▶ 0:19:36like I should say something to the audience since it's so quiet. Welcome to the Committee on Disability Assistance. Very stoic faces. You guys don't want me talking to you. Manion, how are you? Is it Miss Manion?
▶ 0:19:51Okay. Is the secretary in the room? He's hard to miss. There he is, man. I'm sorry. How you doing? Good to see you, Oh, you're not getting that in here. You earned the title. I'm going to give it to you. Thanks for joining us today. We're going to wait for um Mr. McGarvey to show up. Is he inbound?
▶ 0:21:08Today we are considering three bills which will be I will be asking unanimous consent to consider on block. All of these bills were considered in a legislative hearing in the subcommittee in accordance with committee rules. The subcommittee has contacted the congressional budget office seeking informal preliminary cost estimates for each of the bills being considered today. These preliminary scores are only a range of potential costs. None of these bills included into the on block today include the offsets that would be necessary to move these bills forward through the full committee. Finding offsets ensures that we keep our financial house in order.
▶ 0:21:38We have an incredible privilege and consideration. We have the incredible privilege and consideration uh with on these reforms that will help the VA better serve veterans, their families, and the survivors for their the rest of their lives and after after service. Offsets are a central part of this process and I look forward to working with my colleagues on this committee committee uh moving forward. If we cannot find an offset unfortunately for a bill, we will not be able to to consider it at the full committee markup. I look forward to working with my dear friend Mr.
▶ 0:22:05McGarvey and members of the subcommittee to find reasonable offsets for these pieces of legislation. I now recognize a distinguished member um Mr. McGarvey.
▶ 0:22:14Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll save my comments for the on block. I yield back.
▶ 0:22:18Thank you, sir. Now I ask unanimous consent to consider the onb block the following bills that do not have amendments. HR 8552, the Veterans Compensation Cost of Living Adjustment Act of 2026, HR9006, locating our unclaimed veterans act and the Provide Act. Hearing no objections to order, the clerk shall report the
▶ 0:22:38On block number one, H.
▶ 0:22:39Bills are circulated in advance pursuant to committee rules. I ask that the readings of the bills be dispensed with and the bills be open to amendment at any point. Without objection, so ordered. I recognize myself for a moment to say these bills would off uh these bills have not yet offset but I look forward to working with my colleagues again. Um does any member wish to speak on any of the bills included in the onb
▶ 0:22:59Say something real quick.
▶ 0:22:59Mr. McGarvey.
▶ 0:23:00Mr. Chairman, I support the three bills in the onb block. We have HR8552 which is a common sense bipartisan cost of living adjustment for our veterans and their families. HR9006 works towards better systems and intra agency cooperation to identify unclaimed remains and give these veterans proper honors. This is a step in the right direction to better serve those who served us. And last but not least, we have HR6588, the Provide Act, offered by our colleague, Representative Jim Jimmy Petta.
▶ 0:23:25This bill seeks to help veterans experience hardships after natural disasters by offering them some wiggle room with their disability claims so they can receive faster financial assistance to rebuild their lives. We made a promise to give our veterans and survivors the best care we can in life, in hardship, and death. I think that's what we are moving in that direction with today, and I yield back.
▶ 0:23:44Thank you, sir. Do any members wish to offer amendments to any of these bills?
▶ 0:23:49Mr. Sil, you're recognized, sir.
▶ 0:23:50Uh, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just want to reiterate the fact that every one of these that has a cost, our veterans alone, some set of our veterans alone will pay for it. Our 330 million Americans do not know that. They think that is it is tax uh broadly tax based. It is not. Some set some set subset of our veterans will pay for every one of these bills. and I yield back.
▶ 0:24:14Thank you, Mr. Self. Anyone else wish to speak on the onblock package? Do any members have amendments? Hearing none, I recognize ranking member Garvey for a
▶ 0:24:24Mr. Chairman, I move that on block number one consisting of HR8552, HR9006, and HR6588 be forwarded favorably to the full committee.
▶ 0:24:32There's there is a motion to favorably forward the bills included in the onblock to the full committee. All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed say no. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and the bill and the bills HR 8552, and HR6588 are favorably forward to the full committee. I ask I ask unanimous consent that the committee staff be authorized to make technical, clerical, and conforming changes to the bills favorably forward today. Hearing no objection, so ordered. And I thank the members for their attendance today.
▶ 0:25:01And the subcommittee markup is adjourned. How was that one?
▶ 0:25:13All right. had a secretary sit down.
▶ 0:25:42Yes, sir. Give your open remarks to be
▶ 0:25:50Subcommittee will come to order. Without objection, the chair may declare a recess at any time to thank our witnesses for being here today. We are taking a closer look at how our nation's veteran cemeteries are admin administered uh both within the United States and around the world. There are currently 157 VA administered national cemeteries across 44 states in the territory of Puerto Rico.
▶ 0:26:13Veterans, service members, spouses, and dependents may be eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery if that veteran or their veteran loved one was honorably discharged or died during service. VA also provides grant funds to states, territories, and native tribes to establish and expand veteran cemeteries or improve and maintain existing ones. Since its creation, VA has awarded grants to over 124 veteran cemeteries.
▶ 0:26:37Last fiscal year, these cemeteries interred a total of 43,75 veterans and their family members. This is a shared responsibility VA holds with the Department of the Army who administers Arlington National Cemetery that the final resting place for nearly veterans and their family members.
▶ 0:26:56In fact, it was on the orders of a of Quartermaster General Montgomery Megs uh that Arlington estate was first approved for the use of a cemetery and it was officially declared a national cemetery by Secretary of War Edmund Stanton on June 15th, 1864. Ironically, burial at Arlington was not always considered a hallowed honor that uh it is today. Rather, Arlington was designated as a national cemetery to ensure service members whose families could not afford a proper burial for their loved one were laid to rest in a dignified place.
▶ 0:27:26[snorts] Part of that effort was established part of that effort was the establishment of Decoration Day, first held in Arlington National Cemetery on May 30th of 1868. And the idea was simple. Grand Army of the Republic posts would hold veterans parades and ceremonies with music, flags, and prayer decorating the graves of the fallen of the fallen with flowers. In fact, the Grand Army of the Republic chose May 30th to ensure the availability of flowers in the springtime for all of our fallen soldiers. And in 1868, the commander-in-chief John A.
▶ 0:27:55Logan issued his general orders number 11 that local post should decorate the graves of those who had fallen in defense of our nation with flowers. Decoration Day would become known as Memorial Day. But it was not through proclamation alone that the tradition came to pass, but the hard work of the community organizers like the Women's Relief Corps and the Ladies Memorial Association. These organizations campaigned in local newspapers and did the work of bringing these celebrations to their own towns, cities, and counties.
▶ 0:28:21And there is a lesson to be learned here, no doubt, that not just about the price of campaigning on the battlefield, but also the days that come after the campaigns to memorialize and remember our fallen. That kind of organization's engagements is a service that no amount of taxes can pay for and no amount of money can buy. And I want to thank the VSOs and the nonprofits that have come to join us in the audience and those that will be testifying before us today. Despite its name, the National Cemetery Administration is not just about cemeteries. It's about maintaining a memory of service monuments to the fallen honoring a culture of sacrifice.
▶ 0:28:52While Memorial Day has already passed, I bring up the story of Memorial Day because it connects well to our nation's next national holiday that is rapidly approaching, of course, our 250th birthday on the 4th of July. And this is especially important. It is also our independence day. Freedom and sacrifice are central to what we do. It it dictates what it means to be an American, what keeps those two values front and center and me in memory and gratitude.
▶ 0:29:17That is what so much of the work done by this subcommittee is about and gratitude in the face of sacrifice and our duty to those who have served. And the same commander John A. Logan also said about our nation's cemeteries that we should never let our cemeteries fall into vandalism or neglect or let others think that we have forgotten the cost of a free republic. That is a shared mission and that and one that we the American Battle Monuments Commission or ABMC helps fill abroad.
▶ 0:29:43Uh because the story of our nation's veterans is not just on American shores, but in the brave acts of our heroins, our heroes abroad. ABMC maintains 26 American military cemeteries and 31 federal memorial monuments and markers across 17 countries. For 250 years, our service members have defended our freedom, value, and interest across the globe. From Gettysburg from the Gettysburg battlefield to the Alamos to Alamo Gates and from the beaches of Normandy to the Coral Sea, the veterans heroism knows no borders.
▶ 0:30:09I want to thank our partners from NCA, ABMC, and the Department of the Army for joining us today. And I want to say a special thanks to my friend and my fellow veteran, the Honorable Sam Brown, Under Secretary of Memorial Affairs, who is testifying for the first time before us in a subcommittee today. Sir, welcome. Uh, the NCAA has approval rating of 98% out of 100. Outstanding job, sir, based on feedback from our veterans and the families who have received their With [clears throat] that, I will yield to the ranking member for his opening
▶ 0:30:42Thank you, Chairman Latrell, and and good afternoon, everyone. I appreciate you all being here today in front of this committee. Uh I think this is potentially the most bipartisan committee in all of Congress. We agree on the mission of serving the men and women who served us, especially those who have been injured because of their service or those who have paid the ultimate cost in serving our country and keeping us safe and keeping us free.
▶ 0:31:07Um, I know at NCA and given what the chairman just said of a 98% approval rating, um, you all feel that way and have a reputation of being one of the more nonpartisan agencies even within the VA, which is oftentimes a more nonpartisan place itself meant to take care of our veterans. So today's hearing focuses on an extremely important topic, our veteran cemeteries. These are sacred places. their hallowed grounds that honor service and sacrifice, the full story of Americans veterans.
