▶ 0:24:57Good morning. What did we do? Commander, I need an explanation. What did I do wrong?
▶ 0:25:14You wrapped the gavl. And for that, for us, that's us to stay in three times. there's a fourth one.
▶ 0:25:26Uh, thank you for the explanation. Uh, with the with the sound of the gavl, I call this hearing to order this morning. Uh, good morning and welcome to everyone. Uh I'd like to thank uh Chairman Boston along with ranking members Blumenthal and Tano and the rest of the Senate and House colleagues for joining us here today in this year's final joint hearing between the House and Senate committees on veterans affairs in this year 2026.
▶ 0:25:52And I want to specifically welcome Commander Dan Wy and his wife Sonia from my homestead of Kansas along with the leaders of the other veteran service organizations who will be testifying later this morning. I also would like to extend a special hello as my colleagues will do for their home states, but particularly today with Commander Wy in as as the lead witness today.
▶ 0:26:15I want to express my gratitude to the canons who are present here who are watching at home and who have been in my office numerous times including this week. Uh I appreciate the canons presence uh in the room and I'm grateful for my relationship I have with American Legion members from across my state.
▶ 0:26:34I'm grateful for the work that veteran service organizations do every day to support veterans and their family families, caregivers, and survivors to advocate for timely, highquality health care and benefits that have earned that they have earned and deserve. The work we do in our committees and these committees would not be possible without the tireless work and dedication of organizations like the ones here today and the ones we'll be hearing from this morning.
▶ 0:27:01I look forward to hearing from Commander Wy and his fellow veteran leaders how your legislative priorities advance veteran success and what more these committees, the committee that I chair and the others can do to make certain that VA policies translate into real improvements in the well-being of veterans we are all here to serve.
▶ 0:27:23With the commander from Kansas's presence, I would like to take a side note and and express my appreciation and gratitude for everyone's service. I am not a veteran. This is not what I normally say at a hearing uh in this I was in high school when Vietnam was Uh I watched what happened if when you those who served in Vietnam returned home and how they were treated.
▶ 0:27:54If you are a year older than I am and certainly if you are two years older than I am, you served in Vietnam. And I saw how my classmates at home in Kansas were treated upon their return to the United States shores following their service, their honorable service in Vietnam. And I told myself as a 16-year-old kid, I'm going to do everything I can to pay my respects and honor those who served.
▶ 0:28:18I never expected fellow canons to ever be a member of Congress, to serve in the House of Representatives, to serve in the United States Senate. And with that responsibility of that service came doing something more than just saying thank you. Come something comes more than just saying I respect you. And so I take it seriously, as do members of this committee, members of the Senate, members of the House of Representatives, Republicans and Democrats.
▶ 0:28:42We take it seriously to try to make certain we do the things that keep our promises to those who served in Vietnam and those who served elsewhere uh around the globe and in the United States. And so I'm honored to have the pro opportunity to be here with a fellow canen, now the national commander of the American Legion. I yield to uh the ranking member, Senator Blumenthal, for his opening statement.
▶ 0:29:08Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh and thank you to Commander Wy and the American leaders American Legion leadership who are here today. I'm proud member in Connecticut. I know we have some Connecticut members here. Welcome to you and thanks for visiting with me uh your perspectives and your advocacy are invaluable to what we do. You are the reason that we have the PAC Act today.
▶ 0:29:38Just to take one example, yesterday I went to the floor of the United States Senate and asked for unanimous consent to pass the Major Richard Star Act. unfortunately, it was blocked. I asked as a fall back for a simple vote on the bill before August.
▶ 0:30:08It was blocked as The individual senator blocking unanimous consent is part of a small minority in the United States Senate.
▶ 0:30:22The vast bipartisan majority of my colleagues support the Richard Star Act because they know it is unacceptable that tens of thousands of combat injured veterans are denied the full military benefits they deserve. The chairman just talked about promises. Promises are meaningless unless they are kept.
▶ 0:30:49We made a promise to these veterans that they would receive both retirement and disability benefits. We owe them both. And I promise you, I will not stop fighting until we pass the Richard Star Act in this Congress. And I I want to add that support for it is bipartisan.
▶ 0:31:19I thank the chairman, Senator Moran, for his support uh as well as others on this committee, including the House Ranking Member, uh Mr. Tano. Uh yesterday the New York Times published an article entitled Despite promises Veterans Affairs Department cut thousands of roles for doctors and nurses. In fact thousands of positions have been left vacant.
▶ 0:31:46The numbers of doctors and nurses positions has declined by significant percentages, which is a disservice to all of you here and the many, many veterans around the United States who depend on the VA for their medical care. At our hearing last month, Secretary Collins said the VA needs more doctors. and yet he has eliminated thousands of physician jobs.
▶ 0:32:16We need your help. We need your advocacy. We need your voices and your which is why it's so important you're here today so that we can maintain, restore, and even grow the numbers of doctors, nurses, counselors, psychiatrists, all of the team at VA healthc care that is so important to making sure that we have sufficient workforce to serve
▶ 0:32:47the needs of our veterans. Our veterans deserve nothing less than the best worldass medicine. Thank you all for being here today. Senator Blumenthal. Thank you. Uh Representative Chano, the ranking member.
▶ 0:33:02Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good morning,
▶ 0:33:07It is truly great to see all all of you here. Ensuring that uh my fellow members of Congress um and Americans uh tuning in from the country hear directly from you. So, I thank all the veterans who have traveled here today, including those who've made the trip from my home state of California. Where are you?
▶ 0:33:26Thank you, California. Welcome. And welcome to everyone from the American Legion. Uh, I'd especially like to welcome American Legion National Commander, uh, Dan Wy of Kansas. Uh, Mr. Wy, Commander Wy, uh, you and I have a personal conversations about how I actually spent time in in Lawrence, Kansas one summer.
▶ 0:33:45And uh so welcome auxiliary national president Ray of Illinois and sons of the American Legion national commander uh Bill Clancy of New York and I offer a hearty welcome to the representatives from all of the organizations on our second panel of witnesses. Um very good to see all of you and I look forward to hearing uh engaging an enlightening conversation.
▶ 0:34:08Now, just two weeks ago, Secretary Collins published an interim final rule to cut veterans disability compensation benefits for veterans whose service connected conditions were improved by medication. Now, thanks to a public outcry from VSOs, members of Congress, and many of you here today, Secretary Collins paused enforcement and eventually rescended the rule. Senator Blumenthal and I led the effort here in Congress against this rule, but our Republican colleagues were unwilling to join us.
▶ 0:34:38Protecting Republic uh protecting veterans benefits should be a bipartisan issue, and my colleagues across the aisle should be willing to stand with us in holding VA accountable when veterans and their benefits are on the line. Now, in addition to the secretary's harmful interim final rule, VA is also carrying out a massive, massive reorganization of the Veterans Health Administration. This reorg effort warrants bipartisan oversight. Oversight. Now VA does need improvement. No doubt about that.
▶ 0:35:08But VA leadership appears to be trying to align VA with developments in forprofit healthcare. Now VA is not a business and it should not mirror business models. Following that business mindset, this VA aims to quote do more with less end quote. Now that approach has never really served veterans in my opinion and the data suggests VA is already struggling with the less.
▶ 0:35:34The New York Times reported yesterday that VA cut thousands of clinical positions that were filled before the administration and Doge started pushing staff out. VA told us that these were unneeded COVID era positions, but VA's own damning data tells us that that is not true.
▶ 0:35:55As was reported by the New York Times, about 73% of the 10,500 vacant positions VA just eliminated were filled just sometime in 2025 or 2026, well after the COVID era. These were recent vacancies and rather than filling them, Secretary Collins just wiped those clinical positions off the books. clinical positions that the medical centers said that they needed.
▶ 0:36:26Expanding care and benefits for veterans requires people, doctors and nurses, claims processors, social workers, researchers, police officers, and support staff. All these roles help VA fulfill its mission. Now, I know each of you sees the value in securing veteran care and improving VA because each of you has served. And today, you continue to serve your fellow veterans and their survivors.
▶ 0:36:52Now, when you raised your your hand and put on that uniform, you set yourself apart. That commitment came with our nation's promise that you and your family would be taken care of afterwards. You fulfilled your duty. We must fulfill ours. We sit here just days after President Trump committed our nation's most precious resource, our young men and women in uniform, to another conflict. Several service members have already been killed or wounded.
▶ 0:37:20Our service members are carrying out difficult and dangerous missions far from home. They deserve the full support of a grateful nation. That support cannot end when they take off the uniform. So I ask, has this administration planned and budgeted for the long-term costs of this conflict? Is VA prepared to provide a lifetime of medical care, disability compensation, mental health services, prosthetics, and caregiver support to the new generation of wartime veterans.
▶ 0:37:51President Trump and this Republican Congress have added $150 billion for the Department of Defense in the so-called big beautiful bill, but it did not include a scent for VA. If this administration is willing to send Americans into harm's way, it must be willing to fully fund and strengthen the VA system that will care for them for decades. That means passing the Caring for Survivors Act. That means passing the Love Lives On Act.
▶ 0:38:20And that means passing the Major Richard Star Act as Just a little bit of history. I was chairman of this chairman of the House side of the committee when I passed the uh bluewater uh Vietnam bluewater navy bill out of the house for the second time unanimously.
▶ 0:38:43And why I had to do it a second time is that the previous chairman, a Republican chairman passed it also with over I think it was unanimous as well, but procedures in the Senate blocked it. Just a couple of senators like ran out the clock at the end at the end of that session. And look, the politics in both houses, it's procedure that is stopping the major Richard Star Act. It is the will of the majority of both houses of Congress.
▶ 0:39:10And I'll be damned if we allow procedure to stand in the way of passing m the major Richard Star Act. And you should be uh damned as well. Keep the pressure on. And with that uh with that belief, Senator Blumenthal uh yesterday went to the floor yesterday to ask for a vote on this bill and shamefully it was blocked. Procedure again.
▶ 0:39:30In objecting to a vote on the Major Richard Star Act, Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin lamented how much it would cost, arguing that we needed to prioritize funding for ongoing defense capabilities. I say this is unconscionable. We are talking about compensation for combat injured veterans. This is a cost of war. And as we sit here watching the president drag us into another conflict, we must reckon with the long lasting impacts it will have on our service members, our veterans, and their families.
▶ 0:39:57Paying for the true cost of war means investing in VA. Now, Mr. Chair, I thank you for bringing these organizations before us today, and I look forward to frank and fruitful discussions, and I thank you, and I yield back.
▶ 0:40:11Ranking member Tuc. Thank you. Um, I now have the honor of introducing a canen and a friend, the national commander of the American Legion, Mr. Dan Wy. Dan, of course, has a long history of serving veterans, particularly those in the in the neighborhood of his hometown, Levvenworth, Kansas. He has also been a trusted adviser to me on issues impacting veterans at home and across the country.
▶ 0:40:36Dan served his nation in the United States Air Force and following his service, he obtained a law degree from the University of Kansas. He told me this morning he's a KState fan. He used all his skills as an attorney to establish the Levvenworth County Veterans Treatment Court. He was a district court judge in the state of Kansas and he used that opportunity to find a new way to care for veterans who appear before his and other courts in Levvenworth and across our state.
▶ 0:41:05During his service with the Legion, Dan has pretty much done it all. He's held 24 different positions within the American Legion, making certain that veterans have a friend who will listen to them and advocate for them. I've seen that in my own circumstance at pancake feeds and uh American Legion events in my hometown in uh across the state as he has been there for every veteran of our Dan, like many veterans, has faced his own challenges and hurdles in his life after service.
▶ 0:41:35But rather than hide or shy away from the challenges, he's shared them openly, letting veterans know that they aren't alone. I respect Dan for being vulnerable and honest about mental health and using his experience to reach out to veterans. As national commander, he's a strong advocate for the American Legion's Be the One campaign to prevent veteran suicide.
▶ 0:41:59Thank you for working to extend hope to veterans who are struggling with their mental health and helping reduce the stigma around asking for help. Outside the American Legion, Dan is very involved in his community back home where he has worn many different hats, helping organize the and be the master of ceremonies at the Levvenworth County Veterans Day parade to serving on his local board of education. Commander Wy, you have been a friend to me and friend to veterans.
▶ 0:42:29And I have no doubt that your vision and experience is strengthening the mission of the American Legion and making certain that the voices of veterans are heard and their needs are met with honor and with respect. I thank you for those things. I thank you for your dedication to serving veterans in Kansas and across the country and for being here to testify today.
▶ 0:42:49I appreciate your family's sacrifice for your service in this capacity and I look forward to working together on our shared mission of improving the lives of veterans across the country and back home in our home state. With that, Commander Wy, you are now recognized.
▶ 0:43:06First, thank you, Senator, for that kind introduction. Uh, thank you, Chairman Moran, Ranking Member Blumenthal, Chairman Bost, Ranking Member Tano, and distinguished members of these committees. On behalf of the 2.5 million members of the American Legion family, I appreciate the opportunity to discuss our legislative priorities for the second session of the 119th Congress.
▶ 0:43:31I would like to begin by introducing the members of the American Legion family here with me today. Please stand if you are able as I recognize you. Our national officers serving with me this year, please stand. Our past national commanders, please Pam Ray, National President of the American Legion Auxiliary.
▶ 0:43:58William Clancy III, National Commander of the Sons of the American Legion. and my daughter Christy, my son Austin, and his wife Jesse with their son and my grandson Noah. And of course, the most important person in the room without a doubt, my wife Sonia. Thank you.
▶ 0:44:26Our written testimony contains our complete list of legislative goals, and they are all important. With limited time, however, I will focus on several critical issues. This is a pivotal time for our country. Recent military action reminds us of the cost of service shouldered by a shrinking minority of American families.
▶ 0:44:51In our all volunteer force, military service has become a family business. And while average time in uniform is just 4 to 8 years, the cost can potentially last a lifetime. And as we mark the 250th anniversary of our nation's founding, it is essential we examine those costs and make sure they are paid in full.
▶ 0:45:19That is precisely why Congress chartered the American Legion after World War I. To promote a strong national defense, encourage civic education, and to create a community of veterans to support one another whose voices are heard by our nation's leaders.
