Ranking Member Takano Continues Bipartisan, Bicameral VSO Hearings

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, recognizing the six servicemembers lost in Operation Epic Fury, and acknowledging the future needs of the veterans this conflict will create.

“This is the time for us to fully invest in the future of VA and ensure that the Department will be there to care for these veterans, and their families, when they come home,” said Ranking Member Takano.

Ranking Member Takano also highlighted Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins’s recent Interim Final Rule and his massive reorganization plans of Veterans’ Health Administration (VHA).

Of the recent chaos at VA, Ranking Member Takano said, “We keep hearing phrases from VA leadership like 'do more with less.’ Doing more with less has never worked well for VA. VA cannot deliver more care with fewer doctors. VA cannot process more claims with fewer examiners. You cannot strengthen VA by shrinking it. VA needs social workers, janitorial staff, and police officers to ensure VA is meeting its mission. While I never wore the uniform, I take seriously my responsibility to defend the promises that we made to those who did.”

Ranking Member Takano outlined several Democratic priorities. These include improving and expanding care for veterans exposed to toxins in service, as well as securing passage of the Caring for Survivors Act, Love Lives On Act, and Major Richard Star Act.

Commander-in-Chief Carol Whitmore highlighted the need for the country to follow through on promises made to veterans in return for their service.

"Our message is simple and resolute: Honor the Contract,” said VFW Commander-in-Chief Whitmore. “When Americans raised their right hands and volunteered to serve, this nation made a solemn promise. If they are wounded, become ill, or die in service, America will care for them and their families. That promise is not charity. It is the binding contract between service members and the country they defend. When some suggest that veterans’ benefits are too expensive, let's be clear: this is the cost of war.”

Commander-in-Chief Whitmore’s testimony focused on a number of VFW’s priorities, including addressing the care needs of veterans exposed to toxins in service, ensuring continuity of care, and securing passage of the Major Richard Star Act.

“Veterans experience healthcare in times of need. In those moments, what matters most is reliable, timely, high-quality care delivered with dignity and respect. We must build a truly veteran-centric system,” said Commander-in-Chief Whitmore.

The second panel included Student Veterans of America, Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A., Blinded Veterans of America, Fleet Reserve Association, Minority Veterans of America, National Association of County Veterans Service Officers, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

Minority Veterans of America and several other participating VSOs spoke to the administration’s recent efforts to dismantle DEI policies.

“Minority veterans have carried this nation through every conflict, even while fighting for rights at home,” said Minority Veterans of America Senior Policy Advisor, Colonel Lorry Fenner, USAF (Ret). “We took our oaths as patriots, not because conditions were fair for us. Today, as other safety nets are dismantled and protections eroded, we return here with a simple demand, that the country we defended will honor its obligations to every veteran that no one is left behind because of what we look like or who we are.”

Ranking Member Takano concluded the hearing by addressing the VSOs and veterans in attendance, saying, “We simply cannot do our jobs without the critical input that you all have provided today with your testimony and responses to our questions. I look forward to working with you all to ensure that Congress honors the obligations that we have to our veterans and survivors of veterans. We still have much to do.”

The next VSO hearing is scheduled for March 4, 2026.

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