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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01.25.24 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - Today House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) released the following statement in response to the news that the backlog of requests for military service records at the National Archives’ National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) has been eliminated:
“This is tremendous news! Today’s announcement is a testament to the meaningful work done by a Democratic-controlled Congress and the Biden Administration on behalf of our nations’ veterans and
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01.17.24 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) honored the one-year anniversary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)’s implementation of the suicide prevention emergency care created through the Veterans COMPACT Act of 2020 (P.L. 116-214), which he authored. Under Section 201 of the law, any veteran experiencing an acute suicidal crisis can seek emergency treatment from any VA or non-VA facility at no cost to them. Veterans are eligible
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01.11.24 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC — House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39), delivered the following remarks during the Committee’s Oversight Hearing on rural veterans and their access to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare and benefits:
“Thank you, Chairman Bost.
Rural veterans and their families have long had to navigate an altogether different healthcare experience than their suburban and urban counterparts.
From hours-long drives to appointments, to housing
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12.21.23 • Press Release
WASHINGTON DC- This year, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano continued his efforts to pass legislation that supports veterans and their families. Last Congress, when Ranking Member Takano was Chairman of the Committee, the Committee passed his bill, the Honoring our PACT Act (P.L. 117-168), which was the largest expansion of veterans benefits in 30 years.
“Working with the Republican Majority this year has been difficult, from their lack of organization to their
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12.15.23 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) released the following statement after the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced this year’s Point in Time (PIT) count numbers on homelessness in the United States:
“Today’s PIT count numbers are deeply concerning, especially as winter has arrived.
While the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is making tremendous strides in utilizing Housing First principles and quickly moving
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12.06.23 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-CA) and Chairman Mike Bost (R-IL) introduced the VA Correct Compensation Act (HR 6538), which amends existing law to allow for certain healthcare providers at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to grieve errors in their compensation.
Ranking Member Takano said, “Passing the VA Correct Compensation Act would be an important step towards ensuring that those who serve veterans received the correct
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12.05.23 • Press Release
WASHINGTON,DC - House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) released the following statement after the House passed the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act and Housing our Military Effectively (HOME) Act with strong bipartisan support:
“While I fully support the goals of both of these bills, this is a hollow victory, because we already know further House action will be needed. Last week, my staff alerted the Majority’s staff that the language of the bills passed today was
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11.16.23 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC -- House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) released the following statement after the release of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) 2023 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, which showed a slight increase from 2020 to 2021 in veteran suicide deaths:
“A life lost to suicide is a tragedy, and sadly we saw an increase in both civilian and veteran suicide deaths in calendar year 2021 - the time period covered by this report.
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11.07.23 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) delivered the following remarks, as prepared, at the beginning of the Full Committee’s hearing on veteran employment and opportunity:
“Thank you, Chairman Bost. And thank you for holding this hearing on The Impact of America’s Businesses on Veteran Employment and Opportunity.
Before we begin, it’s impossible to discuss employment without addressing recent news in the automotive industry.
I’d
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