▶ 0:14:31Chair Moran: Good morning, everyone. Nice of you to be here. I felt guilty, walking into the doors of this building, didn't have to stand in line. I apologize to all of you the data. It was uncomfortable for me but I didn't know how to have all of you be my guest in getting through security this morning. We are delighted to have you here and we are exceptionally please to have the national commander with us this morning and we are anxious to hear from the veterans of foreign wars.
▶ 0:14:59Chair Moran: It is good to be here with the chairman and the ranking member, and the rest of our colleagues in this second of our joint hearings this year. I welcome our witnesses from the veterans of foreign wars, including carol whitmore, the first female commander-in-chief of the vfw. [applause] I also want to welcome each of the organizations on our second panel.
▶ 0:15:30Chair Moran: Thank you to each of you for taking the time to travel to the nation's capital, to come to capitol hill, and kate for veterans across the country. I extend a special thanks to veterans from kansas who are here in person or watching from home and I look forward to meeting the kansans in my office this afternoon. Your advocacy of the vfw, your advocacy plays a critical role in informing us of the challenges that veterans face on a daily basis.
▶ 0:15:58Chair Moran: Whether it is health care issues because of toxic exposure during your service to the nation or long wait times to access care or receive the benefits that you have each earned from the department of veterans affairs. The role of this committee, the role of our two committees, is to make certain that the v.a. Is improving the lives of veterans and that every veteran has access to timely and high quality services that they deserve and that promises made our promises kept.
▶ 0:16:27Chair Moran: I look forward to hearing today how we can work together with each of the organizations testifying this morning and that their membership across the country fulfills that mission. Thank you all again for being here. I now recognize the ranking member, senator blumenthal, for his opening remarks.
▶ 0:16:44Sen. Blumenthal: Thank you, chairman. Very important today is the picture of this committee, a bar -- bipartisan statement of support for the veterans of america. Nobody advocates more effectively or strongly then the veterans of foreign wars. Thank you to everyone of you for being here today. [applause] I know that we have some from connecticut, because I met with you yesterday.
▶ 0:17:14Sen. Blumenthal: Who rock, thank you for being here. Today is a day when I know that most of us have in our minds the safety and the well-being of the men and women in uniform and combat right now. I don't need to belabor that point to this group, that our thoughts and prayers are with them.
▶ 0:17:40Sen. Blumenthal: They are our heroes who deserve our support now and when they come home as veterans. To leave no veteran behind. [applause] r when it comes to education, training, the g.I.
▶ 0:18:03Sen. Blumenthal: Bill, health care care, including mental health care, we should have every veteran as a priority and meet their needs constantly and consistently, without creating uncertainty that may cause them additional anxiety. I know everyone in this room here today shares that view.
▶ 0:18:29Sen. Blumenthal: Today is going to be an important day as well, because I am going to go to the floor of the U.S. and ask for unanimous consent that we pass the richard starr act. [applause]
▶ 0:19:00Sen. Blumenthal: Right now it is scheduled for noon. I don't suggest that anybody leave the hearing to be there, but I will be thinking of you as I offer it and make the case that this measure is long overdue. It is unacceptable, simply inexcusable that tens of thousands of combat injured veterans are denied full military benefits.
▶ 0:19:31Sen. Blumenthal: Benefits that they have earned. There is no excuse for failing to give them what they have learned. I want to express my thanks to you, to the vfw, to the veterans service organizations, for your constant and effective advocacy. I know that we will continue working together.
▶ 0:19:55Sen. Blumenthal: Let me just say, finally, that you need to make sure that the v.a. Serves your needs. It is about you. It is not about us making speeches, it is not about the workforce at the v.a., although many of them are veterans and they deserve our support.
▶ 0:20:17Sen. Blumenthal: We are enormously fortunate to have some of the most skilled and talented, dedicated health care providers, surgeons, doctors, nurses, schedulers, security and custodial care. It is all the team.
▶ 0:20:36Sen. Blumenthal: But eventually, you are the ones who are the beneficiaries of that program, of the other kinds of care that is provided by the v.a. And the pact act, where you have played a critical role in making our veterans community aware of the need to undergo screening and to seek benefits.
▶ 0:21:01Sen. Blumenthal: We need to increase that awareness so that more people take advantage of it and the v.a. Has to provide a workforce that can deal with those applications for compensation and care. So, thank you for being here today. It makes an enormous difference, never doubt it, and thank you, Mr. chair.
▶ 0:21:20Chair Moran: Thank you. I now recognize the ranking member from the house. >> thank you, chair moran. Thank you all for being here. I want to welcome those who traveled from the great state of california. Where are you? Thank you for making the trip here.
▶ 0:21:45Chair Moran: Thank you, veterans, from all 50 states and our territories for being here. It's so good to see you all here and a special like him -- welcome to our national convention commander, carol whitmore, iowa. The first woman to lead the vfw and it's 25 year history. Welcome, commander.
▶ 0:22:09Chair Moran: [applause] and I see beside you is the honorable joni ernst, another honorable veteran. Women are the fastest growing member -- membership of our military, reflecting the future of our leadership in this country. I would like to welcome vfw auxiliary president, lois callahan of arkansas. Lois?
▶ 0:22:40Chair Moran: And the representatives from all the organizations in our second panel of witnesses. I look forward to an enlightening conversation. Before we get started, we need to acknowledge the events of the past weekend. So far we know that six U.S. service members lost their lives in operation epic fury and 18 more have been injured. If you indulge, Mr. chairman, I would ask that we take a moment of silence to hold these service members and their families and our thoughts and prayers.
▶ 0:23:11Chair Moran: I agree.
▶ 0:23:24As We Honor -- Rep. Takano: As we honor those who are recently lost, we must acknowledge a hard truth. Every new conflict creates another generation of veterans and families to whom we owe support. It is never acceptable to cut veterans benefits. It's indefensible to do it while actively sending more american service members into harms way. This is a time for us to fully invest in the future of the v.a.
▶ 0:23:53As We Honor -- Rep. Takano: And ensure that the department will be there to care for these veterans and their families when they come home. Instead, this administration has been subjecting veterans to uncertainty and chaos. As you are all aware, secretary collins attempted to blow -- publish an interim rule that would limit obligations to veterans whose conditions are improved by medication. Response was immediate and unified.
▶ 0:24:24As We Honor -- Rep. Takano: It's a victory we should all learn from. When veterans stand together, things get done. In this case, the secretary finally admitted defeat and rescinded the rule. That outcome shows the power of unified veteran advocacy. However, while we may have won this battle, don't grow complacent. There are more on the horizon. We are now bracing for a massive reorganization of the veterans health administration.
▶ 0:24:51As We Honor -- Rep. Takano: One developed without consultation with congress or input from the veteran community . We keep hearing phrases from v.a. Leadership like do more with less. Doing more with less has never worked well for the v.a. They cannot deliver more care with fewer doctors. Cannot product -- practice more claims with fewer examiners. You cannot strengthen the v.a. By shrinking it. The v.a. Needs social workers, janitorial staff, and police officers to ensure they are meeting their mission.
▶ 0:25:23As We Honor -- Rep. Takano: While I never wore the uniform, I take seriously my responsibility to defend the promises that we made to those who did. We owe a great debt to those left behind. One that cannot ever be repaid to. That is why I support my colleague, representative hayes, the caring for survivors act, and representative hudson's love lives on act.
▶ 0:25:47As We Honor -- Rep. Takano: I also know that many of you are waiting to see progress on the major risk -- major richard starr act. We have heard you loud and clear. Senator glue -- blumenthal, godspeed today, that's why I cosponsor this bill. It is time to get it passed now. These bills are not an expensive, but honoring our commitments never is. If we can find money for administrative priorities, we can find the funds for veterans, dependence, and survivors.
▶ 0:26:18As We Honor -- Rep. Takano: Congress must make the correct decision to prioritize funding for these bills and we should do so without asking veterans themselves to shoulder the costs. We need to make sure that our comrades are taken care of and we respect that immensely. But the point is, you shouldn't have to. Veterans should never be asked to pay for their own benefits. That is a congressional responsibility. The american public is told us they are willing to take care of these folks. It just requires us in congress to do the right thing.
▶ 0:26:50As We Honor -- Rep. Takano: One other top priority I want to bring up, the guard act, which seems to crackdown on claim sharks, which have sunk to a new low. I have seen ads where they have used chaos sown to scare veterans to sign up for their services to "protect their ratings." I think it's disgusting and predatory end it must end. Claim sharks must be stopped.
▶ 0:27:17As We Honor -- Rep. Takano: [applause] unfortunately, congressional action has recently stalled because of expensive lobbying efforts on behalf of these companies. I hope that all of those in the room and those at home will press their member of congress to act. The time is now. We can debate policy and disagree on tactics. But there should be no disagreement on this.
▶ 0:27:44As We Honor -- Rep. Takano: When america asks its sons and daughters to serve, we owe them care. Fully, promptly, without condition. Mr. chairman, thank you for holding this hearing today, thank you for that frank and ethical discussion. I yelled back.
▶ 0:28:01Chair Moran: Thank you very much. I now recognize the executive director of the v.a. Executive washington office. Ryan? >> thank you, Mr. chairman. Members of the senate house veterans affairs committee, I'm honored to introduce the national officers of the vfw auxiliary. Please allow me to ask those introduced to remain standing and I wish that the audience would hold her applause until all have been introduced.
▶ 0:28:36Chair Moran: Lois callahan, arkansas. Vice president, donna mills, pennsylvania. Junior vice president, kim hardy, arizona. Treasurer, can't alicia's of connecticut. Senior foreign wars, the junior vice commander-in-chief, glenn humbert or. Dan west, from texas. Mark garduno, delaware.
▶ 0:29:07Chair Moran: Chaplain darren atkins from kentucky. Judge advocate general ron roscoe it's. Chief of staff kevin jones of missouri. Surgeon general douglas welsh, idaho. Commander-in-chief whitmore spouse, lap -- bradley whitmore. To my left, the chairman of the vfw national legislative committee, jason johns of wisconsin.
▶ 0:29:31Chair Moran: Skipping over the commander-in-chief, christina keenan, department of europe, and the director of the national veterans service, michael figley oli of massachusetts. I would like to recognize the 11th class of legislative fellows, the veterans committee, our partners, and our past commanders in chief and auxiliary presidents were with us.
▶ 0:30:02Chair Moran: Thank you for the introduction. Welcome to all of you. Particularly to the leaders who were just introduced, we are glad to have in our committee hearing today. Thank you you give into our country and for your service to other veterans. The honor of introducing the national commander falls to one of our colleagues.
▶ 0:30:25Chair Moran: I now welcome to the senate committee on veterans affairs joint session with the house committee on veterans affairs, our colleague, senator joni ernst. Senator?
▶ 0:30:37Senator Ernst: Thank you, chairman moraine -- chairman moran, ranking members. As a lifetime member of the vfw, it is such a privilege to be here with you today. But Mr.
▶ 0:30:56Senator Ernst: Chairman, it is much more of a privilege to be here to introduce someone that is not just a veteran and fellow ioan, but someone who is also a very dear friend. So, thank you to one of our nation's much respected advocates for veterans, carol whitmore. The commander-in-chief of the veterans of foreign wars.
▶ 0:31:28Senator Ernst: Yes, please. [applause] I would also like to warmly welcome her husband, brad, who now retired advocated tirelessly for the veterans of iowa for many years. Thank you so much, brad.
