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.
Click
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10.14.22 • Press Release
RIVERSIDE, CA – Last week, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and 54 of his colleagues sent a public comment letter expressing support for the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Interim Final Rule (IFR), which allows for abortion counseling and abortions in cases of rape, incest, and health of the woman. “This is a long-overdue step in improving care for women veterans, and in furthering VA’s ongoing efforts to
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10.14.22 • Press Release
RIVERSIDE, CA – House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) released the following statement supporting VA’s action to close the gap in survivor benefits for certain survivors of LGBTQ+ veterans. This ruling immediately impacts LGBTQ+ veterans who were unable to wed until the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision, and who were not married to their now-deceased veteran spouses for long enough to qualify for survivor
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10.13.22 • Press Release
RIVERSIDE, CA – House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) released the following statement following Secretary McDonough’s decision to delay the rollout of a new electronic health record (EHR) until 2023: “I support VA’s plan to further delay EHRM go-lives until the system can be made safe for veterans. Patient safety should be the guiding principle for this program. However, it is clear this program was not given a foundation
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09.29.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs (HVAC) Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) delivered opening remarks at the Full Committee hearing entitled, "Veteran Suicide Prevention: Capitalizing on What Works and Increasing Innovative Approaches."
View Chairman Takano's remarks here.
Chairman Takano’s remarks as prepared: For years now, this Committee has prioritized, passed, and sent to the White House major pieces of
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09.29.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, the House of Representatives passed eight bipartisan, bicameral bills to support veterans. These include bills from new members Rep. Peltola (D-Alaska) and Rep. Ryan (D-N.Y.) that will help end veteran hunger and expand home loans for Members of the National Guard and Reserve. The House also passed two bills to help veterans in crisis, including House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano’s (D-Calif.) REMOVE Copays Act and
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09.21.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs held a full Committee markup, advancing 13 bills that will increase accessibility to mental health care and resources, promote equitable access to reproductive healthcare services for all veterans, and ensure that veterans transitioning from service to civilian life are fully and holistically supported and able to access comprehensive benefits. “These bills reaffirm our country’s commitment to
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09.20.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs (HVAC) Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) delivered opening remarks at the joint Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations and Subcommittee on Technology Modernization hearing entitled, "VA Major Acquisitions Failures: In Search of Solutions."
Watch Chairman Takano's remarks here.
Chairman Takano’s remarks as prepared: Thank you, Chairman Pappas. I would like to echo
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09.19.22 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives passed two bills honoring the lives and legacies of veterans. These bills include naming the VA outpatient facility in Ventura, California after Captain Rosemary Bryant Mariner, a member of the Navy’s first flight-training class for women, the first woman to command a naval aviation squadron, and a lifelong advocate for women’s military service. The House voted to rename the VA community-based outpatient clinic in
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