▶ 0:31:38And today, I wish the hearing could just be about that. uh and I understand that some of the cemeteries and some of the things we will discuss today might not come under the exact jurisdiction of the NCA. But being that you are here and we're talking about cemeteries and the role that they play in preserving our veterans legacy, their service, their sacrifice, I would be remiss if I did not bring up some of the politics that have seeped in to what's happening to our cemeteries and the memorial affairs of veterans.
▶ 0:32:06Our military cemeteries and memorials have not been above this president's campaign to remove any and every acknowledgement of our country's diversity or its sins and imperfections from public life. So today, I think we have to confront some of those truths. The removal of exhibits highlighting the service of black Americans, the sidelining of women veterans, and the unnecessary politization of what our veterans have done for all Americans. Service is service and all of it deserves to be honored.
▶ 0:32:37So minority service members don't just serve minority citizens. Nor do women service members serve only women. Both serve all Americans. Women in fact their veterans are the fastest growing group of veterans. They have earned their place, their honor, their recognition. Excluding them from ceremonies and diminishing their contribution feeds a false narrative that somehow they didn't earn the same respect as their male counterparts.
▶ 0:33:01Black Americans have fought in every single war this country has ever been involved in, even when they didn't share the same rights as their white soldier counterparts. service is service. But the administration's view that honoring one group of veterans somehow detracts from honoring another, I think it's misguided. I think it's harmful.
▶ 0:33:26If you have visited one of our national cemeteries, you know that these are places of honor run by top tier professionals who show true care and dedication for those interoured there. The same is true for our ABMC prof partners overseas. Their commitment to upkeep, honor, and education is unmatched. I just don't want to soil any of the legacy of this committee of of your office within the VA of our veterans and our cemeteries themselves with politics. These veterans have earned their burial benefits through service and sacrifice.
▶ 0:33:55And honestly, I don't want to see their legacies George Puit's heroism in World War II wasn't any less commendable or any less of a story worth telling than a white solders's actions in liberating Europe. But it was only his story. Only his story. A black American who gave his life attempting to rescue a fellow soldier that was removed from an ABMC removed in part because he talked about the discrimination he faced when he got home.
▶ 0:34:25That discrimination was real. Our black veterans were not awarded the GI Bill. It was like winning the lottery. If they did get the GI Bill and they came home to my state of Kentucky, the University of Kentucky and University of Louisville were both segregated at that point. Did not allow black students. In fact, it was 20 years after World War II that black Americans in the South got the right to vote. It's not a part of our past we want to discuss, but it is part of our past and it is true.
▶ 0:34:56The history and segregation of Jim Crow that defined George's life and so many of his fellow black service members is painful, but we cannot hide from those sins if we are not to repeat them. The Navajo Code Tracker story isn't any less worthy of telling simply because they are a minority population. They were critical to our success in winning World War II. So today, I hope to hear some nuts andbolts government updates. things like getting projects paid for, daily operational needs, partnerships that are proving beneficial.
▶ 0:35:21But I also hope to hear that we are honoring all of our veterans regardless of their race or gender, and that we are telling their stories, their stories that force us to reconcile the tragedies of our history with the better tomorrow towards which the American people have always strived. Our nation is not now, nor has it ever been perfect. But we've always had as our north star what we are getting ready to celebrate on Saturday.
▶ 0:35:52The idea that all people are created equal, endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We hold those truths to be self-evident. Our military reflects the best of those values. It reflects the vast tapestry of American from all walks of life. and we undercut our greatness by selectively editing which American stories are deemed the right version of the American dream.
▶ 0:36:22Thank you all for being here. I look forward to today's hearing and Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
▶ 0:36:26Thank you, Mr. McGarvey. Uh and thank the witnesses for witnesses, I'm sorry. Thank you all for being here today. Um we have the honorable Sam Brown, Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs, National Cemetery Administration's Bene Administration. Mr. Brown, thank you. Mr. Robert Dellesandro. Did I nail it?
▶ 0:36:46I practice. Acting secretary for the American Battle Monuments Commission and Miss Karen Durham Aguilera. I nail it. All right. Executive director of Arlington National Cemetery Office of Army of Office of Army Cemeteries. Ma'am, how long have you been doing
▶ 0:37:04Nine and a half years. I got a funny story. We have met before. Well before I showed up in this place. And I'll tell you that now after class. Um I ask the witnesses please rise and raise your right hand. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you're about to provide is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. So I help you God. Thank you. Let the record reflect that the witnesses have answered in the affirmative.
▶ 0:37:28Under Secretary Brown, you're now recognized for five minutes to uh present the testimony from the Thank you, Chairman Latrell, Ranking Member McGarvey, and members of the subcommittee. Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today on behalf of the National Cemetery Administration.
▶ 0:37:49The National Cemetery Administration carries one of the federal government's most sacred responsibilities, honoring veterans and their families with final resting places that reflect the dignity of their service and sacrifice. Today, nearly 5.3 million Americans, including more than four million veterans, are memorialized in VA national cemeteries. Every grave site, every headstone, and every interaction with a family represents a promise fulfilled on behalf of a grateful nation.
▶ 0:38:21That promise is experienced by families during some of the most difficult moments of their lives and is measured by the care, compassion, and professionalism they receive. That promise is sustained every day by the men and women of NCA. Our workforce, 62% of whom are veterans themselves, continues to deliver extraordinary service under increasing operational demands.
▶ 0:38:47Their dedication reflects a principle that has guided me since my service as a young infantry officer in the first in infantry division US Army. No mission too difficult, no sacrifice too great, duty first. That motto remains a northstar for my leadership.
▶ 0:39:07It reminds me that while our workforce will always answer the call, it is my responsibility to ensure that we have the people, the tools, training, and support necessary to succeed. Fulfilling NCA's mission requires not only commitment from our employees, but stewardship from our However, today the challenge before us is not one of commitment.
▶ 0:39:35The challenge is ensuring that this sacred mission has the people, support, and operational resilience necessary to endure for generations to come. America's promise to veterans depends upon the strength of the workforce entrusted to carry it I have said before that America does not forget her heroes. Those words carry a responsibility. They require us to ensure that every eligible veteran receives a dignified burial.
▶ 0:40:06Every family is treated with compassion and respect and every national cemetery remains a word remains worthy of those we are entrusted to Fulfilling that promise requires action. That is why NCA is strengthening outreach, expanding pre-needed eligibility determinations, improving digital tools, and working closely with veteran service states and tribal partners, and community stakeholders.
▶ 0:40:37Our goal is not simply eligibility. It is awareness, understanding, and access. To achieve that goal, we are modernizing operations, improving systems, and empowering leaders throughout the organization to make informed decisions closer to the point of service.
▶ 0:40:56These efforts are designed to remove barriers, support the field, and keep our focus where it belongs, serving veterans and their families. But maintaining these national shrines requires rigorous standards, thoughtful stewardship, accountability, and continued investment in our workforce.
▶ 0:41:19As we look to the future, we must remain focused on ensuring NCA has the people, partnerships, and capabilities necessary to sustain this mission for generations to come. America's promise to veterans does not end when a veteran uh when a veteran in that headstone is set in place. In many respects, it is that moment that our responsibility as a nation becomes most visible.
▶ 0:41:49Because within these sacred places, the legacy of the fallen continues to guide the living. Our national cemeteries are more than burial grounds. They are places where America remembers. learns and renews its understanding of service, sacrifice, and shared They remind us that freedom has never been free and that every generation inherits an obligation to those who came before. In preserving these sacred places, we do more than honor the past.
▶ 0:42:19We help shape the character and future of our republic. We remain committed to honoring every veteran with dignity, serving every family with compassion, and preserving the sacred trust for generations to come. Thank you for your continued support and oversight. I look forward to your questions. The written statement of Under Secretary Brown will be entered into the hearing record. Miss Mr. Dellesandro, you're now recognized for five minutes to present the testimony of the American Battle Monuments Commission.
▶ 0:42:47Chairman Latrell, Ranking Member McGarvey, and other members of the subcommittee. Thank you for having us here today. Our sacred work of memorializing our nation's service members and veterans in cemeteries around the world is our singular mission. It's to honor the service, achievements, and sacrifices of members buried or commemorated at our sites.
▶ 0:43:11ABMC operates 26 US cemeteries overseas and 31 federal memorials, monuments, and markers in 17 countries. Each a permanent expression of the nation's gratitude. Our mission differs in an important way from other federal entities responsible for military veteran cemeteries. With the exception of three memorials in the United States, all our sites are overseas.
▶ 0:43:36And unlike the national cemeteries, nearly all of ABMC cemeteries only honor the war dead or closed to new burials, allowing our focus to remain the perpetual preservation of historic sites and the stories they represent. As you know, ABMC cemeteries and memorials are among the most beautiful and meticulously maintained commemorative sites in the world. They're completed works of civic art intentionally designed to honor sacrifice and inspire reflection.
▶ 0:44:07Our locations welcome millions of visitors each year. And in addition to maintaining these places to the highest standards, we're entrusted with ensuring that the service and sacrifice of those we honor continues to be understood and remembered for generations. For many families, the distance created by overseas burial makes it difficult to regularly visit and tend the graves of their loved ones. So, in May, we launched a new flower program.
▶ 0:44:33Now, families and supporters can order flower arrangements for placements at any of our cemeteries and three US memorials. At our cemeteries, more than 7,500 headstones mark the graves of unknown Americans. We work closely with DPAA and support 175 disinterments annually.
▶ 0:44:56This month, we completed four disinterments of unknown remains at Florence American Cemetery, bringing the AY's total to nearly 800 throughout its history. This is a reminder of our commitment, our nation's commitment to bringing everyone back.