▶ 0:31:59Senator Ernst: [applause] I have had the pleasure of knowing carol for many years. We were just commenting on my hair color. She is a native of trey, iowa, and attended the university of northern iowa. Last year, carol made history as the first woman to serve as commander-in-chief of the vfw.
▶ 0:32:28Senator Ernst: A milestone that reflects both her leadership and the evolving face of those who have served our nation in uniform. She began her service in the gender segregated women's army corps, before transitioning into the fully integrated regular army, ultimately concluding her career as a combat veteran of operations iraqi freedom and new dawn.
▶ 0:32:57Senator Ernst: During her deployment to iraq, she earned the army's combat action badge in recognition of her personal courage and leadership. She has served at every level of the vfw, from post commander to department commander of iowa, before being elected to lead one of the largest and most influential veterans service organizations in the country. Her leadership reflects the values that iowans know well.
▶ 0:33:29Senator Ernst: Hard work, accountability, and commitment to their community. As a national leader who has served in uniform, commander whitmore understands the real world impact of technologyr modernization and economic opportunity policiesr on access to care and employment, making her perspective especially valuable to the committee plus work today.
▶ 0:33:59Senator Ernst: I also want to acknowledge that with the ongoing operations, the loss of those six souls that we saw in the strikes, the counter strikes, coming from iran. And we pray for the families in their units. With that, Mr. chairman, I yield back.
▶ 0:34:19Chair Moran: Thank you very much. Commander whitmore, you have been served and hope -- by a member in high regard in this senate and what she says, we take to heart. We thank her for her comments today. Bringing you a little lick closer to us in a personal way.
▶ 0:34:41Chair Moran: Commander whitmore, let me now recognize you for your testimony , as soon as you determine hair color. [laughter] commander whitmore, welcome.
▶ 0:35:02Commander Whitmore: Good morning, everyone. Thank you. I would also like to acknowledge operation epic fury and give our thoughts and prayers to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in those who are in harm's way, still, like national claims representative roosevelt's, who is currently serving in kuwait.
▶ 0:35:23Commander Whitmore: Chairman moran, chairman boston, ranking members blumenthal, to conneaut, members of the committees, thank you for the opportunities to testify on behalf of the one point 3 million members of veterans of foreign wars, in the united states, and its auxiliary. Our message is simple and resolute. Honor the contract.
▶ 0:35:52Commander Whitmore: [applause] when americans raised their right hand and volunteered to serve, this nation made a solemn promise. If they are wounded, become ill, or die in service, america will care for them and their families . That promise is not charity. It is the binding contract between service members and the country they defend. When some suggest that veterans benefits are too expensive, let's be clear, this is the costs of war.
▶ 0:36:23Commander Whitmore: [applause] as a former army nurse, caring for servicemembers and veterans is not an abstract policy issue for me. It's personal. It is our responsibility, yours and mine, to see the promise through.
▶ 0:36:53Commander Whitmore: The pact act was a landmark achievement, but passage alone does not fulfill the promise. Congress must ensure the v.a. From vietnam era burn pits to k2 veterans. To others exposing dangerous conditions.
▶ 0:37:24Commander Whitmore: D.a. Direct care in community care must operate on a unified system. Veterans experience health care's of need. In those moments, what matters most is reliable, timely, high quality, delivered with dignity and respect. [applause] we must build a truly veteran centric system. Scheduling appointments should not feel like navigating amazed.
▶ 0:37:57Commander Whitmore: The v.a. Must set and enforce clear benchmarks for wait times and travel standards. Veterans in consultation with providers must retain the ability to choose the setting that best meets their needs. To strengthen that system, we urge congress to pass the veterans access act of 2025, because veterans should never have to fight their way through red tape just to receive the care that they earned.
▶ 0:38:24Commander Whitmore: [applause] parts of the v.a. Community care remain outdated, such as the foreign medical program that serves disabled veterans overseas. There is a retired army veteran living in burned -- berlin with a 100% rating for service-connected conditions. When he needed hearing aids, he was required to play 5000 euro upfront and waited more than six months for v.a. Reimbursement.
▶ 0:38:55Commander Whitmore: The paper check that he eventually received it did not account for the exchange rate differences, leaving him with more than $1000 in out-of-pocket costs. Meanwhile, veterans using stateside v.a. Health care receive hearing aids at no-cost. Veterans overseas deserve equal treatment. We urge congress to modernize this program and provide veterans abroad, many of whom are still supporting the U.S. mission, with the care that they deserve.
▶ 0:39:25Commander Whitmore: [applause] another area of community care that needs attention is champ v.a., these members experience low claims processing and limited access with gaps that strain the families who have already sacrificed enough. We urge congress to modernize it reform champ v.a..
▶ 0:39:53Commander Whitmore: Honoring the contract also requires urgent action on veteran suicide. If you are a veteran, family member, caregiver or survivor whose life has been affected by veteran suicide, please stand if you are able. Members of the committee, this is the scope of the challenge before us.
▶ 0:40:25Commander Whitmore: Many veterans seeking mental health care are prescribed psychiatric medications, including some that carry the strongest fda warnings for risk like suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Veterans must be fully informed and actively engaged in their treatment decisions.
▶ 0:40:44Commander Whitmore: After leaving the air force, derek bluhm quay of michigan was placed on mulch multiple central nervous system medications by the v.a., ultimately cycling through a cocktail that required a painful year-long withdrawal, underscoring the problem with uninformed psychiatric care. We must do better. Congress should require written and informed consent for all v.a. Prescribed psychiatric medications.
▶ 0:41:12Commander Whitmore: [applause] we also urge congress to pass the veterans suicide prevention act to strengthen oversight by reviewing suicides in which medications may have been a factor. We cannot improve what we do not examine. Honoring the contract also means delivering innovative and effective care for the signature wounds of modern war. Traumatic brain injury and ptsd.
▶ 0:41:43Commander Whitmore: Joshua starks of oklahoma, a former infantry officer with two combat tours in afghanistan endured months of delays and ineffective treatment before finding help outside the v.a. Through cognitive behavioral therapy, meditation, outdoor programs, and nero feedback. It helped him to manage his system -- symptoms but only after he lost his career. Veteran should not have to leave the v.a. To find healing.
▶ 0:42:14Commander Whitmore: That is why we urged congress to pass the innovative therapy centers of excellence act and make sure that the future veteran care is driven by science, urgency, and the unwavering promise that we made to those who served. [no audio] another critical concern in honoring the contract is the transition from military life to civilian life.
▶ 0:42:42Commander Whitmore: Nearly 200,000 service members leave active duty each year, yet too many, especially those separating from overseas assignments in places like poland and kosovo, do not complete the transition assistance program at the retired time or with adequate resources. I recently spoke with soldiers in both countries who were preparing to leave the military and had limited support for their transition.
▶ 0:43:09Commander Whitmore: When service members's without proper guidance, they risk delays in receiving the benefits they earned through service. That is why we urge congress to pass the taft promotion act to make sure service members connect with v.a. Accredited representatives before discharge to receive the earned benefits the moment they become civilians , ensuring seamless continuity of care and compensation is how we honor the contract in real time.
▶ 0:43:37Commander Whitmore: [applause] finally, though my next two topics fall under the purview of the armed service committee, I include them in my testimony because several members of the day is also sit on those committees. Service members are taught to leave no one behind. The commitment never ends.
▶ 0:44:05Commander Whitmore: It conducts the solemn mission of those missing from past conflicts as they worked to recover and identify remain so that families can achieve closure. We must fully fund the mission. At a time when the pentagon proposes a record $1.5 trillion budget, once again the mission of dv aa is facing cuts.
▶ 0:44:33Commander Whitmore: Fully fund dv aa so that we can receive a final salute on american soil. [applause] this last issue represents what we consider a dishonorable breach of the contract. We must pass the major richard starr act now.
▶ 0:44:58Commander Whitmore: [applause] this offset includes combat veteran surrendering their earned retirement pay because I also received v.a. Disability compensation.
▶ 0:45:29Commander Whitmore: Surviving ied blasts in a rack, medically retired with a traumatic brain injury. His wife became his full-time caregiver and they were forced to sign their home. No veteran should face financial ruin because of this unjust offset.
▶ 0:45:50Commander Whitmore: [applause] veterans medically retiring did not choose to leave service early, their service was taken from them. Military retirement pay is earned through uniform while disability compensation exist to recognize the lifelong impact of duty related injuries. This is not double dipping. This is double sacrifice.
▶ 0:46:21Commander Whitmore: Pass the major richard starr act now. [applause] the all volunteer force relies on trust.
▶ 0:46:51Commander Whitmore: The trust that when young americans raise their right hand, this nation will keep its promise. Veterans have fulfilled their obligation. Now the country must honor the contract not partially, not eventually, not someday, but today fully and faithfully. Book ranking members of these committees, thank you for these -- this opportunity to testify and I look forward to your questions.
▶ 0:47:36Chair Moran: National commander, thank you very much for your testimony. You indicated in your conclusion issues that don't rest in our committee, but I am a longtime cosponsor of the major richard starr act and I appreciate the strong support for that bill from the vfw as demonstrated by what you had to say and what the members of the vfw had to say in
▶ 0:48:08Chair Moran: Standing and applauding behind you. I look forward to the enactment of that legislation. While it is not a part of our jurisdiction, that will not be an excuse for me not to work to make certain that we find a path forward. I have no doubt that the vfw will assist in that effort based on your testimony and my knowledge of the vfw.
▶ 0:48:31Chair Moran: So, you have my commitment to find the best path forward that I can working with my colleagues on other committees to try to make certain that happens as quickly as possible.
▶ 0:48:42Cmdr. Whitmore: Thank you.
▶ 0:48:44Chair Moran: In your testimony you indicated some of the things I was going to ask you. What's the answer to those who argue that those who receive the military disability compensation from the dod and v.a. Equates to getting two simultaneous payments for the same service-connected disability, what you also said is called but is not double dipping. What's the best answer to that?
▶ 0:49:12Cmdr. Whitmore: Thank you for the question. The military retirement fund was created for a purpose just like this, that chapter 61 retirees are falling into. The fund's flush, it has over $1 trillion. I think it is a perfect place to start looking.
▶ 0:49:33Chair Moran: Thank you. You gave a real world example of circumstances a servicemember or veteran may find themselves in because of the prohibitions the richard starr act would correct. Would you care to give other examples you've seen where in the absence of this, the richard starr act, veterans and their families suffer?
▶ 0:50:02Cmdr. Whitmore: Every day I talk to families who have had this incurred on them and it's shameful we have an honor the contract for the veterans who have earned that right.
▶ 0:50:12Chair Moran: Do you think that there is an additional benefit that passage of the richard starr act would be another asset in our military retention for those who soon will serve and do so today? Cmdr. Whitmore: 20 veteran transitions from service they go home, they speak to their families, friends, loved ones.
▶ 0:50:39Chair Moran: If have a bad transition coming out of service, if they incur one and the richard starr act, it does affect recruiting. And it affects national chair
▶ 0:50:53Moran: Security.
▶ 0:50:53Chair Moran: National commander, I look forward to working with you. The goal of the vfw, we are working, to have accomplished. Senator blumenthal?
