[House Hearing, 118 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                  MEMBER DAY: TESTIMONY AND PROPOSALS
                 ON THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

=======================================================================

                                HEARING

                               BEFORE THE

                     COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS

                     U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                    ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

                             FIRST SESSION

                               __________

                        THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

                               __________

                           Serial No. 118-23

                               __________

       Printed for the use of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
       
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                    Available via http://govinfo.gov
                    
                               __________

                   U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE                    
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                    COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS
                   
                      MIKE BOST, Illinois, Chairman

AUMUA AMATA COLEMAN RADEWAGEN,       MARK TAKANO, California, Ranking 
    American Samoa, Vice-Chairwoman      Member
JACK BERGMAN, Michigan               JULIA BROWNLEY, California
NANCY MACE, South Carolina           MIKE LEVIN, California
MATTHEW M. ROSENDALE, SR., Montana   CHRIS PAPPAS, New Hampshire
MARIANNETTE MILLER-MEEKS, Iowa       FRANK J. MRVAN, Indiana
GREGORY F. MURPHY, North Carolina    SHEILA CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK, 
C. SCOTT FRANKLIN, Florida               Florida
DERRICK VAN ORDEN, Wisconsin         CHRISTOPHER R. DELUZIO, 
MORGAN LUTTRELL, Texas                   Pennsylvania
JUAN CISCOMANI, Arizona              MORGAN MCGARVEY, Kentucky
ELIJAH CRANE, Arizona                DELIA C. RAMIREZ, Illinois
KEITH SELF, Texas                    GREG LANDSMAN, Ohio
JENNIFER A. KIGGANS, Virginia        NIKKI BUDZINSKI, Illinois

                       Jon Clark, Staff Director
                  Matt Reel, Democratic Staff Director

Pursuant to clause 2(e)(4) of Rule XI of the Rules of the House, public 
hearing records of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs are also 
published in electronic form. The printed hearing record remains the 
official version. Because electronic submissions are used to prepare 
both printed and electronic versions of the hearing record, the process 
of converting between various electronic formats may introduce 
unintentional errors or omissions. Such occurrences are inherent in the 
current publication process and should diminish as the process is 
further refined.
                         C  O  N  T  E  N  T  S

                              ----------                              

                        THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

                                                                   Page

                           OPENING STATEMENTS

The Honorable Mike Bost, Chairman................................     1
The Honorable Mark Takano, Ranking Member........................     4

                               WITNESSES
                                Panel 1

The Honorable Derek Kilmer, U.S. House of Representatives, (WA-
  06)............................................................     2

The Honorable Pat Ryan, U.S. House of Representatives, (NY-18)...     3

The Honorable Keith Self, U.S. House of Representatives, (TX-03).     4

                                Panel 2

The Honorable Jasmine Crockett, U.S. House of Representatives, 
  (TX-30)........................................................     6

The Honorable Delia Ramirez, U.S. House of Representatives, (IL-
  03)............................................................     7

The Honorable Kim Schrier, U.S. House of Representatives, (WA-08)     8

                                Panel 3

The Honorable Lou J. Correa, U.S. House of Representatives, (CA-
  46)............................................................    10

The Honorable Jack Bergman, U.S. House of Representatives, (MI-
  01)............................................................    11

The Honorable Rudy Yakym, III, U.S. House of Representatives, 
  (IN-02)........................................................    13

The Honorable Abigail Spanberger, U.S. House of Representatives, 
  (VA-07)........................................................    14

The Honorable Eric Sorensen, U.S. House of Representatives, (IL-
  17)............................................................    15

                                APPENDIX
                    Prepared Statements Of Witnesses

The Honorable Derek Kilmer, U.S. House of Representatives, (WA-
  06) Prepared Statement.........................................    19
The Honorable Pat Ryan, U.S. House of Representatives, (NY-18) 
  Prepared Statement.............................................    19
The Honorable Jasmine Crockett, U.S. House of Representatives, 
  (TX-30) Prepared Statement.....................................    20
The Honorable Delia Ramirez, U.S. House of Representatives, (IL-
  03) Prepared Statement.........................................    22
The Honorable Kim Schrier, U.S. House of Representatives, (WA-08) 
  Prepared Statement.............................................    23
The Honorable Lou Correa, U.S. House of Representatives, (CA-46) 
  Prepared Statement.............................................    26
The Honorable Jack Bergman, U.S. House of Representatives, (MI-
  01) Prepared Statement.........................................    26
The Honorable Rudy Yakym, III, U.S. House of Representatives, 
  (IN-02) Prepared Statement.....................................    27

                          APPENDIX--continued

The Honorable Abigail Spanberger, U.S. House of Representatives, 
  (VA-07) Prepared Statement.....................................    28
The Honorable Eric Sorensen, U.S. House of Representatives, (IL-
  17) Prepared Statement.........................................    29

                       Statements For The Record

The Honorable William R. Timmons, IV, U.S. House of 
  Representatives, (SC-04).......................................    31
The Honorable Marcy Kaptur, U.S. House of Representatives, (OH-
  09)............................................................    31
The Honorable Marilyn Strickland, U.S. House of Representatives, 
  (WA-10)........................................................    33
The Honorable Brad R. Wenstrup, U.S. House of Representatives, 
  (OH-02)........................................................    33
The Honorable Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, U.S. House of 
  Representatives, (WA-03).......................................    34
Letter from The Honorable Rudy Yakym, III to Director Anthony 
  Colon..........................................................    36
Response from Director Anthony Colon to The Honorable Rudy Yakym, 
  III............................................................    38

 
                  MEMBER DAY: TESTIMONY AND PROPOSALS
                 ON THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

                              ----------                              


                        THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs
                              U.S. House of Representatives
                                                   Washington, D.C.
    The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m., in room 
360, Cannon House Office Building, Hon. Mike Bost (chairman of 
the committee) presiding.
    Present: Representatives Bost, Bergman, Self, Takano, and 
Ramirez.

            OPENING STATEMENT OF MIKE BOST, CHAIRMAN

    The Chairman. The Committee will come to order.
    It is an honor to be leading the Members Day for the first 
time as chairman of this Committee. As all of you know, I am a 
proud Marine Corps veteran, and it is a privilege to lead the 
Committee on behalf of my fellow brothers and sisters at arms. 
As I said before, this is not a duty I take lightly. All of us 
owe a debt to those men and women who served and those who 
continue to serve our country.
    Over the past few years, we have made great bipartisan 
improvements to make it easier for our veterans and their 
families. This is a trend I plan to continue. Achieving real 
success for the men and women who raise their right hand and 
serve our Nation is not a mission that can be done alone. We 
must work together to address the issues that affect the 
veterans in all 50 states and territories. They deserve no 
less. Members Day gives us the opportunity to hear from members 
that represent those veterans, whether on our Committee or not, 
about the issues affecting them and their districts. Every 
Member of Congress has veterans in their district, and we want 
to ensure every veteran's voice is heard as we work to improve 
the delivery of care and services of our veterans.
    A veteran in Washington may not face the same obstacles as 
a veteran in South Carolina. That is why I am excited to see so 
many of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle participating 
in today's hearing. Your advocacy on behalf of our veterans and 
their families and survivors is vitally important, and we 
appreciate you taking the time to come to the Committee today 
and share your ideas. I am eager to hear from you about the 
solutions and proposals you have to ensure our veterans have 
the opportunity to live out the American dream.
    Right now, the ranking member is not here, but when he does 
get here, we will recognize him for his opening statement. 
Right now, we do want to recognize the first panel which is 
testifying before us today, who we have. We have Derek Kilmer 
from Washington and Representative Pat Ryan from New York, and 
Keith Self, who is part of the Committee, will also be 
testifying.
    Representative Kilmer, you are recognized for 5 minutes to 
deliver your testimony.

                   STATEMENT OF DEREK KILMER

    Mr. Kilmer. Thank you, Chairman. Appreciate the time and 
appreciate you taking the time to listen to members.
    I wanted to take this time to discuss a bill that I have 
introduced called the Housing America's Veterans and Ensuring 
They Have Needed Services Act, or as we call it, the HAVENS 
Act. I have been honored to partner with our colleague from 
South Carolina, Representative Mace, in leading this bipartisan 
effort.
    We have got a serious problem with veteran homelessness in 
our country right now. Over 37,000 of our brave veterans are 
without a home. Despite veterans only constituting about 6 
percent of our total population, they make up 8 percent of 
those experiencing homelessness. It is tough to see these 
folks, many of whom are battling challenges, including things 
like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or social isolation 
or substance abuse, also not having a roof over their heads. 
Obviously, the pandemic only exacerbated these issues, 
revealing that our system for assisting homeless veterans often 
fall short. That is where our HAVENS Act steps in. This 
legislation proposes a shift away from some of the traditional 
congregate care facilities, which, unfortunately, during the 
pandemic, proved to be disease hotspots, toward the creation of 
tiny home villages. It is not just about the homes. These 
villages will also provide essential wraparound services 
onsite, including counseling and job training and financial 
management. This model has proved to be successful. Residents 
gain a sense of security and independence while the available 
services cultivate a caring community, equipping individuals 
with the support that they need to secure permanent housing. We 
have seen this model work in areas throughout the country. 
Importantly, these communities see fewer residents return to 
homelessness than conventional shelters as well.
    The HAVENS Act calls for a 6 year pilot program through the 
VA's existing Grants and Per Diem (GPD) program. We will 
allocate five grants totaling $10 million each to construct 
these tiny home villages. The funding comes from the current 
GPD budget, filling in its case management gaps and expanding 
access to crucial resources for veterans.
    It is not just about housing, it is also about sustainable 
housing. Preference will be given to grant applicants who use 
energy efficient building materials, things like cross 
laminated timber. Plus, the Act mandates improve tracking of 
outcomes for homeless vets, ensuring that we continue to focus 
on those who may otherwise be overlooked. We want to make sure, 
if this is a pilot program, that we actually do the evaluation 
to make sure that it works.
    Secretary McDonough said it best when he stated that the 
term homeless veteran should not exist in our vocabulary. This 
bill, our HAVENS Act, is a leap forward in trying to make that 
a reality.
    I urge the Committee's support of this legislation and 
appreciate you taking the time to hear me out. Thank you.

    [The Prepared Statement Of Derek Kilmer Appears In The 
Appendix]

    The Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Kilmer. We appreciate that.
    Mr. Ryan, you are recognized for 5 minutes.

