, making sure that all the data information gets transferred from DOD into the VA. I wanna suggest that you take a look at legislation that I've offered called EVEST, which would basically be an opt-out program so that veterans don't have to go and get into VA. They're assumed and presumed to automatically be enrolled in VA, and they have to opt out of it.
That was what EVAS does. Oddly enough, it does cost some money to do this. But, I think, for those that year, two years, three years that they leave the military, that's a very critical time for them to be in touch with the VA and to know and learn about all the programs. They should have to opt in. They should automatically be put into VA, as number one.
Secondly, we know from the Vietnam War era, minority veterans, African American veterans, Latino veterans faced disproportionate disciplinary actions. And upon review, many of them might retrospectively look very unjust. And I would say unjust, and we have so many. And it's not just that particular war. It was many other conflicts, where other than honorable discharges were issued, and it's a big issue for the veteran community.
And it impacts their ability to get those transition services, and many are disproportionately on the streets because of that reason. And so, I think, if we wanna address veteran homelessness, other than honorable discharges are something that we need to look at rectifying. And, it's go beyond minority veterans. It goes to the general veteran population, in addressing homelessness. We need to look at what veterans are being denied, you know, services that they need.
And look who enters the military service. It's not the wealthiest. It's not the most privileged. It is people from low income backgrounds who are looking for a way out, a way up. And for many service members, the military has been an excellent place for that to occur, but the transition services are so important.
Madam chair, thank you so much for, you know, hosting these hearings, and thank you to all the veteran service organizations for being here and testifying. I'll go back.
Speaker 2
Thank you. And I want to thank everybody for being here today, for the veterans who've served, and traveled through snow, through a blizzard, for their testimony today. It's very clear we still have, no surprise, shocker, a lot of work to do for our veterans when they come home. I'm the daughter of a Vietnam veteran exposed to Agent Orange. I've seen the lifelong health complications that my father has had.
Speaker 6
Thank you. Well, let me begin by thanking you and our other House colleagues for making the long trip over here. But I think this hearing has been very useful. Thank you for your and representative Tucano's leadership and, of course, senator Moran. And I wanna thank all of you who have demonstrated your enormous patience and perseverance in staying with us in the audience.
And, of course, this panel, which has been excellent, like the last one. And as I said at the very start, never doubt that you are making a difference. You are the chief champions and advocates for our veterans, and they need your voice and face. I wanna reiterate, for the record, that the senate committee has yet to receive many of the most important responses that we have urged. I was going to say demanded, but that we have requested from the secretary of the VA, Doug Collins.
I'm going to ask that our letter of February 4, almost three weeks ago, which asked for this information as promptly as possible. We have not yet received more than half of the responses that are due. If there's no objection, madam chair. And again, I think transparency is so important. Transparency, the flow of information, and communication.
Our veterans are attuned to listening. If you're taught nothing else in the military, it is to pay attention. Our veterans, pay attention. And they deserve to be told the truth promptly and accurately. So, thank you all for being here today, because your oversight is so important.
And, thank you again, madam chair.
Speaker 2
Thank you, senator. I would be remiss if I didn't recognize the Charleston Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs, a medical facility for those who are here from South Carolina. Some of the most prominent and greatest technologies coming out of there for our veterans. A lot of my family gets served there, and we're very proud of their work.
But coming from a veteran family, talking about those that are poor and destitute to get out of rural America and make something of themselves. My father went into the army in 1963. He was from little old Hampton, South Carolina. He knew how to hunt because his family didn't have a lot of money. And when he went to Vietnam, he was one of the best sharpshooters they had, even though they didn't really have that back then.
And, you know, he still has shrapnel in his body from those days, from serving tours in Vietnam. And his best friend, Mister Berkshire, was his radio operator. Black young man from North Carolina who died in the service. My father still can't tell that story without tearing up because of the sacrifices men and women from all walks of life, all colors, have come forward to serve their nation valiantly. And I appreciate the very open, the very honest conversation we've had today.
I would urge you all to continue to use your voices, to be loud, to be heard, as we work together for the future, for serving all of our veterans across the country. I want to say thank you. I want to say welcome home, and I want to say God bless each and every one of you. Thank you. And this concludes today's joint BSO hearing.
I think it's clear that the committees, in collaboration with the VA under the leadership of Secretary Collins, have a lot more work to do in service to our veterans and their families. Of course, we all are committed to the work needed for our veterans and their families. So I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks, and include any extraneous material. And hearing no objections to order. This hearing is now adjourned.
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