▶ 0:51:05Sen. Blumenthal: Thank you for that really powerful testimony, national commander. I agree with you totally, the costs of caring for our veterans are a part of the costs of war. We need to educate americans about that basic principle. I'm on the armed services committee, I'm very familiar with this budget.
▶ 0:51:35Sen. Blumenthal: It should be regarded as a down payment, not a endpoint for the obligation that we owe our national defense in -- and caring for veterans is a part of our national defense.
▶ 0:51:51Sen. Blumenthal: [applause] just to ask one more question to follow -- on the chairman line of inquiry, I don't know but the costs of the richard starr act. Some have said that it's in the billions.
▶ 0:52:12Sen. Blumenthal: Compared to the $1 trillion for the national defense authorization act, it is a fraction, a pittance, a rounding error. Would you agree with me that whatever that costs, the richard starr act is well worth it?
▶ 0:52:26Cmdr. Whitmore: Absolutely.
▶ 0:52:28Sen. Blumenthal: Thank you. I want to ask -- ask you about the packet act. Your testimony is very pointed on the need for recognition of additional health conditions. The k2 veterans from kasi canavan, uzbekistan.
▶ 0:52:52Sen. Blumenthal: I've made an effort to try to recognize the health conditions that have afflicted them as a result of their exposure to toxic chemicals. 400 and 50 conclude -- cases in the united states alone. Confirmed pfas exposure.
▶ 0:53:12Sen. Blumenthal: Would you agree that the health conditions for these presumptive consideration should be expanded to include all of those kinds of locations where veterans have been exposed to toxic chemicals?
▶ 0:53:26Cmdr. Whitmore: Absolutely, thank you for recognizing that.
▶ 0:53:31Sen. Blumenthal: That will be one of my main missions in this session and future sessions. I hope to lead the passage of the pack act. We have the pack act because of the veterans service organizations and veterans who slept on the steps of the capital.
▶ 0:53:53Sen. Blumenthal: We tend to forget that they literally persuaded my colleagues by their physical presence, their fight. We may need you again on the steps of the capital. Thank you for everything that you do for our veterans.
▶ 0:54:11Cmdr. Whitmore: Thank you. We'll be there. [applause]
▶ 0:54:16Chair Moran: Representative furman?
▶ 0:54:21Representative: Thank you, Mr. chair. Congratulations. As a son of a post commander, I grew up, when I was about this call, going to everything kind of events. I know what you are doing and I know the support you get from the community. Keep it up. Time, once wasted, it's gone. Money can be recouped over time.
▶ 0:54:53Representative: Commander whitmore, could you share the vfw's views on secretary collins planned reorganization of the veterans health administration?
▶ 0:55:08Cmdr. Whitmore: Thank you for the question, I'm going to turn that over to our expert, ryan gallucci, on that. >> we support efforts to restructure the veterans health administration. Something that even under the last administration we had conversations with representative mcdonough about it. They said that any system that had systems like this were overdue for reform.
▶ 0:55:34Cmdr. Whitmore: We saw challenges in governance and electronic health record, it's because they have these fiefdoms who think they report to the under secretary for health. There is a responsible way to fix that.
▶ 0:55:46Rep. Bergman: You want to be engaged to help in the reform of the bureaucracy that has succeeded in one thing, serving itself, not the veterans. Secretary collins is trying to get the entirety of the veterans administration bureaucracy serving the veterans. Commander whitmore, the v.a. Is the second-largest agency and in the federal budget.
▶ 0:56:21Rep. Bergman: Where do you see plans to approve those dollars?
▶ 0:56:27Cmdr. Whitmore: Thank you for that question. There are a lot of areas for improvement. I'm sensitive to that. We are the largest growing demographic in the military. The improvements for women's health care certainly have increased over the years.
▶ 0:56:48Cmdr. Whitmore: Especially with decreasing things like menopause, endometriosis, and on a personal note I would like to ensure that the v.a. Stops calling me Mr. whitmore when I come in for my appointment. [applause]
▶ 0:57:05Rep. Bergman: Will take that one for action. I see my time is running short. We've got a full workup with all of you and are only as good as we are in war fighting because men and women like you continue to serve our great country. Thank you, Mr. chairman. I yelled back.
▶ 0:57:24Chair Moran: I would guess that based on your last few sentences, you are no longer unrecognized at the department of veterans affairs when you seek medical care and treatment. If the v.a. Is out there listening, please correct this pronto. Avoid that mistake again. Representative takano?
▶ 0:57:46Rep. Takano: One thing I heard about loud and clear this month is that veterans should not be punished for getting treatment. Before the v.a. Issue the impact medication rule and reversed course, to the -- as they cmdr.
▶ 0:58:04Whitmore: Discuss the plan in advance? They did not.
▶ 0:58:06Rep. Takano: Should they be at the table before changes like that are rolled out?
▶ 0:58:10Cmdr. Whitmore: Absolutely.
▶ 0:58:12Rep. Takano: Let's make sure they are. [applause] commander, this morning "the new york times" reported that the v.a. Cut more than 1500 doctors and 5000 nurses. Are you concerned that cuts like these are unsustainable and threaten the ability of the v.a. To deliver direct health care?
▶ 0:58:41Sen. Blumenthal: There's always
▶ 0:58:43Concern -- Cmdr. Whitmore: There is always concerned with that in my counterpart, christina keenan, has more information. >> we want the v.a. To be fully funded and fully staffed. We are continuing to monitor that situation. Our veterans, including myself, who use v.a. Full-time, are worried about cuts like that.
▶ 0:59:06Rep. Takano: Some pending bills would radically improve benefits for survivors. Commander, your testimony says that this isn't charity, it's a promise. Dic is still set and do you agree that it should be brought up to parody and that we should do it in a way that doesn't take earn support away from other veterans to pay for?
▶ 0:59:35Cmdr. Whitmore: Absolutely, dic has not had improvements or increases since 1993 and I have a good friend who lives in alaska and who lost her husband last year and is struggling financially. She has not been able to collect -- connect the dots for herself -- husband's sudden demise and service connection with that. It is shameful that we treat our spouses like that and have not increased that at all.
▶ 1:00:05Rep. Takano: I couldn't agree more. Under the major richard starr act, combat injured veteran should not lose retirement pay. I think that you would all agree that it is about basic fairness and an off that reduces early retirement pay for veterans. Congress needs to move it without making veterans trade away the covered costs, correct?
▶ 1:00:32Cmdr. Whitmore: Correct.
▶ 1:00:34Rep. Takano: I certainly hope there are no objections to the uc being asked about today to pass the richard starr act today.
▶ 1:00:42Cmdr. Whitmore: Thank you.
▶ 1:00:44Chair Moran: Representative lee kinds?
▶ 1:00:52Representative: Thank you for your testimony and for your team being present here this morning. Before I start, I want to give a special shout out to the vfw chapter in the marion , who I wre , who I wri represent. Thank you to -- whose dispatch I represent. Thank you to you all.
▶ 1:01:21Representative: We have one of the highest per capita rates of military service in the nation. When our sons and daughters, mothers and fathers return home, we don't come home to a community va hospital. We don't have a community outreach patient clinic.
▶ 1:01:42Representative: Our veterans have to travel thousands of miles away to be able to get specialty care and too often, the choice is between having to pay for airfare for paying for their utilities. Meaning that they delayed the care altogether. National commander whitmore, when you start off by saying honor the contract, I represent a jurisdiction where the contract is not being honored today.
▶ 1:02:11Representative: All of you who too well know what it means to serve in a time of war, I just wanted to also underscore by grep -- my gratitude this morning.
▶ 1:02:29Cmdr. Whitmore: Thank you for that.
▶ 1:02:33Representative: One of the things I want to focus on giving -- given the conversations around reform, it's how do we balance some of these competing concerns and priorities, specifically community care? There is a school of thought that if we expand that access we are compromising access to direct v.a. Care. I kind of wanted to further flesh that out and hear from you what that would look like.
▶ 1:02:59Cmdr. Whitmore: Thank you for that question. I have visited saipan and I know how isolated it is there and it is hard for health care to exist there. The direct v.a. Health care forum. There has to be a balance. I would like christina kina to expound on that a little bit more. >> thank you.
▶ 1:03:30Cmdr. Whitmore: Something she mentioned in testimony was access to community care. That might be a perfect supplement for folks in territories in rural areas where there are large driving distances or aren't v.a. Services available. But our focus is on is making sure that access is seamless, that referrals are quick, that making appointments is quick and understood and that veterans are informed of when they can go and get care in the community.
▶ 1:03:58Cmdr. Whitmore: Funding needs to be balanced, you don't want to forget the infrastructure in the needs of direct care, but community care is very important as well. Thank you for the question.
▶ 1:04:10Chair Moran: Senator hassan?
▶ 1:04:14Senator Hassan: Thank you, chair, and commander, for your service to our country. And your continued service our nation's veterans in this role. I deeply appreciate it. I also want to thank the personnel here today, especially the granite staters out there.
▶ 1:04:40Senator Hassan: Finally before I get to my questions, I want to say that I know that all of us, no matter political party, are united in praying for the certainty of our members who are right now in harms way and are keeping the families of the heroes that we lost this week in our heart. We owe them a debt of gratitude that we can never fully repay, but we have to do everything we can to try to do that every single day.
▶ 1:05:06Senator Hassan: Commander, I would like to start by discussing a topic deeply concerning to me, fraud and scams that target veterans. You have given testimony on claims sharks and so-called consultants who take advantage of veterans to act -- exploit legal loopholes to profit off of disabled veterans.
▶ 1:05:34Senator Hassan: These creditors are not alone, they are targeted by many veterans. Can you tell us about how fraud affects our families and what congress can do to prevent that?
▶ 1:05:49Cmdr. Whitmore: It is shameful that they prey on desperate veterans. Those who are desperate emotionally, financially, charging exorbitant prices. Illegal is illegal. [applause] I would like our service officer, mike figley only, to talk about that little bit.
▶ 1:06:15Sen. Hassan: Briefly, I do have one more question. >> we always support the guard act and we thank the community for that. If you are going to touch a claim, you must be accredited and cannot collect fees.
▶ 1:06:31Sen. Hassan: I will continue to work with all of you on that. Your written testimony discusses health care and how when properly resourced and managed you deliver high quality outcomes and earn trust. It highlights the importance of health care veterans access to her.
▶ 1:06:53Sen. Hassan: I continue to call on this administration to publish the plan for full service va hospital's so that we are not the only ones in the lower 48 without one. Can you discuss again the importance of ensuring that veterans continue to have access to direct care?
▶ 1:07:10Cmdr. Whitmore: Veterans mostly want that v.a. Health care. It's that personal bond we have with each veteran. They want to go to a place where they know that they can talk to somebody about a home situation or something other than whether health care is with that military connection. They clicked -- they crave that, they want that.
▶ 1:07:31Sen. Hassan: The competency, the understanding of military culture. Thank you so much.
▶ 1:07:39Chair Moran: Senator sullivan?
▶ 1:07:44Senator Sullivan: Thank you, commander, and to you and your team, to you all who travel across the country for this wonderful hearing. This is one of my favorite hearings. It always gets a little rowdy and excited. Speaking of rowdy, some of the veterans, like my veteran vfw members from alaska. They have probably traveled some of the furthest.
▶ 1:08:14Senator Sullivan: How about a round of applause for my fellow alaskans? We are proud of the fact that we have more veterans per capita than any state in the country, alaska. I retired after 30 years in the marine corps as an infantry recon officer. That was a couple of years ago. I may be alaska's eighth united states senator, we are young state, but with the of father and husband, the title I'm most proud of by far is U.S. marine.