                     STATEMENT OF PAT RYAN

    Mr. Ryan. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you in absentia 
to Ranking Member Takano for providing us with the opportunity 
to testify today. I also just want to thank and appreciate my 
colleague, Mr. Kilmer. I could not agree more and certainly 
have seen similar programs in our district work very 
effectively.
    Mr. Chair, as you and all members of the Committee develop 
policies for the 118th Congress, I encourage you to draw from a 
principle that I learned as a young military officer I am sure 
that you can appreciate and many others through their service. 
We have to get resources closest to people on the ground that 
understand what is happening in the community, that have those 
relationships, and are able to come in and fill gaps in our 
current systems. I have three points and ideas that I want to 
put forward to that end, but I believe that that is where we 
will close some of these gaps when it comes to transition and 
employment, mental health and suicide, addiction, and so much 
more.
    The first point is fairly straightforward. In my district, 
which is New York's 18th District, north of New York City and 
south of Albany in the Hudson Valley region, we are on the 
scene between two major VA centers in New York City and in 
Albany, but extremely far from both, and making it very 
difficult in a rural and exurban area to have transit. Last 
year, veterans in my district faced confusion, uncertainty, 
frankly anger and frustration, as reforms that were initially 
instituted as part of the VA Mission Act threatened to close 
our VA Medical Center at Castle Point. Proudly, I stood with 
veterans from across the community to say that it is 
unacceptable that we would lose this facility, particularly 
given that that would mean folks that are already often driving 
an hour plus would now have to drive two plus hours to get the 
care that they need as part of our VA system. This at a time 
that we are seeing population actually increase and more 
veterans come to the region north of New York City.
    As I know you agree, as well as the ranking member, our 
veterans deserve to know that the care they receive at Castle 
Point in the Hudson Valley will be there not only tomorrow and 
next month, but in the years to come, so that they can have 
that peace of mind.
    Second point on getting resources closest to the ground and 
to those that can solve the problems. I want to draw your 
attention to a program that was actually started in New York 
State government by one of our former colleagues, Lee Zeldin, 
when he was a State senator. He started something called the 
Private First Class Joseph P. Dwyer Veteran Peer-to-Peer 
Support Program. It started as a local initiative in New York 
in Long Island in 2012. Over the last decade plus, it has grown 
and thrived. When I was a county executive in my home county of 
Ulster County, I fought to bring this program and expand it to 
my region and successfully secured State funds to do so. This 
is an exact example of a program that plugs the gaps, offers 
peer-to-peer counseling for veterans suffering from PTSD or 
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and any other reintegration 
issues.
    I encourage the Committee to now look at the Federal level 
at legislation to expand what has been a successful program now 
statewide, federally, through the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Peer 
Support Program Act, which has been introduced now and is 
working its way through the Committee with bipartisan support. 
This is actually run by a group that I know well of fellow 
veterans at the Hudson Valley National Center for Veteran 
Reintegration. These are all veterans themselves that pour 
their heart and their soul into taking care of veterans and 
filling the gaps. We have seen firsthand--and we do not have 
time to share the stories, but moving stories of saving lives 
through this outreach and this grassroots initiative. I 
encourage the Committee to move that bill forward as quickly as 
possible.
    Finally, I want to commend other similar initiatives that 
the Committee and the Congress has undertaken to really flow 
funds to these Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) and other 
nonprofits and community groups that have shown the ability to 
innovate, to be creative, to fill these gaps, and to close that 
sort of last mile to support our veterans. I want to commend 
the Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program. Proud 
that one of my counties, Duchess County, New York, was one of 
the first grant recipients of that. That has been going 
extremely well. Commend that program, would love to see it 
expanded and continued.
    My closing point is these groups need to know that they do 
not have to fight every year for these funds, that they can 
plan, that our veterans will have the support.
    I am out of time. I appreciate the time and I appreciate 
you and the ranking member's commitment to our veterans.
    Thank you.

    [The Prepared Statement Of Pat Ryan Appears In The 
Appendix]

    The Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Ryan. Mr. Self, before I 
recognize you, I am going to recognize the ranking member for 
an opening statement.

        OPENING STATEMENT OF MARK TAKANO, RANKING MEMBER

    Mr. Takano. Well, thank you, Chairman Bost, for your 
courtesy.
    I do not have much more to say than I really appreciate our 
annual Bipartisan Member Day hearing and look forward to 
hearing all of the ideas that we have from both sides of the 
aisle.
    I yield back.
    The Chairman. Mr. Self, you are recognized for 5 minutes.

                    STATEMENT OF KEITH SELF

    Mr. Self. Thank you, Chairman Bost and Ranking Member 
Takano.
    I do this as a 25 year veteran, and I share alma mater with 
my colleague across the aisle, Mr. Ryan. Thank you for being 
here today.
    Thank you for the opportunity to address my bill. The U.S. 
Congressman Sam Johnson Memorial VA Clinic Act. This bill would 
rename the VA Outpatient Clinic located in Plano, Texas, after 
Congressman Johnson. It is an honor to follow in his footsteps 
in Texas Congressional District 3, and I am honored to present 
this today.
    Prior to his 27 years as a Congressman, Sam Johnson was a 
member of the U.S. Air Force for 29 years, where he served as 
director of the Air Force Fighter Weapons School and flew the 
F-100 Super Saber with the Air Force Thunderbirds Precision 
Flying Demonstration Team. He was a decorated fighter pilot--75 
combat missions. He was a member of the Thunderbirds as well. I 
believe that he flew the slot with the Thunderbirds.
    While flying over North Vietnam in April 1966 his plane was 
shot down. He suffered a broken arm and back. He was held as a 
prisoner of war for nearly 7 years, including a stent at the 
Hoa Lo Prison, known as the Hanoi Hilton. He was part of 11 
U.S. prisoners known as the Alcatraz 11, a group of prisoners 
separated from other captives for their resistance to their 
captors. He left the service with two Silver Stars, three 
Legions of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze 
Star Medal, and two Purple Hearts.
    After his release in 1973 he returned home, established a 
real estate business. In 1985 he began his service in the Texas 
House of Representatives until he was elected to this House in 
1991. He retired in 2018. During his time in Congress, he sat 
on the House Ways and Means Committee and he received the 
congressional Patriot Act in 2016. I believe that was the 
inaugural Congressional Patriot Act.
    Currently, this bill to rename the VA Outpatient Clinic in 
Plano, Texas has the support of 30 members of the Texas House 
delegation, both Senators Cornyn and Cruz, and three of the 
largest VSOs in the Lone Star State. Renaming the Plano VA 
Clinic after Congressman Sam Johnson is a fitting and deserved 
recognition for such an exemplary veteran public service and 
bona fide American hero.
    Thank you for consideration of this important bill and I 
yield back the remainder of my time.
    The Chairman. Thank you. I have not commented on anybody's 
bill, but I am good to hear. If you did not serve with Sam 
Johnson, you missed a golden opportunity to find one of the 
greatest heroes that this Nation has ever known. He was very 
humble and he always had a smile on his face.
    Thank you for that and thank you this panel. We thank you 
for being here. It is a day that is kind of hectic and we have 
several of our other panels that are coming along, but we are 
going to wait on them and we will recess waiting on the next 
panel.
    [Recess]
    The Chairman. We are going to go ahead and kind of shift 
the order around a little bit and so the members that are here 
do have the chance.
    Representative Crockett, if you would like to come forward, 
we would be glad to hear your testimony at this time.

                 STATEMENT OF JASMINE CROCKETT

    Ms. Crockett. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman. I really do 
appreciate the opportunity to sit here before you today.
    I want to say first of all that I am grateful for all of 
our service women and men and what they have done for our 
country. When these individuals complete their service, there 
are certain things that they should not have to worry about, 
two of which are critical when transitioning back to society--
healthcare and housing. I know Veterans Affairs works hard to 
provide our service women and men the help they deserve.
    As the representative for Texas 30th Congressional 
District, I represent the Dallas VA Medical Center, an 
institution that not only treats Dallas veterans, but veterans 
across the state of Texas and veterans living in surrounding 
states. I have had the privilege to visit the Dallas VA Center 
and I know that the care it provides is second to none. I am 
extremely proud of the work that they do to help our veterans.
    As we all know too well, veterans come back with scars of 
war. Some of these scars, of course, are invisible, but they 
demand the same level of medical attention that any physical 
injury would require. Unfortunately, about a quarter of our 
veteran population today resides in rural areas. In addition to 
the inconvenience of driving longer distances to access medical 
care compared to the rest of their veteran counterparts, rural 
facilities treating veterans may not have the complete set of 
resources or care that other more urban settings may provide. 
That is particularly true when it comes to mental health 
services. While the VA has provided telehealth services for 
veterans prior to the pandemic, it appears that the 
availability of mental health resources via telehealth vary by 
location and provider. Given that veterans are almost twice as 
likely to die by suicide than non-veterans, we must make sure 
that they have access to this particular service. This is 
especially important for our homeless veterans, who are at an 
even higher risk.
    Despite difficulties in accurately accounting for how many 
persons live without permanent shelter, we are fortunate enough 
to have a rough underestimate thanks to thousands of volunteers 
who go out on a single night every other year to perform a 
point in time count. According to the 2022 point in time count, 
over 33,000 veterans are homeless in this country. Most 
homeless populations do not have reliable access to internet. 
Even if they did have the technology like a smartphone, to 
access the internet, they also do not have reliable electricity 
to charge it or adequate means to protect it from weather 
conditions like rain or snow. This means they cannot access 
telehealth services that they really need. These are men and 
women who put their lives on the line to protect the American 
way of life, to protect our freedoms.
    I say men and women, but let us be honest, these are kids. 
Fresh out of high school these kids sign up to serve their 
country and all too many bear the high price. I personally 
believe that all people ought to have a right to permanent 
shelter. However, I think everyone can agree that if anyone 
deserves a place to call home, it is our returning veterans. 
Not only is this unfathomable indignity we are allowing them to 
endure, but it puts their lives at risk. It should come as no 
surprise that when you do not know where you are going to lay 
your head at night, when you do not know when or where you will 
have your next shower or next meal, it is harder to get a job. 
If you remember nothing else today, what I want everyone in 
this committee room to know is what I want every American to 
know, is the physical and mental toll that the lack of 
permanent housing has on our veterans. Homeless veterans were 
almost twice as likely to die than housed veterans. This 
Committee has to do more.
    In the cities experiencing acute lack of housing, where so 
many of our homeless vets live, we do not have to sit idly by. 
Many of these cities have a VA clinic that are under our 
jurisdiction. Over the last few years, many individual clinics 
have gone above and beyond to try to house every veteran they 
can. We must follow this lead. As an easy start, we could have 
the VA staff work as service coordinators and advocates for 
veterans to take advantage of the existing resources. This, of 
course, means ensuring the VA has sufficient discretionary 
funding to achieve these goals. Or we could fully lean in and 
have the VA building housing for veterans with wraparound 
services to secure employment, treat addiction and more.
    The point is, we must do something. This Nation owes a debt 
to our returning service members. This Committee is responsible 
for every veteran struggling with mental health and a lack of 
permanent housing.
    I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that 
all veterans have access to care that they need and the comfort 
of a place called home. It is the least that we must do.
    Thank you so much.

    [The Prepared Statement Of Jasmine Crockett Appears In The 
Appendix]

    The Chairman. Thank you, Representative Crockett.
    Ms. Ramirez, you are recognized for 5 minutes.

