04.04.25 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON—
Today,
House
Veterans'
Affairs
Committee
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
issued
the
following
statement
in
response
to
the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
(VA)
Secretary
Doug
Collins’s
announcement
that
VA
plans
to
end
the
Veterans
Affairs
Servicing
Purchase
(VASP)
program.
The
VASP
program
was
designed
to
assist
veterans
and
active-duty
servicemembers
with
VA-guaranteed
home
loans
facing
foreclosure.
“Secretary
Collins
and
Chairman
Bost
have
repeatedly
assured
the
public
that
no
… Read More
03.28.25 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON—
Today,
House
Veterans'
Affairs
Committee
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
issued
the
following
statement in
response
to
President
Trump’s
Executive
Order ending
union
rights
for
countless
federal
employees,
including
Veterans
Affairs
employees.
“The
right
to
join
a
labor
union
and
the
right
to
collective
bargaining
are
foundational
American
principles.
This
Executive
Order,
effectively
outlawing
unions
and
unilaterally
striking
down
collective
bargaining
agreements
under
the
guise
of
… Read More
03.26.25 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON
--
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
and
Senate
Veterans'
Affairs
Committee
Ranking
Member
Richard
Blumenthal recently sent
a
joint
letter
to
Secretary
of
Veterans
Affairs
Doug
Collins
and
Secretary
of
State
and
Acting
Archivist
Marco
Rubio
earlier
this
month expressing
their
concerns
regarding
the
closure
of
the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
(VA)
Veterans
Benefits
Administration’s
(VBA)
Office
of
Equity
Assurance
(OEA).
“Unequal
treatment
of
veterans
of
different
backgrounds
is
not
a
… Read More
03.20.25 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON—
House
Veterans'
Affairs
Committee
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
issued
the
following
statement
following
President
Trump’s
planned
dismantling
of
the
U.S.
Department
of
Education.
"The
Trump
Administration's
decision
to
dismantle
the
U.S.
Department
of
Education
will
directly
and
adversely
impact
veterans
and
their
earned
benefits.
Student
veterans
take
out
student
loans
to
support
the
cost
of
college
at
nearly
comparable
rates
to
non-veterans.
Student
veteran
borrowers
have
seen
… Read More
03.18.25 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON
— Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano,
who
also
serves
as
Chair
of
the
Congressional
Equality
Caucus,
released
the
following
statement
after
the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
announced
it
will
phase
out
veterans’
treatments
for
gender
dysphoria:
“This
isn’t
cost-cutting,
it’s
cruelty.
Secretary
Doug
Collins
is
unilaterally
restricting
medical
care
for
transgender
veterans,
ignoring
the
clinical
judgment
of
VA
providers
that
have
prescribed
this
care
and
the
expertise
of
all
the
major
… Read More
03.15.25 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON
— Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano,
who
also
serves
as
Chair
of
the
Congressional
Equality
Caucus, released
the
following
statement
after
the
Veterans
Health
Administration rescinded
a
directive that
ensured
respectful
delivery
of
healthcare
to
transgender
and
intersex
Veterans:
“The
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
(VA)
is
supposed to
ensure
that
every
veteran
is
respected
and
supported
after
their
military
service—yet
VA
leadership
is
abandoning
that
mission
and
allowing
veterans
to
… Read More
03.13.25 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON—Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
(D-CA)
responded
to
Judge
William
J.
Alsup’s
ruling
that
ordered
six
federal
agencies,
including
the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs,
to
rehire
thousands
of
probationary
workers
unlawfully
terminated
during
the
Trump
administration:
"Judge
Alsup's
ruling
rightfully
recognized
that
these
mass
firings
were,
in
the
judge's
own
words,
a
'gimmick'
designed
to
circumvent
proper
procedures
and
protections
for
federal
workers.
This
ruling
validates
what
we
have
… Read More
03.10.25 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON-
Today,
House
Committee
on
Veterans'
Affairs
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
(D-CA)
released
the
following
statement
after
the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
(VA)
granted
Veterans
Crisis
Line
(VCL)
employees
a
waiver
from
President
Trump's
return-to-office
order:
"President
Trump's
reckless
and
poorly
conceived
mandate
would
put
veterans'
lives
at
risk.
This
was
not
simply
a
matter
of
administrative
inconvenience
-
it’s
a
dangerous
policy
that
could
have
had
deadly
consequences
for
… Read More
03.06.25 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON-
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
and
65
House
Democrats
sent
a
letter
to
VA
Secretary
Doug
Collins
condemning
the
Administration's
reckless
dismantling
of
the
Veterans
Crisis
Line
(VCL),
VA’s
critical
suicide
prevention
lifeline
used
by
veterans
in
crisis
and
their
loved
ones.
The
line
has
received
over
8.4
million
calls
since
its
creation
in
2007.
Today’s
letter
comes
in
the
wake
of
the
Administration’s
callous
termination
of
over
2,400
VA
employees
and
plans
to
terminate
83,000
more.
… Read More
03.06.25 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON-
Today,
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano,
Senator
Richard
Blumenthal,
Representative
Debbie
Wasserman
Schultz,
and
members
of
the
House
and
Senate
sent
a
joint
letter
to
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
Secretary
Doug
Collins
denouncing
VA's
unconscionable
Reduction
in
Force
(RIF)
memorandum
that
circulated
on
March
4th.
Members
are
outraged
by
VA's
reckless
plan
to
gut
its
workforce
by
an
estimated
83,000
employees
through
its
Agency
Reductions
in
Force
(RIF)
and
Reorganization
Plan
(ARRP)
… Read More
03.05.25 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON—
House
Veterans'
Affairs
Committee
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
issued
the
following
statement
denouncing
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
(VA)
latests
decision
to
reduce
its
workforce
by
83,000
employees.