▶ 1:08:46Senator Sullivan: I knew that that would get a couple of hoo-ras. Now the title I'm also very proud of is united states veteran and am a proud member of the eagle river vfw 9785. Thank you. When you guys are roaming the halls, it's great and it rose my heart -- warms my heart.
▶ 1:09:15Senator Sullivan: I wanted to follow-up up on your testimony on mental health. My state has a lot of veterans with suicide. I recently held a roundtable in fairbanks, alaska, at one of our vet centers on mental health challenges and one of the issues that came up was this lack of continuum of care in our state.
▶ 1:09:41Senator Sullivan: More specifically while there are intensive programs in anchorage, and most of my state, including paramedic -- fairbanks, there is none. When a patient finishes inpatient treatment, and alaska we don't have anything for that, they would have to leave the state to go get the treatment. When they come back, there is no continuum of care in a lot of those communities. No iop programs or things like that.
▶ 1:10:11Senator Sullivan: So, can you tell me more about the gaps that the vfw sees in mental health treatment, both in community care and in the v.a.? Are there things we in the congress should be doing to make it so that if you are coming back from inpatient treatment, you shouldn't have to have a hard landing? You should have a soft landing, going to those iop centers throughout the state?
▶ 1:10:39Senator Sullivan: If that is something that we can work with you get -- you guys on, I think it's really important.
▶ 1:10:46Cmdr. Whitmore: Thank you for the question. A veteran should not have to turn over their care treatment. There are so many different modalities we would like congress to look at. Hyperbaric treatment, medical cannabis. There are many different things that can be done. A veteran doesn't want another pill thrown at them. They are tired of that, tired of feeling not themselves around their families, the children.
▶ 1:11:17Cmdr. Whitmore: They want something different, they want to feel good about themselves. I agree, they shouldn't have to start over. Ryan gallucci can probably expound on this a little bit more. >> if we have some time, absolutely. It is about building up these networks for these types of outpatient programs that a veteran might need to.
▶ 1:11:45Cmdr. Whitmore: Ever since phoenix, who said that community care is a part of v.a. Care. Especially in alaska, where access is a challenge. Making sure that the v.a. Has those in place. Seamless to the bedroom so that when they need to care, they get the care.
▶ 1:12:06Sen. Sullivan: We would like to work with you and your team on improving that. Thank you.
▶ 1:12:20Senator: B thank you for convening this year's joint hearingl -- convening this year's joint hearing and thank you to every veteran for their service, showing up and shout out to the illinois veterans in the room as well. I would like to start out by offering in addition I special recognition to care whitmore as the first woman to lead the vfw.
▶ 1:12:46Senator: Thank you for your service and for the message or leadership sends to women veterans across the country. I would like to use the short time I have to focus on women veterans. In your testimony, vfw makes it clear that as the population diversifies, v.a.
▶ 1:13:04Senator: Must deliver culturally responsible evidence-based care with stronger training and measurement of outcomes, which is what I've heard from the women veterans council I have in my own district. We know that when a veteran faces unique mental health risks tied to trauma exposure and that the care environment can determine whether someone engages in treatment.
▶ 1:13:33Senator: Vfw urges more consistent demographic data and outcomes reporting so that disparities can be identified and corrected. Research from the wounded warrior project shows wounded women veterans are more likely to present with ptsd and depression with higher rates of sulli out -- suicidal ideation and as you pointed out in your testimony we know there are documented disparities like early cancer risk among
▶ 1:14:05Senator: African-american veterans and cancer risk among those exposed to toxin and other airborne toxins. These kinds of gaps are real and require targeted attention get I am concerned how this administration's attacks on diversity -- diversity, equity, and inclusion affects our ability to track and close them. What should we require so that we can measure these disparities without claiming progress by simply stopping the measure?
▶ 1:14:38Cmdr. Whitmore: Training is paramount. The more that providers can have that connection with her patient, it's so important. There should be choices for the women there should be choices. If they choose a female, that should be there for them.
▶ 1:15:00Cmdr. Whitmore: Especially if they experienced this in this military, they should have the choice, not to have a man do their exams for them. They've already been through enough that they don't deserve to have that again, that thought in their med. Rep. buds innogy score, do you think this is important to understand the trends that women need?
▶ 1:15:27Cmdr. Whitmore: You can't go forward without any research and put it into practice.
▶ 1:15:31Rep. Budzinski: Thank you. I yield back. >> this year is a very special year. It's the 250th anniversary of our founding of our great republic. It's because the men and women in this room who took that oath of office, took that oath of enlistment to serve our great country. It's the reason why we lasted 250 years. Typically civilizations and empires only last 250 years.
▶ 1:15:58Rep. Budzinski: So we are at this precipice right now, about how we are going to continue as a country. For us in this room, veterans like myself and like all of you here today, it really is important for all of us to understand what that flag means and the people who sacrifice their lives for it. So thank you, all of you, for being here. The veteran service organizations this room represent millions of americans who took that oath to serve our country.
▶ 1:16:27Rep. Budzinski: And they're now relying on congress and the veteran affairs administration to help honor that commitment. As an army reserve officer who served overseas and a member much both of armed services committee and the veteran affairs committee, this matter is personal for me. The veterans in arizona's eighth district are watching. They want accountability, and they deserve results. Commander, I'm going to switch gears to economic opportunity. I introduced the improving emerging tech opportunities for veterans act, h.r.
▶ 1:16:55Rep. Budzinski: 7103, which broadens vet tech to include emerging fields like a.I. And semiconductor manufacturing. My district is home to one of the largest semiconductor investments in american history, and my bill would train veterans to be equipped to be first in line for those careers. A.I. Is at the center of the future right now. I understand the v.f.w. Has already voiced support for this legislation. Can you speak to why inserting veterans have access to training in emerging technology fields is a priority for the v.f.w.?
▶ 1:17:27Cmdr. Whitmore: Thank you for that question. As you said, a.I. Is the future, and most of the young veterans that we have now, that's their interest. So if you have a disage veteran, they could be part of that. I think that transition for them is crucial. I would like ryan gallucci to expound on that just a little bit more. Or kristin avenue.
▶ 1:17:57Ms. Keenan: Thank you so much for working on this piece of legislation, vet tech is a program that was incredibly popular. We're looking forward to that being relaunched and including professionals like this -- professions like this, where veterans can get on the job training, I think it's going to be crucial for their futures.
▶ 1:18:17Mr. Hamadeh: I know all these companies are investing in the united states. I encourage them to hire more americans, especially more veterans. Thank you. I yield back, Mr. chairman.
▶ 1:18:35Rep. Conaway: Thank you to the panel for all the work you do on behalf of veterans, and shout out to my fellow new jersey veterans here in the room. I want to thank you, and to thank all of my fellow veterans for your service. Evidence has repeatedly shown that v.a. Care provides the best outcome for veterans. Commander whitmore, would you agree given a choice between v.a.
▶ 1:19:04Rep. Conaway: Direct care or community care, veterans ultimately prefer v.a. Direct care, do you agree with that statement?
▶ 1:19:11Cmdr. Whitmore: I think overwhelmingly veterans like to go to the v.a., because we do get to talk with fellow veterans and discuss our war stories with each other. It's a balance of both. >> that relationship is critically important. It's something I know well. V.a. Care is uniquely designed to meet veterans' needs. In your written statement, you said that when v.a.
▶ 1:19:37Cmdr. Whitmore: Direct care is properly staffed, funded, and managed, it delivers high-quality outcomes and earns trust. In your opinion, do you believe, and before asking this question, between january 2025 and december 2025, the v's monthly workforce dashboard showed a net loss of more than 4,000 physicians and nurses. This is a report from the v.a. Itself. In your opinion, do you believe that v.a. Direct care is being properly staffed or funded?
▶ 1:20:05Cmdr. Whitmore: I believe at this time it has been. We're closely monitoring that to see if any veterans have suffered any losses in their care. But ryan gallucci probably has a little more information on that.
▶ 1:20:22Mr. Gallucci: Thank you, commander in chief whitmore. It's certainly a challenge to look at v.a. Care. The challenges they've seen hiring doctors and nurses mirror what you see on the civilian side. We do poll our members from time to time in our surveys demonstrate, yes, they prefer direct care, and with our partners at the veterans independent budget, we do talk about properly investing and making sure the v.a. Has the staff that it needs to deliver that direct care as well.
▶ 1:20:55Mr. Gallucci: >> it's hard to imagine how you can deliver better care with less of a workforce, and we see this not only in healthcare, but across all endeavors where labor is involved, in this case, we're talking about physicians and nurses. Do you believe that these shortages could drive more and more veterans to rely on community care? And if so, what implications, what are the implications of greater reliability on community care for veterans?
▶ 1:21:23Cmdr. Whitmore: It can do that. It depends on the geographic locations of the veterans. In the larger cities, they're going to have more access with direct care with v.a. So the rural community has to rely on community care. I know coming from a very small rural town myself, just how critical that was to know that I had community care when I needed it. It just depends, again, on where the veteran lives.
▶ 1:21:58Cmdr. Whitmore: >> thank you. >> thank you so much for your powerful testimony here today and the leadership and example that you set.
▶ 1:22:06Rep. Pappas: I'm grateful for so many members who made the trip here to washington, D.C. your presence really does help move the needle on these key initiatives that the commander outlined, and we've got to honor that contract. That's our obligation here in the congress of the united states to work on a bipartisan basis to get some of these priorities across the finish line, including things that represent fairness and justice for veterans, like the major act. We've got to get that done.
▶ 1:22:30Rep. Pappas: One bill I wanted to highlight is, and thank you the vfw for its support, is the claim shark bill that I have introduced. Under federal law, only v.a.-accredited representatives may assist veterans with their claims. But these claim sharks we know are breaking the law. The only reason they refuse accreditation is because they would no longer be able to profit off of our veterans. Two decades ago, criminal penalties were removed from the statute, and we're seeking to reinstate the criminal penalties. It's why I introduced this legislation that does that.
▶ 1:23:00Rep. Pappas: And since I first introduced the bill in 2020, the claim sharks industry has hired lobbyists to discredit this bill and to push legislation that would legitimize their practices. Thankfully vfw are fighting back against this. While we continue to educate colleagues and try to build support within congress to pass this, we know that you're also making progress at the state level, ensuring that state legislators and state attorneys general are going after these claim sharks and are making some progress.
▶ 1:23:29Rep. Pappas: So I'd like to ask you this question. While we make progress at the state level, which is a positive thing, can you talk about the necessity of getting something done here at the federal level to provide some clarity and to teeth to the law so we can go after these bad actors?
▶ 1:23:43Cmdr. Whitmore: I couldn't agree more. Thank you for that statement. I would like jason johns, who is kind of an expert on that area, to talk about that a little bit more.
▶ 1:23:54Mr. Johns: Thank you, commander in chief. As you know, representative, recently the v.a. Issued two fraud warnings about these schemes, and 10 people were indicted in puerto rico. Seven of them were veterans who, unfortunately, had utilized a local claim shark. Accreditation is a shield, a shield between the v.a. And that veteran. And as an accredited v.a. Attorney myself, I'm held accountable for any misfilings or potential fraud or errors.