▶ 0:45:12With a similar interest to accurate historical remembrance, ABMC partners with Operation Benjamin, an organization dedicated to identifying and correcting cases of Jewish service members that were incorrectly buried between Latin crosses rather than Stars of David. Only two ABM cemeteries remain open to new burials. Corazol American Cemetery in Panama and Clark Veteran Cemetery in the Philippines.
▶ 0:45:40To ensure that Corazol remains capable of serving future generations, ABMC is developing a comprehensive long- range plan focused on preservation, infrastructure improvements, burial operations, and future capacity. At Clark Veteran Cemetery, which had ser had suffered significant damage, it came under ABMC's management in 2013. The transformation that followed stand as one of the most remarkable restoration achievements in ABMCC's history.
▶ 0:46:11ABMC also recognizes an equally important responsibility to ensure the stories of those we commemorate continue to be understood and remembered for generations. We partnered with VA to further expand the Veterans Legacy Memorial, adding 200,000 memorial pages of fallen service members to our sites. We've enhanced our online databases, on-site touchscreen kiosks, giving visitors better access to explore these burial records.
▶ 0:46:41ABMC offers lesson plans, educational briefings, interactive digital maps, and other classroom resources to bring the stories of America's overseas military service into schools and communities in the United States. And through partnerships with organizations like the Smithsonian American Art Museum, National Park Service, National World War I and World War II Museums, we encourage reflections about services. Additionally, we operate 10 visitors center.
▶ 0:47:10These are equipped with a professional team of interpretive guides, not just to convey historical facts, but encourage reflection. Ultimately, ABMC's educational and interpretive work reflects a simple but enduring principle. Remembrance requires more than preservation alone. Mr.
▶ 0:47:30Chairman, in closing, I want to thank you and the subcommittee for your continued interest in the care of our sites where so many of our nation's fallen sons and daughters are buried and memorialized. Our charge remains timeless that time will not dim the glory of their deeds. This concludes my statement. I would be pleased to answer any questions the subcommittee has.
▶ 0:47:51Thank you, sir. The written statement of Mr. Dlesandro will be entered into the hearing record. Mr. Aguilera, you are now recognized for five minutes to present the testimony of the Department of the Army.
▶ 0:48:04Chairman Latrell, Raie Member McGarvey, and distinguished members of the subcommittee. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss efforts by the Office of Army Cemeteries or OAC and Army National Military Cemeteries or ENMC to memorialize our veterans. On behalf of our dedicated military and civilian professional workforce in the Department of the Army, we appreciate the support provided by Congress over these many years.
▶ 0:48:29The Office of Army Cemetery's mission is to provide oversight and expertise for all Army cemeteries through policy, program management, inspections, training, and assistance, honoring those who laid to rest in perpetuity on Army owned property.
▶ 0:48:44OAC provides management oversight for 11 Department of War cemeteries and 32 Army cemeteries and the two Army National Military Cemeteries which are Arlington National Cemetery and the US Soldiers and Airman's Home National Cemetery where our team serves the American people by laying to rest those who have served our nation with dignity and honor. Simultaneously, we provide a living history that educates and inspires millions of visitors each year.
▶ 0:49:13As a living memorial, we are reminded daily of the sacrifices of those few who have answered our nation's call. Demand for burial at ANC remains at a pace of 24 to 27 funeral services each weekday. During fiscal year 2025, we interred over 5200 service members, veterans, and eligible family members with over 6,200 requests for burial. Demand for interment at our international cemetery remains high, but space is finite.
▶ 0:49:42In 2018, we opened the Millennium Expansion. To date, we have used approximately 30% of that available barrel space. We're excited about our ongoing southern expansion. This project consists of three overlapping phases scheduled to be complete in 2029 and will add over 80,000 new burial opportunities. But this expansion alone will not keep ANC open to new interament beyond the early60s.
▶ 0:50:08Without a change in eligibility, Arlington National Cemetery will close to new burials within 40 years. Sooner should a major conflict result in a change of demand. However, as our partners at the NCA tells us, Arlington is only one of many final resting places for our nation's veterans and their families. In addition to cemetery oversight, OAC leads an initiative known as Rights of the Fallen.
▶ 0:50:32Through outreach, education, and engagement with federal state entities, we work to prevent the unnecessary deliberate disinterment of the remains of service members from the 18th and 19th century conflicts within the United States. Ever ensures that inadvertently disinterred service members remains are treated with respect and rapidly reinterred in an appropriate site. They can guarantee both accountability and perpetual care. This effort has been even more poignant as we embark on our nation's 250th birthday.
▶ 0:51:02Every year at Arlington National Cemetery, we honor those that have made the ultimate sacrifice during the National Memorial Day observance. This year, we hosted several events open to the public. Visitors have the opportunity to lay flowers to the tomb of the unknown soldier and to attend the extended Memorial Day observance, connecting them with the tradition of military sacrifice. Looking ahead, both OAC and A&MC remain engaged with their veteran population as well as our partners at the NCA, the ABMC, and many others.
▶ 0:51:32Our teams collaborate with the NCA on many fronts, most recently as we pursue a shared automated burial system of record. The department of army enterprise interament services system assures 100% accountability from eligibility to perpetual commemoration is a web service technology geospatial mapping and symmetry management components which allow modern management of all functions of symmetry operations.
▶ 0:51:57We look forward to working with Congress, our partners at the VA and ABMC, a military service and veteran service organizations, [music] and the American people to sustain Army cemeteries, honoring our nation's heroes for generations to come while simultaneously providing education, outreach, oversightes, and guidance wherever we can. Chairman Latrell, ranking member McGarvey, distinguished members of the subcommittee, this concludes my statement. I look forward to respond to any questions you may have. Thank you.
▶ 0:52:25The written statement of Miss Durham Aguilar will be entered into the hearing record when Miss Durham I want to start with my questions my question is going to come your way. I'd like to chat about the quesan platoon. First of all I would like to know how that's going uh from where we were last time we were together. I'd like to know what the buildout looks like for where we're keeping the ponies.
▶ 0:52:50Are we have we increased our case on count? Are we manned up properly? Just if you wouldn't mind giving me a kind of a it doesn't have to go completely deep, but let's give a kind of a deeper level brief, but I will add this before we get into this. Just talk to us. I'm going to ask you a series of questions. I'm just begging you don't. One thing that we do not tolerate in this committee is political talk.
▶ 0:53:17I'm just going to forewarn you He gets a hold of everybody. Okay. That's just something that he and I adamantly agree on. So if you could just if you don't have an answer to my question, just say I don't have the answer to that question. You don't have to run down a road that I get lost on me. But please you chairman. Good thing I'm not a political appointee.
▶ 0:53:38So regarding the queson update, as you recall last year, we're able to restart the queson supported conveyance in June. We met several times as we were getting ready for that, particularly at the new stables. Since then, we've been supporting two queson supported services a day, each weekday for those that are eligible for honors with escorts.
▶ 0:53:59So, we're doing two burials, two queson,
▶ 0:54:02two quesoned services a day.
▶ 0:54:04Okay. Do we have two full queson platoon or three?
▶ 0:54:06We have two.
▶ 0:54:07We have two.
▶ 0:54:08We have two that have been providing that. Yes.
▶ 0:54:10Yes, ma'am. Do we have three fully functional quesan platoon? If I remember correctly, we couldn't start the quesan burials until we had three full working quesan platoon. Is that correct?
▶ 0:54:23Well, it is, but actually right now there's four
▶ 0:54:26even better
▶ 0:54:26that are even that are training and getting ready to be able to provide four quesan supportive services a day later this fall.
▶ 0:54:34Will the amount of internments increase once that fourth platoon is activated? It will not because we provide a variety of services at Arlington. Everything from the military honors with escort. That's the marching element, the band, the cannon, cannons of those eligible for it, rifle volley. Kesan's a conveyance. So whether someone has a quesan or not, we still provide the same number of services. We also have dependent honors and then we have the regular full military honors.
▶ 0:55:05That pace that demand is unrelenting and it's not dependent on how many quesons are available to support.
▶ 0:55:12I would have we kind of backfilled that void on how many heads of horses that we have in the queson platoon because if I remember our discussions last time we were still trying to find the ponies globally. Have we found a proper breeder specifically for these Kesan platoon?
▶ 0:55:30So I'll defer more specifics to MDW. Okay. But MDW tells us that they have four quesan platoon. In fact, we've even see them training because they come in before we open that they'll be ready to stand up to provide four quesan supported services a day beginning this
▶ 0:55:49for a day.
▶ 0:55:50For a day.
▶ 0:55:51Okay, that's where I was going with that. Okay.
▶ 0:55:53As far as the um the horse barn and the paddics and and all the kind of the prep area, they were and building out. How are we looking
▶ 0:56:07So, I've been to what they call the the uh Quesan Village,
▶ 0:56:10and that's offsite, correct?
▶ 0:56:11No, that's the one that's at Meyer.
▶ 0:56:13Okay. All right.
▶ 0:56:13There was a new Quesan Village that was at Meyer that was built and stood up before we were able to restart it at Arlington and it is great. It's with the sizes that the herd needs as well as other nutrition.
▶ 0:56:25Is that where they're staying?
▶ 0:56:27That's where they're staying.
▶ 0:56:28There. So there are some that are staying there that that are at at supporting Arlington and then they have the others off site on the arrangements they have with their equestrian stuff.
▶ 0:56:38As far as the quesan the the men and women that are in the quesan platoon I may be making this up but I think they're not there's not a like a there's not like a quesan MOS in there.