                   STATEMENT OF DELIA RAMIREZ

    Ms. Ramirez. Thank you, Chairman Bost and Ranking Member 
Takano. We are really grateful that you are convening on 
Members Day where I get to speak to you about the importance of 
supporting our student veterans.
    This critical issue needs your attention now more than 
ever. As too many of our Nation's heroes are not getting the 
support they need and they deserve student veterans often face 
financial difficulties, academic challenges, mental health 
issues due to their service in the Armed Forces and those 
issues can become even more harder to deal with without proper 
support for our veteran population. It is up to us, all of us 
in the room today, to ensure that every single student veteran 
receives the assistance they need so that no one gets left 
behind.
    Early this Congress I was proud to introduce H.R. 1767, the 
Student Veteran Benefit Restoration Act, which includes 
Republican approved amendments to establish an across the board 
process for student veterans to restore their GI Bill education 
benefits in qualifying instances, such as when a student 
veteran has been defrauded by an educational institution.
    In April, this bill passed with bipartisan support during 
our Economic Opportunity Subcommittee markup. This bill 
reflects years of bipartisan advocacy led by the members on 
this Committee and the student veteran community, including 
advocates like Student Veterans of America and Veteran 
Education Success, who have been unfairly impacted by a long-
standing inequity in the law.
    Our veterans have rightfully earned their GI Bill benefits. 
Let me repeat that, our veterans have rightfully earned their 
GI Bill benefits, and they should rightfully be restored when 
bad actors have targeted our vets to make a profit off of them. 
They deserve our support for their academic aspirations and our 
bill seeks to provide that support in a meaningful way.
    That is why today I urge the Committee to continue all 
efforts to support this crucial legislation and bring H.R. 1767 
to the full Committee during our next markup to guarantee that 
my constituent voices like Carrie, like Christopher, Andy, 
Brian T., and Brian W. are all heard. I am committed to 
advancing this bill forward urgently and have prioritized 
listening and working across the aisle with my Republican 
colleagues to make critical compromises to ensure that this 
bill reflects the Committee's bipartisanship commitment to 
veterans and have earned the support of the Hispanic 
Association of Colleges and Universities, Veterans Education 
Success, and Student Veterans of America.
    What I ask today is that you join in supporting our student 
veterans and passing this bill with the Republican inspired 
amendments. Let us work together for a brighter future for all 
our veterans and our Nation. Thank you.
    With that, I yield my time back. Thank you, Chairman.

    [The Prepared Statement Of Delia Ramirez Appears In The 
Appendix]

    The Chairman. Thank you.
    Representative Schrier, You are recognized for 5 minutes. 
Thank you for being here.

                    STATEMENT OF KIM SCHRIER

    Ms. Schrier. Thank you very much, Chairman Bost, and thank 
you, Ranking Member Takano, for the opportunity to testify 
before your Committee about the needs of our veterans and how 
we can better meet them.
    We have over 500,000 veterans in Washington State, with 
roughly 50,000 in the 8th District. I firmly believe that if 
you devoted your life to serving our country, then it is our 
responsibility to make sure you receive the best service and 
care possible.
    As a physician, I mean that quite literally. Access to care 
is of utmost importance to me. I was proud to stand with my 
colleagues last Congress and vote for the Honoring Our Promise 
to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act or Honoring the PACT Act, 
which is now law. This means that over 3 1/2 million veterans 
exposed to toxic substances during their service will get the 
healthcare that they deserve.
    My ask at this point from the Committee is oversight. I 
have heard concerns in my district about how to get enrolled to 
receive this care. I have heard concerns about whether we have 
workforce readiness to meet the increase in patient demand. I 
know that there is work being done on the ground in my state, 
including a focus on hiring and the creation of a performance 
dashboard which allows for transparency. Patients can see the 
types of claims newly available to them and the wait times 
associated. I stand ready to support efforts like this and make 
this transition as smooth as possible. I am happy to work with 
you. We just need to make sure that everyone eligible is 
covered. Please, please consider me a partner in this effort.
    Now, it is not just the physical health of veterans that we 
need to be concerned about, it is also their mental and 
behavioral health. I have long advocated for increased 
screenings for veterans as they move through the Transition 
Assistance Program, or TAP, to look for signs of social 
isolation, which is a predictor of mental health issues and the 
potential to end up unhoused. I want to tell you that I share 
the concern that my colleague Jasmine Crockett just spoke so 
beautifully about. I have recently learned that the addition of 
a spouse at TAP sessions can improve adherence and health 
outcomes and successes. I hear from the District often the need 
for mental and behavioral health support. Whether it is 
building up our workforce, easing access, or moving care 
upstream, again, I stand ready to work with you to deliver for 
our veterans.
    Another issue that I have come to this Committee about 
several times is about the Electronic Health Record 
Modernization program. The Cerner Go-Live started out at Mann-
Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane, Washington, in 2020. I 
will note that as a physician I use Cerner in my own 
capabilities. Now a satellite of Mann-Grandstaff is at the 
Community Based Outpatient Clinic, or CBOC, in Wenatchee, 
Washington, in my district. The CBOC was included as part of 
this rollout and it was a disaster. The attempted upgrade of 
the electronic health record at the VA has gone poorly, and 
that is understated. A pilot of Cerner, used successfully in 
the military and in my office in hospitals and clinics across 
the country, failed in its rollout at the VA. Orders went 
unseen, appointments were not scheduled, the computer system 
was crashing many times a day, and doctors and nurses were 
having to devote their time to tech support and navigating the 
health record instead of serving our veterans.
    I was very glad to join the chairman and ranking member on 
their bipartisan proposal, the Reset Act, to include a number 
of changes to improve issues with patient safety, staff 
dissatisfaction, and overall management failures since creation 
in 2018. I was glad to see the VA itself pause the Go-Live to 
work out the issues that I have noted here. This rollout has 
endangered our veterans, and I just want to make sure that any 
future Go-Lives anywhere in the country center around lessons 
learned, including provider training, better tracking of 
patient outcomes, and making sure that it works well, because 
our veterans deserve the best.
    Finally, I just want to uplift the Vietnam Era Veterans 
Pinning ceremony. This has been one of the great honors of my 
time in Congress. We started during the pandemic doing these 
thanking and welcoming home ceremonies at doorsteps, and I have 
continued that tradition. It is so special to meet the 
veterans, to hear their stories, to thank them for their 
efforts, and to meet their families. I just want to tell you 
and commend you on this program.
    Thank you again, Chairman Bost, and Ranking Member Takano, 
for considering the needs of Washington's 8th District as you 
continue your work, this Congress and I stand ready to work 
with you.
    Yield back.

    [The Prepared Statement Of Kim Schrier Appears In The 
Appendix]

    The Chairman. Thank you. Thank you for being here. Just so 
you know, in our Committee, I think--well, definitely in my 
home, if children, my grandchildren around my home say the word 
Cerner, I cringe. It is like a cuss word.
    We are going to stand in recess while waiting on other 
members.
    Thanks.
    [Recess]
    The Chairman. Come out of recess. I would like to recognize 
that my good friend and colleague, Lou Correa, who I have 
traveled the world with, and representative, you are recognized 
for 5 minutes.

                    STATEMENT OF LOU CORREA

    Mr. Correa. Mr. Chairman Bost, first of all, I want to say 
it is an honor to appear before you as chairman of this 
Veterans Affairs Committee, one that I served with honor in the 
past. Thank you for your good work.
    Not going to take a lot of your time, sir. I just wanted to 
talk a little bit about some good common-sense measures that I 
have worked on. First one probably for 15 years. When I was 
chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee in Sacramento, 
California, as a State senator, one of my goals was to listen 
to veterans, to ask them, what is it that you need from us as 
government? Slowly, quietly, but firmly, I started getting a 
stream of veterans that said, we suffer from PTSD, we do not 
want those pills, we prefer cannabis. Throughout the years, I 
have worked on the VA essentially doing research into what 
cannabis is good for and what it is not good for. It is not up 
to Lou or to us to determine what our veterans need or want, it 
is up to them to tell us what they need. The vast majority of 
veterans, in my opinion, are using cannabis. All my legislation 
asks for is for the VA to do some research into what is 
cannabis good for and what is it not good for. We are simply 
asking the question, and we want the VA to answer the question.
    That is what H.R. 1003 asks to do, essentially, mandating, 
that the VA do the research. I do not like mandates, but we 
have asked the VA to do this for a number of years now. I get 
it. There is more important things out there, but this is 
important for veterans. I just ask for your strong 
consideration, sir, of this legislation.
    Simple, straightforward, give the veterans what they want.
    Mr. Chairman, my second ask is, of course, another one, 
which is to honor some of our veterans that served our country 
with honor that have been honorably discharged who are not U.S. 
citizens. A lot of these veterans come back from battle. I met 
one of them that was on ten tours in Afghanistan, came back 
with a lot of challenges. He was a green card holder. Of 
course, what happened to him happens to a lot of veterans. He 
got in a fight, got his green card pulled, and was deported. 
Now he lives in another country, Mexico, and the only time he 
can return is when he dies. Once you are dead, since you are 
honorably discharged, you have the right to be buried in a 
national cemetery, but you cannot come back before you die.
    Our legislation, Takano-Correa, will be considered, 
hopefully by this Committee. It is a common sense one. All 
those that served our country and have been willing to pay the 
price. Many made the ultimate sacrifice, and many others have 
given a lot, we should respect them as well and give them the 
opportunity to live in this country.
    Those are my two asks, sir. If you have any questions, 
thoughts, more than happy to work on these pieces of 
legislation, sir.

    [The Prepared Statement Of Lou Correa Appears In The 
Appendix]

    The Chairman. As always, I know you serve your veterans 
well and I appreciate the opportunity, appreciate you coming 
and giving testimony today, and we thank you for that. Each one 
of those will definitely be considered, and we will take 
everything you have said to note.
    Mr. Correa. Thank you. The General here and myself, we are 
also working on some other legislation, and we hope you will 
consider that one. It is not my legislation, but I will let him 
tell you a little bit more about it.
    Mr. Bergman. I am going to praise the virtues of your 
leadership.
    The Chairman. Thank you, General Bergman . Thank you. 
General, you are recognized for 5 minutes, as you just came 
in----
    Mr. Bergman. Fresh off NDAA.