▶ 1:24:22Mr. Johns: So if a veteran issues an unaccredited claims or uses a claim shark and there's any fraudulent or errors or intentional misfilings, that veteran is held liable, full stop. There is no shark of record, right? There's an attorney of record. There's a representative of record. There is no shark of record.
▶ 1:24:43Mr. Johns: And so it's important that congress upholds the laws it passed over 30 years ago, almost 30 years ago, that requires accreditation. It requires accreditation to protect veterans from unscrupulous actors who are trying to prey upon them, right? It had a good reason then, it's still a good reason now. And congress should stop trying to legalize illegal activity, and we thank you for your support of this bill, representative.
▶ 1:25:11Rep. Pappas: We'll keep working on it. Thank you very much. Thank you. [applause] >> senator king?
▶ 1:25:20Sen. King: I first want to recognize my friends from maine. They came down here for the warmer weather. That's why they're here. You back there, maine? Good to see you, thank you. What I want to share with all of you is that you have tremendous power here. You're one of the most respected groups in the country.
▶ 1:25:41Sen. King: And when we're talking about these various pieces of legislation, I want you to realize that through your commander in chief and through your leadership, but also through your grass roots lobbying of your representatives and senators, you can make a real difference. I just want you to know the strength that you have because of the respect that you're held in by this body. A couple of points and questions. Tab promotion, you're with us, aren't you?
▶ 1:26:12Cmdr. Whitmore: Absolutely.
▶ 1:26:12Sen. King: I believe that the government should spend as much time, money, and effort on transition out as they do on recruiting in. [applause]
▶ 1:26:23Sen. King: That is something we need to do. There's another issue, of course, we're all worried about veteran suicide. We're working with members of this committee on a bill that would provide a free lockbox for guns for veterans. No questions asked. No names. Just make that safe. Because what we've found is, what studies have found, if there's a five-minute gap between the idea, and I was about to say the execution, it makes a real difference.
▶ 1:26:55Sen. King: 75% of veteran suicides are committed with firearms. That's an appalling number. So this is a simple, straight forward bill that's based on a pilot program in utah that's really worked. I hope you'll give us some help on that one. The final thing I wanted to ask about, we know there's been staffing changes and reductions at the v.a. Tens of thousands fewer people today than there were a year ago.
▶ 1:27:22Sen. King: What I need to know from you is, is that ok? Has it been done without affecting services, without affecting callbacks, without affecting scheduling? And I need, we need the input from the field, commander, if you could survey your members, because the administration basically says no problem, this isn't affecting care, we're doing better, and I just want to be sure, from the veterans'
▶ 1:27:52Sen. King: Point of view, that's actually what's happening. So can you get back to us on that?
▶ 1:27:58Cmdr. Whitmore: Absolutely. We daily monitor that, and we get feedback from our fellow veterans, and we will get back with you if we do find any concerns or considerations to provide to you.
▶ 1:28:12Sen. King: Yesterday, I met with the secretary, and one of the issues we talked about physician shortages. There's a cap as to what a physician from the v.a. Can be paid, and therefore, the v.a. Is basically unable to compete in the local community. I'm going to be introducing a bill to lift that cap, because I think that's a real barrier to providing adequate service to our veterans. So again, I want to thank you. You've got the power. Use it.
▶ 1:28:40Cmdr. Whitmore: Thank you. [applause] >> you were briefer than usual, senator king, sorry.
▶ 1:28:55Sen. King: Did I deserve that? >> no, and I waslining back to tell my staff to borrow with your sessions that you said during your questioning of the witness.
▶ 1:29:05Sen. King: Nothing is trademarked. >> senator banks?
▶ 1:29:10Sen. Banks: Thank you, Mr. chairman. Hopefully we have a few fellow hoosier veterans in the room, what a great crowd. All right, great to see all of you. What a tremendous group that you all are. Thank you for what you do and your service and what you continue to do to support our veterans, and I'm proud to represent indiana on this important committee. America's professional all-procedure military is the best in the world.
▶ 1:29:37Sen. Banks: Not just because our country is the most advanced military technology and the best training, also because our sailors, soldiers, and airmen know our government and all of our people support them. And at a time like right now when we have war breaking out around the world, let's keep all of our service members in our prayers as they defend us overseas.
▶ 1:30:01Sen. Banks: Commander whitmore, the v.a.'s legal authority to care for homeless veterans expired during the government shutdown last fall. They continued their programs using other authorities, but it has caused many problems. I'm introducing legislation to make the healthcare for homeless veterans program permanent. Can I count on support to pass that bill?
▶ 1:30:27Cmdr. Whitmore: Of course, yeah.
▶ 1:30:39Rep. Banks: I believe you're not investigate and cover toxic exposures. What more should the v.a. Be doing?
▶ 1:30:46Cmdr. Whitmore: I believe that there's so many venues that have not been explored yet, and the veterans provide that information. That needs to be put pen to paper with what's the symptoms are and what needs to be covered. But kristina keenan has more information on that.
▶ 1:31:08Ms. Keenan: Thank you so much for the question. V.a. Needs to have some avenue for veterans to report their conditions, and report the toxic exposure they've experienced. We'd love to see these committees have some oversight of v.a.'s process. What are they looking at? What are they researching? What are they considering as future presumptive conditions? Veterans just need to know what's happening, and some oversight would be amazing.
▶ 1:31:37Sen. Banks: I look forward to working on that tomorrow. Commander, I appreciate you highlighting the need to reform how the v.a. Plans and funds infrastructure. They need more construction funding, and they need to stretch every dollar that they have a lot further than what they do. What are you recommending in the independent budget?
▶ 1:31:57Cmdr. Whitmore: Obviously a.I. Is our future, and that needs to be tended to, especially on the v.a. Care. I think they still have three different systems that they have to report on. I know as a former nurse at the v.a., there was at least two systems that I had to log on to, and now they've added a third one.
▶ 1:32:22Cmdr. Whitmore: So definitely needs to have some different structure and infrastructure done at the v.a.
▶ 1:32:30Sen. Banks: We'll work on that together, too. Thank you very much. Thank you to all of you. As a proud member of the vfw, it's great to be with all of you today.
▶ 1:32:44Chair Moran: Thank you. Representative cherfilus-mccormick, welcome.
▶ 1:32:50Rep. Cherfilus-Mccormick: Thank you to all of you here today, doing this important work for our veterans who so need it. Ms. whitmore, your testimony today underscores a financed mental principle. When america has raised their right hand to swear an oath, this nation makes a solemn process in return. The promise is not conditional, and it's not negotiable. In your testimony, you noted that the v.a.
▶ 1:33:10Rep. Cherfilus-Mccormick: Lost as many as 30,000 full-time employees by the end of fiscal year 2025 due to funding instability and attrition. While demand for care continues to rise, have you seen evidence these staffing reductions or organizational changes will affect access to care for specific groups of veterans, including women, minorities, rural veterans, and those seeking mental health services?
▶ 1:33:37Cmdr. Whitmore: Thank you for that question. We vanity heard anything specifically relating to the cutbacks, but we continue to monitor it every day.
▶ 1:33:47Rep. Cherfilus-Mccormick: Please let us know. We're very concerned, and I'm very concerned about the veteran suicide we're seeing, the cuts happening in that department, so stay in close contact to make sure all of our veterans have access to healthcare, mental health specifically. It's one of our goals. My second question is that you also emphasized the importance of trauma-informed care, improved data collection on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity. In light of recent v.a.
▶ 1:34:19Rep. Cherfilus-Mccormick: Reorganizations, do you believe v.a. Currently has adequate oversight mechanisms in place to detect and prevent disparities in care delivered or should congress consider additional statutory guard rails?
▶ 1:34:30Cmdr. Whitmore: I think there always has to be oversight. I don't think there can ever be too much. It is a good balance that needs to happen in that, and christina keegan has more information on that.
▶ 1:34:46Ms. Keegan: We want to continue to collect data on weapon veterans and other groups of veterans at v.a., so that gaps can be identified. So if there are underserved groups without collecting that data, we just don't know where the gaps are, so wen courage v.a. To continue to collect that information so that we can, they can better serve veterans and know who needs the services.
▶ 1:35:09Rep. Cherfilus-Mccormick: Thank you. Since we have so many lovely veterans here, has anybody in the audience seen gaps because of the funding? You can just say aye or raise your hand. Thank you. That's a good number. So we look forward to discussing more of how we can have guard rails. Is there anybody else who may have any suggestions? Thank you, and I yield back.
▶ 1:35:33Chair Moran: Thank you. Commander, thank you for your expertise and commitment, the quality of the conversation that we had today I hope is satisfactory to you and the vfw members that are with you and behind you. It's very valuable for our committee to have heard what you had to say today, and I appreciate your responses to our questions.
▶ 1:35:54Chair Moran: We're going to pause for just a few moments while we ask you to depart the witness table and invite other veteran service organizations to present their leadership here for the continued hearing. Thank you.
▶ 1:36:09Cmdr. Whitmore: Thank you so much for this time.
▶ 1:36:12Chair Moran: Yes, ma'am. [applause]
▶ 1:41:26Clare Moran: Can we ask the folks to leave, to leave, and the folks arriving, to arrive.
▶ 1:43:06Chair Moran: Good morning again. We now welcome our second panel of witnesses, and an additional set of audience members as well. We are delighted that you all are here, and we are pleased to have the opportunity to hear what instructions, suggestions, and marching orders you may have for the senate and house committee on veterans affairs.
▶ 1:43:33Chair Moran: I'm going to speak on the house floor, and not on the house floor, but on the senate floor momentarily, and senator king has agreed to chair the meeting until noon. But please don't take any suggestion that I'm not interested in what you have to say, and I intend to return as quickly as I can. Our second panel of witnesses testifying today is tammy bartlet, the vice president of government affairs for student veterans of america.
▶ 1:44:07Chair Moran: Officer scott p. Stevens, retired, national commander for the jewish war veterans of the united states of america. Lea rowe, the national executive director for mind ad veterans version. Richard fetro. Colonel fenner, doctor, united states air force retired senior policy advisor for minority veterans of america.
▶ 1:44:31Chair Moran: Andrew tangen, the president of the national association of county veteran service officers and Dr. kyleanne hunter from iraq and afghanistan veterans of america. Thank you all for being here. Look forward to your testimony as we continue to find ways to improve the lives of our veterans and their family members. Ms. bartlet, you are recognized for your testimony.
▶ 1:45:02Ms. Bartlet: Chairman moran, ranking member takano, and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today on behalf of student veterans of america. From across the united states, from california to alaska, to florida to new york, the veterans making their way from service to workforce through a transformative power of higher education are represented in today's room. If you are a student veteran, member or a chapter leader with student veterans of america, please stand.
▶ 1:45:37Ms. Bartlet: Thank you. I want to begin with a simple premise. Student veterans are already succeeding. They are persist, they graduate, they contribute. All while doing this while working, raising families, and rebuilding a civilian identity in real time. Veteran success in higher education is a known reality. Today's conversation is instead about the national return on investment.
▶ 1:46:03Ms. Bartlet: We can let veterans succeed despite friction, or we can build a system that intentionally turns their talent into national strength. A service member separates from the military and decides to pursue higher education, like many do. The g.I. Bill works as a front door to stability and mobility. Enrollment is a plan instead of a gamble. Work-study through private sector opportunities connects to early learning.