▶ 0:56:49There is now.
▶ 0:56:49There is now. Okay. So we didn't
▶ 0:56:51brand brand new because the military has or the army has military working equines and so there is a new MOS that was created. In fact on the army birthday I attended a a great ceremony in the Pentagon that officially recognized and stood up that case of that that equestrian MOS. Really exciting.
▶ 0:57:11Outstanding. Great. Um thank you.
▶ 0:57:14Thank you.
▶ 0:57:17Thank you Mr. Chairman. Thank [clears throat] you all for being here. Thank you, Under Secretary Brown, for being here. Um, you know, I want to say that you're the only under secretary who's come visited me in my office. That doesn't go unnoticed. Very much appreciated. We appreciate the way you are are working with us on this. So, I got a couple questions to start off with you and I will tell you sometimes you go in front of a committee and they ask you questions to which they already know the answers. It's a great line in a Jason Isabel song. He says, "Your questions like directions to the truth." This is not what this is.
▶ 0:57:44These are actual questions uh that I don't know the answers to and we'd like to just get a little bit of information on. Uh according to the most recent VA workforce dashboard, NCA lost 10% of its caretaker workforce in fiscal year 26. How is this impacting service?
▶ 0:58:01Um fortunately we've got an incredible workforce as you mentioned earlier ranking member that we've got a 98 out of 100 score. um and and so I just major um appreciation for the team that will not let the mission fail. So in terms of the the services that veterans and their family members receive um our team is is so committed to the mission and in part because again we've got the highest percent veteran workforce population in all all of federal government.
▶ 0:58:30Um we're we've dropped just below 65%. We're about 62% right now. But it's that kind of camaraderie those, you know, the brothers and sisters in arms that are out there delivering those services to family members and veterans, you know, Monday through uh through Friday and, you know, working some overtime ahead of some of the big ceremonial weekends. So, that's the good news. U but there is some challenges that have come with that and um you know, we've got um many hours of overtime that are being worked for us to accomplish this mission.
▶ 0:58:59Um, we've got a workforce that uh that has experienced, you know, some some some stress and and we're seeing some, you know, some of that manifest. Um, but, uh, the VA is is responding and and and helping us get towards what we're calling a 30-day um, hiring program and and we're we're right in the in the beginning of that. there is there's a high demand for us to be able to kind of go fill those caretaker spots and that's our highest priority in terms of all the positions that we have or those frontline what we call field workers.
▶ 0:59:29No, great. That that that is good to hear and um and I appreciate you saying that there's overtime and look we know how hard everybody works and we know what happens if something gets left uncared for, right? I mean the people who who visit these cemeteries, they're the they're our cemeteries, right? and people care a lot about them and rightfully so. Um, you mentioned over time you mentioned you're about to hire. Has there been any maintenance that's been put off because of this?
▶ 0:59:58Have there are there any other needs that you are seeing especially in front of this committee? We want to take care of our veterans in the cemeteries as a result of the the reduction in force that maybe you guys need or we could help with.
▶ 1:00:11You know, that's that's a very fair question. And um and so the the nature of our work being outdoors and and working with the ground um there there's always going to be maintenance issues that come up. I'll give you kind of a sort of a rule of thumb, a way to think about it.
▶ 1:00:26Whenever we place a headstone, for example, minding you, the soil could be different from place to place across the country, but in general, that headstone is going to move out of what we consider compliance in terms of its, you know, its its height and its alignment about every 8 to 10 years. And so it needs to go back and be manually kind of either nudged or lifted um you know somehow realigned into plum with the rest of the headstones there.
▶ 1:00:52Um that is an ongoing issue that uh that is kind of accumulated over time as we've had to kind of go into you know some overtime money that takes you know we might have to reduce the amount of contract money that we're spending to go out and adjust and you know get contractors out there to make those adjustments. So there has been some implication. we've seen some of those standards that that that don't get met.
▶ 1:01:13Um as well as you know just our facilities um are our you know some of our facilities are getting old um and when they we have breakdowns uh it's the mission will always get uh will get funded and and the families will get the services they deserve and um but uh our facilities in some cases need need more attention and repair.
▶ 1:01:32Thank you and please keep in touch with us on that. You know I it worries me nobody up here likes waste fraud and abuse. It worries me when we hear we know the demands on our cemeteries uh that we have a shrinking workforce potentially. I'm glad to hear you're hiring, but relying on that in the years to come, I think it opens the door. You you you talked about the stress on the on the employees. Uh I don't want to see any attrition or any our care fall by the wayside in these cemeteries. Appreciate you doing that. Um just very quickly, Mr. Dellesandre, I want to move to you.
▶ 1:02:00Uh it seems our veteran cemeteries abroad are not immune to some of the politics I talked about in my opening statement. Case in point, the removal of markers honoring black World War II veterans in the Netherlands. Voyer requests revealed their removal is tied to executive orders on DEI and ABMC said at the time the telling of segregation did not fall within the commemorative mission. Um I just want to know what is the status of those current markers? Um and why is sharing the experience of black service members not part of the mission?
▶ 1:02:29Uh, Ranking Member McGarvey, I'm really glad that you asked me that question because I don't think all the reporting on that has been particularly fair. Um, the previous secretary did remove that panel and I'm not blaming my predecessor. I'm being as honest with you as I absolutely can. Uh, that panel was forced into ABMC by a previous ambassador who basically demanded that it was put up. Um, it spoke about an individual who did not perish during the war.
▶ 1:02:58His service was worth talking about in the right place. But my initial push back on that panel was that it highlighted the wrong unit. It it had a unit that was at ABMC working at what would become an ABMC cemetery, but it had a unit that was there for two weeks versus a unit that was there for two years. the unit that was also African-American working there.
▶ 1:03:24I had said uh in reply to some of this that we have 10,000 people buried at our cemetery in the Netherlands. We have very little exhibit space. Of those, 174 of them are African-Americans. You can pick any one of those people and we would be delighted to tell that story. I'd love to tell that story. But we picked a guy who survived the war and talked about civil rights in a limited exhibit area.
▶ 1:03:54It was the staff's opinion that that was just the wrong thing to do. Now, let me bring you up to date. Since then, we have reinstalled a panel that talks about African-Americans in the Netherlands, which we are quite proud of, which our historians put together. The old panel, the language was quite frankly forced upon us.
▶ 1:04:14We have nine new panels of which a full half of them talk about African-Americans at the cemetery and 15 in place already that will rotate. All of these talk about diversity. So I would argue that what happened here was almost the reverse and and I I think that ABMC really operated above board on this. So that's that's where I stand.
▶ 1:04:40No, thank I appreciate that explanation and I'm out of time but would love to talk with you about the panels that are up and see those and and appreciate your explanation. Thank you. You'll back Mr.
▶ 1:04:53Thank you, Mr. Chairman. U great to see all of you again here, especially under secretary Brown. We we uh we just appreciate all of all of your all services service. Um, I want to spend a few minutes on the National Cemetery Administration's sighting criteria for new cemeteries.
▶ 1:05:13NCA directive 3001 sets a strategic goal of giving 95% of veterans quote reasonable access end quote to a burial option within 75 miles of an open national cemetery or VA funded state 75 milei radius assumes something close to a straight line or a normal road grid.
▶ 1:05:38In the upper peninsula of Michigan where I live, that radius drawn from um let's say Holly to or Augusta doesn't even come close to clearing the Meno Bridge. Uh but could you tell us whether that 75 mile threshold is measured as straight line distance or actual drive time and road distance? Congressman to be as uh as just straight shooting as we can. This committee I commend it for doing that. Um it is a straight line measure.
▶ 1:06:08Um so it is a radius um around a point. Um but I think that what your question is getting to is is a is a fair question. I just want to say that this this objective helped provide the direction that has allowed us to achieve nearly a 95% access within 75 miles. Well, let me I I you know I I appreciate I'm not going to cut you off, but you're you're right on the point is bell curve at best 84%.
▶ 1:06:39So if you got 90% you're better than the bell curve and there are it's just natural to have ex exceptions,
▶ 1:06:47So you've got it 90% right. Um so uh it's in that case you know if it is a if you will a straight line is it we can pretty much agree that the real burden on veterans in a place like the upper peninsula where there's no direct route there's no there's no metric to to measure it kind of kind of puts them at u at risk.
▶ 1:07:12Um, does the NCA's methodology have any flexibility to account for geography like this or is that 75 mile standard applied all the time regardless of terrain?
▶ 1:07:27Congressman, our our current methodology does not provide flexibility. But I think um what you're getting at is illustrates that there's an opportunity for us to serve better. And as we've approached that 95% uh threshold, um it's something that we are internally looking at. Are there ways that we can modify our our objective? Um you know, as a potential example, VHA measures appointment time based off drive time as opposed to miles.
▶ 1:07:56Um it's something that uh that you know, we're looking at those sort of measures as well. Also acknowledging that in some very urban environments, 75 miles might take you three hours to drive versus a rural environment where it might be just over an hour.
▶ 1:08:10And you know, on a on another metric, I understand that NCA also applies a veteran population threshold for new construction. So if a region falls under that threshold but is isolated enough that no existing cemetery is realistically reachable, is there any flexibility to weigh that isolation alongside population?
▶ 1:08:32Congressman, in our in our current uh order, um the the flexibility would have come in what we call the rural initiative of which we're about to complete our seventh one in in Elco, Nevada. um the uh you know specific to Michigan um the the rule there allows us to consider much smaller veteran population for these rural initiatives if there's not already a national cemetery in the state.