▶ 0:45:38Since 1919, the Legion has been instrumental in landmark changes like the GI Bill, creation of the modern VA, appeals, modernization, and the mission act. We created programs like the American Legion Child Well-being Foundation, Legacy Scholarships, and Boys Nation. Our mission every single day is to serve those who served us.
▶ 0:46:08At the post level, Legionnaires serve their communities in times of crisis. Just last year, after the tragic floods in Kurville, Texas, Legion Post 208 provided urgently needed resources for those who had lost everything and served as a relief point for aid workers who came from across the country. American Legion service officers assist veterans with disability claims.
▶ 0:46:35and in 2025 alone processed 29.5 billion in claims for veterans. This was free of charge regardless of whether they were members of the American Legion or not. Nationally, we partner with VA on the buddy check week and our be the one campaign to reduce stigma, provide critical training, and ultimately save lives.
▶ 0:47:04Our system where saving and regional office action review programs provide policymakers with on the ground feedback regarding health care and benefits. And we have continued to work with Congress to ensure that while the administration seeks bold change, there is no reduction in accessibility of services and benefits to any veteran or their family.
▶ 0:47:32Just two weeks ago, the American Legion spoke against a proposed rule that would change the way VA rates a veteran's disability based on medication management. We were glad to see Secretary Collins listen to the veteran community and ultimately rescend the rule. We will remain vigilant and we will give you all of our feedback on what is working and what needs to change.
▶ 0:47:59The Legion's number one priority is ending veteran suicide. VA estimates more than 17 veterans die every day by suicide. Traditional approaches to this problem, pills and therapy have objectively not worked. We need stronger transition programs, innovative therapies, and improved safeguards to medication management.
▶ 0:48:27That's why we support things like the Fox Grant program, the Beacon Act, the Written Informed Consent Act, and other bills that seek to address this problem. It's also why after a decade of legent advocacy, I was proud to be in the Oval Office. as the president signed an executive order reclassifying cannabis as a schedule three drug. This allows for federal research on how it can reduce drivers of suicide.
▶ 0:48:57Now, the American Legion does not support use of illegal drugs, but we strongly support research that could result in new effective treatments. An important part of suicide prevention and ultimately VA's core mission is access to timely quality health care.
▶ 0:49:20And while most veterans prefer to receive from VA their care because it's a one-stop shop, community care has exploded since the passage of the Mission Act. Congress must provide the necessary funding to ensure the VA system remains strong without curtailing a veteran's access to community care if it is in the veterans best interest.
▶ 0:49:45It is a difficult balance, but one we are committed to helping Congress achieve. Ultimately, veterans should get the care they need when they need it. But we must remain the center of all veteran health care in the VA. As we discuss VHA reorganization, the nextG community care contract and acceleration of electronic health record deployment.
▶ 0:50:13Congress must also address aging infrastructure and give the VA authorities and funding it needs to compete with the private sector job market. As we all know, the veteran population is changing and so are its needs.
▶ 0:50:29Women's veterans, the largest growing subop in our community, experience homelessness, depression, infertility, migraines, and other issues at a higher rate than their male This is attributed to military sexual trauma and domestic violence.
▶ 0:50:49Congress should pass legislation to improve research on how issues unique to women veterans, including menopause, affect outcomes and increase the availability of gender specific rehabilitation Enabling veterans to thrive in a civilian life is a huge task. Congress can make it easier by ensuring our service members don't experience financial uncertainty prior to separation.
▶ 0:51:19When I served in the United States Air Force, I never worried about getting paid on the first and the 15th of the month. But as government shutdowns become more frequent, that is no longer guaranteed. Now, not long ago, the Legion provided over 1 million in grants to Coast Guard families because Congress failed to do its job and ensure they were paid on time.
▶ 0:51:44We need ironclad protections to ensure uninterrupted pay for all service members in our all volunteer force. Finally, consider Major Richard Starr, who deployed multiple times and was diagnosed with lung cancer linked to burn pit exposure.
▶ 0:52:05Before his death, he endured the indignity of a wounded veterans tax, an offset of his disability compensation against his pension because he was medically retired before 20 years. This is wrong.
▶ 0:52:41Collecting both benefits is not double dipping. Retirement is for time served. Disability compensation is for harm caused during service. Congress must pass the overwhelmingly supported bipartisan Major Richard Star Act. Chairman Moran and Boston ranking members Blumenthaw and Takano and members of the committees.
▶ 0:53:12The way America treats its veterans directly influences whether the next generation raises the right hand to define our legacy. On behalf of the entire American Legion family, thank you for this opportunity to share our priorities and my staff and I welcome your questions.
▶ 0:53:40National Commander, thank you for your testimony. Uh we'll now uh turn to questions of you and your colleagues uh at the desk. Um the Richard Star Act, let's start there for my first question. Uh would you share uh perhaps a member's experience, a realworld example of a veteran and their family who would directly benefit if the major star act were was passed?
▶ 0:54:08Explain explain how it would change the quality of their life. Uh give us an example of why it matters.
▶ 0:54:14Thank you, Senator. And and without naming the individual, you and I both know an individual that suffered uh harm while he was on active duty. um he was in a ghillie suit and he was burned by that active duty service and because of that was medically retired. Uh so he receives that medical retirement for that time in service.
▶ 0:54:37Um also you wouldn't find surprise because of the burns on his body he was entitled to disability compensation for the harm caused. However, because of um the fact that he didn't have the 20 years in time and service, he has to wave dollar for dollar um his retirement for the disability compensation he receives.
▶ 0:55:00And quite obviously, this takes funds away from his family that would benefit uh his family for a lifetime. And he's got a lifetime uh of care and a lifetime of loss as a result of those injuries. And u I appreciate the opportunity last month as I sat in your office and we talked about uh the Major Richard Star Act and you know me I'm probably more passionate than I am articulate.
▶ 0:55:26Um but to that extent it just frustrates me that Congress can't get this passed when we have 316 members in the House that have signed on and approximately 75 members in the Senate who have signed on and yet we can't get it to a vote on the House floor. The buck stops with leadership. They need to get a vote on this up or down because our veterans are entitled to know whether your congressman supports our disabled and wounded veterans or your congressman is against us. That's what we believe.
▶ 0:55:55We're entitled to a vote on this on the on the House and Senate floor. Thank
▶ 0:56:00Commander. Thank you for the answering my question. And I I would use this moment uh again, as I told you in our office uh when we last visited that uh I'm committed to trying to do everything I can to accomplish that. Folks in this room probably know but should know the jurisdiction of this bill doesn't rest with the Committee on Veterans Affairs. It rests with our Armed Services Committee, but we're working with the leadership of the Armed Services. I'm working with the leadership of the Armed Services Committee to find a path forward.
▶ 0:56:29And uh I hope and and I I spoke yesterday on the Senate floor about this topic and I've also spoken uh to my uh colleagues uh in the Senate that uh there is no uh opportunity for the sponsoring of a bill that you're not willing to vote for when the time comes. Uh sponsoring is insufficient. We want you to do that, but the time is uh is right.
▶ 0:56:53Uh we want to make certain that the votes occur uh and there's no hypocrisy uh demonstrated by members of Congress. Uh you mentioned um community care. It's a it's a topic that I have significant interest in in large part. Uh when I was a congressman, I represented a congressional district the size of the state of Illinois, not a VA hospital in that congressional district.
▶ 0:57:17and distance was often the enemy of a veteran in in being able to access uh quality care at the VA. Would you elaborate on I mean let me say again say that American Legion is a strong supporter of an of the Access Act that Senator Blumenthal and I are trying to work out our differences to see that we get it passed. Would you explain to the committee the importance of the Access Act and why the American Legion is
▶ 0:57:42Absolutely. Thank you Senator Moran uh for that question. Um, community care is obviously uh important for our veterans. Most of our veterans, as I said in our opening remarks, are very happy with the care they get at the VA and they prefer that. But, as you know, just like Kansas and much of this country, um, there's a lot of distance between VA hospitals. You're in western Kansas. You might be four hours from a VI VA hospital. So, we have transportation issues.
▶ 0:58:09Uh, we have issues with regard to obtaining care from specialists. uh and and ultimately we believe that the veteran uh should receive the care that's in their best interest and we believe that this um a access act will provide more oversight. We need to continue to have uh VA oversight of community care but uh community care is obviously important for the best interest of our veterans. Thank you.
▶ 0:58:39uh, thank you, uh, National Commander, for calling attention to some of the most pressing needs of our veterans. Obviously, the Richard Star Act is a priority for me, not only as the ranking member of this committee, but also as a member of the Armed Services Committee, you have correctly identified where the point of persuasion has to be with the the leadership of the United States Senate and the House of Representatives.
▶ 0:59:09So, I urge every member here, if you think the Richard Star Act ought to be passed, contact the leadership of the United States Senate. And again, I thank Senator Moran for his advocacy and his support. Um, I want to call attention to your advocacy on behalf of women As you say in your testimony, they are the fastest growing cohort among veterans.
▶ 0:59:38They are serving right now in harm's way in the Middle East. Tragically, one of the fallen is a woman National Guard member. Uh we owe them the same kind of health care and compensation benefits that our male veterans receive.
▶ 1:00:02uh what kinds of specific measures, if you could talk about them, uh would you advocate to expand the service that we provide to our women veterans?
▶ 1:00:12Thank you, Ranking Member Blumenthal, for that question. Again, I appreciate your time as we had an opportunity last month in your office to discuss uh these very issues, and I know they're of concern to you. uh obviously to to women's veterans is the single biggest growing demographic and I can tell you that VA care has improved significantly in the 30 plus years I've been a member of the American Legion. I've visited VA hospitals throughout this country. We now have uh hospitals, not all.
▶ 1:00:42We need to do a lot more, but that have separate uh entrances, for example, uh for uh women's veterans. And I know there's a lot of bills that impact uh women's veterans. And so I'm going to ask our veteran affairs and rehabilitation director Cole to expand on that answer.
▶ 1:00:57Thank you.
▶ 1:00:59Thank you com Thank you commander and uh thank you rank r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r ranking member Blumenthal. Um the American Legion has uh publicly supported the saves act uh which would expand the evidentiary standard for VA to be able to consider nonVA evidence uh lay statements, nexus letters, things like that in disability process claims.
▶ 1:01:20Um, as the commander alluded to, uh, infrastructure at a lot of VA facilities, specific for, uh, women veterans, uh, uh, residential rehabilitation programs, secure areas in VA facilities for them to feel safe if they've been, uh, uh, if they've experienced military sexual trauma or intimate partner violence. Um, uh, also, Congresswoman Brownley has a bill, uh, to expand research on menopause.
▶ 1:01:49There's not a lot of evidence um there's a lot of anecdotal evidence. There's not a lot of research on menopausal links to certain things that drive suicide and as we know women veterans experience uh suicide at a much higher rate than their civilian counterparts.
▶ 1:02:07Uh that's a great answer and uh I want to just volunteer my services, my office on this issue and others that you have raised, commander, uh most especially the continuing scourge of veteran suicide, the need to expand the PAC Act, the importance of uh recognizing the next generation of toxic exposures, very very important.
▶ 1:02:36And um I want to just commend um the American Legion for a program that is very close to my heart. Uh in Connecticut, I don't know how many of the other states have it, we have a boys state and girls state program which fosters future leadership. young people are chosen.
▶ 1:03:00It's a very competitive uh to participate in a nearly week-long series of sessions uh in uh a usually it's a school location. Uh they live in dormitories. They participate in mock senate and uh house sessions. I think their conversations are considerably more aerodite and informed than I often find around here.
▶ 1:03:30Uh but u I just want to say to the American Legion providing the role fostering the leadership is so important. We need to develop our future veterans. My son who served in the United States Marine Corps as a infantry officer in Afghanistan.
▶ 1:03:53My other son who served as a Navy Seal had you as role models and uh they in turn will be role models for others. But you in the American Legion, whatever your age, are role models for our future leadership. Thank you for being there for our great country. Thank you.
▶ 1:04:13To what office were you elected at Boyise State? I I didn't participate in Boy State, but my sons did and it had an impact on
▶ 1:04:22I'm quite certain I was I was never a senator at Boy State.
▶ 1:04:27Representative Tano.
▶ 1:04:30Uh I was at Boy State, California. I didn't get elected to anything either. So, um, Commander Wy, uh, Commander Wy, one thing I've heard loud and clear from the veteran community this month is veterans should never be punished for following medical advice. When VA issued changes to how medication effects would be treated in disability evaluations, did the Legion receive advanced notice or a chance to weigh in? Thank you, Ranking Member Takano.
▶ 1:05:00And and again, I appreciate your time and having the opportunity to meet with you last month. The simple answer is no. But I will also tell you that was an aberration for this administration and the VA because uh we have been fortunate enough in the American Legion uh to been advised of most things, but we were not advised of this. And if we had been, we would have told them exactly what we told them in the end, and that it was a terrible idea. And and so we are glad they resented it. But thank you.
▶ 1:05:28Well, thank you. Well, do you think VSOs like the American Legion should be brought in early before policies are rolled out so they aren't surprised and trust isn't shaken?
▶ 1:05:35Absolutely. The veteran community is entitled and needs to be heard. Yes.
▶ 1:05:39And there are several important uh bills pending that would radically improve benefits for veterans, their families, and their survivors like the Major Richard Sar Act or Representative Hayes's Caring for Survivors Act. Um Commander, you've been very clear that these are earned benefits, not favors. I see you're nodding your head on bills like the major Richard Star Act and survivor reforms.
▶ 1:06:02Do you agree that Congress should not force veterans or survivors into a tradeoff where one group's earned benefit is paid for by cutting another group of veterans
▶ 1:06:13Do you think Congress should put the burden of paying for veterans benefits increases on other veterans or on the American people as a whole?
▶ 1:06:22No. Uh not on other veterans. It's a function of service. There's an obligation to pay for uh what a veteran has earned and that's incurred at the time of service and the time they were put in harm's way. So So yes, the American people and the American government when they do that, they have an obligation, but it shouldn't be put on the shoulders of other veterans.
▶ 1:06:42Yeah. Yeah. I that Thank you. Thank you. That was the point. Uh I think the American people are very much willing to to honor the obligation that we made to them. Uh, Commander Wally, I sponsored the PAC Act, which has certainly helped many veterans gain access to VA benefits and health care that they've earned through their service. But even as we were writing the PAC Act, we knew that the PAC Act was only a step and that there would be more work left to do in the future.
