07.23.19 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the House of Representatives passed all three bills brought to the floor by the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to deliver clear results for veterans by extending the Women's Health Transition Training program, requiring VA to provide materials in Spanish and Tagalog, and making key improvements to the specially adapted housing (SAH) grant program.
Full list of passed legislation:
1.H.R. 2942, (Rep. Cisneros) To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry
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07.23.19 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano and many Democratic members of the Committee released a letter, sent to VA Secretary Robert Wilkie, questioning VA's decision not to decide any claims for Blue Water Navy Vietnam veterans until January 2020. In their letter, Members wrote that while H.R. 299, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019, gives VA the ability to stay Blue Water claims, "we have questions about the decision to stay all claims
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07.22.19 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano released the following statement after the Committee's Congressional Delegation to Puerto Rico this past weekend:
"After several reports, from both my staff and the media, surfaced alleging that VA may not be prepared for the next hurricane, we travelled to Puerto Rico to learn from VA and hear from some of the 90,000 veteran survivors of Hurricane Maria first hand. Unfortunately, this visit confirmed many of
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07.17.19 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Friday, July 19, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Cali.) will lead a Congressional Delegation to the VA Medical Center in San Juan, Puerto Rico to meet with VA leadership, VSO leaders, and veterans themselves to see first hand how well the island, and VA specifically, is prepared for the next natural disaster.
"Despite San Juan VA leadership indicating that 'no one is more prepared' to support veterans during and after Hurricane Maria, our
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07.15.19 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs is pleased to announce the launch of its new website, veterans.house.gov, featuring an updated design that will help veterans and their families stay up-to-date with the Committee's activities, as well as provide them with valuable Committee and Department of Veterans' Affairs resources.
The Committee is working to serve the next generation of veterans, but we know the demographic profile of our nation's veterans is changing
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07.11.19 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Cali.) issued the following statement after today's roundtable on medicinal cannabis research:
"Cannabis must be objectively researched. Period. That's why we came together today with experts, researchers, and veterans to discuss the best bipartisan path forward for VA sponsored medicinal cannabis research. I want to make sure any research legislation this Committee votes on is not written to achieve one
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06.26.19 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano and Ranking Member Dr. Phil Roe issued the following statement after the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019, H.R. 299, was officially signed into law:
"Today, we are proud to say that the tens of thousands of Blue Water Navy veterans can rest easy tonight knowing that the benefits that they earned while serving off the coasts of Vietnam will be guaranteed. The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act
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06.20.19 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (CA-41) delivered opening remarks before the full committee legislative hearing to address pending legislation on educational and housing benefits, medicinal cannabis, and a requirement to provide critical VA resources in Spanish. Below is a link to the video of the Chairman's opening
Good afternoon. I call this hearing to order.
I would like to start by thanking the Veteran Service Organizations for
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06.19.19 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Chairman Mark Takano (D-Cali.) and Ranking Member Dr. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.) of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, along with Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), and Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, introduced a resolution to designate the week of June 17, 2019, as “National G.I. Bill Commemoration Week” and celebrate the 75th
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06.18.19 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Chairman Mark Takano released the following statement after reports from the Guardian and the Center for Public Integrity that the depressant Spravato has been fast-tracked through FDA approval processes and hurried through VA's contracting process:
"I am incredibly alarmed by reporting today that suggests Spravato, a controversial new drug, is being rushed through critical reviews and may be prescribed to veterans before fully vetting the potential risks and
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06.12.19 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Chairman Mark Takano released the following statement after the Senate unanimously passed the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019, H.R. 299.
"Tonight, we can finally tell the tens of thousands of veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War but wrongly denied benefits that justice is finally coming. By passing the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act, Congress has proven to the nation, to our veterans and their families, and the
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06.06.19 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano issued the following statement in recognition of the 75th anniversary of D-Day. See a video of Chairman Takano’s floor speech here and his remarks as prepared below:
Madam Speaker, I rise today in gratitude for the bravery and sacrifices made by American and Allied Armed Forces on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
This week marks the 75th anniversary of that “Longest Day”- a moment in history when servicemembers
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06.05.19 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano and Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs Ranking Member Jon Tester sent a letter yesterday to VA following a whistleblower claim alleging VA has secret waitlists for veterans seeking health care, as reported by the Washington Post. In their letter, Chairman Takano and Senator Tester expressed their shared concern about the allegations and demanded that VA provide a more thorough explanation regarding the two sets
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06.04.19 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano and Ranking Member Dr. Phil Roe issued the following statement after the Department of Justice announced it will not appeal the Procopio decision:
"We are encouraged by DOJ's decision not to appeal Procopio and further delay benefits to our Blue Water Navy veterans. It's now up to the Senate to finally right this wrong and pass H.R.
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05.27.19 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano issued the following statement in recognition of Memorial Day 2019.
“This Memorial Day, we must take a moment to honor the sacrifice of all those who’ve served our country in war and in peace-- it is our moment to pay tribute to those who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice and commit to remembering their stories.
“As Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, it’s my privilege to advocate for
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05.22.19 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (CA-41) spoke at a press conference highlighting Representative Elaine Luria's bill, the Gold Star Family Tax Relief Act, which would fix the "kiddie tax" loophole that forces Gold Star families to pay extra taxes on their survivors benefits. Below is a link to the video of the Chairman's speech and his remarks as prepared:
Thank you to Speaker Pelosi, Representative Luria, and my colleagues who have been
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05.22.19 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs held its first Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing entitled, “Improving the Department of Veterans Affairs Effectiveness: Responding to Recommendations from Oversight Agencies” to address VA’s plan to remove itself from the GAO High Risk List.
But, in unprecedented and unacceptable fashion, VA refused to participate in the hearing.
“By not appearing today, VA is ignoring an opportunity to show that it cares
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05.21.19 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the House of Representatives passed all 9 bills brought to the floor from the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs getting clear results for veterans on suicide prevention, transition assistance, and homelessness. In the wake of the national public health crisis of veteran suicide, five of these bills focus specifically on suicide prevention and mental healthcare. A full list of the 9 bills passed can be found below:
Full list of passed legislation:
H.R.
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05.14.19 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - - Today, Chairman Mark Takano (D-Cali.) and Ranking Member Dr. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) released the following statements after the House passed the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019, H.R. 299. The bill unanimously passed the House, 410 - 0.
“I am so proud to say the House has finally passed the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act," said Chairman Takano. "For more than forty years, tens of thousands of veterans, their families, and survivors have been denied the
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05.14.19 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano praised bipartisan action on H.R. 299, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019, ahead of a historic vote on the floor of the House of Representatives.
Chairman Mark Takano's remarks as delivered can be viewed here and found below:
Watch Video From Chairman Takano's Remarks Here.
We're here today to right an incredible wrong-- Congress has failed our Blue Water Navy veterans. But when we go to
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