▶ 1:08:57So you just answered my next question because if a region falls under that threshold but is isolated enough that no existing cemetery is realistically reachable is there flexibility? What I think I just heard you say was yes. Is that correct? Well, it's there's there's no flexibility under our current rule because for Michigan, for to be specific, there's already a national cemetery in Michigan. So,
▶ 1:09:23So, the flexibility um that applied in another state like my home state of Nevada, there was no national cemeteries at all. So, we were able to look at a rural area with a very small veteran population, relatively speaking, and say we could put a a rural national cemetery there. That unfortunately would not apply to Michigan.
▶ 1:09:41Okay. Well, what I'm looking for is there is there a way just Michigan being an example. I'm sure there are other examples that we we want to make sure that all of our veterans and their families are appropriately served. Uh would you be willing to have NCA take a look at whether drive time or isolation factors could supplement the current distance and population thresholds using again in my case the upper peninsula as a case study?
▶ 1:10:08Congressman, I I commit to you that that we will certainly look at that. It is our our objective is to make um national cemeteries or a veteran cemetery through our state partners tribal or territorial as accessible as possible. Uh but it's also limited uh to appropriations and and we have to be the best steward we can of that. Um but I would say that you're you're not completely unique.
▶ 1:10:30we have, you know, US territories that also could benefit from a national cemetery that um, you know, we just we have to be able to have the appropriations to meet the the policy to be able to do that.
▶ 1:10:41Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
▶ 1:10:46Thank you, Chairman Lutrell and Ranking Member McGarvey. I really appreciate your leadership and your shared um partnership and holding this important hearing and ensuring all of our veterans are properly honored. And thank you to our witnesses. Um, Under Secretary Brown, it's good to see you again. I'm going to start by honoring a veteran from my district, Major General Jean Holm, a pioneering military leader and advocate for women in the armed services.
▶ 1:11:12She joined the military in 1942, earned her officer commission in 1943, and later transferred to the Air Force, serving in key roles during and after World War II. As director of women in the Air Force, she expanded opportunities for women, modernized policies, and played a central role in opening more military careers to them.
▶ 1:11:34She broke historic barriers when she became the first woman in the United States Air Force to be promoted to Brigadier General in 1971 and later the first woman in the US armed for forces to reach the rank of major general. She retired in 1975 after a distinguished career. After retiring, she continued advocating for women's equality in government and authored influential works on women in the military.
▶ 1:12:01So, I'm going to ask each of you just a quick yes or no question. Major General Gene Holm embodies exactly the kind of service the VA, Arlington National Cemetery, and Army National Military Cemeteries are charged with honoring every day. Would you agree? We'll start with secretary or under
▶ 1:12:24and Miss Durham Aguilar.
▶ 1:12:27And Mr. Dalisandra.
▶ 1:12:29Great. And that is precisely why I was planning to honor her major general home at the 28th annual bipartisan women's caucus wreath laying laying at Arlington National Cemetery earlier this month. Mr. Durmaguilara, can you help me understand why that event was cancelled this year following notification that the Navy, Air Force, and Space Force would not attend?
▶ 1:12:55Thank you, Rep. Dexter. So, other than being the the place National Cemetery that provides the venue, only information I have as to why it was canceled is what I read in the media.
▶ 1:13:06Okay. The stated reason was compliance with anti-Dei executive orders and Department of Defense guidance. A nearly three decade long bipartisan event honoring follow fall fallen service women was cancelled for political reasons and I find this entirely unacceptable. Mr. Amagulara, what is the Army's policy when it comes to specifically honoring women and minorities at Arlington National
▶ 1:13:34Thank you, Rep. Dexter. We honor everyone through service. For example, you can go into our education curriculum, our website or you see Explorer, you can look at World War I, you can find Tuskegee Airmen. I mean, sorry, World War II, you can find the Sea Garin. Look at World One, you can find Harlem Hell Fighters. If you look at Statesman, you can find Colon Pow who made such a mark on me when I when I was a young engineer. So, we everyone that we describe there, we tell their stories through their service.
▶ 1:14:05I appreciate that and I understand that you are not a political appointee and and you can't control all all of this, but I just appeal to my colleagues that it is egregious that a bipartisan annual event um is canceled for political reasons and it disallows our ability to honor our veterans. and and that is exactly what I hope we're going to continue advocating for here in a fair and bipartisan manner.
▶ 1:14:35And with that, I yield back.
▶ 1:14:42Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh welcome, Secretary. Good to see you again. Uh I'm going to um in the interest of time, I was going to ask you about uh your expanded outreach. uh what measurable what measures do you use to indicate outputs because everyone in the government likes to talk about their inputs uh and I often ask about outputs so what measurable criteria do you have to
▶ 1:15:12show us and if you'd like to answer that in writing I would appreciate it but in the interest of time I'm going to move to your two colleagues [cough] Mr. Delisandro uh ABMC has maintained our overseas military cemeteries for over cemeter for over a century. What do you consider the greatest threat in the next 10 to 20 years given the changes in Europe that we are seeing in the governments? What what do you consider the greatest threat to our overseas cemeteries?
▶ 1:15:43Thank you for that question. Um I believe our greatest threat isn't from overseas countries. uh we have great relations with our partners overseas uh and and the country team in each of the countries we operate in. I actually think our greatest threat is two different things. I think one of them is the aging workforce. So we have a workforce that is quite mature.
▶ 1:16:10Um, we have a problem hiring younger people. And and when I'm talking about that, I'm talking largely overseas employees, not government civilians. A large majority of ABMC is our are our overseas local
▶ 1:16:25Okay. Take another 30 seconds, please.
▶ 1:16:27Oh, God. Uh, we've just got to maintain the workforce, keep their interest. Many of these people are are multigenerational. So, we're losing that because a lot of people don't like these working outside labor intensive jobs.
▶ 1:16:43Okay. Very good. And I will point out we have a we have a history lesson here because when de Gaulle ordered the NATO forces out of France, I believe it was John Fost Foster Doulles that asked him if he included the American cemeteries like the one over the D-Day beaches. So, I I would just ask you to watch the movement in Europe.
▶ 1:17:06Uh, Miss Durham um, you've testified that you're going to be the southern expansion has got us till60 or so. Uh, Congress has, uh, uh, told you through the 2019 NDAA to be effective for the 150 years. How are the plans for that? And what does that look like? C, do you have an update for us?
▶ 1:17:32So, thank you, Rep. So, so in that uh 2019 NDAA, we did do draft rule making, put that out for public comment,
▶ 1:17:42and then after we were uh going through and adjudicating the comments. Previous administration decided not to move forward with it. So, with this administration, uh we are relooking at it again and I can't give you a timeline as to when and if that's going to
▶ 1:17:58Okay. I would I would suggest that uh you you you do that because60 is right around the corner for for getting something in place to uh to be effective for the next 150 years. That is uh that's like tomorrow. Um with that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back. Thank you, Mr. Self.
▶ 1:18:27I would personally like to thank the three of you for doing uh amazing work at your departments. Really happy to hear about the case on platoon. I was kind of that one was a heavy rat carry around when I when I first took this Thank you for being forthright forthright and answering our questions.
▶ 1:18:51I got to tell you, it makes our it makes this committee very happy when we we can engage with with you all that that are testifying in front of us. Mr. McGregor, do you have anything
▶ 1:19:01Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I echo those
▶ 1:19:03First panel is excused. Thank you, Mr.
▶ 1:20:16Is everyone ready? Mr. Ly, I got to tell you, twice in less than a week, why don't you just run for Congress? You can hang out here all you want. Just either a glutton for punishment or just full of information. Um, well, I'll start with you, Mr. Ly. So, the national director of legislative affairs of the American Legion. Thank you again. It's good to see you again. Uh, Mr.
▶ 1:20:46Ryan Manion, chief operations officer for the Travis Manion Foundation. Thank you for coming to our committee today. Uh, and Mr. Shane Lrron, director, state veteran cemeteries of the Kennedy Department of Veterans Affairs. Sir, thank you. I ask the witnesses please stand and raise your right hand. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you're about to provide is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so helped you God? We good, Mr. Lone?
▶ 1:21:17Outstanding. Thank you. And let the record reflect that the witnesses have answered in the affirmative. Mr. L, you're now recognized for five minutes. Well, uh, thank you, Chairman Latrell, Ranking Member McGarvey, and distinguished members of the subcommittee. On behalf of National Commander Dan Ky, and more than 1.5 million dues paying members of the American Legion, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today.
▶ 1:21:40Paraphrasing President Garfield, "We do not know all the promises they made, all the pledges they gave, or the words they spoke, but we do know they summed up and perfected by one supreme act the highest virtues of American citizens." The American Legion has long been a champion of keeping our national cemeteries, monuments, and memorials the foremost global example of how a country should honor service members after death.
▶ 1:22:06And we believe that all organizations and units within the National Cemetery Administration, the American Battle Monuments Commission, and the Department of the Army are by most measures doing excellent work. NC8 earned a satisfaction score in 2025, which was the highest ever recorded. ABMC meticulously maintains cemeteries and memorials across 17 countries, and Arlington continues to set the standard for dignified military honors. But that does not mean there is no room for improvement.
▶ 1:22:37Our resolutions call for expanding cemetery capacity where needed, bolstering outreach efforts, and deepening volunteer involvement so every veteran has the choice to exercise their right for burial and honors at the location they choose in a manner befitting the honor they deserve.
▶ 1:22:55Last year, our national executive committee passed a resolution encouraging lead legionnaires, our auxiliary and the sons of the American Legion to volunteer at VA cemeteries through VA voluntary services and to partner with other organizations including grave adoption. Our members are already active in flag placements, graveside services, memorial day observances, and veteran and the veterans legacy program. But memorialization does not begin or end at the cemetery gate.
