Joint hearings with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to examine the legislative presentation of The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. and multi VSOs: Paralyzed Veterans of America, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Student Veterans of America, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, The Elizabeth Dole Foundation, and National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
2025-03-04
Source: Congress.gov
Participants
Transcript
Good morning, everyone. The hearing will come to order. I welcome everyone in the room and certainly welcome the commander. I thank my colleague from the House, Chairman Bost, along with ranking members Blumenthal and Takano, and the rest of my Senate and House colleagues for joining us here today in this joint hearing, the final of three hearings our committee hosted this year. I, of course, specifically welcome Commander Al Lippard, his wife Carol, and the rest of his team at the VFW. I also welcome all of the organizations represented on the second panel and those who have traveled here from across the country to represent veterans, service members, caregivers, families, and survivors.
I also want to give a special hello, of course, to Kansans in the audience and those watching at home. The VFW is a major and important organization in our state. I appreciate the relationship I have with them. The work we do on our committees would not be possible without the work and the dedication of the VSO community. Our accomplishments are a result of your advocacy and the efforts to hold Congress and the VA accountable for doing what is in the best interest of our veterans and military communities. One example of this is the Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, which was signed into law last Congress and supported by the organizations, all of the organizations we will be hearing from today. We are working to make certain this legislation is implemented in a timely manner and in adherence with congressional intent so that it lives up to the promise for veterans, caregivers, and survivors. All of the policies and programs that we will discuss today depend upon a strong and effective VSO community and a strong and effective VA workforce to deliver the care and benefits veterans and their families deserve. As the VA implements new federal workforce guidance and we work together to root out any waste, I am committed to making certain that the necessary VA workforce is preserved. In that regard, it would be useful to retain the Inspector General to work to help the Department and Congress better inform our decisions. The VA must be forthcoming and transparent with Congress, VSOs, and the public about how it's implementing workforce and contract and other changes. The VA must also work to avoid or correct actions that could in any way undermine access to care and benefits that veterans and their loved ones rely on. Again, thank you for you all being here today. I look forward to the testimony of the witnesses on both panels, and I now yield to Chairman Bost for his opening remarks.
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Unknown (SPEAKER_19)
Thank you, Chairman Rant. Good morning. I want to thank you all for being here, and I want to thank you to my Senate colleagues, Chairman Moran, Ranking Member Blumenthal, for hosting us this week. And I would like to thank the VFW's National Commander, Alfred Liphart, for being here today. Thank you, Commander. I would also like to give a shout-out to the VFW Auxiliary National Commander, Brenda Bryant.
Thank you for being here. And I'm pleased that there are folks here from the great state of Illinois. And if you would, I just want you to stand if you can or raise your hand or be recognized. There they are. Thanks for being here. And I want to thank you all for traveling here to your nation's capital for such important issues. This Congress marks a decade. on this sacred committee for me. And it's my second term as chair. It is an honor to serve all of you. The mission of VA committee has always been personal to me. I grew up in a home with veterans, and many of you have heard it before, but I'm still gonna say it again. It's my dad and his brother's army, Korean War. My My grandfather won, was Navy, Second World War. Other grandfather, Marine. Korea. Uncle, Marine, Vietnam. Victim of the ultimate oxymoron friendly fire, but because the VA has had a very successful life and he's up in his years now. I, peacetime Marine. My son is a Lieutenant Colonel, a reservist now, but was active for many years. And my grandson, the son of my daughter, just got out of the Corps about six or eight months ago. He was an F-18 mechanic.
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