Ranking Member Takano Slams VA Effort to Take Away Veteran Autonomy

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 they are doing it through a process riddled with conflicts of interest. VA should not be both the caregiver responsible for veteran’s wellbeing and the legal driver of stripping veterans of their rights,” said Ranking Member Takano. “Instead of fixing the failures in our healthcare and housing systems, including actions that have already closed 847 VA Community Living Center beds, the Trump-Vance administration is pursuing policies that would push hundreds, if not thousands of veterans, into institutions and court-ordered guardianships. Veterans would ultimately lose autonomy to make medical and personal decisions on their own behalf. Guardianship should always be a last resort, after all less restrictive options have been exhausted, to ensure veterans’ rights are protected. Veterans fought for our freedom and theirs. The federal government should not be engineering ways of taking it away.”

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