02.19.25 • Press Release
WASHINGTON — As House Republicans continue to neglect their responsibility to hold President Trump accountable, House Democrats are demanding answers from VA Secretary Collins regarding the mass terminations taking place at VA.
To date, the Department of Veterans Affairs has failed to respond to numerous inquiries about the late-night firing of over 1,000 VA employees nationwide - many of whom are service-disabled veterans or military spouses.
Despite Secretary Collins’s claim that the
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02.14.25 • Press Release
WASHINGTON — Today House Veterans' Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano issued the following statement condemning Secretary Collins' recent dismissal of over 1,000 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees:
"I am deeply disturbed by Secretary Collins' celebratory statement regarding the mass firing of more than 1,000 VA employees. This action demonstrates a shocking disregard for the dedicated workforce that serves our nation's veterans. Among those terminated were 100%
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02.06.25 • Press Release
WASHINGTON - Yesterday, Ranking Member Mark Takano and nine members of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee sent a letter to newly confirmed Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collinsto raise concerns regarding President Trump’s recent executive order for federal agencies to terminate all diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility programs and the impact it will have on veterans' healthcare services and VA’s ability to effectively serve all veterans.
The executive order,
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01.31.25 • Press Release
WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Mark Takano and Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Julia Brownley sent a letter to the Acting Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), demanding answers about the future of VA’s Center for Women Veterans and VA’s Center for Minority Veterans.
Ms. Lourdes Tiglao, Director of the Center for Women Veterans, and Mr. James Albino, Director of the Center for Minority Veterans, were removed from their offices on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, as the Trump
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01.29.25 • Press Release
WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Mark Takano made the following statement regarding the White House Office of Personnel Management’s email offering “buyouts” to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees.
“Elon Musk thinks you are stupid and won’t see through his deceptive and fraudulent “buyout” offer. VA employees should ignore his email and send it to the trash bin. VA employees, thousands of whom are veterans themselves, keep the largest integrated healthcare system in the country
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01.28.25 • Press Release
WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Mark Takano wrote Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs Todd Hunter, urgently seeking information about how new guidance from the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, requiring agencies suspend payments to federal funding recipients by today, January 28, 2025, at 5 P.M., will affect veterans.
“The breadth of this hasty, ruthless, and irresponsible mandate will directly impact every community in America and will immediately jeopardize public health
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01.28.25 • Press Release
WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Mark Takano is demanding answers from UnitedHealth Group (UHG) after its admission that a data breach impacted 190 million people, including at least 1.2 million veterans. Ranking Member Takano criticized the company’s delayed and incomplete reporting, urging stronger oversight to protect veterans from private sector cybersecurity failures.
Despite the breach impacting the personal data of at least 1.2 million veterans, the Committee has not received updated data
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01.25.25 • Press Release
WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Takano joins Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, with House Committee Ranking Members in a letter to President Donald Trump condemning his attempted late-night purge of at least 12 independent inspectors general, which appears to have violated federal law designed to protect their work from political interference and intimidation.
The Ranking Members wrote: “We write to express our grave concern
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01.25.25 • Press Release
WASHINGTON - Last night, President Trump fired 12 inspectors general of major federal agencies, including Inspector General Michael Missal of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), who has served in this Senate-confirmed position since 2016.
Ranking Member Takano said, “This late-night purge of the Inspectors General that Congress and the American people depend on for transparency and accountability in our government is not only reprehensible, it is illegal. These firings are a blatant
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01.23.25 • Press Release
WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Mark Takano was joined by House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Democrats in a letter to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Acting Secretary Todd Hunter about how VA is implementing President Trump’s Inaugural Executive Order to freeze hiring across the executive branch.
Despite VA reporting more than 40,000 vacancies at the end of 2024, President Trump’s Executive Order was issued without any regard for the impact it would have on veterans’ access to healthcare
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01.22.25 • Press Release
WASHINGTON - The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee held a hearing today entitled "Restoring Focus: Putting Veterans First in Community Care.” Despite being the first hearing about community care since Republicans took control of Congress over two years ago, no government officials or contractors were present to answer questions about problems veterans have experienced when accessing care.
Ranking Member Takano said, “I want to say to our witnesses that I am truly anguished by the unacceptable
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01.21.25 • Press Release
WASHINGTON - On Inauguration Day, President Trump issued a series of Executive Orders (EOs) impacting veterans and civil servants who are employed by and seek care at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). These EOs would:
Implement a hiring freeze across the federal government;
Reclassify many federal employees with fewer job protections;
Remove VA employees’ flexibility in remote working by mandating a return to office; and
Eliminate key diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)
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01.16.25 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - Today during the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 119th Congress Organizing Meeting, Republicans rejected an amendment to the Committee Rules offered by Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) to increase transparency into potential financial conflicts of interests a witness testifying before the Committee may have. This amendment would complement other changes the Republicans made to the Committee Rules for the 119th Congress that require disclosure of payments or
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01.15.25 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) and Committee Democrats elected the Vice Ranking Member and Subcommittee Ranking Members, and selected Subcommittee membership during the Democratic Organizing Meeting.
“I am excited about our Subcommittee Ranking Member leadership, which includes several new Subcommittee Ranking Members who bring enthusiasm and a new perspective to the issues facing veterans and the Department of Veterans
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01.14.25 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC -- House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) released the following statement welcoming the Committee’s newest Democratic members:
“As we begin the 119th Congress, I am thrilled to welcome our committee members, both new and returning. We have a diverse group of members who are ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work on behalf of our nation’s veterans. Our members bring a wealth of experiences to the table that will help us build upon
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01.13.25 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - Today House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) released the following statement praising the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Greater Los Angeles (GLA) Healthcare System for its ongoing response to the wildfires in Los Angeles County and communication to Congress:
“As a member from Southern California, I have seen the devastation and destruction these wildfires continue to cause in and around LA. Tens of thousands have lost their homes,
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01.08.25 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - As the 118th Congress ends and the Biden-Harris Administration winds down, Committee Democrats are taking the time to reflect on our achievements supporting veterans over the last four years. Despite Republican dysfunction, Committee Democrats have worked with the Administration to improve benefits and services for veterans across America. Democrats have remained steadfast in our commitment to veterans' welfare, focusing on properly funding the Department of Veterans Affairs
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12.18.24 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) delivered the following opening statement, as prepared, during this morning’s Full Committee Oversight Hearing about the Supreme Court’s Loper Bright decision:
“Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In its decision in Loper Bright Enterprises versus Raimondo, the Supreme Court overturned forty years of precedent and radically transferred power from the legislative and executive branches to the judiciary. And contrary
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12.12.24 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) and Representative Neal Dunn, M.D. (FL-02), introduced the Supporting Medical Students and VA Workforce Act. This bill will help the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) address physician recruitment and retention challenges by funding the education of veteran-oriented, mission-focused physicians.
“I am glad to work with Dr. Dunn on this bill to provide assistance to students who are pursuing a
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12.05.24 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) delivered the following opening statement, as prepared, at the beginning of this morning’s Full Committee Oversight Hearing on Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) funding and a projected Veterans Health Administration (VHA) shortfall:
“Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
There is currently rhetoric coming from the Right about veterans being on a ‘payroll’ and living on some kind of taxpayer-funded largess because
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