▶ 1:46:34Ms. Bartlet: Housing is stable throughout the year. Healthcare is reached before prices, and campus belonging comes through trusted spaces that reduce isolation and sustains momentum. The data shows that today's student veterans are overwhelmingly prior enlisted and first generation college students. Mostly between the ages of 25 and 35, frequently supporting families, and nearly 75% are working while enrolled.
▶ 1:46:59Ms. Bartlet: Even under this workload, they overwhelmingly bypass their national academic averages. When we keep the pipeline to opportunity narrow, employees lose talent and communities lose leadership. We should, therefore, treat this as an economic, competitiveness agenda. First, we tighten the connection between education and career outcomes.
▶ 1:47:28Ms. Bartlet: Veterans pursue higher education because it's it's the pathway to meaningful careers. We can provide access to materials, technology, imperative of the 21st century. We can support paid and relevant work while veterans are enrolled in school. We can work to lower the barriers to internships. Second, we fix the visibility problem.
▶ 1:47:50Ms. Bartlet: Beyond visibility with data continuity through electronic health records, too many campuses still cannot identify veterans on the campus, and that's before the benefits are certified. But with that delay, and many institutions have the system, like common apps, they can verify veteran stat us and benefit eligibility through a government-permission data matching and begin certification early, connect veterans to write resources early, and measure outcomes with real validity.
▶ 1:48:19Ms. Bartlet: The government already has secured the technical pathway that can be supported early verification and better coordination. Third, we want to protect stability from separation to career placement. Policies should reflect how veterans use their education today, including intentional online and hybrid learning. That makes school possible when you're working, care giving or managing a disability.
▶ 1:48:49Ms. Bartlet: Statement, we want to structure the guard rails to flexible learning supports persistence without weakening the campus connection that drives belonging. This is a moment where we can choose to run the g.I. Bill as a benefit or run it as a national talent strategy. The national conference this year shows us what coordination efforts can do. More than 200v.a. Representatives provided assistance to 414 veterans.
▶ 1:49:15Ms. Bartlet: They scheduled and performed 201 exams, and completed 23 disability ratings. Eight people. I'll say it again, eight people started a claim that thursday were seen by exam on friday and saturday, and received a decision by monday. Life changing. People, processes, and authorities were all in the same room with that same goal, and this is a blueprint for how v.a. And considerations can show up and partner at scale.
▶ 1:49:45Ms. Bartlet: Members of the committee, student veterans already show us what they can do, and every day we delay, we build into a system that is potential that we can never get back. Thank you. And I welcome your questions.
▶ 1:50:00Chair Moran: Thank you. Now recognize Mr. stevens.
▶ 1:50:04Mr. Stevens: Chairman moran and ranking members blumenthal and takano, members of the house and senate committees on veterans affairs, my fellow veterans and ladies and gentlemen, I am seated before you as a 30-year veteran and the 94th national commander of the jewish war veterans of the united states. The message is strong and clear. We advocate for military and veterans benefits and services, with congressional officials, executive branch departments, and the white house.
▶ 1:50:37Mr. Stevens: We also have a special focus on combating antisemitism, bigotry, and hate. We oppose religious discrimination and ethnic bigotry. And we are especially determined to speak out against antisemitism. During the last six years, j.w.v., the sole jewish veterans service organization, has joined many roundtables. We have addressed hate speech and denounced antisemitic activities, events, and actions.
▶ 1:51:07Mr. Stevens: J.w.v. Will continue to be a strong voice in fighting antisemitism wherever and whenever it arises. We recognize and appreciate chairman bost and chairman moran, as well as ranking members blumenthal and takano for meeting with leadership in 2024 and 2025. Regarding antisemitic activities targeting veterans and military communities. J.w.v. Also supports h.r.
▶ 1:51:36Mr. Stevens: 6047, a bill to improve d.I.c. And special monthly compensation benefits. J.v.w. Also has legislation to immediately allow receipt of full military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation for disage retire he's, specifically j.w.v. Is pushing for the enactment of the major richard starr act.
▶ 1:52:09Mr. Stevens: We urge an amendment to the ndaa during the 119th congress. Congress needs to have the courage to put, to fund people over weapons. Thank you, senator blumenthal, for being a champion of the star act. Jwv joins with many services organization in opposing the v.a.'s interim final rule, which affected disability ratings.
▶ 1:52:40Mr. Stevens: On february 26, v.a. Rescinded this based on the combined outrage from congress. Jwv supports the fallen service members' religious heritage restoration act, as both the house and the senate pass their bills to begin the process of properly marking grades and honoring these courageous jewish american service members.
▶ 1:53:10Mr. Stevens: Jwv commend senator jerry marchion as the -- moran as the sponsor in the senate. There's a 10-year authorization and funding from the american battle management commission, monuments commission. V.a. Recently announced a veterans health administration reorganization plan. While jwv expressed concern when v.a.
▶ 1:53:35Mr. Stevens: Reduced its employee couldn't by 30,000 in -- count by 30,000 in 2025, the department stated most of the 30,000 were vacant and did not involve layoffs. You should the proposed reorganization, they would consolidate 18 service knelt working into five. Shifting decision making from the field to the headquarters.
▶ 1:54:02Mr. Stevens: Doctors, nurses, and other clinicians provide essential services, and those services should not be compromised, nor should staffing be reduced for v.a. Direct care. The structure must be reformed, not dismantled. Our veterans must have a fully resourced and staffed v.a. To provide them with the benefits and state-of-the-art medical care they have under and deserve.
▶ 1:54:33Mr. Stevens: Jwv wants to be clear that community care network is not a substitute for v.a. Direct care. While community care funding has increased significantly, v.a. Direct care must not be compromised w. New contracts being negotiated, v.a. Will continue to monitor the results. Jwv values our relationship with committee members and staff and appreciates your support.
▶ 1:55:02Mr. Stevens: This concludes our testimony, and we look forward to answering your questions.
▶ 1:55:08Chair Moran: Mr. stevens, thank you. Now Ms. rowe, you're recognized, welcome.
▶ 1:55:14Ms. Rowe: Chairman moran, chairman bost, ranking member blumenthal, ranking member takano and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to present the blinded veterans association 2026 legislative priorities. My name is lea rowe, national executive director of b.b.a. And a certified low vision therapist. Today I represent over 130,000 legally blind veterans and over one million more living with serious vision loss.
▶ 1:55:41Ms. Rowe: I ask you to champion those who sacrificed their sight in service, but never lost their vision for an independent life. As we speak, american forces are engaged in conflict across the middle east. History tells us many of these heroes will return with devastating, blast-related eye trauma. While the v.a. Provides long-term care, we must invest in research that improves outcomes for this current, for those currently in harm's way.
▶ 1:56:14Ms. Rowe: B.b.a. Requests 20 million for the d.o.d., vision research program. Other federal agencies do not fund this specific blast trauma research. We urge this committee to include this in their views and estimates letters to ensure ocular trauma remains a national priority. Blindness is a low ince, high complexity disability.
▶ 1:56:39Ms. Rowe: Tone sure sustainability, b.b..urges the blond rehabilitation service funding be modeled after spinal cord injury centers to protect specialized budget. Furthermore, accessibility is a civil right. While the v.a. Has made mobile progress, physical kiosks remain fundamentally inaccessible to those without sight. We urge final passage of the veterans accessibility advisory committee act. This legislation is vital, because it brings all disabilities to the table.
▶ 1:57:11Ms. Rowe: Ensuring that v.a. Leadership hears directly from the experts. Disabled veterans themselves. By mandating the section 508 compliance as the foundational requirement for all v.a. Procurement, this committee will ensure that no veteran is left behind by new technology regardless of their specific disability. For many, independence has four legs. However our veterans face inconsistent gate keeping, while v.a.
▶ 1:57:40Ms. Rowe: Facilities see a spike in incidents involving untrained animals. We urge congress to mandate a voluntary service dog fast pass, the v.a. Already tracks accredited guide dogs in their prosthetics database. We are simply asking the v.a. To auto generate a physical or digital credential for these veterans. To support this, we propose the v.a. Service animal integrity data act. Make misrepresenting a pet as a service animal on v.a.
▶ 1:58:08Ms. Rowe: Property a federal misdemeanor. Empower v.a. Police to remove any animal displaying aggression, regardless of their status. Require the v.a. To formally track and report dog-on-dog attacks to protect the 50,000 mobility tools. We must modernize the caregiver program to reflect the clinical rerelate of blindness.
▶ 1:58:37Ms. Rowe: Current assessments focus on physical mobility, but for our blind veterans, the primary need is safety and support. A veteran who cannot inspect their food for spoilage, distinguish clinical medication labels, or identify skin infections is a high risk. We propose eligibility automatically include veterans with corrected acuity of five over 200 or worse, or a visual field of five degrees or less.
▶ 1:59:05Ms. Rowe: Crucially, we must eliminate the pay first model for travel. Navigating the digital travel portal is a massive accessibility hurdle. We urge congress to create an automatic catastrophic exemption for veterans with 2200 acuity or worse, ensuring up front ticke tickticketing and total waiver f tickticketing and total waiver f travel deductibles. Who veteran should have to choose between financial stability and the rehabilitation they so need.
▶ 1:59:34Ms. Rowe: Finally, we urge the 119th congress to pass the major richard star act, to end the unfair retirement off set for combat-injured veterans. We also call for full funding for gender specific healthcare for our fastest growing cohort, women veterans. Members of the committee, remove the barriers. Fund the research that saves sight, and protect the programs that restore dignity. Stand with us to ensure every blinded veteran can access the quality of life they've earned.
▶ 2:00:07Chair Moran: Ms. rowe, thank you. Mr. fetro? Welcome.
▶ 2:00:15Mr. Fetro: I would like to recognize and pray for the six lost members and their family. Members of the committee, I'm the national president of the fleet reserve association.
▶ 2:00:30Mr. Fetro: Thank you for the opportunity to testify on behalf of our members and the oileddest sea service association with more than 100 years of service to our nation's sailors, marines, coast guardsmen, veterans, and their families. Today I will address three issues of critical importance. The major richard star act, the v.a. Electronic health record modernization program, and the need for a thoughtful reform of the v.a.
▶ 2:00:57Mr. Fetro: Disability compensation system. His career was consult short because of wounds in service. His experience reflects tens of thousands of veterans wounded whose service ended through no fault of their own.
▶ 2:01:24Mr. Fetro: The major richard star act restores fairness by allowing these veterans with bullets, their earned military retirement pay, and v.a. Disability compensation. About 50,000 veterans will be affected. Regarding double dipping, that claim ignores reality. Military retirement pay compensates for the years of service already rendered. V.a.
▶ 2:01:52Mr. Fetro: Disability compensation exists because veterans were wounded during service, providing both benefits, honors service and sacrifice. Others argue there is no money. Congress routinely finds funding for its priorities. Combat-wounded veterans must be one of them.
▶ 2:02:14Mr. Fetro: No credible case can be made that other expenditures are more important than fulfilling our obligation to those who gave their flesh and their future in defense of this nation. Congress must remain strong oversight to ensure successful completion across the entire
▶ 2:02:45Mr. Fetro: V.a. System. A fully deployed and interoperable electronic health record improves access to care, reduces duplication, and ensures continuity between the v.a., community providers, and a d.o.d. Fragmented records are not just inconvenient, they delay care and put veterans at risk. Technology evolves faster than legislation.