▶ 1:23:22It is the final chapter of a veteran service and the first chapter of their legacy. The greatest challenges occur during the transitions, before death, during end of life care, and long after burial. Families navigating serious illnesses are often focused on medical appointments, caregiving, and difficult conversations about prognosis. Questions about burial eligibility, military honors, survivor benefits, and memorial preferences frequently receive less attention until it's too late.
▶ 1:23:52VA has a valuable pamphlet, Planning Your Legacy, VA Survivors and Burial Benefits. But anecdotally, Legionnaires report it is rarely offered in VA MC's. Even when it is, it does not fully address the practical steps families need before a crisis moment to establish a true continuum of planning. When death occurs, survivors are suddenly coordinating with funeral directors, cemeteries, military honors teams, and multiple VA offices, often without clear guidance on benefits or documentation.
▶ 1:24:22After the funeral, the burden shifts again to dependency and indemnity compensation, Champ VA, survivors pension, probate, and grief support. Too many families experience this as a series of disconnected handoffs rather than one coordinated journey. We urge VA to expand and integrate advanced memorialization planning into routine VA interactions, including broader distribution of pre-needed eligibility tools and resources in VAMC's.
▶ 1:24:50We urge them to strengthen coordination between VHA, VBA, and NCA so veterans and families receive seamless support during the critical transition from end of life care to memorialization and continue their strong partnerships with veteran service organizations, funeral directors, state, tribal cemeteries, and volunteers who often serve as the first line of help for grieving families.
▶ 1:25:13We urge this subcommittee to ensure survivors receive consistent comprehensive assistance after burial, including full implementation and expanded future capability of the survivor assistance and memorial support program within VHA. Mr. Chairman, the men and women in Arlington and in cemeteries the world over gave their time on Earth and the time they'll never spend with those they left behind in the hope that we would, as the Constitution says, form a more perfect union.
▶ 1:25:42We honor their sacrifices by ensuring the trust in our institutions remains strong. And nowhere in the federal government is that trust more important to keep than with the families of those we lost. I thank you again for the opportunity to testify and I welcome any questions you have.
▶ 1:26:00The written statement of Mr. Low will be entered into the hearing record. Miss Manion, you're now recognized for five Chairman Latrell, Ranking Member McGarvey, and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify on behalf of the Travis Manion Foundation, where we empower veterans and families of the fallen to lead by mentoring youth and serving in their communities. My name is Ryan Manion.
▶ 1:26:26I am the CEO of the Travis Manion Foundation and sister of Marine Corps First Lieutenant Travis Manion, who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq in 2007. Today, I am honored to speak about the importance of memorializing our fallen heroes and the role that community partnerships play in ensuring that their legacies endure. My brother Travis is buried in section 60 at Arlington National Cemetery. I visit him often.
▶ 1:26:54Every time I step onto those hollowed grounds, I am struck by the thousands of headstones that represent the very best our country has to offer. National cemeteries like Arlington are where our nation's promise to honor and remember those who served is made permanent. But we need to make sure that they are not only places of remembrance. That they are classrooms where future generations can learn the meaning of service, sacrifice, and citizenship.
▶ 1:27:25At TMF, our vision is simple but powerful to create a community where veterans show up as civic assets and are provided opportunities to continue to serve. This past Memorial Day, working in partnership with the National Cemetery Administration and Arlington National Cemetery, the Travis Manion Foundation empowered more than 2500 volunteers to visit 78 veteran cemeteries nationwide.
▶ 1:27:53These volunteers placed commemorative tokens at the grave sites of 10,000 fallen service members through what we call the Honor Project. The impact of that effort extends beyond the families who know their loved ones are being remembered. Volunteers leave with a deeper understanding of the sacrifices made on their behalf. They learn the stories behind the headstones.
▶ 1:28:17They begin to understand that these are not simply markers, but lives of purpose, courage, and service. These lessons are more important now than ever. In previous generations, military service was woven into everyday American life. Today, less than 1% of Americans serve in uniform.
▶ 1:28:39As that divide grows, we must be intentional about creating opportunities for Americans, especially young people, to connect with those who served and those who gave their lives in service to our nation. The greatest tribute we can pay those who served is not simply to remember them, but it's to live lives worthy of their sacrifice. That is why community partnerships matter.
▶ 1:29:07Organizations like the Travis Manion Foundation help transform national cemeteries from places people visit once a year into places where stories are shared, lessons are learned, and legacies continue to inspire action. Before Travis deployed to Iraq for the second and final time, he was asked why he had to go back. His response was five simple words. If not me, then who?
▶ 1:29:36Those words do not end with my brother. They live on in every American who chooses service over self. That is ultimately what our national cemeteries make possible. They do more than preserve our history. They shape our future. Every headstone marks a life that still has something to teach us.
▶ 1:29:58Through strong community partnerships, we can ensure those lessons are never forgotten and that the service of those we have lost continue to inspire generations of Americans yet to come. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today and I look forward to any questions you may have.
▶ 1:30:16The written statement of Miss Manion will be entered into the hearing record. I yield to the ranking member.
▶ 1:30:21Thank you for yielding, Chair Latrell. I have the honor of introducing a great Kuckian, Mr. Shane Lrron, the director of the Veteran Cemeteries Division of the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs. Chief Lgrron is a 30-year veteran of the United States Air Force and the Kentucky Air National Guard, where he was an explosive ordinance disposal technician. After his military service, Chief Lron continued to serve by joining the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs. I'm proud to have people like you serving our great state, sir. Mr.
▶ 1:30:47Chairman, it is my pleasure to introduce to you and the committee the director of the Veteran Cemeteries Division of the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs, Mr. Shane Lrron. I yield back.
▶ 1:30:57Thank you, sir. Mr. Lone, you're recognized for five minutes.
▶ 1:31:00Yes, sir. Thank you, Chairman Little, Ranking Member Carvey, and the honorable members of the subcommittee for inviting me to witnesses today's hearing. It is an honor to be here. I look forward to sharing my perspective on these important issues and answering any questions you may have. Like I said, I am the cemetery director for our state veteran cemeteries, and last year I was promoted to the director of that position. Uh this year, as the direct cemetery division, I oversee our five state veteran cemeteries, including their budgets and procedures.
▶ 1:31:26I'm responsible for the cemetery programs that work with the National Cemetery Administration for compliance and with the veteran cemetery grants program for cemeteries expansions. Kentucky does have five state cemeteries. The first was performed in March 1st, 2004. Our other four cemeteries opened in 2007, 2008, 2010 10, 2018. And as a June 1st of this year, there are 24,592 veterans independents interred in our state veteran cemeteries.
▶ 1:31:53The vet veteran cemetery grant program is an excellent example of the outstanding federal and state partnership that has benefited Kentucky state veteran cemeteries. Our cemeteries have received 12 federal grants since 2002, totaling $43.8 million. Each of the five state cemeteries received grant funding for initial construction. And in just the past four years, Kentucky has three expansion grants for approximately three million to build new colar walls for for cremations and pre-placed out of barrel containers for casket determents at our two oldest and busiest cemeteries.
▶ 1:32:23Commonwealth Kentucky also has a great relationship with the NCA. We follow their guidelines, rules, regulations because it requires all veteran cemeteries meet the same high standards, which is what our veterans deserve. This year, the NCAA supported the tribal and veter veteran cemeteries in holding a in-person virtual meeting organized by the National Association of State Directors for the Veterans Veteran Affairs to discuss common issues and help find resolutions to common problems.
▶ 1:32:46This has allowed us to collaborate with the NCAA on more focused topics and the NCA has already addressed several of our issues in the first year. On January 1st this year, successfully implemented the Barrel Equity for Guard Reserve Act. Over the first five months, we've entered 10 guard and reserve veterans and one Thanks to the increased collaboration with NCA as facilitated between the state and tribal veteran cemeteries, we were able to consult with our state and tribal counterparts who had already implemented this program. This helped us eliminate problems before they even arose.
▶ 1:33:17We were able to find Headstone vendors, use shared eligibility criteria, establish standard operating procedures in a timely manner and with great confidence. While I believe the NCAA and the veteran cemetery grant program are working well and serve as a value partnership for state and tribal veteran cemeteries, I have some recommendations regarding the the grant program. There are 125 grant funded state and tribal veteran cemeteries across the country. Funding to help expand and extend the life of these cemeteries urgently needed.
▶ 1:33:42Over the past 10 years, our cremation interments at Kentucky State Veteran Cemeteries have increased from 30% to over 40% of our interments, which cause our Colombian walls to fill up faster than we than we uh planned. As the cemeteries expand, we need more infrastructure to ensure that we can maintain the norm the natural shrine standard. Until recently, federal appropriations have limited this type of expansion as more expansion projects result in higher infrastructure for cemeteries.
▶ 1:34:07For example, our next great grant request for Kentucky Veteran Cemetery Central in Harden County, Kentucky will include increased infrastructure expansion costs for the first time due to roads need to be built and the land need to be cleared. Congress recent increase of annual funding for the grant program from 50 million to 150 million have been very encouraging. I recommend that Congress maintain this funding in the upcoming FY27 appropriations.
▶ 1:34:31This increased funding is essential to allow for more infrastructure expansion projects and to address the backlog of requests that many state and tribal veteran cemeteries allowing us to advance vital projects that honor our veterans. I would like to note that while Senate state and tribal veteran cemeteries are very thankful for Congress's increase in the grant program funding, it has taken time for cemeteries to adjust to this increased funding and to sure they are able to spend it within required time frame.