                   STATEMENT OF JACK BERGMAN

    Mr. Bergman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    As a member of this Committee, I am grateful for the 
opportunity to discuss two of the most pressing issues facing 
veterans and the Committee today.
    First, private assistance in veteran disability 
applications and the VA accreditation reform. Earlier this 
year, I introduced the Preserving Lawful Utilization of 
Services (Plus) for Veterans Act, H.R. 1822, along with my dear 
friend Lou Correa of California and my fellow Committee member, 
Nancy Mace of South Carolina. This bipartisan bill will 
reimplement penalties for unaccredited agents, modernize the VA 
accreditation system, and protect the right for veterans to 
seek help from the private market when filing for their 
disability benefits.
    As a representative of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) 
stated before the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs 
Subcommittee on March 29 of this year, ``If a company is able 
to be accredited or their individuals are able to be 
accredited, then they are part of the VA oversight, and the VFW 
would support that.'' The PLUS Act seeks to accomplish just 
this, incorporating businesses into VA accreditation so that 
veterans can be protected and bad actors can be punished. I am 
encouraged to hear of the ongoing negotiation among members of 
the Senate VA Committee to build off the PLUS Act and draft 
their own version. I have received constructive input from 
veterans, businesses, stakeholders, and certain VSOs that are 
looking to create the best solution possible for those who 
served and not just engaged in political grandstanding.
    However, several points of possible disagreement remain 
that I feel compelled to speak on.
    First, any imposed fee caps that an accredited agent may 
charge must be set at a level designed to protect veterans from 
abuse, but not at a level that effectively sets the price for 
the entire market. Veterans should be allowed to choose 
whatever option they decide that is in their best interest, 
filing on their own, going through a VSO, or through a private 
business. Draconian fee caps will only limit the number of 
choices available to them.
    Second, any solution we consider must avoid creating 
barriers to entry for companies wishing to assist veterans, 
both those currently operating in the space as well as any new 
businesses that may come along with innovative ideas to improve 
outcomes for our veterans. This is especially relevant when 
discussing the effective date of legislation and how long it 
takes VA to approve new accreditation applications.
    Congress must make sure the VA does its job for veterans 
and those who want to assist them by improving the 
accreditation application process and establishing a system for 
provisional accreditation.
    Finally, I am concerned of the level of hostility the VA 
has shown toward private businesses, many of them veteran 
owned. These businesses have a long history of successful 
outcomes and grateful veterans that have chosen to seek their 
services. My office has recently been made aware of veterans 
who have been harassed and questioned by federal agents simply 
for choosing to receive assistance from a private business. 
While we must identify and punish those entities who try to 
take advantage of veterans, we cannot tolerate persecution of 
businesses that are doing the right things for our veterans. 
Any accreditation reform bill must include measures that would 
stop a potentially hostile and weaponized VA from going around 
congressional intent to limit veteran choice and access to 
private assistance.
    I look forward to continuing our work and Committee to 
advance effective accreditation reform that protects our 
veterans and their rights.
    The second issue is access to psychedelic assisted 
therapies. These breakthrough treatments, and I repeat, 
breakthrough treatments, offer an extremely promising 
opportunity to address the ongoing suicide and mental health 
epidemic among service members and veterans, with thousands of 
success stories so far in treating PTSD, depression, and 
addiction. Last year, I co-founded the Psychedelics Assisted 
Therapies Caucus, or PATH Caucus, with my friend Congressman 
Lou Correa, with the goal of improving understanding and 
knowledge of these therapies among Members of Congress and 
their staffs. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to support 
Congressman Luttrell's amendment to establish a Department of 
Defense (DoD) study on psychedelic therapies as part of the 
(National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Today, I am calling 
for the VA and the House VA Committee to do their part. I am 
glad the Committee has begun to place a greater focus on these 
breakthrough therapies, including through the recent Health 
Subcommittee Roundtable. I am very grateful to Chairman Bost 
for attending the recent PATH Caucus briefing, where we heard 
several Navy SEALs and a couple of Marines share their stories 
and experiences with psychedelics, the very positive stories.
    The House VA Committee must now focus on furthering VA 
research into psychedelics, training mental health 
professionals in the VA system to utilize these new therapies 
successfully, and to ensure veterans have access to them once 
they receive Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.
    Those who risk their lives in defense of our country 
deserve positive and fulfilling lives, and the Federal 
Government has the responsibility to assist them in their 
endeavor.
    Again, I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on these 
issues today, and I look forward to continuing our work on the 
House VA Committee under Chairman Bost's leadership to get the 
best possible outcomes for all of our veterans.
    Thank you and I yield back.

    [The Prepared Statement Of Jack Bergman Appears In The 
Appendix]

    The Chairman. Thank you, General. I do thank you for your 
leadership on these new programs that hopefully will find the 
cure for the post traumatic stress.
    Thank you.
    Representative Yakym, welcome to Committee, and you are 
recognized for 5 minutes.

                    STATEMENT OF RUDY YAKYM

    Mr. Yakym. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for giving 
those of us who are not members of the VA Committee the 
opportunity to present our priority issues to you and to your 
Committee.
    Veteran care transcends district and party lines. All of us 
want to ensure the best care for those who risk their lives to 
defend our freedoms. I have only been in Congress for a few 
months, but the large number of veterans in crisis is quite 
alarming. I hosted a veteran town hall in early May and mental 
health was the most discussed issue. Veterans said local VA 
mental healthcare was disorganized, short staffed, and plagued 
by long wait times.
    In the wake of these jarring reports, I sent an inquiry to 
the VA Northern Indiana Healthcare System, or VANIHCS, 
inquiring about their mental health appointment wait times, 
staffing, as well as other information. VANIHCS responded that 
it has an 18 month it has 18 mental health related vacancies. 
Mr. Chairman. that is far too many.
    I would like to enter both my letter and the response from 
VANIHCS into the record.
    The Chairman. Without objection.
    Mr. Yakym. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    To put a face on this acute problem and the impact that it 
has, I want to share the story of one of my constituents, 
sergeant Ted Grubbs. Ted served honorably in the Indiana Army 
National Guard as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2008 and 
2009. After returning from duty, he was diagnosed with service-
connected, complex PTSD and complex TBI. On April 22, Ted 
experienced a severe mental health crisis. He was sitting on 
his couch and decided to put a pistol into his mouth. 
Thankfully, Ted put the pistol down, but only after realizing 
it was the day before his daughter's birthday. Ted did the 
right thing and he reached out to a medic he served with.
    After this incident, everyone, including the VA, 
acknowledged that Ted required in person appointments only, but 
the soonest the VA could get him in person was June 26, 2 
months later. That might as well be forever for a veteran in 
crisis. Today is June 22, so Ted would not have even had his in 
person VA appointment as of this date. Fortunately, Ted found 
more immediate in person help with an outside specialist. Now 
Ted's fighting with the VA because they will not reimburse him 
since they offered telehealth appointments. Ted feels that the 
VA failed him, and I cannot blame him.
    I hope that the Committee can drill down into this to 
understand where these shortfalls exist and why.
    All of Ted's children have served in the Armed Forces with 
honor. Ted and his family represent the best of America, and we 
owe it to him and to his children to fix the VA mental 
healthcare system.
    Thank you for the opportunity to testify, Mr. Chairman, and 
I yield back.

    [The Prepared Statement Of Rudy Yakym Appears In The 
Appendix]

    The Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Yakym. Also, we hear these 
stories and that is why we are here and why we are trying to 
correct those problems.
    We want to welcome Representative Spanberger and thank you 
for being here before the Committee today. You are recognized 
for 5 minutes.

                STATEMENT OF ABIGAIL SPANBERGER

    Ms. Spanberger. Thank you. Thank you, Chairman Bost. Thank 
you, the ranking member and members of the Committee for the 
opportunity to speak this morning a bill that I care about 
very, very deeply.
    In 2019, a 39-year-old veteran Air Force firefighter 
contacted my office about having been denied the VA benefits he 
had earned. Mike Lecik served as an Air force firefighter 
deploying twice to the Middle East. After coming home to 
Powhatan County, he proudly served in his local volunteer fire 
department as a chief fire inspector at Fort Lee. Mike was 
diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an aggressive and rare type of 
cancer that attacks the body's plasma cells. When he went to 
the VA for care, he was told that the VA would not cover 
treatment costs for his illness because they do not recognize 
the service-connection between military firefighting and deadly 
diseases like Mike's. However, studies show that these 
firefighters are more likely to suffer certain diseases and 
chronic illnesses due to the harsh nature of their work. During 
fire suppression activities, firefighters inhale carcinogenic 
toxins, their turnout gear and firefighting foam also contains 
high levels of Per- and Polyflyoralkyl Substances (PFAS), which 
have been linked to various types of cancers. In fact, Congress 
recognized these potential harms when we passed the Fiscal Year 
2020 NDAA, which require the Department of Defense to phaseout 
firefighting foam that contains PFAS. Due to these factors, 
firefighters experience higher rates of cancer than the general 
U.S. population. In fact, a 2018 study from the American 
Association for Cancer Research found that exposed firefighters 
had roughly twice the risk of developing multiple myeloma 
precursor diseases as the general population.
    We know that Mike's service to our country, his devotion to 
our Nation's strength and security, led to his multiple myeloma 
and that is what makes the VA denial of his benefits all the 
more shameful.
    In March 2021, Mike passed away at 41 years old, leaving 
behind his wife Tiffany and his three bright, beautiful 
daughters. Today, I will be reintroducing the Michael Lecik 
Military Firefighters Protection Act for the third time, 
alongside my colleague Don Bacon, himself a former U.S. Air 
Force chief. Our bill would finally, finally recognize the 
connection between the occupational hazards military 
firefighters face and these deadly diseases.
    Last year, Democrats and Republicans voted to pass, and the 
President signed into law the Honoring Our PACT Act, which 
extended healthcare to 3.5 million veterans. We also passed the 
Federal Firefighters Fairness Act which created the presumption 
that Federal firefighters who become disabled by certain 
cancers contracted the illness on the job. These reforms were 
the right thing to do and they were long overdue. We need to 
harness this momentum and ensure that our military firefighters 
and their family have the same coverage and same presumption.
    Today, I urge my colleagues and the Committee to do the 
right thing by bringing forward the Michael Lecik Military 
Firefighters Protection Act.
    Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.

    [The Prepared Statement Of Abigail Spanberger Appears In 
The Appendix]

    The Chairman. Thank you, Congresswoman. Congresswoman, I 
thank you as the chairman of the Committee for you giving this 
testimony and as a veteran and as a firefighter, by the way.
    Thank you for being here.
    Ms. Spanberger. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    The Chairman. Mr. Sorensen, welcome to the Committee, and 
you are recognized for 5 minutes.

                   STATEMENT OF ERIC SORENSEN

    Mr. Sorensen. On behalf of our 17th congressional District 
and our veterans who call Western Illinois home, thank you, 
Chairman Bost and Ranking Member Takano, for allowing me the 
opportunity to testify here today.
    We all owe a debt of gratitude to the men and women who 
served our country honorably. That means making sure our 
veterans have access to healthcare, employment, and housing 
when they return home. Today, I would especially like to call 
attention to the importance of ensuring the homes of veterans 
with disabilities are safe, accessible, and comfortable.
    I recently introduced a bill with Ranking Member Takano, 
H.R. 4047, the Autonomy for All Disabled Veterans Act. It would 
increase financial assistance to veterans and active-duty 
service members for medically necessary home improvements and 
structural alterations. Specifically, my bill would increase 
the VA's Home Improvements and Structural Alterations Grants, a 
program that provides financial assistance to eligible veterans 
for home modifications to improve their accessibility, such as 
installing guardrails or lowering sinks and countertops. While 
the cost of materials and labor has risen by 40 percent over 
the past decade, the grant rates have not been updated by 
Congress since 2009. Currently, the lifetime limit for a Home 
Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) grant is $6,700 
for veterans with service-connected disabilities and $2,000 for 
all other veterans, especially the elderly, with non-service 
related conditions. Our bill removes the disparity between 
service and non service-connected conditions and increases the 
lifetime limit to $10,000 for disabled veterans. It would also 
index the benefit amount to inflation to keep those rates 
current. These changes will help ensure that HISA grants more 
closely match current needs and that we are doing our part to 
provide veterans with the best quality of life when they return 
home from service.
    I look forward to working with this Committee and our VSO 
partners to move this bill forward on behalf of veterans not 
only in my district, our State, but our great country.
    Thank you for your time and attention today.