▶ 2:03:13Mr. Fetro: That makes it even more important for congress to set strong policy foundations. This is why we support h.r. 3455. This legislation allows v.a. To responsibly explore secure data management technologies that empower veterans and protect their information. We envision a system where veterans have control over their health data and can easily share it with providers inside and outside the v.a.
▶ 2:03:49Mr. Fetro: Rising costs is often cited. The united states has fault multiple wars over the past decades. When we send people to war, disability claims increase. That is not a system failure. That is the cost of war. Any reform must be understandable to the veterans. Veterans understand basic math. And the v.a. Must adapt calculation method that is logical, transparent, and easy to explain.
▶ 2:04:18Mr. Fetro: Another essential reform is automating presumptive claims through better coordination between the v.h.a. And the v.b.a. When presumptive conditions is diagnosed, eligibility should be identified automatically and benefits granted or offered without unnecessary delay. In closing, the f.r.a. Respectfully asks congress to take three actions.
▶ 2:04:50Mr. Fetro: First, pass the richard star act and adjust combat wounded retirees. Second, ensure completion of the v.a. Health record modernization program and support innovation through passage of h.r. 3455. Third, pursue disability compensation reform that prioritizes transparency, automation of presumptive claims, and timely delivery of benefits without reducing earned compensation.
▶ 2:05:19Mr. Fetro: These actions are about justice, readiness, credibility, and keeping the faith with those who gave their flesh, their future, and their lives in the service of the nation. Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
▶ 2:05:36Chair Moran: Colonel fenner?
▶ 2:05:39Col. Fenner: Thank you, Mr. chairman. I'm colonel lorry fenner. We're an organization dedicated to advancing equity for our nation's millions of minority veterans, including racial, gender, sexual, and religious. We are overrepresented in service and in the challenges we face.
▶ 2:06:01Col. Fenner: In fact, the past year has been devastating, as we have watched decades of progress unravel as essential protections, disparity data, and clinical pathways have been weakened, reversed, orie raced.
▶ 2:06:21Col. Fenner: Veterans are now na gaiting a system in which political ideology rather than evidence or statutory obligation increasingly shapes the policies that determine our health, safety, and access to care. First, executive orders targeting transgender americans have reduced immediate consequences for gender diverse service members and veterans.
▶ 2:06:49Col. Fenner: Service members have been discharged or placed in limbo, many becoming veterans against their will and suddenly. Inside the v.a., these directives have destabilized clinical guidance, disrupted healthcare access, and weakened protections in shelters. No veteran should face heightened medical risk or diminished personal safety because of their gender identity. Now they do.
▶ 2:07:17Col. Fenner: At least stop the rhetoric of irresponsible leaders who demean and dehumanize those who serve. Second, reproductive healthcare has also been significantly undermined. V.a.'s decision to remove abortion counseling and care in cases of rape, incest or threats to health was not grounded in evidence or clinical need.
▶ 2:07:42Col. Fenner: It is a political decision that endangers veterans, nearly 300,000 veterans of reproductive age rely on the v.a., and many now live in states with severe bans. This roll back of access is not theoretical. If you survive pregnancy complications or be able to conceive in the future. Pass the c.r.a.
▶ 2:08:09Col. Fenner: And stop the v.a.'s dark of night rule enacting. Third, gender-based harassment and assault in v.a. Far results are rising the deborah sampson act required the v.a. To create comprehensive prevention and reporting system, but implementation has not matched your intent, mandatory training was paused or diluted. Offices of responsibility have been shuttered or gutted.
▶ 2:08:42Col. Fenner: Essential information has been erased, and by v.a.'s own admission, too many data pathways have led to the inability to truly assess the problem. A no wrong door approach is meaningful if the underlying infrastructure doesn't work. Please enforce and improve the deborah sampson act. Across the country, we're watching the histories of minorities disappear, and that's happening in v.a. Offices.
▶ 2:09:11Col. Fenner: Those are responsible for identifying and addressing, especially racial disparities and benefits and care are closed, removing the very infrastructure needed to monitor inhe can equity. For instance, reopen the equity assurance and other offices and publish the unredacted report you demanded on outdoor recreation that was a bipartisan move.
▶ 2:09:40Col. Fenner: The information has not been included, publish the unredacted report. The pattern is clear across every issue area from healthcare to suicide prevention, to personal safety in v.a. Facilities. Minority veterans have carried this nation through every conflict, even while fighting for rights at home. We took our oaths as patriots, not because conditions were fair for us.
▶ 2:10:08Col. Fenner: Today, as other safety nets are dismantled and protections eroded, we return here with a simple demand, that the country we defended will honor its obligations to every veteran that no one is left behind because of what we look like for who we are. We thank you. We thank the others for their support. We thank our colleagues and coalition partners, and we celebrate women's history month. Thank you.
▶ 2:10:39Chair Moran: Thank you. Mr. tangen?
▶ 2:10:47Mr. Tangen: Distinguished members of the joint committee, on behalf of the national association of county veteran service officers, thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today. Too often we organize the transition conversation around individual subjects, benefits, healthcare, empty, housing. Rather than the veterans' lived experience moving through all of them all at once. Veterans do not experience government as a seamless continuum.
▶ 2:11:14Mr. Tangen: Theyen counter a series of disconnected entry points, each with its own rules, timelines and forms to complete. Every transition introduces risks, missed benefits, delayed care, bad information, and vulnerability to exploitation are predictable outcomes of fragmented design. This fragmentation is not caused by a lack of connection. V.a. Itself is not broken. It is the product of decades of well intentioned systems built to solve specific problems at specific moments in time.
▶ 2:11:46Mr. Tangen: V.a. Cannot predict every future need of every veteran generation. As a result, it adopts a relative posture. What is missing is the intentional continuity, a human connection that carries veterans forward once their service has end and had follows them home. Veterans know what affected continuity looks like, because they experienced it in uniform. That continuity vanishes at separation precise when will it is needed most. This is not a failure of veterans or technology.
▶ 2:12:15Mr. Tangen: It is a failure of system architecture. Today's veterans are pushed through a transition that replaces human continent with the illusion of access, mistaking information for connection. Transition is treated as an event, not a process. We connect it on paper, but without a bridge to the communities on which they return. This is where government veteran service officers operate every day.
▶ 2:12:42Mr. Tangen: They're the local government equivalent to the federal government service, translating policy into action and connecting veterans to resources at the federal, state, county, and community levels. When continuity is absent, fragmentation multiplies risk. Veterans without a trusted point of contact turn to whoever answer the the phone. That is where claims consultants, sometimes return to as claim sharks, thrive. Veterans do not seek them out because they want choice.
▶ 2:13:12Mr. Tangen: They happen upon them because navigating such a complex system alone makes paying for help seem reasonable. Profiting from a veteran's initial claim is already illegal, but without active enforcement to curb such efforts, how would a veteran know given the complexity of just gaining access? Early engagement with advocates prevention friction and fragmentation creates. Recently the v.a.
▶ 2:13:37Mr. Tangen: Paused and rescind implementation of a rule rating after hearing concerns from veterans and their service organizations. We commend v.a. Leadership for their responsiveness. However, ideally, these conversations occur within established channels of engagement, rather than on the columns of task and purpose and stars and stripes. They're simply not another layer of support. They are a continuing of service.
▶ 2:14:06Mr. Tangen: Life is not experienced in silos, so why do systems designed function as if they do? They live at the intersection of these systems. Because they're present, they see failures long before they appear in reports for you. Yet despite being called partners, they remain grossly underutilized. Congress can change that.
▶ 2:14:39Mr. Tangen: This law reinforces continuity that already exists and ensures veteran outcomes regardless of geography or local resources. They helped draft this legislation. Why create a new system when the most efficient solution is in stabilizing and scaling a proven one? Second, reinforcing accreditation and claims integrity, predatory actors flourish where connections are broken.
▶ 2:15:03Mr. Tangen: Veterans deserve ethical, accountable representation, not exploitation disguised as choice. Third, by formalizing federal local coordination, benefits healthcare education dependency death and survivor programs all must communicate the way veterans live their lives. Go already doing this work. They should codified these conduits.
▶ 2:15:29Mr. Tangen: If a national veterans strategy is to be meaningful, it musten gauge in utilize what already works. Veterans do not need more warm handoffs, they need continuity. Fragmentation is a failure of architecture, not intent. Thank you for the opportunity to testify, and I look forward to your questions.
▶ 2:15:49Chair Moran: Knew for your testimony. Dr. hunter?
▶ 2:15:52Dr. Hunter: Thank you. Chairman moran, franking ran takano, members of the committee, thank you for inviting notice testify on behalf of iraq and afghanistan veterans of america. First and foremost, I want to recognize the service women and men currently engaged in military operations in the middle east. We were born out of ad very kiting for the needs of service members and veterans, and we will continue to do so for this newest group of veterans. Veterans of the post 9/11 avenue have shaped modern policy debates and civic life.
▶ 2:16:22Dr. Hunter: We lead in public service, front line experience, for national security and healthcare decisions, and mobilize community when policy falls short. Since our founding, we've delivered tangible, bipartisan wins. From the post-9/11 g.I. Bill to the pack act, our record shows we change policy when paired with rigorous evidence. I've been in this job less than a year, and in that time, I am proud to take on the mantle of the legacy that we hold.
▶ 2:16:53Dr. Hunter: All of us are looking forward to working with you to continue to build on this history and improve the lives of post-9/11 veterans. At iava, we build our policy agenda on one principle, evidence matters. Our 2026 priorities are grounded in what veterans told us through surveys, flash polls, and direct engagement, and the latest available research.
▶ 2:17:17Dr. Hunter: This year members identified healthcare access, economic stability for veterans and their families, support for afghan allies, equity for women veterans, and strengthening civic engagement as top issues. I'll summarize thinks activities. My written submission highlights the research. Access to high quality care clearly emerged as the number one issue for our members. While the v.a. Provides care equal to or better than non-v.a.
▶ 2:17:46Dr. Hunter: Settings, veterans still face fragment the care in the community care networks, inconsistent access, persistent suicide risk, delays in disability claims, and uneven experience while making the claims.
▶ 2:18:01Dr. Hunter: Iava's 2026 healthcare priorities include fully funding and overseeing the pact act and the toxic positive sure fund, advancing lethal legislation to strengthen suicide prevention, expanding rural and mental health capacity, including stable funding for clinical resource hubs, and supporting research for the innovative therapies. Second, economic stability. Veterans generally fell well on employment averages, but disparities persist for veterans and single parents.
▶ 2:18:34Dr. Hunter: Underemployment, credential transfer barriers, housing cost burdens, and gaps in g.I. Bill delivery remain challenges. We improve transferability for veterans, scale housing first programs with robust services in case management, and higher than needed staff at the v.a. To do t. Protect the v.a. Home loan programs and continue to protect the g.I. Bill. Sustained congressional oversight on modernization to ensure intended outcomes reach our veterans.
▶ 2:19:03Dr. Hunter: Third, afghan allies and national security. Supporting the afghan who is served alongside U.S. forces is most of the a mobile obligation. The unfinished evacuation and backlog creates deep moral injury and undermines american credibility.
▶ 2:19:20Dr. Hunter: Iava urges congress to pass the afghan adjustment act, restore processing, provide permanent legal protections for advantage ways on humanitarian parole, and institutionalize reforms to prevent future allied abandonment, include staffing and coordination. Fourth, equity for women veterans.
