Ranking Member Takano: "Why shouldn’t we act to help veterans access the care and services they need?"
Press Contact
WASHINGTON, DC – Today House Veterans’ Affairs Committee (HVAC) Ranking Member Mark Takano spoke at a press conference with U.S. VETS about the expiration of authorities that the Department of Veterans Affairs has been using to support and house homeless veterans. Earlier this week, Ranking Member Takano sounded the alarm about these authorities expiring yesterday.
Ranking Member Takano's remarks as prepared:
Thank you Mr. Lewis and to U.S. Vets for hosting us today.
I am frustrated by the circumstances that bring us here though. It is unbelievable to me that House Democrats are fighting to get support for some of our most vulnerable veterans: homeless veterans.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress acted quickly to make sure VA had the flexibility and resources it needed to secure the health and safety of the thousands of veterans experiencing homelessness in our country.
These flexibilities and resources actually helped DECREASE veteran homelessness by 11%, during one of the most difficult times in our country’s recent history.
These very successful programs and resources have now been allowed to expire because of inaction by Congressional Republicans.
As Ranking Member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I am infuriated by this. One homeless veteran in one too many, especially when we know what works to get veterans off the street and into care and permanent housing.
Last month in our committee’s markup, I pushed for an amendment to be adopted that would have allowed us to pass Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick's Healthy Foundations for Homeless Veterans Act. This bill extends the authorities that have now expired, and the amendment’s adoption would have meant that homeless veterans could still get the support they needed to get housed. And it would have made it so that VA could pay for basic necessities for veterans experiencing homelessness, like food, transportation, clothing, and shelter.
On a party-line vote, Republicans voted against this amendment and turned their backs on homeless veterans.
Committee Democrats have also urged consideration and passage of Rep. Williams’ Return Home to Housing Act. This bill increases the maximum rate at which transitional housing providers in VA’s Grant and Per Diem program can be reimbursed for care for our veterans. This bill raises that rate to up to $112.20 a day, to more adequately reflect the cost of the care, resources, and services our homeless veterans deserve and need on their journey to permanent housing.
Without passage of this legislation, the maximum rate at which community providers can be reimbursed for care for veterans residing in transitional housing will drop to a mere $64 a day. You can’t even get a hotel for $64 a night, but we expect our non-profits to be able to provide shelter, services, and meals for veterans on that measly sum? Our non-profit partners perform miracles to fill in the gaps where funding runs short, but when Congress has the ability to reduce that financial strain, why shouldn’t we? Why shouldn’t we act to help veterans access the care and services they need?
I appreciate US VETS hosting us here today at their DC site. US VETS operates transitional housing specifically for veterans at facilities across the country. They provide critical shelter and services to assist veterans in securing a permanent place to call home. They will see their rate of reimbursement for that care and service cut by more than half if Congress does not act. I see many veterans here in the audience with us today, and I promise you I will continue fighting for the care you need. US VETS and other transitional housing providers do the hard work of ensuring the safety and health of our veterans. They support our veterans, and we in Congress need to support them.
Committee Democrats have solutions. We have two commonsense bills that would immediately help veterans experiencing homelessness. Committee Republicans just let successful VA programs, that have helped get over 40,000 homeless veterans housed in the last two years, expire. So, I have to ask my Republican colleagues: are you serious about wanting to end veteran homelessness? If you are, then why aren’t you willing to support the programs that we know work?
Democrats on the Committee and I will continue to push our colleagues across the aisle to take action on this important issue.
Failing to extend this authority means that critical gains made to help and house homeless veterans will be clawed back, and veterans in need will spend more time without a place to call home. We cannot leave veterans behind. I am committed to fight for homeless veterans and I call on my colleagues to do the same.
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