▶ 1:34:57Some cases this adjustment period may give the impression that the 150 million for the grant program is too high or the state and tribal cemeteries don't need this funding. I can assure you that is not the case. In fact, the increase in funding this year surprised many state and tribal cemeteries. Getting this initial funding through the state takes time even though we know it will be reimbured through the VCGP. Engineers and contractors need time to submit estimates. The build phase and projects take time to plan.
▶ 1:35:21Several states have made and will make the push to complete this year's projects and we'll be more prepared to receive this funding in the next coming We're very grateful for the Congress support to the state and tribal veteran cemeteries including the Congress increase and the funding this year and want to thank the members of the subcommittee for your important work on these issues for your committee to honoring the veterans. Give a special thank you to chairman chairman ll and ranking member McCarthy for inviting me to participate in this hearing.
▶ 1:35:46Thank you for recognizing the importance and supporting the veterans and advocating for memorials and cemeteries that are here in our honor. Without your support and dedication, we would not be able to honor the veterans the way we deserve. Thank you for allowing me the honor to serve as witness and hearing. Look forward to answering your questions.
▶ 1:36:00Statement of Mr. Lone be entered into the hearing record. Mr. McGy, you're recognized for five minutes, sir.
▶ 1:36:04Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Dctor Director Lone, we're going to go right back to you. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you for your continued service. Um, I want to talk to you about an issue that we discussed on this subcommittee last week. Uh, is VA service radius of 75 miles for interments at either national or state cemetery reasonable?
▶ 1:36:23Um, great question, sir. Although 75 mile radius is a great standard to set, uh, we still take in account the the terrain of the state along with the population density. Uh, for example, Kentucky has consisted of rug and train on the east, uh, sweeping planes on the west. Uh, KDVA 5 cemeteries designed based on the state's terrain to cover the 250 mi and 4-hour drives. uh across the state syncing with the other six national cemeteries. We believe that would provide effective coverage.
▶ 1:36:50Bottom line, establishing a setting file uh mile is a good national baseline, but the terrain and population should be considered how the state can establish the right number of federal state cemeteries to serve its population. But I would like to say that uh don't let the population be the only factor.
▶ 1:37:05We have a very small cemetery in southeast. Uh it has a population of 303 in the city. Um but it is in that position to where we need the 75 miles. That is probably one of the most veteran friendly cemeteries we have. The entire town, entire county rallies around that thing. That is their monument, their veteran monument, that cemetery as a whole.
▶ 1:37:24The the town their their schools are leadership program to schools do fundraising for the cemetery to get uh to this year denter to vet veterans that was in a cemetery that was just just forgotten and overgrown. They raised the money to get there brought to us and honor those the right way. So as yes, there should be an exception. I don't think the dense the population density should be a bigger part.
▶ 1:37:46Okay. Yeah. So, so an exception particularly in rural areas and as you know, especially if you're in in southeast Kentucky, it can take a long way to get not a very far distance uh through the mountains. So, appreciate that. Um, Director Lone, I know you all have great partnerships with the community and get a lot done with funding from the state and you all do a great job with your cemeteries. Uh, but I want to flesh out your recommendations for the veteran cemetery grant program just a little bit here. Can you expand on your testimony regarding the importance of funding uh this program on a state and tribal level?
▶ 1:38:17Funding this program provides um each cemetery in the program to be built to a similar standard. They follow similar operating procedures and they have similar goals they try to achieve. It's all part of being part of the grant program. You have to buy into those things. When people visit the veteran cemeteries, whether federal, state or tribal, they expect all them to be at a shrine level and except for memorial to the veterans. the dress rate dress the military is used to and known for. Also, the program allows for growth and longevity of the veteran state and tribal program cemeteries.
▶ 1:38:48When placed in the ingground crypts and the burial fields, the number of veterans and family members we can inter sometimes doubles, which does nothing more but expand the lifespan of that cemetery. [snorts] Adding years to the lifespan of the cemetery. So, in my opinion, the program is vital to the success of the state and tribal cemeteries. And the increase in funding for this program allows even more stability and growth for our veteran cemeteries.
▶ 1:39:09Do and do you have any recommendations of how the NCA might better prioritize which projects to fund?
▶ 1:39:16Uh great question. Uh that one's a little more a little harder to answer because I don't know their ins and outs. I don't know their actual procedures and I really don't know their the other states needs. I think they're doing a great job prioritizing and I know for Kentucky they're doing a great job answering us back on why we didn't get selected or we did get selected. No, thank you for that. And back to another one of the issues we discussed last week. It's a difficult topic, difficult topic of unclaimed veteran remains.
▶ 1:39:41Um, a lot of this comes out of the state level and a lot has to do with state laws and state funeral directors and and the things the states are under. Can you discuss what the Commonwealth has been doing to identify and inter unclaimed
▶ 1:39:53Yes, sir. Kucky's very proud of our veteran engine and burial program and our mission in America program. Since 2009, funeral homes that have Kentucky veterans that are injured and unclaimed work with the KDVA to inter them into one of our state veteran cemeteries. We embar home for up to $1,000 of the expenses they incur. Our VSOs provide burial honors in the form of right rifle salutes, taps, fold, and the presented the flag. And we let the communities know we have these services through our social media platforms.
▶ 1:40:21And there's always they always come out to show up in this other respects and usually 100200 people on most of these. Uh to date, the Kentucky has paid over $239,000 to funeral homes helping our veterans over the past since 2009. The Mr. Mary Project is another great uh success story for Kentucky. We have an exceptional volunteers that look throughout the state for unclaimed veterans. They look at universities. They look at funeral homes and anywhere else remains might be.
▶ 1:40:47With help from the NCAA, we verify to ensure that they are veterans that are eligible for burial and hold a large service for them at one of our state veteran cemeteries. Our volunteers and cemetery staff work to ensure that all branch of the military are represented during the interment service. Local communities and ESOs always support these events because no veteran is alone and we're here for each other. We try to do at least one if not two of those missing American events in the year and right now I'd say we probably have about 20 people on that backlog that we will do one for this
▶ 1:41:14Thank you, Mr. Director Lugone. And I yield back, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:41:21Thank you. Um, we've been talking about distances. Geometry is one of the greatest things that I think if people understood geometry and physics, we'd we'd h we'd have a lot better decisions in so many ways. Um, good to see you all. Thank you for being here. Um, Mr. Lyall, it's always good to see you. Thank you for the Legion's continued advocacy on these issues.
▶ 1:41:45Your testimony notes that the Legion supported an additional National Cemetery in Hawaii just last week. Yes,
▶ 1:41:52Consistent with resolution 181's call for expanding cemetery capacity where needed, would the Legion apply the same standard to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where nearly 30,000 veterans currently have no instate cemetery within reasonable reach. I know that's a pretty direct
▶ 1:42:13Yeah. Uh, I mean on its face, I believe we would support.
▶ 1:42:16Okay. Um, again, I got several questions all for you, Mr. Ly. Of course, it's good you you you advocate so well for the Legion and your engagement with all our our members is is uh uh second to
▶ 1:42:31I absolutely,
▶ 1:42:31you know, I I don't you think so?
▶ 1:42:34Yeah, I agree.
▶ 1:42:35I'm not going to do that, sir. Thank [laughter] you.
▶ 1:42:39Yeah, I'm just
▶ 1:42:40Yeah. So, uh, your written testimony actually cites the UP, the upper peninsula directly. You note that a widow in in the upper peninsula might receive fundamentally different support than a widow in the Bay Area simply because of the resources available nearby.
▶ 1:42:58Could you speak to how that same geographic disparity applies to memorialization specifically, not just survivor benefits, but a family's ability to physically attend a burial or to visit a grave site?
▶ 1:43:12Yes, sir. Well, thank you, General Bergman. Um uh as with VA healthcare, VA benefits, memorialization uh is is different from state-to-state location uh based on geography uh and a number of other factors as as was alluded to previously. 75 miles in one part of the country can be vastly different than 75 miles in another part of the country.
▶ 1:43:34Um, so you know, we should take into account, the VA should take into account the the actual, you know, technical access to a resource is not the same as functional access to a resource. Uh, so for memorialization, 75 miles or or so, and it's a it's a good first step to get to that um 95% metric that Under Secretary Brown mentioned.
▶ 1:43:56Um but you know we should we should take additional strides to uh increase access for for widows like the one that was mentioned in the upper peninsula.
▶ 1:44:05Okay. And you also describe memor memorialization as a continuum that the transitions between systems are often where families fall through the cracks. Uh again for an upper peninsula veterans family that continuum doesn't just include a paperwork app. Uh it includes a 1,000mi round trip. Uh, does the Legion view geographic access as part of the the continuity problem?
▶ 1:44:33Absolutely. Um, you know, so at at end of life, if a veteran is in hospice care at a VHA facility, uh, in Michigan or another rural community, um, you know, depending on where they are specifically, it can, uh, from VHA to memorialization at NCA and then to accessing benefits from the VBA.
▶ 1:44:54um they're they're going to be obviously very different in uh distance and as I mentioned the technical uh resource that is available is going to be different than the functional ability of that person to uh to access those resources.
▶ 1:45:09So what candidly I think we would like to see um is there's a program at VHA called the SAMS program uh which is a FTE neutral program that's that's kind of like a social worker for families um that are going through this process uh but some sort of unified approach between agency to ensure that there are warm handoffs instead of the uh veterans surviving family members having to do the research and the
▶ 1:45:39work themselves to go find those resources at each of these
▶ 1:45:44Thank you. Um, Miss Manion, I uh I've debated here for the last 30 minutes whether to make the following comment, but I know that Travis is listening. I know that your mom is listening. I know your dad I served with your dad.