▶ 1:07:06Where should Congress push next and what exposures or cohorts are most urgent uh to address a PAC Act followon as you were? Thank you again, Ranky Member Tano, and and obviously the PAC Act when it was passed. There's a mechanism in there for identifying future toxins uh that hasn't been adequately used, but to further elaborate, I'm getting going to call on our VA and our director, Cole Lile, to
▶ 1:07:31Thank you, Commander. And I I see time is short, so I'll try to be brief, but um you know, the the mechanism that the commander was talking about existed because uh Congress didn't want to have to legislate individual presumptive conditions going forward. uh that process has has been slow um and sometimes the process has been opaque.
▶ 1:07:50Um so I think if uh there were mandatory timelines requiring VA to review prospective presumptive conditions within let's say 180 days uh mandate some sort of external review if presumptives were uh removed or an external review uh right after they were uh finalized.
▶ 1:08:11uh and then cottify that presumptives could probably only be removed if there's overwhelming evidence that contradicts the existing science that was used in the approval process.
▶ 1:08:21Well, is secretary fully leveraging the authorities granted by Congress to establish new presumptives in your view or could he be more more assertive? I I think he Secretary Collins and the lead or excuse me, Secretary Collins and the VA uh as I said um there are some conditions that that particularly with like K2 veterans, Red Hill um that could be advanced more quickly.
▶ 1:08:49So uh what would help better what would be more helpful? faster presumptive decisions, clearer transparency on where conditions are in the process, or better access to exposure records so veterans aren't left guessing. I sir, I would say all three.
▶ 1:09:05Um I I think the DoD was uh the eer the individual um I'm forgetting what the acronym stands for, but basically the individual record of exposures to service members while they're on active service um that the DoD could track and then give to VA. um that was supposed to be made available I think uh a year ago and we're still waiting on on that. Um there are definitely things that that could improve in that process.
▶ 1:09:31Well, thank you. I yield back, Mr. Chairman. Senator Chillis.
▶ 1:09:35Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thanks everybody for being here today. I always like it when my colleagues ask for people that are from California or whatever state. I'd like to know if we've got anybody here that either is from North Carolina or spent a little quality time there in your past. If you'll uh please raise your hand.
▶ 1:09:54There you go. Um first off, an explanation on the bolo. Um the Lumbi tribe in North Carolina got recognized, excuse me, after 137 years of racism, neglect, and more recently at the target of the casino cartels.
▶ 1:10:13The reason I wear this today is because they have disproportionately over in spite of all those challenges, they are among some of the most courageous and disproportionately represented people and armed services in the state of North Carolina. So I'm looking forward to them now that they've been federally recognized putting a mark in Lumbi and Robinson County focused on veterans and all those great Native Americans that have served this country in the same way that you did.
▶ 1:10:42Thank you for your service. Um, you know, as I was looking at the written testimony of my staff uh this week, I was trying to think of what I can do in my remaining time here. It's 305 days. Now, some people think I'm counting the days uh before I'm out of here, but I'm a project person and I am always mindful of how much time I have left in my budget. So, as a US senator, I've got 305 days to do everything I can to help you guys.
▶ 1:11:13One of the ways I want to help you is by having a a a frank conversation about how we address all the things the commander has outlined, but not kill you with kindness. Because what we do here a lot of times is we rush to pass a bill and we get it and we high-five and then about a year later we come back and figure out why it's failed to be executed properly. And quite honestly, I'll give you the best example of that.
▶ 1:11:41You all know um that I voted in spite of being an original co-sponsor and in spite of having the team act and the camplearn toxics being written out of my office and promoted. I voted against the pacted act. And the reason I voted against the pact even knowing that it was going to pass by overwhelming majorities is because I thought we were going to come up short on the execution. And that by God is exactly what's happened.
▶ 1:12:07So, one of the things that I hope to do in my remaining time here, and my time is short on these comments, is to tr try and convene a meeting to figure out how we can get to all these priorities, past and future, Mr.
▶ 1:12:21commander, but doing it in a way that's honest, that's instructed by the reality of resources that we have here to make sure that we can have maximum impact on you all and and not only kind of fulfill the promise by passing a law, but true to the state motto of North Carolina, it's Saquan Vader. It says to be rather than to seem.
▶ 1:12:46Instead of seeming to support you all by passing bills that get caught up in execution, I want to be somebody that helps you do that in the remaining tenure in my remaining tenure in the Senate. So, you'll be getting a call from me and we'll get other veteran services organizations together and we're going to figure out how to make the most out of the 305 days I have left to begin to make an installment on a debt we'll never repay. Thank you.
▶ 1:13:11Thank you, Senator Tillis. I will tell you me and my staff are more than help happy to contact with your staff and work together to accomplish just that.
▶ 1:13:20Thank you,
▶ 1:13:21Senator Tillis. Thank you, Representative Papus.
▶ 1:13:24Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Uh, Commander, thank you so much for your testimony here today. And I want to thank everyone from the American Legion family who's joining this hearing. Uh, thank you for your service and sacrifice. It doesn't go unnoticed by Congress and we certainly owe you all a debt and have to work to repay that. and I think you've given us an important road map of how we can pursue our our obligations to the veteran community in our nation. Um, thank you for highlighting uh veteran suicide as your number one priority. It is on the minds of every veteran I talked to in the state of New Hampshire.
▶ 1:13:53Uh, and a shout out to all those from the live free or die state of New Hampshire who are joining this hearing today. Um I I want you to know that this is important and um we need to focus on the kinds of alternative therapies uh that can help veterans manage pain and um ensure that they are living with a high quality of life. Um we've got legislation called the No Pain for Veterans Act that can help reduce reliance on opioid based treatments for veterans.
▶ 1:14:16Um and um I'm just wondering if you can kind of evaluate how we're doing at um opening up the doors to some of these alternative therapies that can result in a better quality of life and less reliance on opioid based medications.
▶ 1:14:29Thank you. Uh Representative Papus, I appreciate that question. Uh it's no secret that far too long doctors have prescribed opioids which are destructive and addictive to our veterans. Uh and the American Legion by resolution supports alternative therapies, which is one of the reasons why we were proud to be uh in the Oval Office on December the 18th when the president signed the executive order reclassifying cannabis from a schedule one to schedule 3.
▶ 1:14:56There's a lot of other therapies uh that we believe would be productive uh for veterans and I'm going to ask again our VAR director Cole to address those.
▶ 1:15:07Thank you, Commander. And um thank you, Congressman. uh the No Pain for Veterans Act. Right now, the the VA still treats many of these nonopioid pain management things. So, long lasting topical uh pain cream, things like that, non-opioid injectables as nonformulary. So, it makes it harder for physicians to prescribe. They have got to go through extra, you know, red tape to do it. Um and it often costs more to the veteran out of pocket.
▶ 1:15:35So this the bill and why it would fix that problem is it would mandate that VA add these non uh opioid alternatives uh as VA formulary uh to make it easier for those prescribers for those providers to prescribe alternatives which as the commander noted um obviously we had an opioid crisis in the United States um as the VA and other agencies have worked to kind of uh lower that or reduce the impact of that on the population.
▶ 1:16:05Veterans still have to find a way to deal with things like chronic pain. Um, so without alternatives, they they turn to self-medication and and things like that. This would provide realistic
▶ 1:16:16Well, I appreciate those observations. We're committed to working with you on this and and on all the other priorities on the list. We've got to make some progress here. Um, so let's get things moving. Your presence here in Washington is a big show of support for priorities that are going to positively impact the lives of veterans and their families all across our country. So, thanks for being here and uh let's keep up the pressure. I yield back.
▶ 1:16:36Thank you, Congressman. Represent King
▶ 1:16:39First of all, I want to say thank you for your advocacy and your leadership and I want to thank all the members of American Legions for being here and for your continued work to be able to uh get Congress to move on some of these priority legislation. I appreciate all the hard work. Um I read your your testimony and I appreciate the clarity and the urgency. uh in your in in the testimony that you've submitted.
▶ 1:17:05Um one of the things that I want to get a better understanding of uh after reviewing your testimony is from the priorities that you have outlined, what do you believe is the single biggest systematic failure in how we currently deliver benefits to veterans and what specific legislative action should we be prioritizing to address it?
▶ 1:17:29Thank you, Representative King Hines. I I'm going to ask again our VA and our director Kolile to address that
▶ 1:17:36Thank you. Um Commander, I think the the if we're going to talk specifics in the benefits process, it's the high rate of remands from the Board of Veterans Appeals. Um and that is directly resulted from the quality of CMP exams in that process. Um the the VA largely utilizes contractors to conduct those CMP exams. Um and you know there there is fairly consistent in our regional office action review site visits.
▶ 1:18:04Um we find uh inadequate DBQs that are submitted for CMP exams um that result in appeals delays things like that. So I I would say that's the the the biggest
▶ 1:18:17point of failure
▶ 1:18:18point of failure. Uh and there are several bills to include the uh MDEO. Uh I'm forgetting on what the specific bill number is off the top of my head, but uh to improve the oversight of those contractors and and ensure there's quality in those CMP exams.
▶ 1:18:35Where where do you see is the widest gap then between some of these legislation that have been enacted going back to the point that Senator Tillis was making right with regards to the delivery is it in in terms of connecting legislation and the actual delivery and the way that the VA currently uh does its job? Uh it's a great question.
▶ 1:19:03Uh from a 30,000 foot view uh perspective, I would I would say really education and advocacy and um you know, educating veterans, many of whom often feel like that if they apply for uh disability compensation, they're going to be taking something away from another veteran. Um, so I I would say from a top level view, that's that's the biggest thing between legislation and actual delivery of benefits is educating veterans.
▶ 1:19:32Well, I'd like to continue working with the American Legions to figure out how to actually address those systematic failures. Thank you. I my time,
▶ 1:19:39Senator Hassan.
▶ 1:19:41Well, thank you, Mr. Chair, and to you and Chairman Boast and our ranking members, Blumenthal and Tano. Thank you for this hearing and uh to everyone uh here today to Commander Wy and everyone from the American Legion um including the Granite Sters who are in attendance. Thank you for your service. I also just want to note that as the country is at war um our troops in harm's way are in all of our hearts today as are the families of our fallen heroes.
▶ 1:20:11Um, our country owes all of you a debt of gratitude, not just for your service in uniform, but also for your service to your fellow veterans. Commander Wy, I wanted to start with a question um about h how we are handling um services for women who are of course the fastest growing group of veterans. They obviously deserve easy access to care that is specific to them and their needs.
▶ 1:20:38Senator Blackburn and I are working on this issue and we're going to introduce a bill soon that would cautify the ability of women veterans to directly schedule gender specific care without having to get a primary care referral first. Um, but we know we need to do more.
▶ 1:20:53Commander, what else can Congress do to ensure that women veterans have easy, reliable access to the care that meets their specific I I think a couple of things uh that they can do specifically as I suggested or or saw in one of the VA hospital visits. It's having a separate access uh for women's veterans. It's also having uh sufficient number of doctors uh that can treat women's veterans.
▶ 1:21:21You know, 20 years ago, you would never have heard of an OBGYn in in a VA. And you know, we have obviously veterans that are having babies. Um, and we need more uh women physicians and more um uh those types that treat women's veterans. So, those are the big things we can do right off the bat, I think, to help women's
▶ 1:21:41Well, thank you for that and I look forward to working with you and your members on that issue. Um, another question um concerning uh families of veterans. It's not just to care for our veterans. Uh we also owe a debt to their families, right? And after a veteran passes, surviving family members may encounter financial strain. Some can qualify for monthly payments under dependency and indemnity compensation, but those payments can be much smaller than what a veteran was receiving for VA disability.
▶ 1:22:12Commander, what are some potential options that Congress should consider to help these families through this adjustment period so that they don't have to immediately worry about money while they're grieving for their loved one?
▶ 1:22:23Thank you again, Senator Hass. I agree with you 100% on the premise and I'm going to ask our VA and our director Cole to address that specifically.
▶ 1:22:31Thank you. Oh, excuse me. Thank you, Commander. Uh, and thank you, Senator. I think the American Legion has supported um the Caring for Survivors Act and the Love Lives On Act specifically to raise the the DIC, the Disability Indemnity Compensation. uh because as as you pointed out uh they while their service member is alive they rely on a certain level of income for their uh quality of life and standard of living and when it gets significantly reduced that's a pretty big financial shock.
▶ 1:23:00Sure. Thank you very much. I yield.
▶ 1:23:03Senator Sheihy uh we are veterans not victims. Veterans not victims. And uh we're not entitled to anything. We've earned the benefits that we deserve and we deserve those benefits in the form that they should come and I think uh the best thing we can do for our veterans when we get home from war. Uh and I'll talk to Mr. Sharp Espinos about this is make sure that they can serve again and that can be as a law enforcement officer that can be as a firefighter. That can be as a small business owner, a machinist, a welder.
▶ 1:23:32Right now America has a skills gap. We don't have enough pilots, police officers, firefighters, welders, electricians. And these careers are actually well suited for veterans. Probably the best careers for veterans, even as agriculture. We don't have enough producers, ranchers, and farmers. And we're not afraid of getting up early and working till the sun goes down. And these jobs are important for the future of America. They sustain our economy, and they feed our nation. So, Mr. Mr. Sharp, as knows, I'd like to hear from you what you think we can do to make sure that when our veterans come home and take that uniform off.
▶ 1:24:02They don't spend the rest of their life talking about how great it was to be a veteran, they spend the rest of their life achieving new great heights as veterans and make us proud yet again.
▶ 1:24:17Thank you for that question. Uh, the American Legion has always supported expansion of the TAP program. Uh we believe TAP programs should be a way for veterans to find employment, possib employment and also be gainfully employed. Um currently not all our veterans are aware of the various services that are out there for veterans as far as um finding employment.
▶ 1:24:45So, the American Legion has um dur for our resolution, we believe that there should be a transition app with an AI component to it to put all veterans that are leaving the military on on a level playing field because depending on what installation that you're leaving from, may not have all the services uh for for everyone.
