01.10.23 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, incoming Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-Calif.), released the following statement congratulating Representative Mike Bost (R-Ill.) on being elected Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs: “I want to congratulate Representative Mike Bost for being elected Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs,” said incoming Ranking Member Takano. “Having worked with Representative Bost during the 117th Congress when
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01.09.23 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Mark Takano (D-Calif.), lead Democrat on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, released the following statement after the House Republican majority passed its Rules package for the 118th Congress: “Today’s vote on the Rules package is proof that the new Republican majority is more than willing to renege on our country’s promise to care for our veterans,” said Congressman Takano. “Just as I warned last
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12.23.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives passed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Consolidated Appropriations bill, which includes an unprecedented $300 billion to help the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) support veterans and their families. The funding provided to VA will expand access to services for veterans and will boost oversight and accountability across the Department.“The $300 billion provided to VA in this year’s appropriations bill is demonstrative
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12.22.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, the House of Representatives passed a bill that honors the life and service of Colonel Mary Louise Rasmuson and Representative Mike Levin’s (D-Calif.) bill to extend COVID remote learning measures to other emergencies to ensure students can easily access and maintain their earned G.I. bill and other education benefits. This bill also includes Representative Lizzie Fletcher's bill to expand eligibility for disabled veterans to obtain vehicles
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12.20.22 • Press Release
RIVERSIDE, CA – Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) released the following statement on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Consolidated Appropriations bill, a bill that includes over $300 billion in funding to support veterans and their families – the largest budget ever for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). These resources will expand access to services for veterans and will boost oversight and accountability across the
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12.15.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives passed House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano’s (D-Calif.) VA Employee Fairness Act. Chairman Takano’s bill would bring parity to the federal workforce by restoring full collective bargaining rights for VA Title 38 healthcare professionals, including registered nurses, physicians, dentists, and physician assistants. “For our country to ensure that veterans receive the
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12.14.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) delivered opening remarks at the full Committee's legislative hearing on a discussion draft of Majority Whip James E. Clyburn's VA Housing Loan Forever Act, a bill that addresses historical racial inequities as a result of veterans of color being blocked from accessing their earned benefits.
Click here to watch Chairman Takano's remarks.
Chairman
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12.13.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) delivered remarks at the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity's roundtable on Guard and Reserve parity issues.
Chairman Takano’s remarks as prepared: Thank you Chairman Levin for inviting me to participate in this roundtable discussion today on Guard and Reserve parity issues. We live in a new age of national defense where we utilize the total force
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12.13.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) delivered remarks at the full Committee hearing examining the role of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chairman Takano’s remarks as prepared: Since March 2020, leaders from VA’s Veterans Health Administration and Office of Emergency Management have had to continuously develop and redevelop the
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12.12.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, as part of the Department of Veterans' Affairs PACT Week of Action, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) released the following video PSA reminding toxic-exposed veterans of their new benefits under his Honoring our PACT Act, which was signed into law in August.
Watch Chairman Takano's video here.
Chairman Takano’s script as prepared: Hi, I’m Mark Takano, Chairman of the
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12.07.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs (HVAC) Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) delivered opening remarks at the full Committee's hearing on his Honoring our PACT Act, entitled, "Fulfilling our PACT: Ensuring Effective Implementation of Toxic Exposure Legislation."
Watch Chairman Takano's remarks here.
Chairman Takano’s remarks as prepared: Once again, good morning to everyone joining us today for this
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12.01.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives passed five bills to support and honor veterans by expanding maternal healthcare for women veterans, increasing outreach and access for tribal veterans, expanding clothing benefits for disabled veterans and improving long-term healthcare options for veterans. The House also continued to honor the bravery and sacrifices of servicemembers by renaming the VA outpatient clinic in Greenville, South Carolina the "Lance Corporal Dana
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11.30.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) issued the following statement after leading a Congressional delegation to Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Iraq, and Lebanon over the Thanksgiving Holiday work period. The delegation follows trips abroad in 2019 and 2021 to spend Thanksgiving with forward deployed servicemembers and their families and included Representatives Colin Allred (D-Tex.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), and Katie Porter
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11.24.22 • Press Release
Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) led a Congressional Delegation to Kuwait to serve Thanksgiving meals to servicemembers and veterans currently forward deployed to the Middle East. Chairman Takano was joined by Reps. Colin Allred (D-Tex.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), and Katie Porter (D-Calif.).
“I am honored to once again share a Thanksgiving meal with servicemembers and veterans stationed in Kuwait and
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11.17.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, the House of Representatives passed 12 bills to support and honor veterans. Eight of these bills will rename Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities to honor the service and lives of veterans. The House also passed bills which reaffirm the Committee’s dedication to improving the quality of care at VA, including ensuring that the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) can continue to conduct top-tier research to provide veterans with the
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11.16.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs held a markup and advanced Subcommittee on Economic Chairman Mike Levin's (D-Calif.) bipartisan Mark O'Brien VA Clothing Allowance Improvement Act. This bill amends VA's existing clothing allowance program by enabling automatic payments to continue on a recurring basis until the veteran opts out of the program or is no longer eligible. "Thanks to Chairman Levin and Ranking Member Moore's bipartisan bill, we are making it easier
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11.11.22 • Press Release
RIVERSIDE, CA — Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) released the following statement in recognition of Veterans Day:
Click here to watch Chairman Takano's Veterans Day message.
Happy Veterans Day! Today is a day of celebration – a day to properly honor the service of veterans from all walks of life who defended our country and our democracy. I
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11.07.22 • Press Release
RIVERSIDE, CA – Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) released a Majority Staff report on women veterans’ access to reproductive healthcare. The report summarizes key findings from the Committee’s reproductive healthcare oversight initiative which included meeting with women veterans and executive leaders at VA facilities in four states and the Committee’s September 15, 2022, oversight hearing. It also includes recommendations
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11.03.22 • Press Release
RIVERSIDE, CA – Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) issued a statement following the release of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Point-in-Time (PIT) count on veterans experiencing homelessness. This year’s PIT count saw an 11 percent decrease in veteran homelessness, the largest drop in over five years.
“For the second consecutive year, we are seeing the success of Congress's efforts to reduce the
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10.27.22 • Press Release
RIVERSIDE, CA – Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif) released a majority staff report entitled, "Report on the Importance of Peer Support in Preventing Domestic Violent Extremism.” This report is based on findings from the Committee’s March 2022 investigative hearing examining key factors that place a small but growing number of veterans at risk of radicalization and recruitment by domestic violent extremist groups.
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