▶ 1:46:00I probably saw you when you were quite young and I knew Travis and I we had some pretty nice parties with your dad and mom up at Mag 49 up at Willow Grove back in the I think that was probably back in the 80s something like that.
▶ 1:46:14But I I just wanted to uh tell you how uh how important it is that you've taken up the mantle for your brother and your mom. So, thank you. And that Mr. Chairman, I yield
▶ 1:46:41Thank you, General. Mr. Lum ask you some questions. Okay.
▶ 1:46:58Yes sir. it uh which I was just highlighting continuity frequent frequently breaks at the hands between end of life care and memorial benefits eligibility determination and scheduling military honors coordination reimbursement processes like so you're you're you're speaking the language that we all have debate about in inside the VA and here in Congress and since you're wearing
▶ 1:47:28that hat I'm going to ask I'm assuming I'm talking to the marriage. What's the plan?
▶ 1:47:33That's that's um and I got shotgun with this one time too when I was saying hey here's the issue and somebody asked me what the plan is like I don't have one I just want to about it.
▶ 1:47:42I thank you for the question sir. I uh as previously mentioned to to General Bergman, I think u you know we had a roundt a couple of months ago with folks from the the NCA and uh community organizations.
▶ 1:47:56Um and I I proposed, you know, there should be some sort of portal, some sort of unified portal um for veterans and their spouses that starts um you know, pre-need as early as humanly possible in the VHA um in order to facilit before they're in hospice care.
▶ 1:48:20Um, candidly, so, uh, the the VHA has the ability only people who are enrolled in in the VHA are really given access to, uh, the VA's program to do wills and estates and things like that to make those transitions a little easier when when the time of need actually happens. Um, so getting upstream as early as possible to make sure
▶ 1:48:42the VA has programs injected into the department that currently handle some of these things in some way, I would expect.
▶ 1:48:54Correct. Yeah, they do. They do have some. The problem is, uh,
▶ 1:48:57here's the tricky part. The veterans, I say this all the time when I'm on committee. We are a very hard group to handle. Now, even if the VA put everything in place, it's still our responsibility to do it. And I don't and because you mentioned you mentioned marketing, let's see, expansion out. I'm sorry, I wrote it down.
▶ 1:49:24Um, how do you even if Okay, so again, American Legion, let's just say you have the perfect business model that that that they can implement inside the system. Okay, which again, I'm going to ask you if you have that. And secondly, when you roll the tape back, how do you get us to touch it? Not us Congress, but veterans. I'm speaking veterans here.
▶ 1:49:52Yes, sir. Um, well, the thing I would say is, as previously mentioned, I think the SAMS program is a great place to start because it does, at least within VHA, offer that kind of warm handoff that that personto person. Well,
▶ 1:50:04that's there.
▶ 1:50:05It's there. It's FTE neutral and it's and it's um set to be fully implemented by the end of this year. It's a great program. Okay.
▶ 1:50:12Um, but it's it's not necessarily
▶ 1:50:16super well with the other different agencies. Um, and again, it's it's FTE neutral. So people that are
▶ 1:50:22Legion and the VFW and DAV and Warrior Foundation and Travis Manning Foundation, something that they can
▶ 1:50:30Facebook for us and say, "Hey, these this is here and it exists. You be paying attention to it." Well, well, the I can only speak for the American Legion. like we routinely put out these um these resources to veterans um as kind of a force multiplier for VA to make sure that these veterans and their families know that these things exist. Um it's it's obviously as you know less than 50% of veterans are enrolled in in VHA care.
▶ 1:50:56So there's the other, you know, 50% it's it's our job as civic organizations to educate those folks about these resources. Um so we we do that. we try um in terms of getting veterans access, education, and the resources they need, but as mentioned, when people are in different seasons of life where they're going through uh end of life care and they're they're just not immediately thinking of of those things. So, it becomes harder to try to get people in education.
▶ 1:51:26How do you bridge the gap between the VA and and the end of life care when the VA is not going to have any idea that's happening? Well, I I mentioned in written testimony um I think that VA publica or VA routine VA interactions could they could introduce more of these kind of upstream resources um and and try to get that integrated as much as
▶ 1:51:52How do we get our how do we get our elders I mean utmost respect when I say it that way to do that because the VA is not it's it's an open door. I mean they're sitting there wait ready to receive. I'm just having a
▶ 1:52:07This is two veterans trying to figure a problem out. I'm not this this is because I don't know how to answer this question because I hear what you're saying and so how do we fix it? Because
▶ 1:52:15it's a complex problem because uh you're talking about um some veterans enrolled in VHA care that don't necessarily use it until they they need it towards end of life, right? Um, which is why I said integrating some of this stuff into routine like primary care appointments, specialty care appointments, and at least giving folks the education um to these resources that they have for people that are enrolled in VHA care.
▶ 1:52:37Um, but you know, from community partnerships, uh, not community partnerships, excuse me, uh, community events and engagements that the Legion does largely at the post level and the state level, um, particularly around events like Memorial Day, Veterans Day, you know, big type events, integrating some of this education and resource into our, uh, media marketing materials. Um, we, you know, we partner with the VA on the Veterans Legacy Program project. Um, we uh have
▶ 1:53:06all of this because I'm I'm well over Can we back this all the way up and hand it to a service member who's leaving and saying you need to pay attention to this for the rest of your life?
▶ 1:53:20Because if it's implemented into the VA, which you got it the hot handoff, trains running down the track. Hey, ready, set, go jump. The VA's that way. And then you have to kind of pick it apart once we get there. And if to to to for ease of if we were to prep our service members when they're exiting with everything that you just spoke about with the VA on board, saying here is your end of life preparatory movement,
▶ 1:53:50don't lose it. I shouldn't say it that way, but I think it'd be a great start. I mean, as as you're well aware, trying to to change improve tap is an ongoing process. So if that's what you're talking about, like I I certainly think that's a start, but then you go 5 10 you know 20 30 years down the line when somebody needs to maybe update a will or laws and regulation changes. Uh the education is a a continual process. So to the extent possible trying to institutionalize some of these things
▶ 1:54:20not necessarily institutionalize it but what's the army you're marine what's the army term for
▶ 1:54:28I mean don't look at me I was in in the Marine Corps too so I don't know
▶ 1:54:32well I guess we're screwed then I I'll try to put it in crayon [laughter] um anyway a conversation that I think we need to kind of develop more with not only you all VA as well as the Department of War. Um, Miss Manion, I told you that I wouldn't let you get out here without me saying something to you, but um, thank you for everything that you are doing for our veterans and service members, and God bless your Um, Mr. McGary, you have closing
▶ 1:55:04Closing statement.
▶ 1:55:08Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, thank you to all of our witnesses today. Uh, appreciate all of you all being here, all of your continued service. Miss Manion, uh, you've been recognized by everyone else on this day and I I don't want you to escape without us. Thanks from us as well. What you're doing is really incredible. Appreciate your your incredible devotion and persistence and uh and advocating for our veterans.
▶ 1:55:32Um, I think it's easy for us in Congress to get lost in the technicalities of of programs, to get lost in the flash, the news cycle, but in this room, we just are cleareyed and we see veterans at the heart of every single thing we do. So, yeah, we ask some tough questions. Yeah, we want to know some of the plans. Um, we want to know what you all think, how it's impacting the veterans, how these how these programs are actually playing out.
▶ 1:55:58Um, from the cemeteries of Southeast Kentucky, uh, to veterans trying to get end of life care. We want to make sure that we're here to uplift the voices of those we serve, the veterans. So, I'm thankful for you all being here to discuss the thousands of burials, the ceremonies, the educational events, the acres of land you oversee.
▶ 1:56:18I look forward to future advancements in cemetery operations that allow for better scheduling and greater support of NCA directors, caretakers, crews, and all staff that ensure this mission has a 100% success rate. Although the under secretary is still here, 98% is pretty darn good. Um,
▶ 1:56:35that's a phenomenal number.
▶ 1:56:36Yeah, phen a phenomenal number. So, I do hope that as we continue our partnerships, we're making positive changes for our veterans that we're continuing to uphold that incredible standard uh that the American people demand of us that we must continue to work towards better cooperation between federal and state cemeteries. Thank you, Mr. Lrron, for coming here from Kentucky and for your testimony regarding regarding the veteran cemetery grant program. And I think you know what this committee does.
▶ 1:57:02We don't get it always right ourselves, but we do keep the veteran at the heart of everything we do. The center of everything we do. We do right by them. We'll be doing the right thing. So, Mr. Chairman, I go
▶ 1:57:14Thank you, sir. It's our 250th birthday. We are at that incredible milestone because of the brave of bravery of the men and women whose those that we've lost, those that we haven't, and we think about them every You know, Mr.
▶ 1:57:38McGarvey and I, we when we hold these committee hearings, we just we just ask that everybody, you know, kind of pour their heart and soul into their testimony because he and I are we're all in on this and uh we have been from from step off. And Mr. Secretary, thank you for coming in today. And I don't know if anybody is still with you that was testifying, but as we continue to move forward, we keep a watchful eye.
▶ 1:58:06And I and I I like to say this and it will it will always resonate with me is that we are in the business of serving our veterans. And no matter how hard or how easy it ever has to be, when you wake up every single day, you can never forget that. And because um the day that you do um we will we will lose. And for those that um serve this great country throughout our history, we always want to make sure that they will understand.
▶ 1:58:34and those that have lost to their loved ones will understand how much we care for them. I ask unanimous consent that all members shall have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material in the record. Hearing no objection, so ordered. With that, this hearing is