    [The Prepared Statement Of Eric Sorensen Appears In The 
Appendix]

    The Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Sorensen, for your testimony 
today. Appreciate that.
    We will be in recess while waiting on a few other members 
to show up. Thank you all.
    [Recess]
    The Chairman. For everyone's attention here, we are back in 
for just a moment. All other members have contacted us told us 
there will be no more ones that were coming forward to test 
give testimony. We want to thank the ones that were here to 
give testimony today.
    With that, I ask unanimous consent that all members shall 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include any extraneous material.
    Hearing no objection--because I am not objecting--so 
ordered.
    This hearing is now adjourned.
    [Whereupon, at 10:53 a.m., the committee was adjourned.]

      
=======================================================================


                         A  P  P  E  N  D  I  X

=======================================================================


                     Prepared Statement of Witness

                              ----------                              


                   Prepared Statement of Derek Kilmer

    Good morning, Chair. I'd appreciate a moment of your time to 
discuss the Housing America's Veterans and Ensuring they have Needed 
Services Act, or as we call it, the HAVENS Act. I've been honored to 
partner with my good colleague from South Carolina, Representative 
Mace, in leading this bipartisan effort.
    Look, we've got a serious problem with veteran homelessness in our 
country. Right now, over 37,000 of our brave veterans are without a 
home. Despite veterans only constituting about six percent of our total 
population, they make up eight percent of those experiencing 
homelessness. It's heart-wrenching to see these folks, many of whom are 
battling tough challenges like PTSD, social isolation, unemployment, or 
substance abuse. The pandemic has only exacerbated these issues, 
revealing that our system for assisting homeless veterans falls short.
    That's where our HAVENS Act steps in. This legislation proposes a 
shift away from the traditional congregate care facilities, which 
unfortunately have been disease hotspots during the COVID-19 pandemic, 
toward the creation of tiny home villages. But it's not just about the 
homes; these villages will provide essential wraparound services 
onsite, including counseling, job training, and financial management. 
This model has been proven successful - residents gain a sense of 
security and independence, while the available services cultivate a 
caring community, equipping individuals with the support they need to 
secure permanent housing. Importantly, these communities see fewer 
residents return to homelessness than conventional shelters.
    The HAVENS Act calls for a six-year pilot program through the VA's 
existing Grants and Per Diem program. We'll allocate five grants 
totaling $10 million each year to construct these tiny home villages. 
The funding comes from the current GPD budget, filling in its case 
management gaps and expanding access to crucial resources for our 
veterans.
    And it's not just about housing - it's about sustainable housing. 
Preference will be given to grant applicants who use energy-efficient 
building materials, such as cross-laminated timber. Plus, the Act 
mandates improved tracking of outcomes for homeless veterans, ensuring 
we continue to focus on those who may otherwise be overlooked.
    Secretary McDonough said it best when he stated that the term 
``homeless veteran'' should not exist in our vocabulary. Our HAVENS Act 
is a leap forward in making that a reality. I urge you to support this 
critical legislation.
    Thank you.
                                 ______
                                 

                     Prepared Statement of Pat Ryan

      Thank you, Chairman Bost and Ranking Member Takano for 
providing us with the opportunity to testify today

      As you develop policies for the 118th Congress, I 
encourage you to draw from a principle I learned as a young officer: it 
is essential to get resources to the people on the ground who are doing 
the critical, day-to-day work. In the 118th Congress, I request that 
the Committee prioritize programs that direct the VA to maximize the 
success of our community VAMCs, non-profits, and VSOs. I urge you to 
send steady resources to organizations, especially those organizations 
in the Hudson Valley that provide quality, consistent care for our 
veterans.

      Castle Point:

          Hudson Valley Veterans need to know that our 
        community will always take care of them. Nothing is more 
        essential to that care than Castle Point VA Medical Center

          Last year, veterans faced confusion and uncertainty 
        as reforms instituted by the VA MISSION Act threatened the 
        closure of Castle Point.

          This was an unacceptable proposal and I ask the 
        Committee to ensure that no veterans will see a reduction in 
        health care access.

          I support efforts to update VA health care facilities 
        and provide the best care possible for our veterans, but that 
        can't come at the expense of misguided policies or loss of 
        care.

          Our veterans deserve to know that the care they 
        receive at Castle Point will be there tomorrow, next month, and 
        next year.

      Scaling Local Programs:

          I'd also like to bring the committee's attention to 
        local programs that could benefit veterans across the nation, 
        if brought to scale.

          One such program is the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Veteran 
        Peer Support Program, which started in New York in 2012.

          It cannot be that in the United States of America, 
        veterans returning home do not have access to adequate mental 
        health care.

          The Dwyer Program plugs the gap, offering peer-to-
        peer counseling for veterans suffering from PTSD or TBI and any 
        veteran looking to reintegrate into civilian society.

          If properly resourced, efforts like the Dwyer Program 
        can save veteran lives. It's that simple. As Ulster County 
        Executive, I recognized that success and fought to bring the 
        program to Ulster, where it has flourished since.

          I encourage the Committee to support the PFC Joseph 
        P. Dwyer Peer Support Program Act, which would bring this 
        successful New York pilot program to communities across the 
        country.

          Another excellent program is the Hudson Valley 
        National Center for Veteran Reintegration, which works to give 
        veterans the tools they need to survive and thrive in civilian 
        life.

          Much like the Dwyer program, this is a successful 
        model of care and support for veterans that should serve as a 
        guiding light for the Committee as they set policy.

          It's through these innovative programs that take 
        evidence-based principles and apply them to local communities, 
        that we will be able to reduce veteran suicide and ensure all 
        veterans can integrate comfortably and safely into civilian 
        life.

      Commend the VA and Expand Programs

          The Committee should also direct to VA to maximize 
        the success of existing grant programs like the Staff Sergeant 
        Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program which has 
        benefited organizations in Dutchess County, in my district.

            The SSG Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program 
        enables the VA to provide resources to community-based suicide 
        prevention efforts such as screenings and referrals, assistance 
        with VA benefits, and therapy programming.

          The tested, evidence-based non-profits and VSOs in 
        our communities need predictable funding streams and the 
        knowledge they will be able to operate in a community and 
        expand their footprint for years to come.

          It's wonderful to see these programs change veterans' 
        lives for the better, but we must act with urgency to help 
        veterans that have not yet been reached and ensure that steady 
        funding can continue for successful nonprofits so that they can 
        provide for those who fought for us. I look forward to working 
        with you on these efforts and I thank you for the opportunity 
        to testify today.

          Thank you and I yield back.
                                 ______
                                 

                 Prepared Statement of Jasmine Crockett

      Thank you Mr. Chairman for the opportunity to come before 
this committee to talk about an issue that impacts my district, my 
constituents, and the country as a whole.

      I first want to take the opportunity to say that I am 
forever grateful for all that our service women and men have done for 
our country.

      When these individuals complete their service, there are 
certain things that they should not have to worry about - two of which 
are critical when transitioning back to society--Healthcare and 
Housing.

      I know the Department of Veterans Affairs works hard to 
provide our service men and women the help they deserve. As the 
Representative for Texas' 30th Congressional District, I represent the 
Dallas VA Medical Center - an institution that not only treats Dallas 
veterans, but veterans across Texas and veterans living in the 
surrounding states.

      The care they provide is second to none, and I am proud 
of the work they are doing at this facility to help our veterans.

      As we all know too well, veterans come back with the 
scars of war. Some of these scars, of course, are invisible, but they 
nevertheless demand the same level of medical attention that any 
physical injury would require.

      Unfortunately, about a quarter of our Veteran population 
today reside in rural areas.

      In addition to the inconvenience of driving longer 
distances to access medical care compared to the rest of their veteran 
counterparts, rural facilities treating veterans may not have the 
complete set of resources or care that other more urban settings may 
provide.

      This is particularly true when it comes to mental health 
services. While the VA has provided telehealth services for veterans 
prior to the pandemic, it appears that the availability of mental 
health resources via telehealth vary by location and provider.

      Given that veterans are almost twice as likely to die by 
suicide than non-veterans, we must make sure that they have access to 
this service. This is especially important for our homeless veterans, 
who are at even higher risk.

      Despite all the difficulties in accurately counting how 
many persons live without permanent shelter, we are fortunate to have a 
rough underestimate thanks to the thousands of volunteers who have gone 
out on a single night to perform a Point in Time Count every other 
year.

      According to the Point in Time Count in 2022, over 
thirty-three thousand veterans are homeless in this country.

      When you are homeless, you don't have reliable access the 
internet. But even if you have the technology like a smartphone, you 
don't have reliable electricity to charge it, or adequate means to 
protect it from the conditions like rain and snow. This means they 
can't get access to the telehealth services they need.

      These are men and women who put their lives on the line 
to protect the American way of life.

      I say men and women, but let's be honest - these are 
kids.

      Fresh out of high school, these kids sign up to serve 
their country, and all too many bear a high price.

      I personally believe that all people ought to have a 
right to permanent shelter.

      However, I think everyone can agree that if anyone is 
deserves a place to call home, it is our returning veterans.

      And yet, at least 33,000 veterans are homeless.

      Not only is this an unfathomable indignity we are 
allowing them to endure, but it puts their lives at risk.

      It should come as no surprise that when you don't know 
where you're going to lay your head at night, when you don't know when 
or where you'll have your next shower or next meal, it is harder to get 
a job. It is easier to fall into the criminal justice system. It is 
harder to reintegrate back into every day society and get your life 
back on track.

      If you remember nothing else today, what I want everyone 
in this committee room to know - what I want every American to know--is 
the physical and mental toll that the lack of permanent housing has our 
veterans.

      Homeless veterans were almost twice as likely to die than 
housed veterans.

      This committee has got to do more.

      In the cities experiencing acute lack of housing, where 
so many of our homeless vets live, we do not have to sit idly by.

      Many of these cities have a VA Clinic in them under our 
jurisdiction.

      Over the last few years, many individual clinics have 
gone above and beyond and have shown the difference that a concerted 
effort to house every veteran can make.

      As an easy start, we could have VA staff work as service 
coordinators and advocates for veterans to take advantage of existing 
resources. This, of course, means ensuring the VA has sufficient 
discretionary funding to achieve these goals.

      Or we could fully lean in and have the VA building 
housing for veterans with wraparound services to secure employment, 
treat addiction, and more

      The point is, we have to do something.

      This nation owes a debt to our returning soldiers.

      This committee is responsible for every veteran 
struggling with mental health and the lack of permanent housing.