▶ 1:25:08So, we we believe that transition app is the is the one thing that will level the playing field, keep veterans informed of all the services and programs that the TAP office currently has, but also keep an eye on what's happening in the private sector as well. Thank you. Well, I'd say one thing I I could use all of your help with is uh one of the requirements to receive your DD14 upon discharge should be a full transfer of your health records to the VA.
▶ 1:25:36A VA disability physical has been completed and you are ingested into the VA before the DoD lets go of you. that would solve this chasm that too many veterans fall into, which is they step off active duty and they spend months or years or the rest of their lives trying to get into the VA, trying to get their disability claims adjudicated. That should be a condition of discharge and I think the sooner we adopt a clean transfer of health records and health status from the deal to the VA will solve that problem. Thank you.
▶ 1:26:04Thank you, Senator Sheihy. Uh, Senator
▶ 1:26:09Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I don't want to throw shade at you guys, but you were talking about Boy State. I was governor of American Legion Boy Now, the tricky part is the boy state was Virginia and later I was elected governor of Maine and the people of Maine are still trying to figure that out.
▶ 1:26:31But uh and also I want to congratulate you on Matt Jabbo being your legislative director, but it's pretty sneaky because he lives a mile away from me. Having your chief legislative guy as my neighbor, I think that's, you know, come on, man. Uh uh I want to follow up on on on Senator Shehy.
▶ 1:26:52Um, there's a bill we're hoping to get in in markup that would allow and and in fact mandate the registration of people into the VA health system before they leave active duty. So, I hope that's something we can work on together because I think that's a really good One of the things I've been focused on since I've been here is transition. My rule is very simple. The government should spend as much money, time, and effort on transition out as they do on recruiting in.
▶ 1:27:21and they don't do that now. So I hope that's something we can work together on. U TAP promotion I think is we almost made it last year giving the VSOs access to people during the TAP process. The whole idea is to give people leaving active duty more information about what's available. You're you're nodding. I hope you agree Senator King. Thank you. We absolutely agree with you.
▶ 1:27:45to have the VSOs to have access will make that transition in the community much easier because we can provide them the information necessary so they can make that transition into the community.
▶ 1:27:56Something else that I'm working on in in the in the area of veteran suicide, which is one of the great tragedies of this country is for the VA to provide free lock boxes for firearms to any 75% of veteran suicides, almost 75% are with firearms.
▶ 1:28:16And as we've learned, the data shows that if there's any gap between the idea and execution, that that can be a real help to somebody who's thinking about this terrible act. So, I hope that's something you can also help us with. It's a based on a a pilot program in Utah that's been very effective. We're not taking any names. This isn't gun control. This is safety for veterans. So, I hope you can can help us on that one.
▶ 1:28:44Senator King, we absolutely support
▶ 1:28:46Um, and then, uh, finally, uh, staffing issues at the VA. We all know that the VA has has lost a lot of people in the last year. The number I've heard 30,000, I've heard more. What I want from you is reports from the field as to whether or not that's having an impact on service for veterans. Uh, we've gotten the word from the VA.
▶ 1:29:10They feel the secretary, you heard him the other day, everything's good and weight times are down, but I'd like some feedback from from people in the field as to whether uh whether that's the case because you're the ones that are actually experiencing this and uh we're we're looking to fix problems here, but we can't fix the problems if we don't know uh what they are. So, I look forward to working with you on that as well.
▶ 1:29:34and thank you very much for your leadership and uh look forward to continuing our our work together on behalf of America's veterans. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:29:42Governor, thank you for your questions.
▶ 1:29:45Senator Boseman,
▶ 1:29:49thank you, M. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm sorry. Uh thank you for being here. Uh thank all of you for being here. the the in the last several years, Congress has been able to step forward and again, as somebody whose dad did 20 years, I understand that these are, as uh Senator Shei just said, you know, these are certainly earned benefits and we've been able to accomplish a lot, but we the only reason we've been able to accomplish it is because of you all.
▶ 1:30:19And so there's nothing more heartwarming to sit here and look out and see a full chamber, people on the wall. That's a good thing. There's no uh substitute for you being here talking to your the people that representing you telling them how important these things are and why they're needed. And because of your help, like I say, we've been able to do a lot of good things and and continue to do that in a very bipartisan way. That's really what it's all about.
▶ 1:30:47So the um VA recently released its annual veteran suicide prevention report with the date through 2023. It shows that veteran suicide crisis, as you all know, is continuing to to rage. The report highlighted the success of the Staff Sergeant Fox grant program, making more than 24,000 referrals and 854 life-saving emergency connections.
▶ 1:31:17E emergency service connections for veterans. Mr. Wy, what have you heard from your members regarding the program and aspects that need to be changed or Thank you, Senator. I appreciate uh the the question. I think there are several things that can be done uh with regard to the epidemic of veteran suicide. And as you know, this is our number one mission in eliminating the stigma, but more resources number one are needed for mental health.
▶ 1:31:44Uh we need more resources for things to combat homelessness like the HUDVASH program. Um and uh we need basically um I lost my train of thought. I apologize. So um I'm going to ask Cole uh to to elaborate on that. Sure. Thank
▶ 1:32:05Thank you, Commander. And um
▶ 1:32:06you're just trying to make me feel better that me more often than not.
▶ 1:32:12Uh thank you, Senator Boseman. think uh the success of the uh Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox grant program over over the years we've seen the the VA move closer and closer to the community from medical centers to seabox to vet centers and now things like the Fox grant program that are not VA organizations uh but leverage VA funding to provide that outreach to veterans which is crucial because less than 50% of veterans use the
▶ 1:32:42VA the number of veteran suicides with the declining population has stayed stagnant. So the rate of suicide if you look at the data has actually increased.
▶ 1:32:51Um and these types of programs uh are local programs that provide that veterans trust that are in their community that provide that outreach and deal with the upstream factors of suicide um like transportation, relationship uh issues, acute financial stress, um any number of different things. So, it we want to get to the veteran before there's a critical mass of despair.
▶ 1:33:15Um, and and programs like that are really helpful.
▶ 1:33:18Good. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you again. Thank you all for being here and the uh the fact that you're pushing hard and uh together uh we're getting a lot
▶ 1:33:28Senator Boseman, thank you, Senator Murray, former chairman of the
▶ 1:33:31Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Thank you to all of you who are here today and everyone in this country who has served our nation. Uh we all owe you and we all say this a debt of gratitude for your service. But it is more than that. We owe you to keep the promise that when you come home we will be there for you in any way both to the current veterans and to the ones who we will see in the future. I think it's really important today, Mr.
▶ 1:33:58chairman and this has kind of been glossed over this point of time that we are in where we have a president who is taking us to war in Iran who seems to have no problem sending other kids off to a war but seems to have a problem in picking up the tab um when it comes right by doing our service members when they come home with a VA right now that has waiting lines that veterans can't get served that we see doctors and nurses who are not being hired uh and no thought
▶ 1:34:28has been given to that. What we hear from Trump is that he's saying that this bombing campaign in Iran could go on indefinitely. Uh he's saying the death of our service members in a war of choice is quote and he said this just the way it is. He's saying he won't rule out putting American boots on the ground in Iran. I think it is very serious time for our country. I have served on this committee for more than 30 years.
▶ 1:34:54I know the consequences of war as each and every one of you does in front of me and to go to war without preparing for the future and making sure that we are there for the men and women who serve us and we thank them for that but when they come home as well and Mr. Chairman we are not ready for that today. This has to be a consequence that we consider for numerous reasons. I'm going to be voting using my v voice today to vote no on the war in Iran.
▶ 1:35:23But it is the responsibility of this committee and every member of Congress to think about all the consequences of war and take that into account and hold this administration accountable and make that clear when we make our choices moving forward. Felt it was really important to say that today with all of you who have served our country and know what those sacrifices mean. So, Mr. Chairman, I only have a few seconds left. And with that, I want to change the subject and thank you, Commander Wy, for saying the word menopause.
▶ 1:35:54Having been on this committee for more than 30 years, this is the first time I've heard it, and I think I counted four times. For women who serve us in this country, we know that they experience early menopause uh a after having served in the military more than women in the general population. We need to know why and we need to be able to make sure that we are doing the right thing for those women. So I did introduce a bill last year to for the VA to do more research on that.
▶ 1:36:21That along with all the other things that you are talking about today have as serious a consequence today as we are in this time where a president has taken us to war and Iran without congressional consent as any other time. And I want to thank every one of you for being here. And my promise to all of you is I will fight to make sure no matter what goes forward that this committee and this Congress will do for our veterans who serve us the right thing when they come home.
▶ 1:36:50And we have to take that cost and account into account as we make these decisions. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
▶ 1:36:56Senator Murray, thank you.
▶ 1:36:58Senator Murray, thank you. Uh now I recognize Mr. McGarvey. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you all for being here today. Thank you for your continued service to our country. Mr. Wy, thank you guys. The American Legion, you all have spent generations making sure that our veterans are taken care of when they come home. Uh that they continue to have meaningful lives after their service.
▶ 1:37:25And and I know everyone on this committee shares that same goal of making sure that we get our veterans the care that they have been promised, that they have earned, and that they deserve. I I think one area where the VA could be doing much more right now is getting innovative ideas off the ground. You you heard Senator Murray talk about the need for research, particularly among our women veterans right now. Look what the VA has at its disposal. It's the largest patient population of any hospital system in the country by multiples.
▶ 1:37:549 million patients. We have the largest longitudinal data set of any health system in the country by multiples. Think about we we get you often times when you're 17 or 18 years old. We keep you till the day you die. 75% of physicians do some sort of training or work in the VA right now. And what are we doing with this treasure trove of talent and information?
▶ 1:38:15Not enough.
▶ 1:38:16Not nearly enough. Right now, even really good ideas can sit around for years before veterans are able to see them because the VA doesn't have the tools or the flexibility that other agencies use. We have this this stuff there, but we have structural impediments to it. At places like the Department of Defense and NASA, they can partner quickly with early stage companies that guarantee a market for promising technologies and they can move these good ideas and these research things from concept to real world use without getting buried in red tape.
▶ 1:38:45The VA doesn't have those same authorities. And the veterans are the people who feel the impact of that delay and that bureaucracy every day. It doesn't have to be this way. We can empower the innovation team at the VHA to conceive and test new solutions that that go after the hardest problems that our veterans face. And think about this. We solve these problems for our veterans. We can start solving them for everyone in the country.
▶ 1:39:16So I want to go to you, Mr. WY and just say if the VA had flexibility and authorities to test and scale these types of new care models quickly, what kinds of innovative programs would you want them to prioritize first to better meet the needs of your members?
▶ 1:39:34Thank you uh for that question and absolutely we're always looking for different methods of treatment uh to treat our veterans that might be more successful than those have been in the past because we believe that is one of the uh main ways to combat the epidemic of veteran suicide. But with regard to the specifics again I'm going to ask our VA and our director Cole to address
▶ 1:39:57Thank you commander and um thank you congressman. I I think uh you know some some basic um sorry some basic programs uh like digital matching tools. I think there's a a pilot program for uh identifying substitute caregivers that could be uh directly expanded and utilized nationally. So uh caregivers could have trusted resources to for substitutes to come and and care for their service member.
▶ 1:40:25um uh hybrid in-person tellaalth uh type things where there is a remote monitoring with the uh wearables and home sensors. So for rural veterans that that have to travel long distances for chronic pain management and things like that um they they only have inhome visits for severe cases or in hospital visits uh for severe issues that are not routine and they can do teleaalth appointments for things that are pretty routine.
▶ 1:40:54So it would reduce readmittance rates um wait times things like that that the VA could could utilize pilot and expand rapidly if they had those authorities.
▶ 1:41:04Thank you so much. amount of time. Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
▶ 1:41:10Uh, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, and I tell you, I always knew I like Senator King because it turns out I was boy state governor as well in New Jersey in 1980. Uh, haven't gone on to become a governor. Uh but uh it is certainly was a a very impactful uh time of my life that uh certainly has paved my way to going into elected uh office.
▶ 1:41:35Um thank you Commander Wally for your uh testimony and thank you to the American Legion and this panel for your advocacy and leadership. I wanted to take this time to shout out to my local American Legion post of which I I'm a member late Valentine Post in Burlington City 336. Where are you guys? I think they're here, but New Jersey folks, there you are. Um, happy you're here with us in the audience as well.
▶ 1:42:00As a physician and veteran, I have been extremely disappointed uh with the VA's decision to shrink its medical workforce. We all know that in order for the VA to continue to provide quality care, it must be fully staffed. Uh just yesterday uh the VA reported uh 1 1500 vacancies uh among uh a physician workforce its physician workforce and uh 4,900 vacancies uh with respect to our ends uh in the VA.
▶ 1:42:26Um our veterans depend on uh these uh medical professionals. Quality care depends on a quality uh fully staffed workforce. uh what would you say the biggest barriers and particularly given uh your emphasis rightly on mental health services for veterans um and here um I want to thank uh Senator King is working with us on trying to get telealth services and a pilot uh to veterans who are incarcerated
▶ 1:42:57uh and also for his effort and he's mentioned it here today to lift the cap uh so that we can uh help the VA recruit more physicians in to the service. But uh what uh would you say uh are the biggest barriers to veterans trying to access mental health services uh within the VA?
▶ 1:43:14Thank you. I appreciate um that question and um I'm going to ask our VA and our director Kle to address that question.
▶ 1:43:24Thank you uh commander and thank you Congressman. Um I I think obviously outreach is a is a huge thing. The uh VA's budget uh for mental health and suicide prevention outreach, I think, is is hovering around uh $600 million right now, which sounds like a large number. Uh a big portion of that is going to the the Fox grant program. Um advertising, things like that.
▶ 1:43:51And that represents less than onetenth of 1% of VA's overall budget. Um, so outreach could definitely improve. I think utilizing um, VSOs, uh, things like the Fox Grant program, making it easier for local and state level organizations to, um, access those funds and expand those funds, permanently authorize the program, um, would be would be very helpful.
▶ 1:44:18Uh, thank you, uh, Mr. Chairman, you're
▶ 1:44:21Thank you, uh, Senator Schlle.
