04.16.21 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C - Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) applauded the introduction of three new bills that align with the Committee's efforts to comprehensively grant benefits and presumptions for all veterans exposed to toxic substances-regardless of where or when they served. This week, Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Penn.) introduced the bipartisan Veterans Agent Orange Exposure Equity Act with Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Penn.), which would provide long-due
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04.15.21 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C -Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough, and Vice Chair and Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity Chair Mike Levin (D-Calif.) released the following statements given news that VA has found a solution to continue "rounding out"-- a key practice that allows student veterans to round out a college schedule with non-required classes to bring their course load to a full term and ensure they can receive
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04.09.21 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C - Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) praised the introduction of two new bills that align with the Committee's efforts to comprehensively grant benefits and presumptions for all veterans exposed to toxic substances-regardless of where or when they served. Yesterday, Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) introduced the bipartisan Veterans Burn Pits Exposure Recognition Act with Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.), which will formally recognize that
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04.07.21 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D- Calif.) released the following statement after President Biden announced that he will nominate Patricia Ross-long time Senior Policy Advisor to Speaker Pelosi-- to serve as Assistant Secretary of Congressional and Legislative Affairs at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
"I'm elated that President Biden has nominated Patricia Ross to serve as Assistant Secretary of Congressional and Legislative Affairs
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04.02.21 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C - Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) praised the introduction of the Conceding Our Veterans' Exposure Now and Necessitating Training or COVENANT Act by Subcommittee on Disability Assistance & Memorial Affairs Chair Elaine Luria (D-Vir.) as part of the Committee's continued effort to prioritize the issue of toxic exposures. The COVENANT Act would ensures veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during their service in the Middle
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03.24.21 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C -Today, President Joe Biden signed bipartisan legislation into law expanding COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to veterans and their families under the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), following efforts from House and Senate Committees on Veterans' Affairs leaders Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Ranking Member Mike Bost (R-Ill.), Chairman Jon Tester (D-Mont.), and Ranking Member Jerry Moran (R-Kan.).
The Strengthening and Amplifying Vaccination Efforts to Locally Immunize
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03.23.21 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (CA-41) delivered the keynote address at the forum entitled, "Chronic Headache Disorders and Toxic Exposure: A Policy Panel Discussion"hosted by the Headache & Migraine Policy Forum and the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy. During their annual advocacy day, Chairman Takano joined the discussion on the long term impacts veterans and 9/11 first responders face following exposure to airborne hazards
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03.19.21 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) released the following statement after the House unanimously passed H.R. 1276, the Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans' and Caregivers' COVID-19 Immunizations Now Expanded Act of 2021or the VA VACCINE Act of 2021, as amended by the Senate. Chairman Takano and Ranking Member Bost introduced the VA VACCINE Act on February 24and in just a week and a half, their bill earned the support of more than
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03.19.21 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C -Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Subcommittee on Technology Modernization Chairman Frank J. Mrvan (D-Ind.) released the following statements after Secretary McDonough announced VA would pursue a strategic review of its Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) program. The Subcommittee on Technology Modernization will hold a hearing to examine VA's EHRM implementation in mid-April.
"It is more important for VA to get EHRM
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03.18.21 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C -Following a bipartisan push from House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee leaders, Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Ranking Member Mike Bost (R-Ill.), Chairman Jon Tester (D-Mont.), and Ranking Member Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released its annual report today with critical data on veterans experiencing homelessness.
Each year, HUD releases a Point-in-Time (PIT) count of unhoused people, including veterans. HUD conducted
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03.17.21 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) interviewed Navy Command Master Chief (Ret.) Octavia Harris, outgoing Chair of the Department of Veterans' Affairs Advisory Committee on Women Veterans, as part of the Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress. The Veterans History Project documents the personal stories of America's veterans to ensure future generations can learn from those who served and better understand the realities of
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03.16.21 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C - Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) introduced the VA Employee Fairness Act of 2021, which would ensure that VA's Title 38 healthcare professionals-including nurses, physicians, dentists, and physician assistants who serve our veterans- have the same workplace rights currently granted to other VA clinicians and federal employees. By providing full collective bargaining rights to these healthcare
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03.12.21 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C — Yesterday, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Vice Chair and Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity Chair Mike Levin (D-Calif.) introduced his bipartisan Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2021. This legislation would expand eligibility for the Post-9/11 GI Bill to count every day that a servicemember is paid and in uniform toward benefit eligibility in order to achieve GI Bill parity for National Guard and Reserve
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03.10.21 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C - Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed the American Rescue Plan, which includes several key provisions that will help veterans recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
"As Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I know how critical the American Rescue Plan will be for our veterans," said Chairman Takano. "Too many veterans are struggling to find work
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03.09.21 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Ranking Member Mike Bost (R-Ill.) released the following statements after H.R. 1276, the Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans' and Caregivers' COVID-19 Immunizations Now Expanded Act of 2021or the VA VACCINE Act of 2021 unanimously passed the House of Representatives. This bipartisan bill expands VA's authority to provide COVID-19 vaccines to all veterans and their caregivers and earned the
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03.08.21 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Ranking Member Mike Bost (R-Ill.) released the following statements before H.R. 1276, the Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans' and Caregivers' COVID-19 Immunizations Now Expanded Act of 2021or the VA VACCINE Act comes up for a vote in the House of Representatives. This bipartisan bill expands VA's authority to provide COVID-19 vaccines to all veterans and their caregivers. Within a week of
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03.04.21 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano announced a new Committee investigation examining the targeted recruitment of veterans by extremist groups. This investigation is a natural successor to the Committee's prior investigation into disinformation on social media, initially brought to light by Vietnam Veterans of America, and Committee report, entitled "Hijacking our Heroes," which highlights spoofing as one of the primary tools for recruitment used
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02.24.21 • Press Release
WASHINGTON D.C. -- Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Ranking Member Mike Bost (R-Ill.) introduced the Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans' and Caregivers' COVID-19 Immunizations Now Expanded Act of 2021or the VA VACCINE Act. This bipartisan bill is a critical fix to expand VA's ability to provide COVID-19 vaccines to veterans and their caregivers. Under this legislation, VA can provide vaccines to all veterans-including those not currently
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02.24.21 • Press Release
WASHINGTON D.C. -- Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) announced that four new Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) will be invited to this year's VSO legislative presentations. Following Chairman Takano's push, representatives from the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), the National Association for Black Veterans (NABVETS), Minority Veterans of America (MVA), and the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) will join the VSO
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02.22.21 • Press Release
WASHINGTON D.C. -- Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) announced his priorities for the Committee during the 117th Congress.
"From finally getting Blue Water Navy Vietnam veterans the benefits they've earned to passing the Veterans' COMPACT Act and making real strides to reduce veteran suicide, I'm so proud of what we accomplished in the 116th Congress. But our work is not done," said Chairman Takano. "That's why I am announcing our Committee's top nine
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