WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) issued the following statement after the release of President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget request. This year’s request provides for $139.1 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)—an 18.7 percent increase over 2022’s funding. “With substantial investments in VA healthcare, benefits delivery, … Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) released a majority staff report entitled, "Report on Domestic Violent Extremist Groups and the Recruitment of Veterans.” This report is based on findings from the Committee’s October 2021 investigative hearing highlighting why domestic violent extremist groups, including the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, and Three Percenters, target … Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C —Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Jon Tester (D-Mont.), and HVAC Subcommittee on Technology Modernization Chairman Frank J. Mrvan (D-Ind.) released the following statements after VA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) released three concerning reports stemming from allegations about the Electronic Health Record (EHR) implementation at … Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C— Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif) delivered opening remarks at the Full Committee Oversight Hearing entitled, “Building a Better VA: Addressing Healthcare Workforce Recruitment and Retention Challenges”. Full video of Chairman Takano’s remarks Chairman Takano’s remarks as prepared: Today’s oversight hearing is … Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C — Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2471, an omnibus consisting of all 12 fiscal year 2022 appropriations bills and supplemental funding to support Ukraine. The omnibus includes three provisions advanced by the Committee to support our nation’s veterans. “Along with critically important funding to keep our … Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C– Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif) made the following statement after his comprehensive bill, H.R. 3967, as amended, the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2021 or Honoring our PACT Act, passed the House of Representatives with a bipartisan vote of 256-174. This legislation will finally treat toxic exposure as a cost of war by addressing the full range of issues impacting toxic-exposed … Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C—Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif) delivered remarks on the House floor in support of his bipartisan bill, H.R. 3967, as amended, the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2021 or Honoring our PACT Act. This follows Chairman Takano’s press conference earlier today with Speaker Pelosi, Members, advocates Jon Stewart and John Feal, and Veterans Service Organization (VSO) … Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C—Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif) delivered remarks at a press conference with Speaker Pelosi, Members, advocates Jon Stewart and John Feal, and Veterans Service Organization (VSO) leaders to highlight the urgent need to pass Chairman Takano’s Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2021 or Honoring our PACT Act on the House floor this week. Full video of Chairman … Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C—Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif) made the following statement after Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonough announced that VA will propose adding new presumptions for toxic-exposed veterans living with 9 rare respiratory cancers as a result of their service. Chairman Takano’s comprehensive Honoring our PACT Act includes these 9 conditions and will be considered on the House floor this … Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C—Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif) delivered remarks at the Rules Committee Meeting on his bill, H.R. 3967, as amended, the Honoring Our Promise To Address Comprehensive Toxics Act or the Honoring our PACT Act that will be considered on the House floor this week. This legislation will finally recognize military toxic exposure—from contaminated water at military bases, airborne hazards from burn … Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) announced widespread Veteran Service Organization (VSO) support for the monumental Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2021 or the Honoring our PACT Act, which will come to a vote on the House floor when Congress is back in session next week. Leaders from the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. (VFW), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), The … Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C— Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif) penned an op-ed published in The Hill detailing the urgent need to address toxic exposure as a cost of war and pass the Honoring our PACT Act. Chairman Takano has identified addressing toxic exposure as a top priority during the 117th Congress and his bipartisan Honoring Our PACT Act has the support of 9 VSOs and 77 … Read More
WASHINGTON., D.C.— House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee leaders Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Ranking Member Mike Bost (R-Ill.), Chairman Jon Tester (D-Mont.), and Ranking Member Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) issued statements today following an annual report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on veterans homelessness data since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Each year, HUD releases … Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C— Today, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs held a Full Committee Markup and passed two bills for our nation’s veterans. This legislation will help the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) competitively recruit and retain high quality healthcare workers and provide VA with critical resources to support veterans’ mental health. “Today we passed two bills through the Committee to support our … Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Mark Takano (D-CA), Chair of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA), Chair of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel; and Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA), Chair of the House Armed Services Committee sent letters to Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III and Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel & Readiness Gilbert R. Cisneros Jr. calling for historical and survey research … Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4673, as amended, the Ensuring Veterans’ Smooth Transition, or EVEST Act with bipartisan support. By automatically enrolling eligible servicemembers in VA healthcare during their transition out of the military, the EVEST Act will simplify the transition process and take critical steps toward preventing veteran suicide. The EVEST Act has the support of Paralyzed … Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C—Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif) delivered remarks on the House floor in support of his bill, H.R. 4673, as amended, the Ensuring Veterans’ Smooth Transition, or EVEST Act. This legislation will automatically enroll eligible servicemembers in VA healthcare during their transition out of the military. See a video of the Chairman’s … Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif) released the following statement after the Committee’s roundtable on “The True Cost of our Promise to Toxic-Exposed Veterans.” Eleven Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) and advocates Jon Stewart and John Feal joined the Committee for a productive discussion about the way forward on the bipartisan Honoring our PACT Act, which passed out of the … Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif) and Ranking Member Mike Bost (R-Ill.) introduced H.R. 6411, the Supporting the Resilience of Our Nation’s Great Veterans Act of 2022 or the STRONG Veterans Act. This legislation gives the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) important new authorities and resources to support veterans’ mental health and well-being through increased … Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif) announced that the full Committee will host a roundtable on efforts to address toxic exposure next Wednesday, January 19 at 2:00 pm EST. “It’s a new year, but I have not relented one bit on my promise to pass legislation to finally recognize toxic exposure as a cost of war this Congress. That’s why I’m grateful for the opportunity … Read More