▶ 1:44:23All right, you're almost done, I think. Um, I'm Senator Alyssa Slotkin from Michigan. I'm a former CIA officer. I did three tours in Iraq alongside the military. Um, and I want to associate myself with Senator Sheh's comments. Um, but particularly mention a piece of legislation he and I are working on on um, making sure that the GI bill um, gives the same benefits for a veteran choosing an apprenticeship versus going into education of some kind.
▶ 1:44:53Right now, you get dinged every six months if you're in an apprenticeship and your benefit just doesn't go as far. We've talked to the Legion about this. I think we're on the same page. But I just want to put a marker down that at a time when our country needs again so many specific career types. A lot of those career types that Senator Shehy mentioned, especially skilled trades, are apprenticeships. And you shouldn't be dinged because you want to go into um a successful career in the trades versus going to a four-year university. So I just wanted to put that marker down.
▶ 1:45:23But as a part of this kind of post 911 generation, I want to raise a separate issue and if not get an answer, get this community thinking about this artificial intelligence in deciding what are benefits that our veterans get or don't get. There's a lot of discussion about bringing artificial intelligence into the VA. Um I'm working on legislation right now debating this. Um, and there's lots of pilot programs being looked at.
▶ 1:45:51What I am concerned about is that before we hardly know what happen what's happening, we're going to let, you know, software decide if a veteran gets a benefit or not. And I got a problem with that. And we understand that AI can do amazing things and can amalgamate data and, you know, figure out if a veteran's got all their paperwork in. But does the Legion have thinking on this?
▶ 1:46:18Who's the thought leader that's trying to help our veterans organizations think through this new hot issue that is coming to a theater near us?
▶ 1:46:26Thank you, Senator. I appreciate your question. And let me give you an example of a recent visit I had to a regional office and explain in my mind how artificial intelligence can be productive. Um what they do is use artificial intelligence for administrative tasks such as organizing records uh and and putting those all together for a reviewer or raider.
▶ 1:46:50What should not happen and what we cannot allow happen is for artificial artificial intelligence to substitute for judgment.
▶ 1:47:00Judgment has to be a human being that can review all of the evidence and make an independent uh determination using everything they know. artificial intelligence is not a replacement for
▶ 1:47:10Yeah. So, thank you. Um and Mr. Chairman, I just think this is an issue we're going to have to deal with as a committee, both chairman's here and ranking members, um of just how much power are we going to give to AI to decide if a veteran gets reimbursed for something, if a veteran qualifies for something. I I just think we're moving very fast and there's some real benefits, I know.
▶ 1:47:32Um, but I I I just a human being needs to be in the decision tree before we start making life and death decisions for veterans. So, appreciate everyone's work here and thank you. I yield back. Senator, thank you. Representative Chano has an additional question I'm going to allow him to ask and then we're going to turn to the senator and then we're going to conclude this panel.
▶ 1:47:58Uh there's a vote that started in the Senate and we'll have a change of of uh to to our second panel during that vote. Senator
▶ 1:48:11thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh you know, with the New York Times article yesterday, I I wanted to quickly ask a question about staffing. Um you know, veterans care doesn't happen without staff. And commander, are you hearing from legionnaires about appointments being pushed out or services getting harder to access?
▶ 1:48:32Anecdotally, the answer is yes.
▶ 1:48:34So, anecdotally, uh, for the Legionnaires here today, I just want to by a show of hands, are you experiencing delayed care or longer wait time because a clinic, a seabach, didn't have enough staff? Just raise your hand by show of All right, so number of hands have been raised. Thank you. Thank you. I I yield
▶ 1:48:54Uh thank you, ranking member, Senator.
▶ 1:48:56Thank you, Mr. Chairman. First of all, welcome to the many hooer legionnaires who are in the audience. Very proud to be your senator. I am a member of the American Legion Post 98 in my hometown, Columbia City, Indiana. I'm very proud of it.
▶ 1:49:15our veterans count on the American Legion and all of our great veteran service organizations to advocate for the very best possible health care, education, and disability benefits for our veterans every day. And I want to thank all of you for the important work that you do. Commander Wy, I strongly agree that veterans deserve a claims and appeals system that is simple, efficient, and worthy of their service.
▶ 1:49:40I appreciate the Legion's support for My Veterans Appeals Efficiency Act that I've introduced. Can you talk about the that we've worked with you on it? Can you talk about the bill and why it would be helpful?
▶ 1:49:52Thank you, Senator Banks. Um, and it is something that's important to to us and I'm going to ask our VA and our director Kau to specifically address that.
▶ 1:50:00Thank you, Commander. And, uh, thank you, Senator. Um, the the the act you cited is a great idea. there's a lot of um specific provisions in there reporting requirements from the VA uh making the process more transparent. I know there's been concerns in the veteran community uh about aggregation of data. Um I think there obviously as mentioned earlier there's a high remand rate from the court. Um aggregation particularly for presumptive conditions um could be a good thing if granted.
▶ 1:50:31I understand we've had conversations with your office about um an opt out if they choose not to because one of the big concerns would be the veteran losing their individual um POA um and that would be you know particularly difficult to deal with if it was an aggregated claim that got denied there. It would just kind of clutter the system.
▶ 1:50:50Um, so if we could work with your office on uh improving the the language for the bill um just discussing some of the uh the the concerns and and make it more effective if passed.
▶ 1:51:03I'm glad to work with you on that. Thank you for that explanation. Commander,
▶ 1:51:07the VA's legal authority to care for homeless veterans expired during the government shutdown last fall. We can never let that happen again. and and I'm introducing legislation to make the healthc care for homeless veterans program permanent so that it can't shut down during a shutdown. Can I count on the Legion support to help pass that
▶ 1:51:28Very good. All right. Well, thank you. Thank you for that. Again, thank you for all that you do, each and every one of you in the room and your leadership. I'm a big fan of the American Legion. I'm proud to be a member. With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
▶ 1:51:39Senator Banks, thank you very much. Um, National Commander, thank you for you and your team's testimony. use a moment to u to recognize national commander of the Sons of the American Legion. Uh I'm a member of the Sons of the American Legion and use this as an opportunity to indicate to others like me that there's an opportunity to serve uh veterans and to be a part of the American Legion program. Um with that, we close out this panel and transition to our second panel. Uh again, Commander Wy, thank you.
▶ 1:52:08who I'll see you in Kansas at some point in time, but thank you to your entire team of American Legion advocates and workers on behalf of our nation's veterans and their families. We'll take a brief recess to allow the American Legion panel and the audience members to depart and our second panel organizations and me members to get situated. We are pausing. Thank you.
▶ 1:56:09You can go ahead and speak. See what you
▶ 1:56:11Testing. Testing.
▶ 1:58:34Welcome everybody. You can take your seats. We'll get started. Welcome to our second panel of witnesses and audience members. Thanks for being here today. In our second panel today, we have Mr. Robert Thomas, National for Paralyzed Veterans of America. Mr. Paul Shipley, National Commander for Mr. Terry Prince, President for National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs.
▶ 1:59:07You have a you have a pretty good continuent here, Terry. Lieutenant General Walter Piet. Is that corre? There you go. Chief Executive Officer for Wounded Warrior Project. Thanks for being here.
▶ 1:59:22Miss Anita Sullivan, surviving spouse of Navy Petty Officer Third Class Michael Sullivan, testifying for Tragedy Assistance Program for Major General Frank Mcinn, President for National Guard Association of the United States, and Mr. Jim Why, Chief Executive Officer Officer for Mission Roll Call. Thank you all again for being here. and for your organization's hard work, dedication.
▶ 1:59:51You provide tremendous value uh to our committee. Uh so we'll start now. Uh Mr. Thomas, you are recognized for five minutes and we'll just go down the line. Chairman Moran, Chairman Boss, and members of the committees, thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today on behalf of the tens of thousands of veterans with spinal cord injuries and disorders who rely on VA's benefits and care.
▶ 2:00:17The VA is the best health care provider for veterans with catastrophic disabilities. The department spinal cord injuries and disorder system of care provides a coordinated lifelong continuum of services. There is no comparable private system of care in this community. Thus, preserving and strengthening VA's specialty care system remains PVA's highest priority, and it should be for you, too.
▶ 2:00:43When I appeared before these committees last year, I spoke about the ways that ongoing staffing deficiencies and infrastructure problems were undermining not just VA's SEI system of care, but VA's specialized services in general. Not much has changed since then, and it is frustrating to have to bring up this year after year without resolution.
▶ 2:01:09the previous administration's practice of simply eliminating unfilled positions This is extremely concerning because it presents the illusion that staffing levels are better than they really are. And I must call a file on this because at the same time positions are being eliminated, it could be difficult to fill them due to the staffing caps and funding limitations.
▶ 2:01:35I urge you to continue to press the VA for answers regarding how it plans to care for the tens of thousands of veterans with FED who are on its registries and depend on VA for quality, timely, direct care. This cannot be allowed to continue for another year. Access to lifelong services and supports continue to be crucial for PBA's members.
▶ 2:02:03We are very appreciative of Congress's passage of the Senator Living Do Act. VA says the Veterans Directive Care Program is now available at all major facilities, but the feedback we have suggests some programs exist in name only or serve few veterans. Congress must ensure that the elective do acts provisions are carried out as Another important aspect of lifelong support is VA's bowel and bladder program.
▶ 2:02:34For veterans with SEID's support for neurogenic bowel and bladder dysfunction is a crucial aspect of their care. Unfortunately, VA's current bile and bladder program is fought with challenges for caregivers. Timely reimbursement and the tax treatment of payments are the two chief complaints I hear. Codifying the program would provide the opportunity to fix many of these problems.
▶ 2:03:01I thank Chairman Moran for his bill, the Disabled Veterans Dignity Act, which would help to address these issues. We also appreciate the interest from the House in introducing a similar bill that includes provision provisions addressing the taxability Another area of concern is transportation to VA care.
▶ 2:03:23We are very concerned about new VA guidance that ends facility prepayment of roundtrip common carrier airfare for veterans traveling to VA SEID facilities. This change requires veterans to arrange and pay for travel upfront and seek reimbursement after their appointments, effectively preventing many from receiving necessary care.
▶ 2:03:47We appreciate that the VA is attempting to figure out a solution to this problem and call on Congress to provide VA any resources, including clear statutory authority to ensure veterans can access specialty care.
▶ 2:04:03Finally, special monthly compensation is arguably the most important ancillary benefit for veterans with severe service connected Given the extreme nature of the disabilities incurred by most veterans in receipt of SMC, we do not believe that the impact on the quality of life can be totally compensated for. However, SMC does at least provide these veterans a final financial resource to help accommodate their individual needs.
▶ 2:04:34In similar fashion, survivor benefits are intended to protect veterans families from impoverishment after the death of a service disabled veteran. Unfortunately, they don't always do that and many survivors who in many cases were once caregivers face a financial cliff. Congress established the baseline rates for these programs decades ago. They must be updated now.
▶ 2:05:00We urge Congress to quickly pass the Sherry Breley and Eric Edmonson's Veterans Benefit Expansion Act. Thank you for the opportunity to testify. I will be happy to answer any
▶ 2:05:14Thank you, Mr. Thomas. I'd like everybody to pull your microphone just a little closer. You got people in the back. Make sure that you speak into it because we're a government entity. We don't run real well up here. So, um, as y'all well know, u, Mr. Shipley from American Vets, you got five minutes.
▶ 2:05:34Chairman Boston, Chairman Moran, ranking members to Cono and Blumenthal, and distinguished members of the committees. On behalf of Amvets, thank you for the opportunity to present our legislative priorities and for your continued commitment to the men and women who have served our country. Ambettz represents more than 20 million veterans from every era of service, including active duty, national guard, reserve, and those who have transition to civilian life.
▶ 2:06:02This past year marks a new chapter for our After more than 80 years in the National Capital Region, we relocated our national headquarters to Washington, Pennsylvania, where we also established the Ambettz Family Services Center. This 35,000q ft² facility will serve our homeless veterans and their families. Our veterans will be able to remain with their spouses and children while they secure employment, permanent housing, and long-term stability.
▶ 2:06:32Through the center, we administer Department of Labor homeless veterans reintegration program grants in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Phoenix, Arizona, along with workforce programs and veteran standowns across the nation. These efforts reflect what experience has taught us. Housing, employment, mental wellness, and family stability are interconnected.
▶ 2:06:55Effective policy must reflect that Mental wellness and suicide prevention remain our top legislative priority. Despite significant federal investment, suicide continues to take an unacceptable toll on the veteran community. We have seen strong evidence-driven results from community-based efforts supported by the Staff Sergeant Fox grant program, which often reach veterans for whom traditional care has not worked.
▶ 2:07:22As Congress considers reauthorizing the Fox grants, we urge expanding proven models and continuing to focus on measurable outcomes. Our current approach spends billions while delivering minimal improvement in reducing symptoms and suicide.
▶ 2:07:38After two and a half decades following 911 and more than 140,000 veteran deaths, the time has come to invest in programs where outcomes are front and Congress and the VA must embrace a proactive outcomedriven approach and move beyond an expensive, reactive system that is not working for the vast majority of veterans. Wellness interventions must begin earlier and be embedded throughout a service member's career.
▶ 2:08:06The real antidote to suicide is not slogans or billboards telling veterans to seek help. It is ensuring that the men and women who serve are equipped with the tools to build meaningful lives and know where to turn when times become A similar forward-looking approach is needed in the treatment of traumatic brain injury. Since 2000, more than service members have been diagnosed with TBI.
▶ 2:08:31Many face lasting cognitive and emotional effects that disrupt employment, relationships, and overall health. Legislation such as the Beacon Act and the Veterans TBI Adaptive Care Opportunities Nationwide Act would allow the VA to evaluate and expand innovative patient centered therapies.
▶ 2:08:50We are also thankful to Chairman Moran's leadership on the Precision Brain Health Research Act of 2025, which would help broaden our understanding of the impacts of repetitive low-level blast injuries on veterans mental health. Veterans deserve care that evolves with science and focuses on meaningful recovery. We must also honor our commitments to surviving families. Dependency and indemnity compensation has not kept pace with the comparable federal survivor benefits.
