05.15.24 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC -- House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) released the following statement after Committee Republicans introduced the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act (H.R. 8371), a package negotiated without House Democrats or Veterans Service Organization (VSO) input, that will pour scarce VA dollars into private care and complicate all future veteran legislative priorities:
“After months of time-wasting and
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04.25.24 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, House Committee on Veterans Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) released the following statement after the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced a final rule that will expand healthcare and benefits to more veterans who received other than honorable discharges:
“I applaud VA Secretary Denis McDonough and the Biden Administration for this long overdue expansion of healthcare and benefits for some veterans who received an other than honorable discharge.
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04.11.24 • Press Release
Washington, DC - House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) delivered the following opening remarks, as prepared, at the beginning of today’s Full Committee oversight hearing on the Department of Veterans Affairs FY 2025 and 2026 budget request:
“Today, we welcome Secretary McDonough and Veterans Service Organization representatives of the Independent Budget to discuss the Department of Veterans Affairs Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2025. Budgets reflect our
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03.21.24 • Press Release
Washington, DC - House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) delivered the following opening remarks, as prepared, at the beginning of today’s Full Committee’s legislative hearing on the Toxic Exposure Act of 2024 that will undermine the Ranking Member’s landmark Honoring our PACT Act:
“Thank you for yielding, Mr. Chairman.
The Cost of War Toxic Exposure Fund, created by my Honoring Our PACT Act, is a vital component of the law and represents our promise to
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03.13.24 • Press Release
Washington - Today, House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) and Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Chair Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04), who is also a veteran, led over 135 members of Congress calling on Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonough to protect veterans and address some of the problems caused by the Kennedy Amendment. The Kennedy Amendment rolls back 30 years of precedent and makes it easier for veterans who are mentally incompetent to
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03.13.24 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) and Committee members concluded the 2024 veterans service organization (VSO) hearings. These yearly hearings are bipartisan and bicameral, to allow all Committee members to hear directly from veterans and VSOs about their priorities in the next year.
The first panel featured witnesses from the American Legion, including National Commander Daniel Seehafer. Ranking Member Takano highlighted the
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03.12.24 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - Today House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) released the following statement after the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) unveiled its Fiscal Year 2025 budget, which includes increased funding for the Toxic Exposure Fund (TEF) created specifically to help toxic-exposed veterans in the Honoring our PACT Act, invests more in services and tools specific to women veterans, and ensures VA facilities are being upgraded to provide world-class
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03.11.24 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) and Subcommittee on Health Ranking Member Julia Brownley (CA-26) released the following statement after the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it will soon expand eligibility for in vitro fertilization (IVF) services:
“This is a step in the right direction to allow eligible unmarried veterans and veterans in same-sex marriages to receive IVF, but we think current law is still too
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03.11.24 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Ranking Member Mike Levin (CA-49) has reintroduced the Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2024 (HR 7543) to ensure National Guard and Reservist servicemembers receive Post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility for every day they spend in uniform.
The Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act was also introduced in the 116th and 117th Congresses and passed the House in 2022 with bipartisan support. It ensures that Guard
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03.07.24 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) released the following statement after President Joe Biden gave his annual State of the Union Address, where he talked about the ongoing success of the Ranking Member’s Honoring our PACT Act, that treats toxic exposure as a cost of war by addressing the full range of issues impacting toxic-exposed veterans including access to earned benefits and healthcare:
“I was very glad but not surprised to hear
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03.06.24 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) and Committee members began the 2024 Veterans Service Organization (VSO) hearings. These yearly hearings are bipartisan and bicameral, to allow all Committee members to hear directly from veterans and VSOs about their priorities in the next year.
The first panel featured witnesses from the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), including VFW Commander-in-Chief Duane Sarmiento. Ranking Member Takano
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03.04.24 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC -- House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) and Subcommittee on Health Ranking Member Julia Brownley (CA-26) released the following statement after the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published its final rule on reproductive healthcare for veterans and beneficiaries of the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) today:
“We applaud VA for finalizing this important rule, which was a long overdue step
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02.26.24 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC— House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) released the following statement after the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) declined to change its policy on gender-affirming surgery for veterans:
“I think I echo many in the veterans and LGBTQ+ communities that I am extremely disappointed in VA for taking so long and then refusing to change its policy for trans veterans. VA’s mission is to provide comprehensive and high-quality healthcare that
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02.26.24 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) released the following statement after the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) detailed its plans to accelerate healthcare enrollment for veterans made eligible by the PACT Act, as announced by President Joe Biden on Veterans Day last year. An initial open enrollment period created by Ranking Member Takano’s Honoring our PACT Act saw almost 26,000 new veterans enrolled in VA’s healthcare system. Now over
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02.15.24 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - Today House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) released the following statement after the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced their new proposed rule to expand the years and locations veterans will be covered for Agent Orange and other toxic herbicide exposures:
Ranking Member Takano said, “I applaud VA’s new proposed rule that expands the reach of my bill, the Honoring Our Pact Act, and builds upon VA’s work addressing Vietnam-era
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02.14.24 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) delivered the following opening remarks during the Full Committee’s hearing on sexual harassment allegations in the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Resolution Management, Diversity and Inclusion (ORMDI):
“Welcome, Mr. Secretary. I am pleased that you joined us today to offer insight into how this investigation was handled at the highest level of VA and where VA will go from here under your
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02.13.24 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - Today a spokesperson for the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Democrats released the following statement in advance of Wednesday’s Full Committee Hearing on the investigation into the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)’s Office of Resolution Management, Diversity and Inclusion (ORMDI):
“We agree that allegations of sexual harassment or any misconduct must be taken extremely seriously. But the Republican’s release from February 5th on the Office of Accountability and
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01.31.24 • Press Release
WASHINGTON- House Committee of Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) released the following statement in response to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) releasing its Evaluation of Cancer Incidence Among Marines and Navy Personnel and Civilian Workers Exposed to Contaminated Drinking Water at USMC Base Camp Lejeune: A Cohort Study. The findings of this study showed that civilian workers, Marine/Navy Personnel, and their families have experienced
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01.30.24 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) introduced the Survivor Benefits Delivery Improvement Act to make sure that survivors receive the benefits they are entitled to. The full Committee held a hearing this morning on survivor benefits and how they are administered.
“It was clear in our hearing today and from talking to survivors around the country that there is a large deficit in how much they know about the benefits that are
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01.30.24 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - Today House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) delivered the following opening remarks during the Full Committee’s hearing on the delivery of survivor benefits at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA):
“Good morning and thank you, Chairman Bost.
Two years ago, when the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee held a hearing on the topic of survivor benefits, it was the first time it had been discussed in a decade. So, I
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