▶ 2:19:40Dr. Hunter: Women are the fastest growing segment of the veteran population, yet face persistent gaps, including inconsistent reproductive and menopause care, high denial rates for sexual trauma claims, facility infrastructure shortfalls, and underinvestment in women-focused research. Our 2026 priorities include oversight of the deborah sampson act implementation, expanded reproductive healthcare and access to abortion counseling. Strengthening claims training and accountability.
▶ 2:20:11Dr. Hunter: Fifth and finally, strengthening and protecting sicken gamement. Veterans overwhelmingly view democratic participation as part of their service, yet they are concerned about voting access, disinformation, digital ex-ploy addition, and threats to equitable military service. We support legislation to protect and expand voting access and transparency, measures to curb deceptive political content and disinformation.
▶ 2:20:37Dr. Hunter: Protections that preserve access to military service to include our transgender sisters and brothers, and expanded to programs. Our veterans deserve policies rooted in evidence and the lived experience of those who served. Thank you, and I look forward to your questions. >> thanks to all of you for your really excellent testimony. You may wonder, you've seen people coming and going. Hopefully a.I.
▶ 2:21:06Dr. Hunter: Will eventually help us to schedule around here, so we don't have three things at once. But I can assure you, senator moran, for example, is due to make a speech on the senate floor, which I have a feeling may touch on veterans. I have several questions. Or comments. Ms. bartlet, I was particularly struck by your comments about the g.I. Bill. Going back to the 1950's, the g.I.
▶ 2:21:33Dr. Hunter: Bill is the single most important and significant economic development statute ever passed in this country. I think one of the things I ask of you, and I'll ask all of you, give us your four, five points about how we can improve it. Where the gaps are, where the bureaucracy is a problem, and those kinds of things. Because it is one of the most important programs that we have.
▶ 2:22:07Dr. Hunter: Mr. stevens, similar question for you. You mentioned the reorganization. You were the only witness that mentioned the reorganization of the v.a. We were presented with that, somewhat out of the blue a few weeks ago. I would love to have your comments about how that will work, because it's still unclear to me where they reduce the visions and created a new h.s.a. Structure and how that's actually going to work in practice.
▶ 2:22:31Dr. Hunter: So it sounds like your organization has looked at that, if you can share some of those insights with us as we build a record from this hearing. Mr. fetro, my only comment to you is, isn't it about damn time we pass the richard star act? That's something we got to do. [applause] when that was first presented to me, I just couldn't understand it.
▶ 2:23:01Dr. Hunter: You have two benefits that are earned that are totally separate from one another. Why should they be off set against one another?
▶ 2:23:12Mr. Fetro: This year, the 250th year, would be a perfect time to do it.
▶ 2:23:17Sen. King: I'm hopeful we can do that. I know there's a lot of bipartisan support. Itself a question of getting it across the finish line. Your testimony is important. And finally, Dr. hunter, something you mentioned struck me, and that is credential transfer. I think often that doesn't necessarily require federal law, but it's a matter of state law, where you have a skill that's built in the military, and then you have to go through an apprenticeship or exams and all the kind of things to be state licensed.
▶ 2:23:46Sen. King: And it's redundant and a barrier. Do you agree, is that something we need to tackle?
▶ 2:23:51Dr. Hunter: It is something that's often redundant, and setting federal standard often will help states comply with them, so that individuals who have gained skills while they're in the military aren't having to dip into g.I. Bill benefits, for example, to take training that they've already done in the military.
▶ 2:24:09Dr. Hunter: Especially in fields like nursing, some of the mechanics that we have civilian shortages in, setting a federal standard for individuals to be able to transfer their skills woulden courage states to do so.
▶ 2:24:24Sen. King: Thank you. I'm going ask you for your specific suggestions along those lines. I think that's something we really need to look at. And finally, before I have to leave for another meeting, I want to say to all of you what I said to the vfw, you have very respected and powerful voices here. You should use it. And we can't solve problems that we don't know about.
▶ 2:24:47Sen. King: So if there are issues that haven't come up in the testimony or that are just emerging, please communicate with this committee, because all of us are dedicated to serving you, and you have to help us to do that effectively. Representative takano?
▶ 2:25:03Rep. Takano: Thank you, Mr. chairman. Dr. fenner, nobody should ever feel unsafe or unwelcome seeking care. Can you describe how president trump's anti-d.e.I. Executive orders have impacted minority veterans across the country?
▶ 2:25:22Dr. Fenner: Thank you, representative takano, ranking member, yes, first of all, these have created chaos. So from one day to the next, veterans and those becoming veterans don't know the waterfront that they will face. Also, we are erasing data. We are erasing data with a.I. Machines and people doing word searches that impact clinical care.
▶ 2:25:51Dr. Fenner: We also are telling people they are unwelcome. Signage has been removed. Changes happen overnight. When I show up, I feel like I did not achieve my positions and my status as a retiree veteran because of my merit of performance. So we can write a book about this, and we probably will, of single anti-d.e.I.
▶ 2:26:18Dr. Fenner: Measure, it's poorly defined in the first place, and as veterans show up, they don't have security. They don't have assurity, and there's no office for them to go to, because we've also closed every office that might have women or race or some other minority in its title.
▶ 2:26:44Rep. Takano: I say dignity and access aren't politics. They're a part of the promise that we made to all veterans. Ms. hunter, do you have thoughts on this topic?
▶ 2:26:54Dr. Hunter: Yes, one of the biggest things that we see is a problem as colonel fenner mentioned is thee ray sure of data. We can't solve problems we don't know the answer to. When we have stopped, in the most recent suicide report, for example, there was month mention of lgbtq identity. And we know that from past reports, lgbtq veterans are at a much higher suicide risk. And understanding what interventions work and don't work allow evidence-based policy to be created.
▶ 2:27:24Dr. Hunter: And if we don't have the data, we can't measure the policy. Additionally, there's been an inconsistent application of training. For quite a while, training on military sexual trauma was cut because of the d.e.I. Executive orders that came down. And that puts individuals, veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma at a huge disadvantage, because they are walking into an environment that doesn't know how to give culturally competent care.
▶ 2:27:54Dr. Hunter: And the v.a. Succeeds because of its ability to give culturally competent care. And when you remove that, you are now often double victimizing survivors.
▶ 2:28:06Rep. Takano: Thank you for the testimony, and they very determining to me. -- this is very concerning to me. Wrong-headed policies are resulting in very grave consequences. I yield back, Mr. chairman.
▶ 2:28:25Sen. Cassidy: Senator king was asking you, and you were responding about how can someone trained in the military transition to the same sort of job? A few years ago, I think we passed this, this has been 10 years, I thought, I had a bill that someone trained as an e.m.t. In the service, could take that same training or a paramedic and use that in the private sector, figuring if you handled trauma in iraq, you could handle trauma in lafayette, louisiana.
▶ 2:28:55Sen. Cassidy: Do I remember that correctly, that that passed into law?
▶ 2:28:59Dr. Hunter: That was passed into law, but we see an uneven application, as well as an understanding that this is something that is even possible often.
▶ 2:29:16Sen. Cassidy: Misunderstanding by who?
▶ 2:29:18Dr. Hunter: It's state dependent. It can be by the states that regulate it. It can be during the education to the actual service members as they are transitioning out, that this is an option for them.
▶ 2:29:30Sen. Cassidy: That is, therefore, an issue for the armed services. This is just oversight of something which I think I passed 10 years ago.
▶ 2:29:37Dr. Hunter: For e.m.t.'s specifically, yes. There's oversight that needs to be done on the armed services side. The transition needs to be involved. But there doesn't exist the same thing for some of the nursing professions.
▶ 2:29:51Sen. Cassidy: The only reason I bring that up, is because it could be lessons learned what we've already done for e.m.t.'s.
▶ 2:29:59Dr. Hunter: 100%.
▶ 2:30:00Sen. Cassidy: Nurses are in such demand. It's hard to think that a nursing board would put barriers, it's just a question of licensing in the state of louisiana versus oklahoma versus wherever, correct?
▶ 2:30:12Dr. Hunter: Maybe, but there's also there's a requirement to take additional schooling.
▶ 2:30:26Sen. Cassidy: They have adequate training to become a licensed nurse in the military. I'm a physician, so if I signed up for the military, I'd still be a doc. My licensing is different.
▶ 2:30:37Dr. Hunter: Correct. But the way that nursing licenses work per state, there are states that don't recognize the military training and require it.
▶ 2:30:49Sen. Cassidy: Let me know what it is.
▶ 2:30:50Dr. Hunter: Absolutely. Because I think we can learning from the month.
▶ 2:30:59Sen. Cassidy: I was talking to somebody, and he said we have veterans who are trained to do electronics. But now, like they're homeless. I don't know if this is personal experience, but the point he's trying to mike was that, and based on this as well, if somebody had been traced the military, can we bring them into training, workforce training, and he use particularly the data centers being created, which is just hiring all kinds of people.
▶ 2:31:27Sen. Cassidy: So how good are we, and I'm asking, I don't know, how good are we at finding the veteran who's maybe not been age to useless the education he or she received in the military, and then either upscaling or them or licensing for things like electronics, just turning to you. >> thank you, senator cassidy for that question. Programs like vet tech are a great avenue for those that did some type of cybersecurity or maybe drone licensing while they were in service.
▶ 2:31:56Sen. Cassidy: And now they're looking to continue that into the civilian careers. In addition, s.v.a. Has had the opportunity to provide thousands of courses to our student veterans and our chapter members. Again, helping to leverage some of their knowledge or interest in their active duty service, now brambling out to their resume going forward. >> I'm sorry, because I was trying to communicate with my colleague here. It's been successful? What can we do to make it better?
▶ 2:32:27Sen. Cassidy: >> better is more support, better would be helping things like the adjustment. The g.I. Bill has been $1,000 annually since 2009. >> online, because it's an online course. Online course have lower marginal cost, do you still need to spend more money? >> you still have rent.
▶ 2:32:52Sen. Cassidy: You still have child care, and we helped in support we've helped in support least te we've helped in support least ts full-time, to the full national average. There is a piece of legislation over on the house and that is hr 3753. >> ok.
▶ 2:33:25Sen. Cassidy: Mr. turkana -- Mr. takano. If you want to do a closing statement? >> sure I will go ahead and close. Thank you senator, thank you all for being here today. We cannot do our jobs without the input that you all provide today with your testimony.
▶ 2:33:55Sen. Cassidy: I look forward to working with you all to ensure that congress honors the obligations that we have to our veterans and survivors. We still have much to do. I have to report unfortunately that senator blumenthal's efforts to bring the act -- there was an objection.
▶ 2:34:23Sen. Cassidy: There could be a vote on this bill, it has overwhelming support. In the house it has more than 300 cosponsors and I am one of them. In the senate it's had similar support. We saw support indicated by the many delegates that came into the american legion and those of you here representing the various vso's today.
▶ 2:34:48Sen. Cassidy: We must push past this partisan resistance and get the richard starr act, love lives on and caring for survivors act passed. It is way past time to do it and the time to do it is now. I vow that we will get it done in this congress. Thank you very much and god bless all of you. [applause]
▶ 2:35:14Chair Cassidy: I think our witnesses on the second panel for your work to support those who serve our nation's veterans and their families. Your efforts have a real impact. This conversation has impacted me and I look forward to the follow-up. With that, the hearing is adjourned.