06.15.26 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON
-
Today,
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
welcomed
Congresswoman
Maggie
Goodlander,
representing
New
Hampshire’s
Second
District,
to
the
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs.
Congresswoman
Goodlander
began
her
career
working
as
a
foreign
policy
advisor
to
Senator
John
McCain
in
the
United
States
Senate.
She
went
on
to
serve
as
an
intelligence
officer
in
the
United
States
Navy
Reserve
for
over
a
decade.
After
graduating
from
law
school
and
serving
as
a
… Read More
06.11.26 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON
-
Today,
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
condemned
the
Republican
package
H.R.
9237
and
S.
4744,
the
Take
Care
of
America’s
Veterans
Act,
that
was
introduced
in
the
wake
of
his
filing
the
Major
Richard
Star
Act
discharge
petition
with
cosponsor,
Congressman
Raul
Ruiz
(CA-25).
This
package
would
cut
at
least
$60
billion
from
veterans'
benefits
over
the
next
ten
years.
"Veterans
have
demanded
an
end
to
the
wounded
veterans’
tax
for
years,
and
we
are
… Read More
06.05.26 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON
-
Yesterday,
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
held
a
press
conference
with
his
Major
Richard
Star
Act
discharge
petition
cosponsor,
Congressman
Raul
Ruiz
(CA-25).
The
Major
Richard
Star
Act
legislation
will
end
the
“wounded
veteran
tax”,
or
the
offset
that
keeps
medically
retired
veterans
from
receiving
their
full
Department
of
Defense
retirement
pay
and
their
full
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
disability
pay.
"For
years,
veterans
have
been
… Read More
05.21.26 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON
-
Today,
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
announced
that
he
filed
a
discharge
petition
for
the
Major
Richard
Star
Act
with
cosponsor,
Congressman
Raul
Ruiz
(CA-25).
This
legislation
will
end
the
“wounded
veteran
tax”,
or
the
offset
that
keeps
medically
retired
veterans
from
receiving
their
full
Department
of
Defense
retirement
pay
and
their
full
Veterans
Affairs
disability
pay.
"For
years,
veterans
have
been
expressing
the
urgent
need
to
end
the
… Read More
05.14.26 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON—Today,
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
(D-CA)
released
the
following
statement
following
a
full
committee
markup.
“Today,
Committee
Democrats
led
two
bills
that
would
improve
veterans’
access
to
life-saving
medication
and
prevent
scammers
from
taking
advantage
of
veterans’
earned
benefits,”
said Ranking
Member
Takano.
“In
contrast,
Republicans
pushed
a
number
of
bills
aimed
to
further
privatize
VA,
pushing
veterans
into
the
community
and
out
of
VA,
… Read More
04.15.26 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON—Today,
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
delivered
the
following
opening
remarks,
as
prepared,
at
today’s
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Full
Committee
hearingon
the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs’
disability
claims
backlog.
“Good
morning,
everyone.
Thank
you
for
being
here
today
as
we
examine
the
timeliness
of
VA
disability
claims
decisions.
Veterans
need,
want,
and
deserve
a
timely
decision
on
their
claims.
Access
to
earned
benefits
and
care
… Read More
03.25.26 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON—
Today,
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
released
the
following
statement
denouncing
Senate
Republicans’
votes
to
block
a
joint
resolution
of
disapproval
under
the
Congressional
Review
Act
(CRA),
which
would
have
overturned
the
Trump
administration’s
near-total
ban
on
abortion
care
and
counseling
for
veterans
who
receive
healthcare
from
the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
(VA).
“Today,
my
Republican
colleagues
in
the
Senate
failed
our
nation’s
veterans
yet
again.
As
a
country,
we
honor
… Read More
03.18.26 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON—Today,
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
delivered
the
following
opening
remarks,
as
prepared,
at
today’s
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Full
Committee
hearing
on
27
bills.
“Thank
you,
Mr.
Chairman.
The
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
has
announced
numerous
initiatives,
plans,
and
regulations
very
publicly,
but
when
we
ask
questions,
the
Department
has
become
very
opaque.
When
we
manage
to
get
VA
witnesses
before
us
for
hearings
the
responses
to
… Read More
03.13.26 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON—Today,
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
released
the
following
statement
following
Judge
Melissa
DuBose’s
decision
to
grant
the
American
Federation
of
Government
Employees
National
Veterans
Affairs
Council’s
(AFGE/NVAC)
motion
for
a
preliminary
injunction
regarding
the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs’
(VA)
decision
to
terminate
VA
collective
bargaining
agreements.
“American
workers
win
again,”
said
Ranking
Member
Takano.
“This
ruling
marks
a
major
step
… Read More
03.11.26 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON—Today,
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
released
the
following
statement
following
VA's announcement
that
it
signed
a
memorandum
of
understanding
with
the
Department
of
Justice.
This
memorandum
gives
VA
attorneys
the
authority
to
initiate
and
participate
in
state
court
guardianship
or
conservatorship
proceedings.
“Secretary
Collins
and
Attorney
General
Bondi
are
sidestepping
the
law
to
strip
veterans
of
their
voices,
freedom,
and
independence,
and
… Read More
03.04.26 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON—
Today,
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
(CA-D)
was
joined
by
House
and
Senate
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Members
in
welcoming
veterans
to
Capitol
Hill
for
the
third
and
final
annual,
bicameral,
bipartisan
Veterans
Service
Organization
(VSO)
hearing
of
2026.
