09.10.24 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON,
DC
-
This
morning,
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
(CA-39)
called
out
Committee
Republicans’
voter
suppression
efforts
and
urged
the
Department
Veterans
Affairs
(VA)
to
continue
assisting
veterans
and
their
caregivers
in
exercising
their
right
to
vote.In
this
meeting,
Committee
Republicans
voted
to
subpoena
VA
for
documents
on
its
partnerships
with
nonpartisan
organizations
and
state
agencies
to
provide
voting
assistance.
Through
longstanding
policy
… Read More
08.09.24 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON,
DC
-
August
10th
marks
the
two-year
anniversary
of
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
(CA-39)'s
Honoring
our
PACT
Act
becoming
law.
The
Honoring
our
PACT
Act
is
landmark
legislation
that
grants
benefits
to
veterans
who
were
exposed
to
toxic
substances
and
their
survivors.
Today
the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
(VA)
marked
this
anniversary
by
announcing
the
latest
benefits
granted
and
enrollment
numbers,
as
well
as
announcing
a
new
presumptive.
Ranking
Member
Takano
made
the
following
… Read More
06.13.24 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON,
DC
-
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
(CA-39)
delivered
the
following
opening
remarks,
as
prepared,
at
this
morning’s
Full
Committee
Oversight
Hearing
about
meeting
the
needs
of
veterans
with
spinal
cord
injuries
and
disorders
(SCID):
“Thank
you,
Mr.
Chairman.
I
am
pleased
to
be
here
today
to
examine
how
we
are
meeting
the
needs
of
veterans
with
spinal
cord
injuries
and
disorders,
sometimes
referred
to
as
S-C-I-D.
It
is
estimated
that
around
a
… Read More
06.05.24 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON,
DC
-
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
(CA-39)
criticized
the
Military
Construction
and
Veterans
Affairs
(MilCon/VA)
appropriations
bill
on
the
House
floor
for
being
partisan
and
not
meeting
the
goal
of
helping
every
veteran.
The
Ranking
Member
said:
“I
am
disturbed
House
Republicans
have
included
many
of
the
same
partisan
riders
in
this
year’s
bill
that
were
in
this
bill
last
year.
These
radical
riders
aim
to
restrict
access
to
abortion
and
attack
… Read More
06.05.24 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON,
DC
-
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
(HVAC)
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
(CA-39),
House
Committee
on
Financial
Services
Ranking
Member
Maxine
Waters
(CA-43),
and
HVAC
Economic
Opportunity
Subcommittee
Ranking
Member
Mike
Levin
(CA-49)
have
introduced
the
End
Veteran
Homelessness
Act
of
2024
(H.R.
8560).
This
legislation
will
help
reduce
casework
bottlenecks
and
expand
eligibility
for
the
HUD-VA
Supportive
Housing
(HUD-VASH)
program,
allowing
more
veterans
experiencing
or
at
risk
… Read More
06.04.24 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON,
DC
-
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Ranking
Member
Mark
Takano
(CA-39)
released
the
following
statement
after
the
Full
Committee’s
hearing
on
critical
skills
incentives:
“It
has
been
less
than
two
years
since
my
Honoring
our
PACT
Act
was
signed
into
law,
and
the
implementation
has
been
an
overall
success.
Last
month,
the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
(VA)
announced
that
one
million
veterans
and
their
survivors
have
been
granted
PACT
Act
benefits.
And
earlier
this
year
… Read More
05.21.24 •
Press Release
WASHINGTON,
DC
-
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
Ranking
Member,
and
author
of
the
Honoring
our
PACT
Act,
Mark
Takano
(CA-39)
released
the
following
statement
after
the
announcement
that
the
one
millionth
PACT
Act
disability
compensation
benefit
claim
has
been
granted:
“We
passed
my
historic
Honoring
our
PACT
Act
less
than
two
years
ago,
so
I
am
thrilled
that
one
million
veterans
and
their
survivors
have
already
been
able
to
receive
the
benefits
they
have
earned.
We
have
a
sacred
… Read More
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
… Read More
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.
… Read More
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
… Read More
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
… Read More
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
… Read More
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
… Read More
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
… Read More
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
… Read More
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
… Read More
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
… Read More
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
… Read More
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
… Read More
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
… Read More
