VA SECRETARY TO TESTIFY AT WALSH SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING ON VETERAN INFORMATION SECURITY
Nicholson to Unveil Administration Supplemental Request to Assist Affected Veterans

(Washington D.C.)- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs, chaired by New York Congressman Jim Walsh, will conduct an oversight hearing on the security of veterans' personal data within the Department of Veterans Affairs on Tuesday, June 27th at 9:30 a.m. in H-140, U.S. Capitol.

The subcommittee will hear first from a panel of data security experts who will discuss preventive measures needed to safeguard veterans' personal information.   The first panel will commence at 9:30 a.m. and will feature Mr. David J. McIntyre, Jr., President and CEO of TriWest Healthcare Alliance, and Mr. Dennis Hoffman, Vice President for Information Security of EMC Corporation
 
VA Secretary James Nicholson will testify on a second panel at 10:30 a.m. on the various steps the VA has taken to keep veterans informed on the security lapse and potential supplemental spending requests to cover costs related to the breach.  Earlier this year, the subcommittee conducted a hearing on management challenges in the VA’s Information Technology structures. 

Today's Congress Daily PM is reporting that Secretary Nicholson will also unveil at the hearing a $160 million supplemental request by the administration (with offsets) to fund the Veterans Affairs Department's initial response to last month's security breach that potentially exposed personal information of up to 26.5 million veterans.  The supplemental request is expected to cover the costs of one year of free credit monitoring for affected veterans.  Walsh's Subcommittee has fiscal oversight over the VA.

Additionally, later this evening, the House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on legislation directing the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase the rates of veterans' disability compensation, dependent compensation, clothing allowance for certain disabled adult children, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children through the implementation of a standard Cost-of-Living-Adjustment, or COLA.
 
This legislation was placed on the House Suspension calendar, where 2/3's majority vote is required.  Passage is expected.

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