▶ 2:09:19Modernizing DIC through the Sherry Bryley and Eric Edmonson Veterans Benefit Expansion Act, the Caring for Survivors Act, and the Love Lives On Act is a matter of fairness and dignity for families who have already sacrificed so much. Modernization with the VA is equally essential. A fully interoperable electronic health record between the Department of Defense and the VA reduces duplication, improves patient safety, and ensures continuity of care.
▶ 2:09:47As the rollout continues next month, sustained oversight and disciplined execution are necessary for success. Failure is not an Fairness also requires passage of the Major Richard Star Act. For decades, the federal government has reduced military retirement pay simply because a service member was wounded badly enough to receive disability This has been framed as concurrent receipt, suggesting veterans are double They are not.
▶ 2:10:18Military retirement is earned through years of service. Disability compensation addresses injuries sustained in that service. When the government offsets one against the other, it is taking away retirement that was already earned. Let me be clear. It is time to stop stealing from our service members. Congress needs to immediately end this injustice and pass the Major Richard Star Act.
▶ 2:10:47Finally, Ambbeth supports the development of a coordinated national veteran strategy focused on measurable This nation invests hundreds of billions of dollars each year in veteran related Those resources must be expended around clear goals, accountability, and results that improve health, employment, and quality of life.
▶ 2:11:08As the men and women who defend our nation are once again placed in harm's way, we depend on this body to ensure that we are cared for when they return Our veterans and their families deserve more than promises. They deserve measurable progress in their health, their opportunities, and their quality of life. Thank you for your continued commitment to those who have served. I look forward to answering any questions you may have.
▶ 2:11:34Thank you, Mr. Shipley. Next is uh Mr. Terry Prince. Ranking member Takano, great to see you again. Visiting Lasal last year, chairman or Mr. or Senator Terrville and ranking members, distinguished members of the committees. My name is Terry Prince. I'm a 31-year veteran of the United States Navy Hospital Corman and currently serving as the president of NASDA, the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs.
▶ 2:12:00That crowd in yell you heard behind me is the distinguished members of 50 secretaries, directors, and commissioners that lead the states, territories, and districts of Colombia veterans affairs. Collectively, these veteran leaders make up the membership of NASDA. And together, they're the second largest provider of veteran services in our nation, second only to the federal VA.
▶ 2:12:24These are your government to government partners who've worked together since 1946 to serve veterans where they live and work. They should be your first point of contact for constituent issues and ensuring that the nation's 18 million veterans and their families and survivors receive the benefits and services they've earned in order to improve the quality of life and their overall well-being. In our testimony, we covered a lot in our written testimony. A few of important items.
▶ 2:12:53One is our state veterans homes that provide more than 50% of the total VA long-term care in 175 operational veterans homes and 30,000 beds. We recommend $600 million to provide priority group one construction projects where the overall cost to fund all of the necessary need to build and maintain our veterans homes is nearly $1.3 billion.
▶ 2:13:20On a separate note, the state veterans homes are having to pay for high-cost medications for veterans in their care. This needs to be addressed by passing HR1970 so that VA reimbures our state veterans homes that for medications that exceed 8 and a half% of the pdium rate, which is what the VA pays to private nursing homes that are contracted by VA to provide health care.
▶ 2:13:44The other grant program is the National Cemetery Administr Veterans Cemetery Grant 124 cemeteries across 47 states. The far the number far exceeds the amount of funding. The establishment just to cover priority one and two for establishment and maintenance on cemeteries is in the neighborhood of $220 million.
▶ 2:14:07And NASDA recommends addressing at least these groups for It was mentioned earlier about VA health care and for the 9 million veterans receiving care, we also recommend they continue to emphasize enrollment, better access, and quality care at the VA regardless of gender and whether it's provided by the VA or community care programs, which accounts for nearly 40% of that care and is in all essence is VA
▶ 2:14:37On to health records. We support the need for congressional oversight to ensure that the VA modernizes the electronic health record. It's currently cost nearly 16 billion with a projection of over 40 billion with full deployment not expected until 2031. The American Legion mentioned TAP class. As a military service member, I'm very familiar with this process and I can tell you that every service member describes it in a different way.
▶ 2:15:02What I do know as a corman and married to a psychologist that transition from anything in life, especially the military, is one of the most dangerous periods in a service member's history, especially towards suicide and other things. Our state directors need to be a part of the TAP program, need to be brought in early and often to ensure that these veterans are connected with their state benefits. The major Richard Star Act, it's time. This is a wounded veterans tax.
▶ 2:15:31NASDA strongly recommends that this Congress pass this critical legislation for these deserving disabled Veterans homelessness. We commend what the VA is doing. However, we would like them to expand eligibility. Any veteran who's homeless, at risk of homelessness, or receiving assistance through another housing program. And I'm going to close out my testimony with the number one issue that hits home to me and everybody in this room, suicide.
▶ 2:15:59Every 11 minutes in America, a family loses a loved one to suicide. And NASDA believes that the prevention of veteran suicides requires a whole of government engagement with fresh ideas and approaches. Your state directors and veterans affairs play a crucial role in suicide prevention by connecting veterans to their earned benefits back home where they live, working with their state and human services and the governor's challenge.
▶ 2:16:25We also recommend new treatment modalities to eliminate pharmarmacological intervention and other issues that don't allow veterans to explore non-traditional Your partnership with NASDA is important to our veterans as it is to us. It's a promise kept to those who once stood the watch for all of us. and together we can ensure that their service is honored not just in words but in action through strong policy, sustainable funding, and unwavering commitment.
▶ 2:16:56All of us sincerely respect and appreciate your work to improve the well-being of our nation's veterans, and we're honored to be a part of that noble mission with you. Thank you.
▶ 2:17:07Thank you, Mr. Prince. Next we have uh General Payatt from Wounded Warrior, Chairman Moran, Chairman Bost, Ranking Member Blumenthal, and Ranking Member Takano, and distinguished members of the House and Senate Committees on Veterans Affairs. Thank you all for today's hearing and for the honor to join you on behalf of Wounded Warrior Project and the warriors and families we serve.
▶ 2:17:38First, all of us at Wounded Warrior Project are deeply saddened by the recent loss of service members, and we stand ready to serve all those impacted by current military operations. As 23 years ago, Wounded Warrior Project was founded on a promise. A promise to be there no matter what for those who defend our freedom. It is that same promise that grounds the work we do today.
▶ 2:18:05Our nation's military remains engaged globally, fighting to keep the world and our nation safe. We should never allow the strategic purpose for war to mass the toll it takes on those asked to fight it. For the dangers our military is asked to face, we cannot accept the warriors simply coming back as the final tally of successful transition out of military service.
▶ 2:18:35We must see them fully home, mind, body, and soul. This is not captured in one moment in time, but through a process of hope, healing, and reconnection to a life of renewed purpose. Last week, 125 of our warriors visited many of you members of Congress.
▶ 2:18:58They were honored to tell you their stories and share the living, breathing impact of why your support matters. We discussed three priorities with you. The first, a passionate plea to do right by our past, current, and future combat veterans by passing the Major Richard Star Act this year.
▶ 2:19:21Finally, allowing for those who were forced to medically retire due to combat related injuries to receive the benefits they earned in blood. Second, on ending veteran suicide. In 2023, we lost more than 6,000 veterans to suicide. We must explore advanced treatments for those who are suffering.
▶ 2:19:46The time is now to push forward evidence-based solutions like psychedelic assisted therapies for PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and substance use disorder. We must explore all alternative treatments, coordinate research, expand access to clinical trials, and ultimately make these treatments accessible to all veterans. Third, ending veteran homelessness.
▶ 2:20:13VA and support supportive communities are making historic progress with nearly 52,000 veterans moving into permanent housing last year. Let's finish the housing unhoused disabled veterans act to ensure no veterans disability compensation is counted against them.
▶ 2:20:31Your time spent with these warriors last week and your genuine appreciation for their service touched them deeply and reminded them that their sacrifice is a big reason why our nation remains free.
▶ 2:20:46With the continued support of Congress and that of our grateful nation, Wounded Warrior Project will continue to push the boundaries of what is possible as we pursue the path to save a million more lives, cure PTSD, end veteran suicide, and end veteran Warriors are the foundation of our freedom. They have done and continue to do their part.
▶ 2:21:11It is now time to do We must keep the promise and find every warrior everywhere and bring them home mind, body, and soul. I am honored to be of service to this distinguished committee and for the opportunity to testify. Thank you for helping our nation keep the promise to our veterans. And I welcome your questions.
▶ 2:21:38Thank you. Next we have Anita Sullivan from TAPS.
▶ 2:21:46chairman Moran and Boston, ranking members Blumenthal and Tano and distinguished committee members. Thank you for the opportunity to share my family's story. Seven years ago on February 9th, 2019, I became a widow. A title no one pursues.
▶ 2:22:05My husband, the father of our three children, Navy Petty Officer Third Class Michael Sullivan, died by suicide after faithful service to our nation and decades of physical and mental health battles that plagued him during and after his time in the Navy. Much has changed in the seven years since he passed, but one thing has not. I am and always will be his widow.
▶ 2:22:35No passage of time will change that. Not my 55th birthday or becoming someone else's I met Michael in 1999 while he was stationed in Jacksonville, Florida. He was funny and captivating and we married quickly. But soon he became seriously ill. He was diagnosed with cyclic vomiting syndrome which landed him in the hospital every six weeks like clockwork.
▶ 2:23:02When he returned from his last deployment in June of 2003, we welcomed our first child. His physical health had impacted his career and his mental health. And by that July, he officially separated from the Navy. His health worsened, and over the next 16 years, he was hospitalized approximately 35 times. I became the primary bread winner while caring for our three children and becoming Michael's caregiver.
▶ 2:23:32I couldn't leave his side during those hospital stays because he wouldn't know where he was, would often rip out IVs, and even try to leave the hospital. On his good days, he coached our kids' baseball teams, volunteered his time to youth activities, was involved in our church. But on his bad days, he truly suffered. And so did we.
▶ 2:23:54His suicide in 2019 ended his physical and mental health battles, but it was just the beginning of new challenges for our grieving, traumatized family. I was at a TAP seminar when I learned that Michael's suicide was deemed service connected.
▶ 2:24:14After going for Michael's VA disability compensation to zero overnight when he died, we would only have 43% reinstated. Our eight-month process was fast by VA standards. The wait for DIC is financially devastating for many survivors, and the month-to-month stress continues for families, mine included.
▶ 2:24:39Raising DIC from 43% to 55% may seem insignificant to some, but for surviving spouses like me who struggled to maintain a career because it always came second to military service and caregiving, it makes a meaningful difference. Passing the Caring for Survivors Act would provide long overdue breathing room and ease financial pressures.
▶ 2:25:08Surviving families face drastically reduced income, the lasting impact of career limitations, ongoing therapy cost, and the full responsibility of providing opportunities for our children in single parent households. As the only living parent of our now 11, 16, and 22 year old, Champier health benefits are critical to our family stability.
▶ 2:25:37Under current law, my oldest son will age out of Champ VA in just a few months despite being a full-time college student. Unlike most other health insurance programs, Champ VA does not extend to age 26. 7 years after Michael's passing, I am still his widow, and we are still dependent on the benefits he earned to support our family.
▶ 2:26:00After a three-year encountment, I'm still waiting to marry a man that I love who will never replace him as a husband or father, but cares deeply for the four of us. My youngest child, Sophia, was just four when her daddy died.
▶ 2:26:14She's growing up without a legal father in her life, which can be confusing for her and her friends as she goes around and is sharing so much of her life with him, but knows that if love lives on does not pass, she will be almost an adult before she can officially call him her stepdad.
▶ 2:26:34John is sitting beside her today here supporting us both as we advocate for benefits that were earned through service and Benefits that dissolve under current law if I remarry before age 55. Marrying John does not mean that we should become his financial responsibility. He's already doing so much bringing happiness back into our lives, but I will not become his financial burden.
▶ 2:27:02When my late husband joined the military, our country made a promise to support his family if anything happened to him. There were no restrictions attached to that commitment. My family's story is one of many.
▶ 2:27:16I hope that my voice is loud enough to bring attention to long overdue legislative changes like finally ending remarage penalties, treating suicide as a presumptive condition, increasing DIC, and bringing Champier in line with civilian Thank you for the opportunity to share my story today.
▶ 2:27:39Thank you. Next we have General Mclenn of the National Guard
▶ 2:27:54Chairman Moran, Ranking Member Blumenthal, Chairman Bose, Ranking Member Tano, Senator Tupville, and distinguished members of the committees. On behalf of the National Guard Association of the United States and the 435,000 soldiers and airmen of the Army and Air National Guard, thank you for the opportunity to discuss some important issues affecting today's National Guard. We appreciate your bipartisan support and recognition of the Guard's vital role in our National Security.
▶ 2:28:21Over the past two decades, the National Guard has evolved from a strategic reserve into an operational force. Guard members deploy globally, strengthen alliances through the state partnership program, and provide key capabilities to the total force at less than 4% of the defense budget. At home, they remain the nation's first military responder, supporting disaster response, protecting critical infrastructure, and assisting civilian authorities. As missions have expanded, policies have not kept pace. Today I'll focus on three priorities.
▶ 2:28:52Duty status reform, GI Bill parody, and the development of reser of a reserve component specific track within the transition assistance program. First, duty status reform. As of this week, more than 40,000 guardsmen are on orders serving home at home and abroad. They frequently operate alongside active component forces under identical conditions. Yet, while their service is equal, compensation and benefits are not.
▶ 2:29:19The current system of over 30 duty statuses was created peacemail over the decades. In fact, six additional statuses were created between 1999 and 2013. It's overly complex, confusing for service members, and difficult for states to administer. In the FY16 NDAA, Congress directed the then Department of Defense to submit a duty status reform legislative proposal.
▶ 2:29:45While studies and discussions have continued over the years, legislative proposals have not yet advanced. We're grateful to finally have some momentum this year with biccameal and bipartisan support of duty status reform act. This bill aligns authorities with how garden reserves are employed today and ensures fair treatment when members are mobilized. The new framework provide equities and pay and benefits, efficiency in programming and budgeting and streamlined accessibility to the garden reserves. Duty status reform is our top priority for FY27.