Ranking
Member
Takano
opened
the
hearing
by
highlighting
the
impacts
of
this
Administration’s
efforts
to
do
more
with
less.
“The
data
suggests
VA
is
already
struggling
with
less.
The
New
York
… Read More
03.03.26 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON—Today,
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
(CA-D)
was
joined
by
House
and
Senate
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Members
in
welcoming
veterans
to
Capitol
Hill
for
the
second
of
2026’s
annual,
bicameral,
bipartisan
Veterans
Service
Organization
(VSO)
hearings.
The
first
panel
of
the
day
featured
witnesses
from
Veterans
of
Foreign
Wars
(VFW),
including
VFW
Commander-in-Chief
Carol
Whitmore.
Ranking
Member
Takano
began
by
thanking
the
VSOs
in
attendance,
… Read More
02.28.26 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON—Today,
House
Veterans'
Affairs
Committee
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
issued
the
following
statement
in
response
to
military
action
against
Iran:
“Less
than
two
weeks
ago,
this
administration
attempted
a
$23
billion
rollback
of
veterans’
benefits
through
its
Interim
Final
Rule
while
advancing
a
VHA
reorganization
that
would
shrink
staff
and
healthcare
capacity.
Now
it
has
committed
the
United
States
to
a
new
war
with
Iran.
President
Trump
ran
on
ending
wars.
Instead,
from
… Read More
02.26.26 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON—Today,
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
released
the
following
statement
regarding
VA’s
planned
rescission
of
its
recently
published
Interim
Final
Rule
(IFR),
which
changed
how
veteran
disability
ratings
would
be
evaluated,
following
widespread
pushback
from
veterans,
Veterans
Service
Organizations
(VSOs),
and
Members
of
Congress.
“VA’s
attempt
to
rewrite
how
disability
ratings
are
determined
was
an
egregious
and
unacceptable
mistake.
Veterans
fought
… Read More
02.26.26 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON—Today,
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
led
a
comment
letter,
signed
by
over
60
Members
of
Congress,
to
the
Federal
Register
demanding
Secretary
Collins
fully
rescind
VA’s
recently
published
Interim
Final
Rule
(IFR)
that
changed
how
veteran
disability
ratings
would
be
evaluated.
This
letter
follows
the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs’
(VA)
interim
final
rule,
issued
without
advance
notice
or
meaningful
consultation
with
Veterans
Service
Organizations
… Read More
02.24.26 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON—Today,
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
(CA-D)
was
joined
by
House
and
Senate
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Members
in
welcoming
veterans
to
Capitol
Hill
for
the
annual,
bicameral,
bipartisan
Veterans
Service
Organization
(VSO)
hearings.
The
first
panel
featured
witnesses
from
Disabled
American
Veterans
(DAV),
including
DAV
National
Commander
Coleman
Nee.
Ranking
Member
Takano
highlighted
VA's
planned
reorganization
of
the
Veterans’
Health
… Read More
02.18.26 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON—Today,
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
released
the
following
statement
expressing
his
concerns
with
the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs’
(VA)
interim
final
rule,
which
immediately
changes
how
veteran
disability
ratings
are
evaluated.
Before
this
change,
VA
could
not
reduce
ratings
based
on
the
effects
of
medication
when
evaluating
a
service-connected
disability,
requiring
evaluation
of
a
veteran’s
true
functional
impairment.
This
new
VA
rule
changes
… Read More
02.12.26 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON—Today,
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
(D-CA)
released
the
following
statement
after
today’s
full
committee
markup.
“Several
bills
moved
forward
at
today’s
markup
with
bipartisan
support.
Committee
Democrats
supported
four
of
the
five
bills
considered,
including
legislation
to
strengthen
veteran
caregiver
experiences,
Fisher
House
access,
improve
VA
patient
scheduling
experiences,
and
the
quality
of
VA’s
advisory
committees,”
said
Ranking
Member
… Read More
02.11.26 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON—
Today,
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
(CA-39)
released
the
following
statement
applauding
Senator
Bob
Archuleta
(D-Pico
Rivera),
Senator
Sabrina
Cervantes
(D-Riverside),
and
Assemblywoman
Pilar
Schiavo’s
(D-Santa
Clarita)
leadership
and
California
Attorney
General
Rob
Bonta’s
stewardship
as
Senate
Bill
694
(SB
694)
was
signed
into
law
by
Governor
Gavin
Newsom.
“Veterans
were
willing
to
give
everything
in
service
to
our
country.
For
that
service,
we
… Read More
02.11.26 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON—Today,
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
delivered
the
following
opening
remarks,
as
prepared,
at
today’s
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Full
Committee
hearing
on
the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs’
plan
to
reorganize
the
Veterans
Health
Administration
(VHA).
“Thank
you,
Chairman
Bost.
Yesterday,
I
had
the
opportunity
to
speak
at
the
A-F-G-E
legislative
conference.
I
met
with
colleagues
of
Alex
Pretti
who
shared
stories
about
his
service
to
… Read More