      I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure 
that all veterans have the access to care they need and the comfort of 
a place called home. It is the very least we must do.
                                 ______
                                 

                  Prepared Statement of Delia Ramirez

    Thank you, Chairman Bost and Ranking Member Takano for convening a 
Members Day where I am here to speak to you about the importance of 
supporting our student veterans. This critical issue needs your 
attention now more than ever, as too many of our Nation's heroes are 
not getting the support they need and deserve.
    Student veterans often face financial difficulties, academic 
challenges, and mental health issues due to their service in the armed 
forces. Those issues can become even harder to deal with without proper 
support for our veteran population. It is up to us--all of us in this 
room today--to ensure that student veterans receive the assistance they 
need so that no one gets left behind.
    Early this Congress, I was proud to introduce H.R. 1767, the 
Student Veteran Benefit Restoration Act, which includes Republican 
approved amendments, to establish an across the board process for 
student veterans to restore their GI Bill education benefits in 
qualifying instances, such as when a student veterans has been 
defrauded by an educational institution.
    In April, this bill passed with bipartisan support during our 
Economic Opportunity Subcommittee markup. This bill reflects years of 
bipartisan advocacy led by the Members on this committee and the 
student veteran community, including advocates like Student Veterans of 
America and the Veterans Education Success who have been unfairly 
impacted by a longstanding inequity in the law.
    Our veterans have rightfully earned their GI Bill benefits and they 
should rightfully be restored when bad actors have targeted our vets to 
make a profit off of them. They deserve our support for their academic 
aspirations. Our bill seeks to provide that support in a meaningful 
way.
    That is why I urge the Committee to continue all efforts to support 
this crucial legislation and bring H.R. 1767 to the full committee 
during our next markup to guarantee that my constituents' voices--like 
Carrie, Christopher, Andy, Bryan T., and Brian W.--are heard.
    I am committed to advancing this bill forward urgently and have 
prioritized listening and working across the aisle with my Republican 
colleagues to make critical compromises to ensure that this bill 
reflects this Committee's bipartisan commitment to veterans and have 
earned the support of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and 
Universities, Veterans Education Success, and Student Veterans of 
America.
    Please join me in supporting our student veterans and passing this 
bill with the Republican-inspired amendments. Let us work together for 
a brighter future for all of our veterans and our Nation.
    Thank you for your time and I yield back.
                                 ______
                                 

                   Prepared Statement of Kim Schrier
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
                                 ______
                                 

                    Prepared Statement of Lou Correa

    Chairman Bost, Ranking Member Takano, and other distinguished 
members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, it is an honor to 
appear before you today to testify in support of my bill, H.R. 1003 The 
VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2023.
    My work with veterans started while I was serving in the California 
State legislature. I met veterans with both visible and invisible 
wounds from war and they explained to me that they didn't like being 
prescribed opioids and other medications. They wanted to be able to 
access cannabis to ease their pain without the same side effects or 
addictive properties. When I came to Congress, I wanted to continue my 
work to provide our veterans with the treatments they want.
    While data is limited, the American Legion, a congressionally 
chartered Veteran Service Organization, commissioned a nationwide 
survey in October 2017 on a portion of its approximately 2.2 million 
veteran members and found that 92 percent of all respondents support 
medicinal cannabis research and 82 percent of all respondents support 
legalizing medicinal cannabis. The survey also found that ``22 percent 
of veterans are currently using cannabis to treat a medical 
condition.'' Therefore, medical research into the safety and efficacy 
of cannabis usage for medical purposes is timely, necessary, and widely 
supported by the veteran community. Veterans in 38 states can purchase 
medicinal cannabis and recreational cannabis in 23 states- more than 
even just 2 years ago. Although they can discuss cannabis with their VA 
healthcare provider, VA providers are not allowed to recommend cannabis 
as treatment. This raises serious questions as to how effective these 
discussions are. As so many veterans are currently using cannabis for 
medicinal purposes, it is important that clinicians be able to fully 
advise veterans on the potential impacts, harms, and benefits of 
cannabis use on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain.
    In a Senate Veterans Affairs hearing in June 2021, the written 
testimony provided by Dr. Upton stated that the VA is ``already 
dedicating resources and research expertise to study the effects of 
cannabis on conditions affecting veterans,'' but they have serious 
ground to make up given that one of these two studies doesn't even look 
at THC, we need to ensure that vets aren't left in the dark in terms of 
cannabis knowledge. The VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2023 
requires research into the safety and efficacy of medicinal cannabis 
usage on veterans diagnosed with PTSD and chronic pain.
    The VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2023 is a pragmatic and 
bipartisan piece of legislation that would advance our understanding of 
the impacts of medicinal cannabis usage and could improve the lives of 
veterans and other Americans. This bill passed out of the Senate 
Veterans Affairs Committee unanimously in February.
    Please join me in helping to make sure we're looking after our 
veterans and giving them the safe and effective treatments that are 
demanding.
                                 ______
                                 

                   Prepared Statement of Jack Bergman

    Thank you, Mr. Chairman
    As a member of this committee, I am grateful for the opportunity to 
discuss two of the most pressing issues facing Veterans and the 
committee today.
    First, private assistance in Veteran disability applications and VA 
accreditation reform.
    Earlier this year, I introduced the PLUS for Veterans Act - H.R. 
1822 - along with Lou Correa of California and my fellow committee 
member, Nancy Mace of South Carolina. This bipartisan bill will 
reimplement penalties for unaccredited agents, modernize the VA 
accreditation system, and protect the right for Veterans to seek help 
from the private market when filing for their disability benefits.
    As a representative of the VFW stated before the Disability 
Assistance and Memorial Affairs subcommittee on March 29th of this 
year, quote: ``if a company is able to be accredited, or their 
individuals are able to be accredited, then they are part of the VA 
oversight, and the VFW would support that.'' The PLUS Act seeks to 
accomplish just this - incorporating businesses into VA accreditation 
so that Veterans can be protected and bad actors can be punished.
    I'm encouraged to hear of the ongoing negotiations among Members of 
the Senate VA committee to build off the PLUS Act and draft their own 
version. I've received constructive input from Veterans, businesses, 
stakeholders, and certain VSOs that are looking to create the best 
solution possible for those who served, and not just engage in 
political grandstanding.
    However, several points of possible disagreement remain that I feel 
compelled to speak on.
    First, any imposed caps on fees that an accredited agent may charge 
must be set at a level designed to protect Veterans from abuse - not at 
a level that effectively sets the price for the entire market. Veterans 
should be allowed to choose whatever option they decide to be in their 
best interest - filing on their own, going through a VSO, or through a 
private business - draconian fee caps will only limit the number of 
choices available to them.
    Second, any solution we consider must avoid creating barriers to 
entry for companies wishing to assist Veterans - both those currently 
operating in the space, as well as new businesses that may come along 
with innovative ideas to improve outcomes for our Veterans. This is 
especially relevant when discussing the effective date of legislation 
and how long it takes VA to approve new accreditation applications. 
Congress must make sure the VA does its job for Veterans and those who 
want to assist them by improving the accreditation application process 
and establishing a system for provisional accreditation.
    Finally, I am concerned of the level of hostility the VA has shown 
toward private businesses - many of them Veteran-owned - that have a 
long history of successful outcomes and grateful Veterans that have 
chosen to seek out their services. My office has recently been made 
aware of Veterans who have been harassed and questioned by federal 
agents simply for choosing to receive assistance from a private 
business. While we must identify and punish those entities who try to 
take advantage of Veterans, we cannot tolerate persecution of 
businesses that are doing the right things for our Veterans. Any 
accreditation reform bill must include measures that would stop a 
potentially hostile and weaponized VA from going around Congressional 
intent to limit Veteran choice and access to private assistance.
    I look forward continuing our work in committee to advance 
effective accreditation reform that protects Veterans and their rights.
    The second issue is access to psychedelic-assisted therapies.
    These breakthrough treatments offer an extremely promising 
opportunity to address the ongoing suicide and mental health epidemic 
among service members and Veterans, with thousands of success stories 
so far in treating PTSD, depression, and addiction. Last year I 
cofounded the Psychedelics Advancing Therapies, or PATH, caucus with my 
friend, Congressman Lou Correa, with the goal of improving 
understanding and knowledge of these therapies among Members of 
Congress and their staffs.
    Yesterday I had the opportunity to support Congressman Luttrell's 
amendment to establish a DoD study on psychedelic therapies as part of 
the NDAA in the Armed Services Committee. Today, I am calling for the 
VA and the House VA Committee to do their part.
    I'm glad that the committee has begun to place a greater focus on 
these breakthrough therapies, including through the recent Health 
subcommittee roundtable. I'm also grateful to Chairman Bost for 
attending the recent PATH Caucus briefing where we heard several Navy 
Seals share their positive experiences with psychedelics. The House VA 
committee must now focus on furthering VA research into psychedelics, 
training mental health professionals in the VA system to utilize these 
therapies, and ensure Veterans have access to them once they receive 
FDA approval. Those who risked their lives in defense of our country 
deserve positive and fulfilling lives, and the federal government has 
the responsibility to assist them in their endeavor.
    Again, I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on these issues 
today, and I look forward to continuing our work in the House VA 
committee to get the best possible outcomes for all Veterans.
                                 ______
                                 

                    Prepared Statement of Rudy Yakym

    Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for giving those like myself who are not 
members of the VA Committee the opportunity to discuss our priority 
issues with you in this forum. Veterans' care transcends district and 
party lines. All of us want to ensure the best care for those that risk 
their lives to defend our freedoms.
    I have only been a Member of Congress for a few months, but a 
disturbing trend that has been all too apparent is the number of 
veterans in crisis in my district that are unable to secure timely 
mental health care from the VA. According to the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (CDC), 17 veterans tragically take their own 
lives each day. Our community in northern Indiana has unfortunately 
borne witness to this too many times.
    In early May, during a veteran town hall, mental health was the 
most-discussed issue. Veterans portrayed a bleak picture of VA mental 
health care plagued by long appointment wait times, staffing shortages, 
and overall disorganization. These failures have a real impact on 
veterans. In the wake of this jarring town hall, I sent an inquiry to 
the VA Northern Indiana Health Care System (VANIHCS) inquiring about 
their mental health appointment wait times, staffing, and other 
information.
    VANIHCS delivered a prompt reply, to their credit, but it was 
disturbing. The system has a total of 18 mental health-related 
vacancies, which is far too many to adequately address the need in the 
local veteran community. We need more oversight of this problem to 
understand why such shortfalls exist and where they exist.
    I want to share the story of one of my constituents, Sergeant Ted 
Grubbs, whose personal experience illustrates the VA's failures. Ted 
served honorably in the Indiana Army National Guard as a part of 
Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2008 and 2009. After returning from duty, he 
was diagnosed with service-connected complex PTSD and complex TBI.
    On April 22 of this year, Ted experienced a severe mental health 
crisis. He was sitting on his couch and decided to put a pistol in his 
mouth. Thankfully, Ted put the pistol down but only after realizing it 
was the day before his daughter's birthday. Ted did the right thing and 
reached out for help from a medic he served with.
    After this incident, everyone, including the VA, acknowledged that 
he required in-person appointments only. However, a VA therapist said 
that the soonest they could get him an in-person appointment was June 
26th - over 2 months later. They could only offer telehealth 
appointments until then.
    Since he could not go to the VA for an in-person appointment, he 
got outside help with a specialist, who told him that she has three 
qualified friends that have applied for positions at the understaffed 
VA, but they have received no responses to their applications.
    Ted feels that the VA failed him, and I agree. He told my staff 
that if it were up to the VA, he would not be with us today.
    To add insult to injury, the VA said that since they offered 
telehealth appointments, they will not be reimbursing Ted for his 
outside care.
    Two of Ted's sons are active-duty Marines, and his two other 
children, a daughter and a son, are Navy veterans. Ted and his family 
represent the best of America, and we owe it to him and his children to 
fix VA mental health care. Brave men and women, like Ted, have given so 
much of themselves up for their fellow Americans. The absolute least we 
can do for them as a nation is make sure that they get the help they 
need in a timely manner.
    Thank you again for the opportunity to testify.
                                 ______
                                 