▶ 2:30:17We strongly ask for your support of and introduction of a Senate companion Next point I want to discuss is GI Bill parody. The post 911 GI bill remains one of the most powerful recruitment and retention tools. It provides those who serve with access to education and the opportunity to build a successful future. However, many periods of garden reserve service still do not qualify for GI Bill benefits.
▶ 2:30:43Title 32, including annual training and drill weekends are left out, which falsely implies lesser value. Each day in uniform, should count as a day of service to our country. The benefits earned should reflect that sacrifice. The GI Bill parody act corrects this inequity. We thank chairman Moran, rank member Blumenthal, Congressman Takano, Lean and Kelly for leading on this issue and request swift passage of S649 in HR 1423.
▶ 2:31:11The third and last uh issue I want to address is the reserve component transition assistance program track. The transition assistance program is a is critical to preparing service members for civilian life. However, most guard members return to their civilian employment and normal routine. This presents unique challenges not fully addressed in the traditional TAP model. Guardsman received limited counseling tailored to retirement points, triricare coverage, GI bill benefits in the VA claims process.
▶ 2:31:40Transition assistance without these topics is a misuse of time and resources. We are grateful for your support on this issue. The FY25 NDA directed development of reserve component specific track. Continued oversight is necessary to ensure that this tailored is tailored to the reserve and not simply a modified active model. We respectfully request updates on this implementation and stand ready to In closing, thank you for your continued leadership and commitment to those who serve.
▶ 2:32:09These are not abstract policy concepts. They are tangible issues that affect readiness, retention, and the long-term well-being of the National Guard members and veterans. The National Guard stands ready to meet the nation's needs. In return, our service members ask only for fairness, clarity, and recognition of their service. We look forward to working with you to address these issues and ensure the National Guard Service is treated with the equity and respect it deserves. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today, and I welcome your questions.
▶ 2:32:39Uh, thank you, Major General McInn. Uh, Mr. Whe you are now recognized for five Chairman Bost Moran, ranking members Takano and Blumenthal and distinguished members of both committees, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. Mission Roll Call represents veterans by doing one thing consistently, listening.
▶ 2:33:00We survey veterans, their families, and caregivers nationwide, and we bring that data directly to policymakers so decisions are grounded in lived Our 2026 priorities come straight from those surveys. Veterans told us four issues should guide the work ahead. Access to quality health care, support for service connected injuries, suicide prevention, and housing stability. For veterans, these priorities are connected.
▶ 2:33:28When access falters, injuries worsen. When injuries go untreated, mental health risk increases. Without stable housing, even effective care becomes difficult to sustain. First, access to quality health care, both VA and nonVA. Veterans define access by timing, distance, and followthrough. In May 2025, Mission Roll call surveyed more than 1,200 respondents in all 50 states on the Access Act.
▶ 2:33:5767% said the legislation would improve healthc care outcomes overall. Among rural veterans, 71% said it would improve timely access. Mental health access is central to this 60% of veterans told us they are comfortable receiving mental health care from a nonVA provider. 79% said following that allowing veterans to access mental health or substance use care in the community without a VA referral would improve access.
▶ 2:34:28Veterans are not voting against the VA. In fact, many we speak to report very positive But they are asking for options that reduce delays, shorten travel burdens, and help them get care be before a problem becomes a crisis. Second, support for service connected injuries and conditions, including traumatic brain injury.
▶ 2:34:50In our 2025 TBI survey to more than 2500 veterans, family members, and caregivers, 14% reported a TBI diagnosis in their household. Among those seeking TBI related care, more than 70% said accessing appropriate treatment is somewhat or very difficult. Distance, weight times, and fragmented care remain consistent barriers. Mild to moderate TBI is where we see the greatest gap.
▶ 2:35:19Symptoms persist, but care pathways are often unclear, and coordination between VA and nonVA providers remain inconsistent. This is the space the Beacon Act seeks to address. The legislation creates a structured evidence-based framework to evaluate innovative approaches for veterans with chronic mild to moderate TBI with rigorous outcome measurement and independent evaluation. Veterans are not asking for lower standards.
▶ 2:35:48They're asking the VA to test promising therapies responsibly, publishing results transparently, and expand access when evidence supports it. This urgency is reinforced by the VA's 2025 suicide report, which shows that suicide rates among VHA users with the TBI diagnosis was nearly 94% higher than those without a TBI. Early intervention in TBI care is not separate from suicide prevention.
▶ 2:36:17It is part of it. Third, veterans tell us the current trajectory of veteran suicide is unacceptable. In July 2025, Mission Roll Call surveyed to over 2,200 veterans, family members, and caregivers nationwide. 67% of veteran respondents said they have struggled with suicidal thoughts or mental health challenges themselves or know someone who has. Nearly one-third describe access to mental health care is difficult or very difficult.
▶ 2:36:46Veterans also told us the barriers are not only clinical. They pointed to isolation, stigma, and loss of purpose in early warning signs. We have come to describe this as working left of clinical, not instead of care, but before crisis, early engagement, more on-ramps to stability, fewer veterans reaching a breaking point before help arrives. Fourth, and lastly, housing stability.
▶ 2:37:16Housing is foundational. Without stability at home, treatment adherence, employment, recovery, and family life suffer. Veterans consistently rank housing access and homelessness prevention among their top priorities because instability magnifies every other challenge. Across all our surveys, veterans are asking Congress to do a few consistent things. Expand access where delays persist. Strengthen community care pathways.
▶ 2:37:41treat TBI and chronic conditions as long horizon rehabilitation challenges, invest in early suicide prevention strategies, and protect housing stability and as a core element of veteran wellness. None of these priorities replace the VA. They strengthen it by recognizing that veteran wellness is built upstream long before prescription drugs, an emergency room, or an inpatient bed is involved. Veterans are speaking clearly. We are listening.
▶ 2:38:10Mission roll call is here to ensure those voices remain central to the work of both these committees. Thank you. I look forward to any questions.
▶ 2:38:19Uh thank you Mr. Whe. Uh I will now recognize the former boy state governor of Virginia and former governor of Maine, Senator Angus King for questions.
▶ 2:38:29That refers to the prior hearing. Sorry about that. Um, General Pit, uh, one of the provisions that I've been pushing is pre-registering for for VA health care before you leave active duty. It's called the the Service Member and Veteran Healthcare Connection Act. Is this something the Wounded Warrior Project is is interested in?
▶ 2:38:52Thank you, Senator. We are extremely interested in this. I think if we get transition early, we're doing a lot of work ourselves registering members from Wooden Warrior Project while on active duty. We feel if they're registered before they transition, the higher successful rate we will have during transition. So, we appreciate this bill. We fully support. Good.
▶ 2:39:09I appreciate that. And and uh my position on transition is is very simple. The government should spend as much money on transition out as they do on recruiting in. Because right now, I think transition, although it's been improved in the last several years, I don't think people realize what a dramatic moment that is in a veteran's life. and suicide rates are higher among people in the first uh two or three years. Um Mr. Whe I I very much appreciate your comments on TBI.
▶ 2:39:38We had a tragic case in Maine, as you may know, several years ago that involved TBI, and I think that's something we have to focus upon. Something I've been looking at is a bill that would have the VA provide free lock boxes for firearms. No list. This isn't a gun control bill. No names taken, but the data shows that if there's any gap between the idea and carrying out a suicide, that can help. And 75% of veteran suicides take place by firearms.
▶ 2:40:10Is that uh is that uh safe storage something that uh you could support at at mission?
▶ 2:40:16Senator, yes, it is. I think all of us on this panel are concerned about the continuing rise of suicide and our inability to really bring those numbers down. So any effort uh to reduce those numbers is something all of our members and all veterans and their families can get behind.
▶ 2:40:34Thank you. Uh Mr. Prince, we passed a provision in the in the defense bill last year that um will increase the number of people who are leaving the service whose contact information is shared with your representatives across the country at the state veterans offices. Uh it used to be you had to opt in in your paperwork.
▶ 2:40:56Now you have to opt out and we expect that that will significantly increase the people who uh whose contact information is made available. I hope that your organization and your members are getting ready for what I suspect will be a very large number of contacts so that the purpose of this law which is to have people met at the airport to advise them of their of their rights and and what options are available to them.
▶ 2:41:26Uh I don't want those names coming to your offices and sitting in a file somewhere. I hope you'll work with the VSOs to develop a system whereby veterans emerging from uh from service uh will be able to you you'll reach out to them, not wait them wait for them to reach out to you.
▶ 2:41:45Thank you, Senator, for that uh very much appreciated comment. Our membership is receiving additional information. And we're getting the VA to work even closer with the Department of War because the sooner we can get in even while they're on active duty. As a former Master Chief, it was my intention to get to sailors a year or two before they got out of the military and start the conversation then and connect them with service.
▶ 2:42:07So, you can absolutely count on NASDA to be a player in that and making sure that we're at the front of the line when it comes to getting that information into the hands of our VSOs and our local communities.
▶ 2:42:17Thank you very much. Thank you all of you for the work that you're doing on behalf of our veterans. It's and and one final comment. It's about damn time we passed the Richard Star Act.
▶ 2:42:36Thank you, Senator King. Uh I'll now recognize myself for questions. Um, General Pat, um, you know, what is the urgency on and why Congress should pass the major Richard Star Act now? Because these young warriors have been asked to go to war to defend the freedom of this country. And in the course of that, they were they were wounded and they spilled blood in foreign countries. The reason we're free is because they serve.
▶ 2:43:03And most of them, sadly, are young men and women that are serving, not even close to uh retirement years. So they have to accept the end of the life they thought they were going to have and embrace a whole different life they didn't think was possible and we cannot punish them that for their sacrifice on the on combat fields. That's a I wholeheartedly agree with you and I'm very moved by your answer and it needs to happen as soon as possible. It needs to happen. This Congress and this Congress and its leaders need to be held accountable for getting it done.
▶ 2:43:34Now, do you agree that this is also about fairness? That ending a uh that ending a wounded veterans tax uh and that uh that Congress should not pay for it by reducing other earned benefits?
▶ 2:43:52I think veterans should get the benefits they earned in combat, especially
▶ 2:43:56what about that we shouldn't be asking other veterans to pay for it by reducing their veteran but by their benefits. I I think all veterans deserve the benefits they earned in the course of their
▶ 2:44:06Um and so uh you would agree with me that the American people in this Congress that it's part of our obligation to take care of the veterans not to shift uh ask one veterans group to pay for another veterans group's
▶ 2:44:19We we appreciate the service our support of this committee and and getting veterans all their benefits they deserve. Thank you.
▶ 2:44:25Thank you. Uh, Miss Sullivan, uh, there's been a lot of discussion over the past several months on disability indemnity compensation, and I read the the moving testimony from survivors such as yourself in TAPS in TAP's written statement about the impact a full DIA benefits increase would have on their lives. Can you give us a quick snapshot of the reason why Congress needs to do this full increase and why it needs to happen now?
▶ 2:44:56Yes, thank you for the question. So, our military and veteran survivors currently only receive 43% of what a 100% disabled veteran receives. Other all other federal survivors currently receive that 55%. So, we're asking for par. That's simply bringing us in line with all other federal programs to to bring it uh that from 43 to 55% or an additional per month.
▶ 2:45:26So our base rate currently uh the actual number is $1699.36. Uh and for most of our survivors, myself included, that is the only surviving benefit we receive. So that increase could have a very large impact on uh on our families.
▶ 2:45:45And for some of us, it it's the difference in providing for families in ways that can include keeping their homes, um being able to to really do what's necessary to raise grieving children, um and and to do just critical care for their families.
▶ 2:46:07And so this is something that that ultimately we believe is is fulfilling a commitment to saying that our our sacrifice and our our loved ones service is just as important as other federal benefits, federal employees sacrifice.
▶ 2:46:28I agree with you and that the wait's been long enough and the and it is urgent we get it done now. Uh thank you. I want to now uh recognize uh uh Mr. McGarvey for uh his three minutes of
▶ 2:46:43Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you all for your service uh for continued service here today. And look, I I want to echo something that Senator King said earlier. Uh right now, we have an administration who is coming to us asking for billions upon billions of dollars to send people into war again, but are unwilling to find the money to take care of those who served in those wars prior to this. um the money for the major Richard Star Act, the money for for widows and widowers.
▶ 2:47:10Miss Sullivan, thank you so much for your courage and your testimony who have sacrificed and served. Uh these are benefits they have earned, they have deserved. We'll keep fighting for them. I want to switch gears a little bit, Mr. Thomas, and come to you. Talk about uh your testimony. We were talking about how the VA doesn't have enough staff in the spinal cord injury and disorder system of care, that many of the buildings are old, that they're not designed for the care of our veterans that they need right now. um and that more than a third of these the jobs in these units are unfilled.
▶ 2:47:38That means that beds are staying empty even though veterans are waiting for them currently. It's our veterans who feel this neglect every single day. So, what should our VA medical centers be doing right now to fill these critical spinal cord injury and disorder positions and keep beds open for the veterans who depend on them? Well, the VA should prioritize uh the hiring for the VA, the SEI system of care as well as the other specialty care system within uh the VA.
▶ 2:48:08Yeah. Currently, there's no other system out in the community that can take care of the unique needs that you have when you have a spinal cord injury.
▶ 2:48:19So, they should prioritize hiring that. And also they should for the infrastructure they should prioritize some of the projects within the SEID system of care to ensure that they have the most modern equipment to take care of us with our unique needs.
▶ 2:48:36Yeah, I totally agree. And of course uh part of the reason we need to do this is is both a legal and a moral promise we have made our veterans. We said if you come in and you serve us and willing to sacrifice everything for us, we will take care of you. and and I think we are falling short of that with this issue. You also described facilities that are decades old with outdated layouts with long construction delays. Where do you think Congress needs to focus first to modernize spinal cord injury and disorder facilities so that veterans are receiving care in safe, accessible and up-to-date spaces?
▶ 2:49:06So, currently there's only one um long-term care center, you know, west of the Mississippi. And the long-term care as we all age and we need to have these long-term care facilities because the again in the community, there's no nursing homes that could take care of
▶ 2:49:25Thank you. That that's very helpful. My very quickly, my remaining time, General, I just want to talk to you. Thank you for highlighting the struggles of mental health that our veterans are still experiencing, particularly post 911. Quickly, where should we focus first if we want veterans to have timely access to effective mental health treatments through the VA, not just in private sector?
