09.19.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) released the following statement on the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Annual Suicide Report:
“VA's annual suicide report contains encouraging news about another drop in the veteran suicide rate, but our work to reduce veteran suicide cannot, and will not, stop until all veterans receive the care, benefits, and opportunities to thrive that they have earned and
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09.15.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs (HVAC) Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) delivered opening remarks at the Full Committee hearing entitled, "Examining women veterans' access to the full spectrum of medical care, including reproductive healthcare, through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Health Administration (VHA)."
View Chairman Takano's remarks here.
Chairman Takano’s remarks as prepared: Over the
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09.14.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives passed 5 bipartisan bills that will strengthen the delivery of benefits and care to veterans and their families, including the Veterans’ Compensation Cost of Living Adjustment Act and the Student Veteran Emergency Relief Act.
“The bills passed today build upon the work this Committee has done to support veterans and their families throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Chairman Takano. “In particular,
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09.02.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) released the following statement on Secretary Denis McDonough’s interim final rule to allow the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide abortion counseling and abortions in cases of incest, rape, and life or health of the woman, covering these services for the first time for veterans and beneficiaries of the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans
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08.23.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) officially unveiled the Committee’s Veterans Reproductive Healthcare Survey as part of the Committee’s larger effort focused on reproductive healthcare access for America's veterans.
The survey will gather feedback about how veterans have used reproductive care at VA in the past, and the improvements they want to see implemented at VA.
“As the
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08.18.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Subcommittee on Health Chairwoman Julia Brownley (D-Calif.) announced a new Committee effort focused on reproductive healthcare access for America's veterans. The initiative kicked off with multiple oversight visits and listening sessions in Oklahoma and Texas, where Committee Members and staff heard directly from veterans and their VA healthcare providers who face
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08.16.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, the House of Representatives passed S.5548, the Ensuring the Best Schools for Veterans Act of 2022, by unanimous consent. S.5548 is the Senate version of H.R.8198, previously introduced by House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Ranking Member Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.). The Ensuring the Best Schools for Veterans Act of 2022 will improve access to high-quality education for veterans by eliminating burdens placed on
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08.10.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) released the following statement after President Biden signed the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act or Honoring our PACT Act – the largest expansion of veterans' benefits in decades – into law.
“At his State of the Union Address, President Biden called on Congress to send him a comprehensive bill to address the effects of toxic exposure for all current and future veterans.
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08.02.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) released the statement below following Senate passage of his Honoring Our Promise To Address Comprehensive Toxics Act Of 2021 Or Honoring Our PACT Act. “Last month, the House of Representatives once again passed my Honoring our PACT Act, and today, the Senate voted to do the same. It took longer than anticipated, but in the end, I am heartened that many Senate Republicans finally put veterans over politics and joined
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07.28.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs (HVAC) Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) delivered remarks at the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations’ hearing entitled, Progress Made? Ending Sexual Harassment at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
View Chairman Takano's remarks here.
Chairman Takano’s remarks as prepared: Thank you, Chairman Pappas. I’d like to associate myself with the statement you gave to begin this hearing. The lack of progress in fully
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07.28.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs (HVAC) Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) delivered remarks at a press conference following the failed Senate cloture vote on the PACT Act.
View Chairman Takano's remarks here.
Chairman Takano’s remarks as prepared: Earlier this month, the House of Representatives once again passed my Honoring our PACT Act, and I had hoped that today, the Senate would take the final actions needed to get this bill
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07.27.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs (HVAC) Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) spoke today at the Subcommittee on Technology Modernization’s hearing on Protecting our Veterans: Patient Safety and Electronic Health Record Modernization Program.
View Chairman Takano's remarks here.
Chairman Takano’s remarks as prepared: Thank you, Chairman Mrvan, for holding this very important hearing. Today, the Subcommittee
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07.19.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs held a business meeting to welcome new Committee member Rep. Connie Conway (R-Calif.) and authorize the Women Veterans Task Force, and a full committee markup advancing 18 bills to strengthen healthcare and benefits for America’s veterans. These bills will enhance VA's ability to deliver high-quality and timely healthcare and benefits to America's veterans by expanding support for homeless veterans, improving
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07.14.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Ranking Member Mike Bost (R-Ill.), Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Ranking Member Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), issued the following statements on two reports released today from the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) revealing serious issues with the deployment of VA’s new Electronic Health Record
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07.14.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Chairman Takano (D-Calif.) released the following statement honoring the life of Chief Warrant Officer 4 Herschel “Woody” Williams, the last remaining World War II Medal of Honor recipient and announcing a new Committee effort to raise awareness and better understand how we memorialize the legacy of veterans’ contributions to our country. “Woody was awarded this nation’s highest military honor for volunteering as a
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07.13.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs (HVAC) Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) issued the following statement on the passage of S.3373, the vehicle used to carry his Honoring our PACT Act. “During his State of the Union address, President Biden said that he would be ready to sign comprehensive toxic exposure legislation into law if it came across his desk. Today, the House of Representatives has come one step closer to that goal by passing my
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07.13.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs (HVAC) Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) delivered remarks on the House floor in support of his Honoring our PACT Act.
Click here to watch Chairman Takano's full remarks.
Chairman Takano's remarks as prepared:
I stand before this chamber today in support of S.3373, as amended, which is now the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of
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06.23.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs (HVAC) Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) released the following statement following House passage of his bill, the Support The Resiliency of Our Nation’s Great Veterans Act – or STRONG Veterans Act:
"Preventing veteran suicide and strengthening veterans’ mental health and wellbeing remains a top priority not only of VA, but also of this Committee. It is our belief that caring for
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06.22.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs (HVAC) Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and HVAC Subcommittee on Technology Modernization Chairman Frank Mrvan issued the statement below following the release of draft OIG findings obtained by the media which reveal serious patient safety risks within the Cerner Millennium Electronic Health Record used across VA.
“Although we are still waiting for the VA’s Office of Inspector General to
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06.16.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) released the statement below following the Senate passage of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022 which makes revisions to his Honoring Our Promise To Address Comprehensive Toxics Act Of 2021 Or Honoring Our PACT Act, which originated in the House of Representatives as H.R. 3967.
"A few months ago the House of Representatives took the historic first step of
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