                Prepared Statement of Abigail Spanberger

    Thank you, Chairman Bost, Ranking Member Takano, and Members of the 
Committee for the opportunity to speak this morning about a bill that I 
care about very deeply.
    In 2019, a 39-year-old veteran Air Force firefighter contacted my 
office about having been denied the VA benefits he had earned. Mike 
Lecik served as an Air Force firefighter, deploying twice to the Middle 
East. After coming home to Powhatan County, he proudly served in his 
local volunteer fire department and as Chief Fire Inspector at Fort 
Lee.
    Mike was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an aggressive and rare 
type of cancer that attacks the body's plasma cells. But when he went 
to the VA for care, he was told that the VA would not cover treatment 
costs for his illness--because they do not recognize the service 
connection between military firefighting and deadly diseases like 
Mike's.
    However, studies show that these firefighters are more likely to 
suffer certain diseases and chronic illnesses due to the harsh nature 
of their work. During fire suppression activities, firefighters inhale 
carcinogenic toxins. Their turnout gear and firefighting foam also 
contain high levels of PFAS, which have been linked to various types of 
cancers. In fact, Congress recognized these potential harms when we 
passed the Fiscal Year 2020 N-D-A-A--which required the Department of 
Defense to phaseout firefighting foam that contains PFAS.
    Due to these factors, firefighters experience higher rates of 
cancer than the general U.S. population. In fact, a 2018 study from the 
American Association for Cancer Research found that exposed 
firefighters had roughly twice the risk of developing multiple myeloma 
precursor disease as the general population.
    We know that Mike's service to our country--his devotion to our 
nation's strength and security--led to his multiple myeloma. And that's 
what makes the VA's denial of his benefits all the more shameful.
    In March 2021, Mike passed away at 41 years old, leaving behind his 
wife Tiffany and his three bright, beautiful daughters.
    Today, I'm reintroducing the Michael Lecik Military Firefighters 
Protection Act - for the third time - alongside my colleague Don Bacon, 
a former U.S. Air Force Chief. Our bill would finally--finally--
recognize the connection between the occupational hazards military 
firefighters face and these deadly diseases.
    Last year, Democrats and Republicans voted to pass - and the 
President signed into law - the Honoring our PACT Act, which extended 
healthcare to 3.5 million veterans. We also passed the Federal 
Firefighters Fairness Act, which created the presumption that Federal 
firefighters who become disabled by certain cancers contracted the 
illness on the job. These reforms were the right thing to do - and long 
overdue.
    We need to harness this momentum to deliver justice to our military 
firefighters and their families. Today, I urge my colleagues on the 
Committee to do the right thing by bringing forward the Michael Lecik 
Military Firefighters Protection Act.
    Thank you, and I yield back.
                                 ______
                                 

                  Prepared Statement of Eric Sorensen

    On behalf of Illinois' 17th District and our veterans who call it 
home, thank you Chairman Bost and Ranking Member Takano for allowing me 
the opportunity to testify here today.
    We all owe a debt of gratitude to the men and women who served our 
country honorably and that means making sure our veterans have access 
to health care, employment, and housing when they return home.
    Today I would especially like to call attention to the importance 
of ensuring the homes of veterans with disabilities are safe, 
accessible, and comfortable.
    I recently introduced a bill with Ranking Member Takano, H.R. 4047, 
the Autonomy for All Veterans Act, which would increase financial 
assistance to veterans and active duty servicemembers for medically 
necessary home improvements and structural alterations.
    Specifically, my bill would increase VA's Home Improvements and 
Structural Alterations (HISA) grants, a program that provides financial 
assistance to eligible veterans for home modifications to improve 
accessibility, such as installing guardrails or lowering sinks and 
countertops.
    While the cost of materials and labor has risen by 40 percent over 
the past 10 years, the grant rates have not been updated by Congress 
since 2009.
    Currently, the lifetime limit for a HISA grant is $6,700 for 
veterans with service-connected disabilities and $2,000 for veterans, 
usually the elderly, with non-service-related conditions.
    Our bill removes the disparity between service and non-service 
connected conditions and increases the lifetime limit to $10,000 for 
all disabled veterans.
    It would also index the benefit amount to inflation to keep the 
rates current.
    These changes will help ensure that HISA grants more closely match 
current needs and that we're doing our part to provide veterans with 
the best quality of life when they return home.
    I look forward to working with the Committee and our VSO partners 
to move this bill forward on behalf of the veterans in my district and 
across the country.
    Thank you for your time and attention.

                       Statements for the Record

                              ----------                              


                 Prepared Statement of William Timmons

    Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding this hearing today and taking 
the time to hear about a bipartisan bill that addresses a major problem 
in our veteran community--access to credit.
    Veterans and active-duty military personnel face unique barriers to 
accessing credit. Prolonged military service comes with certain 
stressors, like frequent relocations and potential overseas 
deployments. These disruptions make it difficult to maintain a 
relationship with one particular financial institution. As a result, 
these brave individuals are displaced from the conventional credit 
system for long periods of time. And worse, approximately six percent 
of all veterans are unable to obtain a VA-guaranteed mortgage loan due 
to insufficient credit histories with little collateral to compensate.
    That is why I, along with my colleague Congressman Mike Levin, have 
introduced the Building Credit Access for Veterans Act, to help expand 
credit options for veterans and members of the Armed Forces who are 
eligible for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) housing or small 
business loans, but have an insufficient credit history due to their 
prolonged service.
    Under this bill, the VA will be required to implement a pilot 
program to assess the feasibility and advisability of using alternative 
credit scoring information or models to improve the determination of 
creditworthiness of certain individuals and to increase the number of 
veterans who are able to obtain VA housing and small business loans. 
The inclusion of such alternative financial data--such as rental and 
utility payments--in credit reporting has the power to help an 
estimated two and a half million veterans gain access to greater 
financial opportunities. Furthermore, a recent study by PERC, a think 
tank studying credit, found that ``including energy utility data in all 
consumer credit reports increases the acceptance rate by 10 percent, 
and including telecommunications data increases the acceptance rate by 
9 percent.'' Simply put, adding this data into their credit reports 
will improve the lives of veterans and active-duty military personnel 
by increasing their access to affordable credit.
    Too frequently, our creditworthy servicemembers are being denied 
access to the mortgages they deserve. This bill would expand both 
veterans' and active-duty military personnel's access to mortgage 
credit in a safe manner while simultaneously benefiting VA lenders by 
increasing the pool of qualified borrowers purchasing a home. Expanding 
credit access for veterans makes it easier for them to buy a home and 
establish roots in their community. It also shows recognition for the 
impact that homeownership can have in successfully reintegrating our 
veterans back into society.
    The stakeholders supporting this legislation include the American 
Legion, National Association of Federally Insured Credit Unions 
(NAFCU), Credit Union National Association (CUNA), Housing Policy 
Council (HPC), TransUnion (TU), Experian, Consumer Data Industry 
Association (CDIA), Equifax, Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC), 
VantageScore, and Veterans of Foreign Wars Of the United States.
    Mr. Chairman, the Building Credit Access for Veterans Act will help 
put the dream of owning a home or starting a business within reach for 
more of America's heroes, and I humbly ask for its consideration before 
this Committee.
                                 ______
                                 

                   Prepared Statement of Marcy Kaptur

    Rep. Kaptur: ``Chairman Bost, Ranking Member Takano, and 
distinguished Members of the Committee:
    Thank you for the opportunity to testify before your Committee 
today and I look forward to working with you to reform these proposals. 
As a former Member of this Committee, I am grateful for the critical 
work this Committee undertakes to ensure that the brave men and women 
of the U.S. Armed Forces are afforded the respect and recognition their 
service has earned when they return home as distinguished veterans.
    I wish to address two issues for which I seek inclusion as your 
Committee develops its 118th Congress authorizing legislation--first, 
to authorize the Administration to:

        1) Strike a new service medal entitled ``Last Servicemember 
        Standing''; and

        2) To authorize an unmarried, only child of lifelong service 
        members the opportunity, at their own expense, to be cremated 
        or conventionally interred above or alongside their career 
        military parents who are interred in military cemeteries.