▶ 2:49:45First, I would say residential rehabilitation treatment programs. We need more beds. We need more states to have them. And second, I would say pursue alternative medication. Do the research. Get the trials going. We're seeing real promise here. Warriors should not have to travel to other countries to get the treatment that they think works. They should get it here. We're the best country in the world for medical care. That's right. What I start
▶ 2:50:06Thank you so much. I agree with you on that general. Appreciate you bringing it up, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
▶ 2:50:10Thank you, Mr. McGarvey. Uh, now I recognize Dr. Morrison for questions.
▶ 2:50:15Thank you, Ranking Member Tano, and thanks to Chairman Moran and Chairman Bost and Ranking Member Blumenthal for convening our hearing today. Thank you so much to all the witnesses uh for being here today and the work that you all do every day advocating on behalf of fellow veterans and service members. Special shout out to any motans in the crowd today. Come on y'all.
▶ 2:50:38You out Well, I met with some of them earlier and it was a pleasure to see them here in Washington advocating on behalf of their fellow vets. Um, General General Piatt, my team has been working with yours back in Minnesota to partner on supporting our women veterans. Um, and we've been very impressed by all the work that you're doing. As you know, women are our fastest growing group of veterans.
▶ 2:51:02And as an OBGYn myself, it's important to me that women veterans can receive top quality menopause and infertility care. In your view, where can Congress act to ensure that VA is equipped to meet the needs of a growing women veteran population in 2026 and
▶ 2:51:20Thank you for the question and your help with our work there. It first I would say women veterans are veterans and our country needs to recognize that munitions don't discriminate by gender. They need the same care, but their medical care is gender specific. We need to meet them where they are. Allow them to choose the provider of their choice. allow them the care they need where they want it. If it's at home, if it's via telemed, but meet the needs of their needs. Don't just consider their needs the same as their counterpart male veterans because they're very different.
▶ 2:51:47And we support the going forward more work on the menopause act that we think that is the right way to go because their course of their service, their medical challenges will be different later in life and we need to get the research now so we can provide them the support they need later on in life.
▶ 2:52:03Thank you, General. I appreciate that answer, Miss Sullivan. Thank you so much for being here today. I just want to take a moment to recognize the immense sacrifice you and Sophia and the rest of your family um have made and I just want to share my admiration for your advocacy on behalf of survivors everywhere. Uh and I'm excited for your future as well.
▶ 2:52:25Um it's such an injustice to me that surviving spouses risk losing their benefits if they choose to remarry before age 55. And that's why we need to pass the Love Lives On Act. Miss Sullivan, can you share a little bit more about what it would mean to you to eliminate the remarage penalty for surviving spouses? Thank you so much for your support and the question.
▶ 2:52:52at its most basic tenant to myself um and to to others here with us, it would mean that the government is keeping its promise. It would mean that it's keeping its promise to myself and and to Michael um and to our children that that if something were to happen to him as a result of his service that we would be taken care of.
▶ 2:53:20We did not expect that there would be some limitation on that. We did not expect that in the indemnity portion of that that there would be an end to that simply because of a decision to not replace him. That could never happen. not as a spouse and not as a father, but to choose to also carry on with our our life and our love.
▶ 2:53:50Um that that that could end um and could end some things that are very critical to our family. And so it would mean that we no longer have to choose between doing what feels very right for uh for myself and uh John or for our families and financial security.
▶ 2:54:15And in the end it would mean that we would marry fairly soon after it passes and that we would really truly celebrate that love does live on.
▶ 2:54:27Thank you, Miss Sullivan. and thanks to all of you for your ongoing service.
▶ 2:54:38Thank you, Dr. Morrison. I'd now like to recognize Senator Ggo.
▶ 2:54:43Thank you, Chairman. And uh General, and I was rude. I walked in and you were talking a little bit about the veterans being penalized when it comes for their VASH vouchers because of a disability. Is that correct?
▶ 2:54:56Yes. just wanted on housing the unhoused veterans act that we support it so they won't be uh disadvantaged by their their disability compensation.
▶ 2:55:04That's great. So in the road to housing act I authored a a a portion of the bill which is going to permanently exclude veterans disability compensation from the annual income calculations under HUDVASH programs so that way we veterans won't have to make this decision going forward. So it is in the bill. Um it was actually moving through the Senate. We just need some friends in the house side
▶ 2:55:29to to make it. But just to just to uh assure you that uh we have thought about this. It is in that bill and uh I've kept it in both times uh that it's gone over the side. So we are definitely looking into that uh actually are trying to fix it. Hopefully we'll have it fixed by next week or so. Uh so just want to make sure we have some progress on there. Obviously it's not everything we need but it's definitely uh moving in the right direction. Um Mr. While you also mentioned the American Legion of support for expanding innovative therapies for veterans use of MDMA for treatment of PTSD.
▶ 2:55:58Um, as you may know, I'm working to introduce the innovative therapy centers for excellence act in the Senate and want to continue to push it to to get this important legislation across the finish line. Mr. Can you please discuss the current use of innovative therapies like MDMA at VA and why centers of excellence are important to ensure veterans have access to these therapies which with proven success at reducing PTSD symptoms.
▶ 2:56:23Right. So did you ask me that sir or
▶ 2:56:25Mr. Wy you know what and I have I'm sorry I'm I'm starting I need to get some readers pretty soon why I
▶ 2:56:31Yes. No wor no worries. Um we we support uh that because we know right now that the number of TBIs uh across the nation but certainly among veterans is much higher than we think.
▶ 2:56:46We don't have the ability right now to treat all those TBIs. Uh the TBI issue affects not only that service member but the family as well. Uh we have a number of children in our country that are primary caregivers to veterans because their their mother or father needs that um service. We need to make sure that we're partnering with the very best in the civilian world.
▶ 2:57:12Uh hospitals that are doing cuttingedge research when it comes to TPI.
▶ 2:57:17I don't want to interrupt to be rude, but I just want to make sure we get we communicate that there are some veterans that are actually getting MDMEA therapy, but it's not necessarily guided. something that's overseas, something they're paying out of pocket. Is that
▶ 2:57:29It is correct. And of course, I agree with General Payatt that that uh is unfortunate and should not be happening in a country such as ours. And we should know that these uh issues have long lasting effects and we need to make sure they get the health care when and how they need it. And we need to explore different ways to solve TBI or mitigate it using a variety of different methods.
▶ 2:57:52And Mr. Uh, General, could you do you want to jump in on just kind of a thought? One of my my concerns is that whoever gets good MDA MDA therapy. Now, it's basically connected to how much money you have. If you get to one of those really good programs, I know there's a couple programs in Mexico. There are some actually uh in Europe that some veterans that are have the wherewithal or can bundle the money from donors are able to do. But then there's also some veterans unfortunately that I know personally that are so desperate that they're using any type of program that they hear is good.
▶ 2:58:22And of course, when you have desperation, you have potential fraudsters, peddlers, and people that will try to take advantage of these men. So, by having some kind of regulized VA approved therapies, we could potentially both be saving these guys and saving these guys money and potentially some from some damage they may incur.
▶ 2:58:41Absolutely correct. We've done initial research in our warrior care network already on MDMA use with already evidence-based other therapies and seen great results. We're going to help with trials next year and I think the more we do that in this country it'll be done correctly. We'll be able to follow the science.
▶ 2:58:55The treatment may not be for everybody but it is showing that it's working for some and we should not send them you know to a different country where we don't know where it's not regulated but seeing great promise here and we fully support the centers of excellence act because I think that will help the VA tie all that science together and promote more uh quicker trials that we can get more in. Our numbers that signed up for initial trials that we advertise far exceed the numbers that we'll be able to do. There is a big appetite there for it and I think the centers of excellence will help tremendously. Thank you.
▶ 2:59:23Thank you.
▶ 2:59:23Thank you, Mr. Chair. And I I really hope that we can push this. I know this is more of an issue of a cultural uh resistance to actually using this versus an actual medical resistance uh and and you know with with proper training, therapy, licensing, there's so many veterans that could actually benefit from this. I think people have to get over the ickiness of the idea uh that this is uh you know MDA MDA or other types of therapies. Thank you, Mr. here.
▶ 2:59:49Well, thank you, Senator. Uh, I'm aware that there were some trials done in Lom Linda, uh, which is near me. I haven't checked into um where VA is recently. I I will have to also say also regarding this whole area of TBI and uh traumatic brain injury and uh uh and PTSD. Um, I I was with some um uh neurologists recently.
▶ 3:00:16I'm concerned about the state of VA research uh the number of researchers uh research positions that have uh been left vacant. Um and that's it's a topic I want to explore further because it also bears on the research capacity of VA to be able to move this forward. But thank you. I I share your
▶ 3:00:33Thank you, Mr.
▶ 3:00:34Um I now recognize myself for uh some more questions before we conclude. Um, uh, General, uh, McInn, um, I I saw your testimony on duty status reform, and I will be following the Armed Services Committee's progress, uh, closely, as that greatly impacts VA benefits for our reserve component service members. I'd like to focus on one benefit specifically, and that's the post 911 GI Bill eligibility.
▶ 3:01:04uh National Guard and Reserve Service members are serving in the same uniform, taking the same risks as their active duty counterparts, yet not getting the same GI Bill eligibility. Three out of the four chairs and ranking members on the Veterans Affairs Committee are lead co-sponsors or lead sponsors or co-sponsors of the Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parody Act, which would fix this inequity.
▶ 3:01:27As we are watching our country enter another overseas conflict, how imperative is it that Congress get this bill done?
▶ 3:01:37Yes, thank you for the for the question. Uh it's imperative. We've been working this issue for years and years and and Congress has been great. The GI bill uh really initiated years ago from Congress. Um but again, it's it's an inequity. If you're flying a U860 Blackhawk helicopter during your weekend drill or your two weeks of annual training, how is that different service than flying it uh off an active duty base? It's the same service. It's the same risk.
▶ 3:02:04Uh and we think a day in uniform regardless of what your status is should be a day that counts towards post 911 GI Bill and other uh early early retirement as well, early retirement credit. So, we think it's imperative that this finally gets passed and we appreciate what what Congress has done thus far, but we think it's time to take it to that next level and if they're serving in whatever status they're in other than state active duty, that that that time should count.
▶ 3:02:30Well, Major General, uh, here's my point. As National Guard and Reserve service members are on the front lines and under threat right now, um, that's what I that's what I I'm hearing. Um and so that's my point that there's an urgency now to deal with this inequity. Uh because we have guard reserve right now. It's not the garden reserve that we knew back in the Vietnam War days, right?
▶ 3:02:55They've sometimes they've been uh called up for service and deployed uh many many times. It was it's not a safe haven. Uh and I think Americans understand that and uh we need to make sure we update uh how we administer the GI Bill accordingly. Would you agree with that?
▶ 3:03:14Completely agree. I I enlisted 191 and I've had a front row seat of the transition of the guard reserves from the one weekend a month and the two weeks in in the summer to where we are today. We've got, as you know, guardsmen and women that have done multiple deployments. They're coming on and off active duty uh a lot. That's why the whole TAP issue is is a concern, too.
▶ 3:03:34Uh my colleague here with me today has been through the TAP process I think four times and she just comes off active duty, comes back to her regular job, but she's has to do 12 hours of this mandatory uh transition uh training and I just got an email from u Jabati or somewhere somewhere in Afric brigade size unit through the that program and none of it is really relevant to what they're going to experience when they come back off active duty.
▶ 3:04:02So, we really got to get these benefits uh right rightly aligned. And uh to your point, this is this is the time to do it. We we're as as I mentioned, 40,000 of us are deployed today somewhere either in the homeland or overseas. So, it's time to make make equities and those benefits.
▶ 3:04:18Well, I I hope you and the other VSOs and and veterans themselves will hold the chairs, ranking members, congressional leadership accountable to getting this legislation passed and signed into law without delay. Um and uh of course we wish Godspeed to all of our service members abroad. Uh Commander Shipley, this will be my final question for the day and we'll kind of bring this to a close. Um your uh Commissioner Shipley, you're over here.
▶ 3:04:45Uh your written testimony highlighted the need to equalize the disability indemnity compensation rate with that of other federal survivor programs, taking it from the current 43% to 55%. a monthly increase of $450. Uh I am a co-sponsor of um uh Representative Hayes's bill uh carrying the Caring for Survivors Act, which would do just that.
▶ 3:05:11We've even offered it as an amendment to a bill last month that would only increase the DIC rate by $24. Unfortunately, our majority rejected the full increase. From my direct interactions with my constituents and nationwide polling, I believe that the American people are willing to pay for the full increase and are willing to do it without taxing other veterans to do so. In other words, without uh creating a pay for that we uh diminish the benefits uh of other veterans.
▶ 3:05:42I'm strongly opposed to doing that. Do you think that the American people are willing to pay for or or would ask their members of Congress to pay for the full DIC increase and live up to the promises made to our service members and
▶ 3:05:58Thank you for this question. I've absolutely believe that the American public would support this. It's bringing the fairness of the promise that is made to the service members to take care of our families no matter what, especially those that have made the ultimate sacrifice for this nation. I I agree with you. I agree with you 100%. I think we ought to apply that uh in this policy space uh that we uh in order to uh make sure that we resolve the inequities.
▶ 3:06:25And here we're talking about the survivors of veterans uh being paid less for their survivor uh their survivor benefits than those that are survivors of federal employees. Uh, and that gap simply doesn't make sense. Uh, when when you kind of explain it to the American people, it's it's it's it's it's kind of complicated to listen to this percent versus this percent. But, uh, we we need to take care of that inequity.
▶ 3:06:52And I believe that we need to do it without asking other veterans who will in many cases say we want to help other veterans. But here's my point about that. We shouldn't be asking veterans to do it. um we as members of Congress should take it upon ourselves to make sure that we find a way to take care of these inequities and veterans benefits.
▶ 3:07:14And with that um I I will just say before we gave out of this hearing today, I want to thank um our second uh panel for everything our second uh group of panelists for everything that you do in every every each and every day to support not only the members of your individual organizations but all veterans and their families. your work and your advocacy does matter. Uh and we thank you for that advocacy. Uh and with that, this hearing is adjourned.