"This
deliberate
dismantling
of
VA’s
workforce
by
firing
an
additional
80,000
employees
isn’t
just
dangerous—it’s
an
outright
betrayal
of
veterans.
Gutting
VA’s
staffing
to
pre-PACT
Act
levels
will
cripple
the
very
system
that
millions
of
veterans
rely
on,
denying
them
access
to
… Read More
03.04.25 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON—
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
(CA-39)
delivered
the
following
opening
statement
as
prepared
at
the
House
and
Senate
Committees
on
Veterans'
Affairs
joint
hearing
entitled,
"Legislative
Presentation
of
The
Veterans
of
Foreign
Wars
of
the
United
States
&
Multi
VSOs:
Paralyzed
Veterans
of
America,
Iraq
and
Afghanistan
Veterans
of
America,
Student
Veterans
of
America,
Tragedy
Assistance
Program
for
Survivors,
The
Elizabeth
Dole
Foundation,
National
Coalition
for
Homeless
… Read More
02.27.25 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON—
Today,
VA
Secretary
Collins
officially
ignored
a
deadline
to
explain
the
abrupt
and
unlawful
terminations
of
at
least
2,400
VA
employees-
many
of
whom
are
disabled
veterans,
military
spouses,
and
dedicated
public
servants.
Despite
a
direct
demand
for
answers
from
Ranking
Member
Takano
(CA-39)
and
89
House
Democrats,
Secretary
Collins
has
refused
to
provide
any
justification
for
how
these
firings
will
not
impact
veterans’
healthcare
and
benefits—contrary
to
his
claims.
After
… Read More
02.26.25 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON—
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
(CA-39)
delivered
the
following
opening
statement
as
prepared
at
the
House
and
Senate
Committees
on
Veterans'
Affairs
joint
hearing
entitled, "Legislative
Presentation
of
The
American
Legion
&
Multi
VSOs:
Minority
Veterans
of
America,
Jewish
War
Veterans
of
the
U.S.A,
National
Association
of
County
Veterans
Services
Officers,
Military
Officers
Association
of
America,
National
Association
of
State
Directors
of
Veterans
Affairs,
D’Aniello
Institute
for
… Read More
02.25.25 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON—
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
(CA-39)
delivered
the
following
opening
statement
at
the
House
Committee
on
Veterans'
Affairs
full
Committee
Legislative
hearing.
“In
the
audience
and
watching
the
livestream
today,
we
are
joined
by
former
VA
employees
who
were
illegally
and
suddenly
terminated
by
President
Trump
since
he
took
office
on
January
20th.
These
are
Americans,
many
of
them
veterans
and
military
spouses,
who
are
now
unemployed,
and
I
want
to
… Read More
02.25.25 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON—
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
(CA-39)
delivered
the
following
opening
statement
at
the
House
and
Senate
Committees
on
Veterans'
Affairs
will
held
a
joint
hearing
entitled,
"Legislative
Presentation
of
Disabled
American
Veterans
&
Multi
VSOs:
AMVETS,
Vietnam
Veterans
of
America,
Military
Order
of
the
Purple
Heart,
Blinded
Veterans
Association,
Veterans
Education
Success,
Gold
Star
Wives
of
America,
Inc.,
and
Reserve
Organization
of
… Read More
02.24.25 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON—
House
Veterans'
Affairs
Committee
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
issued
the
following
statement
denouncing
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
(VA)
Secretary
Collins's
latest
decision
to
terminate
more
than
1,400
additional
VA
employees,
following
the
initial
dismissals
of
over
1,000
workers
on
February
13,
2025.
The
Secretary's
office
has
failed
to
comply
with
the
Committee's
requests
for
documentation
regarding
the
identities,
roles,
and
performance
histories
of
the
terminated
… Read More
02.19.25 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON
—
As
House
Republicans
continue
to
neglect
their
responsibility
to
hold
President
Trump
accountable,
House
Democrats
are
demanding
answers
from
VA
Secretary
Collins
regarding
the
mass
terminations
taking
place
at
VA.
To
date,
the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
has
failed
to
respond
to
numerous
inquiries
about
the
late-night
firing
of
over
1,000
VA
employees
nationwide
-
many
of
whom
are
service-disabled
veterans
or
military
spouses.
Despite
Secretary
Collins’s
claim
that
the
… Read More
02.14.25 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON
—
Today
House
Veterans'
Affairs
Committee
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano issued
the
following
statement
condemning
Secretary
Collins'
recent
dismissal of
over
1,000
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
(VA)
employees:
"I
am
deeply
disturbed
by
Secretary
Collins'
celebratory
statement
regarding
the
mass
firing of
more
than
1,000
VA
employees.
This
action
demonstrates
a
shocking
disregard
for
the
dedicated
workforce
that
serves
our
nation's
veterans.
Among
those
terminated
were
100%
… Read More
02.06.25 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON
-
Yesterday,
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
and
nine
members
of
the
House
Veterans’
Affairs
Committee
sent
a
letter
to
newly
confirmed
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
(VA)
Secretary
Doug
Collinsto
raise
concerns
regarding
President
Trump’s
recent
executive
order
for
federal
agencies
to
terminate
all
diversity,
equity,
inclusion,
and
accessibility
programs
and
the
impact
it
will
have
on
veterans'
healthcare
services
and
VA’s
ability
to
effectively
serve
all
veterans.
The
executive
order,
… Read More