    First, on the Medal I seek your Committee's endorsement and 
collaboration for the Administration to perform the necessary research 
and create criteria--including character, circumstance, nature of the 
battle, war wounds and medical records--to define, strike, and 
administer the award of a new category of Service Medal acknowledging 
the heroism and exceptional valor of the ``Last Servicemember 
Standing.''
    Presently, the military only processes medals for servicemembers 
who have served in battle if there are two living witnesses, that can 
verify their service. For soldiers who served in horrific battle with 
all soldiers dead but one remaining alive and critically wounded and 
yet standing ground, this regulation simply makes no sense.
    In furtherance of this objective, I have the distinct privilege and 
responsibility of sharing a story with your Committee, that serves as 
an example of the situation that would warrant the Medal I am 
proposing. It both will acknowledge enormous loss of life in battle but 
does not deny the ``Last Servicemember Standing'' the meritorious medal 
award they are due for extraordinary service. I respectfully ask for 
this soldier's story's inclusion for the Record. It is a true story of 
the late Army Cavalry Platoon leader and Vietnam War veteran Sergeant 
John Eade of Toledo, Ohio. His story well illustrates why I believe 
such a Medal deserves a place in our Nation's military service awards.
    His meticulous, handwritten maps and battle notes methodically 
recount his recollections as an Army combat soldier who fought against 
the Vietnamese Regular forces at LaDrang Valley/Landing Zone Albany, 
beginning November 17, 1965. That battle is recorded as the costliest 
battle of the Vietnam War.
    His notes state: ``There is controversy about this battle. My 
statement does not engage these issues. The lack of intelligence, our 
sketchy mission order, timely transport helicopters were unavailable, 
why hours passed with no air or artillery support, why did the Brigade 
Commanders believe as they did... there are a thousand questions. I can 
only say that more than 1000 American and North Vietnamese infantrymen 
died in what is called the most savage one day battle of the Vietnam 
War.''
    In his detailed war notes, Sgt. Eade remains precise and 
passionless. Having had the privilege of knowing his character and 
despite his severe, lifelong physical infirmaries, his dignified, 
soldierly bearing always radiated strength and composure. Our community 
is very proud he is a son of our hometown of Toledo, Ohio. He was its 
Golden Gloves champion of 1962, as well as Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum 
Laude baccalaureate graduate of the University of Toledo then earning a 
Master's degree in Architecture from Miami University in 1984 with 
Alpha Rho Chi medal. Despite his medical challenges, he became the 
chief inspector for the city of Boston, Massachusetts.
    For his valor in battle at age 21, as a fire team leader in 2d 
Platoon, Alpha Company, 2d Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, on November 
14, the single deadliest day for American forces during the war, 
Sergeant Eade and his team became pinned down in ferocious hand to hand 
combat, badly outnumbered in the jungle at Landing Zone Albany. Poor 
intelligence placed them all in harm's way as the enemy proved to be 
the North Vietnamese regular forces, not the Vietcong. By the end of 
the day, Sergeant Eade was the only surviving member of his platoon. He 
had sustained lifelong disabling injuries with shrapnel wounds to his 
legs, was struck by napalm, and had been shot in the shoulder, abdomen, 
and face--resulting in the loss of his eye, with nasal throat, and 
vocal chord impairment, with grenade shrapnel in is leg and foot making 
walking impossible.
    Sergeant Eade refused to withdraw, continuing the battle, and 
repeatedly exposing himself to the onslaught, exhausting his 
ammunition. His resolve and determination ultimately ensured U.S. 
forces held the southwestern flank.
    Sergeant Eade was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star, but he 
was not eligible for additional medals because DoD regulations state 
``there were not two living witnesses who survived'' to attest to his 
fierce fight to subdue the enemy and protect his platoon. All were dead 
as the unit was overwhelmed by superior enemy forces and forced to 
fight hand-to-hand combat for hours exhausting their ammunition. Left 
for dead, he was discovered, rescued, and flown out by US forces three 
days later. His initial recovery in US military hospitals took over a 
year as he bore serious war wounds lifelong. I never heard him complain 
once.
    Second, on the request for burial of unmarried children of a career 
veteran U.S. soldier and spouses buried in military cemeteries. The 
unmarried, only child should be afforded burial rights if the applicant 
pays for burial expenses. My proposal suggests that on a case-by-case 
basis the cemetery would make decisions on space constraints and 
whether cremation or traditional burial is suitable and whether a 
nameplate of the child could be affixed to the parent's grave marker.
    Current law prevents them from having the chance to be buried with 
their closest and only family members. Our national cemeteries are 
dedicated to the brave men and women who have fought and died for our 
nation's freedom, and that of their families and future generations. It 
is morally unjust to prevent loved ones from being buried with them 
when there are no other surviving family members.
    Thank you, Chairman Bost and Ranking Member Takano, for the 
opportunity to speak to your committee today about these vital matters. 
I look forward to working with you and your staff to develop these 
proposals and move them across the finish line.
                                 ______
                                 

                Prepared Statement of Marilyn Strickland

    Chairman Bost, Ranking Member Takano, and members of this 
distinguished Committee, thank you for allowing me to testify today 
about the importance of fully supporting our veterans and their 
families.
    Our nation is built by the bravery, dedication, and sacrifice of 
our men and women in uniform. As a daughter of a veteran, I understand 
the many challenges veterans experience. It is an imperative that we 
fairly compensate and care for those who served.
    The Department of Veterans Affairs provides essential services to 
our veterans and their families. Both currently serving and veteran 
families often rely on the single income of their serving family 
member, in many cases for the better part of their lives. Adequate life 
insurance policies are essential to ensuring our military families have 
the financial security they need to navigate the loss of a loved one 
with dignity. For nearly two decades the maximum coverage of the 
Servicemembers Group Life Insurance and Veterans' Group Life Insurance 
programs remained stagnant, even as the cost of housing, goods, and 
services rose. Therefore, I strongly urge the Committee on Veterans 
Affairs to consider H.R. 2911, the Fairness for Servicemembers and 
their Families Act of 2023. This bill would ensure that the 
Servicemembers Group Life Insurance and Veterans' Group Life Insurance 
programs are periodically reviewed, and that their value sufficiently 
reflects the contemporary consumer price index.
    Thank you for your longstanding support of veterans and their 
families, and for the work you do to provide for their care. I look 
forward to working with you to help better protect their financial 
security.
                                 ______
                                 

                  Prepared Statement of Brad Wenstrup

    Chairman Bost and Ranking Member Takano,
    Thank you for holding this Member Day Hearing. Caring for our 
veterans is one of Congress's most sacred duties, and I was extremely 
proud to spend the first five years of my time in Congress serving our 
nation's veterans on this distinguished committee. While I may no 
longer serve on this committee, I will never stop serving America's 
veterans. Today, I am here to advocate for two pieces of legislation 
which I believe will improve the care and benefits that the Department 
of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides to veterans.
    Rep. Lauren Underwood and I have introduced H.R. 2398, which will 
prohibit smoking in all Veterans Health Administration (VHA) 
facilities, and repeal the antiquated 1992 law that requires the VHA to 
furnish and maintain designated indoor or outdoor smoking areas. 
Fortunately, former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie 
implemented a VHA Smoke Free policy in 2019 which prohibits smoking by 
patients, visitors, volunteers, contractors, vendors and employees 
while on VA property. However, I believe it is important that we codify 
this policy to prevent any challenge that could overturn this policy.
    Notably, a union representing VA employees has filed a grievance 
against the smoke free policy and was successful in challenging the 
policy as a violation of VA's collective bargaining agreement with the 
union. While this has not resulted in changes to the policy itself, it 
illustrates that the directive implementing Smoke Free VA could be 
vulnerable to legal challenges. I believe that this is a perfect 
illustration of precisely why Congress needs to assert its authority 
and make clear once and for all that smoking is unacceptable in the 
medical facilities where our veterans seek care every day. I hope that 
the committee will consider this bill at a future Health subcommittee 
legislative hearing.
    Next, I wish to highlight my bill, H.R. 3738, the Veterans' 
Education, Transition, and Opportunity Prioritization Plan (VET OPP) 
Act of 2023. Far too often, people think that veterans return from war 
defeated and with skills that are not applicable to the civilian world. 
This ``broken veteran narrative'' could not be further from the truth. 
Our veterans are strong, dependable leaders, and our commitment to 
programs that promote opportunity and success reinforces their ability.
    I believe our servicemembers should have a plan from the day they 
enter the military to the day they transition out and beyond. Our 
veterans are soldiers for life, and we need to put as much emphasis and 
attention on their success after service as we do during it.
    Currently, the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) is 
responsible for all VA benefits provided to veterans outside of 
healthcare and cemetery services. While there are many different 
benefits that VBA provides, the bulk of staffing and resources have 
been, understandably, directed toward the administration of disability 
compensation and pension claims. This has resulted in a lack of 
attention on the administration of other VBA benefits, such as the 
Forever GI Bill, Vocational Rehabilitation, Home Loan benefits, and 
VA's portion of the Transition Assistance Program. We cannot let these 
benefits fall by the wayside, especially those that empower veterans 
and help set them on the path to a successful civilian life.
    By aligning transition, education, and employment programs in a 
Fourth Administration within the VA, the VET OPP Act will modernize the 
department and ensure that these opportunity-focused programs get the 
high priority they deserve, and the oversight they need to better serve 
veterans.
    I want to thank Representative Levin, the Ranking Member of the 
Economic Opportunity Subcommittee, for leading this bill with me for 
the third successive Congress. I hope that the Committee will pass this 
bill as it has done each of the previous two Congresses, and that the 
full House will lend its support as well.
    Thank you once again for the opportunity to testify.
                                 ______
                                 

             Prepared Statement of Marie Gluesenkamp Perez

    Thank you, Chairman Bost and Ranking Member Takano, for the 
opportunity to testify today.
    Following recent meetings with veterans in Lewis County, I am 
deeply concerned about a number of issues impacting constituent 
veterans who receive care through the VA Puget Sound Health Care 
System. We have an obligation to ensure veterans receive the health 
care they need, and it has become apparent to me that the VA Puget 
Sound Health Care System is not keeping up their end of the bargain.

Clinic Closure

    First and foremost, veterans in Lewis County have seen their access 
to care reduced dramatically in recent years.
    The 2021 closure of the Chehalis Community-Based Outpatient Clinic 
cut many veterans off from nearby care. In the most rural parts of East 
Lewis County, travel times to the nearest VA facility went from around 
an hour to more than two hours to get to a VA Puget Sound facility.
    After the VA cut decided to close this clinic, they offered a 
Mobile Medical Unit, the so-called MMU. We were given the impression 
that this MMU would provide walk-in appointments, keep vets connected 
to their doctors, and ensure availability throughout the week.
    That's not the deal we got. We got a MMU that spends one day per 
week in Chehalis. It is available on Wednesdays from 8am to 4pm. Eight 
appointments are available each day, and the only services offered are 
primary care and laboratory work.
    The VA Puget Sound Health Care System did not follow through on any 
of their stated priorities when standing up the MMU, and veterans are 
worse off as a result.
    In a rural community with sparse specialty and mental health care 
options to begin with, the closure of a full CBOC and replacement with 
a MMU has put lifesaving care out of reach for many veterans.

Phone Delays:

    To make matters worse, veterans who need services are stuck waiting 
on hold for hours to reach the VA Puget Sound.
    In Lewis County, veterans have reported to me that they regularly 
wait on hold for more than two hours for basic scheduling needs or to 
speak to a nurse. Oftentimes, around the two-hour mark, the line cuts 
out and they must start the call and hold process all over again. Some 
veterans reported spending upwards of six hours on hold.
    These wait times are unacceptable. The rest of my district is 
served by the VA Portland Health Care System. Notably, I have not heard 
similar complaints from constituent veterans served by them.

Issues with Community Care

    Given reduced access to care, veterans should be able to rely on 
Community Care providers as well. While veterans seem to be satisfied 
with the services provided through Community Care, the same cannot be 
said of the VA's handling of these appointments.
    In one case, a veteran in my district was referred to Community 
Care, and after waiting on hold for an hour and a half, they were 
finally able to get through to the VA Puget Sound's Community Care 
Department. The department scheduled an appointment for them and 
notified him of this appointment by mail. This notice was mailed out 
eight days after their appointment had already passed.

Access to Staff

    My job as a Member of Congress is to oversee federal agencies. I 
have had difficulty receiving timely or adequate responses to the 
questions my staff and I have posed to the VA Puget Sound Health Care 
System staff.
    I expect an open line of communication to discuss the 
aforementioned issues, among other problems facing veterans in Lewis 
County.
    Again, my staff and I do not have these issues with the VA Portland 
Health Care System. The problem seems to be limited to the Puget Sound 
facility, and this deserves congressional oversight.

Conclusion

    In return for their service to our country, we have made a promise 
to our veterans that we must uphold. It is our responsibility to ensure 
they have the access to health care necessary to lead a full and 
healthy life after their time in the armed services has ended.
    Taken in sum, I am concerned that the VA Puget Sound Health Care 
System is not upholding this promise and serving veterans in Lewis 
County well.
    Thank you.
                                 ______
                                 

                Letter from Rudy Yakym to Anthony Colon
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

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               Response from Anthony Colon to Rudy Yakym
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