Washington, DC – U.S. Rep. John Hall (D-NY19), Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, announced today that he will be bringing his House Subcommittee to the Hudson Valley for a special Field Hearing entitled “The Personal Costs of the Claims Backlog,” Tuesday, October 9th at 9:30 a.m. at the New Windsor Town Hall.  The New Windsor Town Hall is located at 555 Union Avenue in New Windsor.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has a backlog of nearly 600,000 cases and it currently takes an average of 177 days for a veteran to receive a decision on his or her case.

“The VA claims backlog is flat out unacceptable,” said Hall.  “The long wait times have caused my office to intervene for a number of veterans in my district to get their cases heard by the VA.  I’m bringing members of the Veterans Affairs Committee here to the Hudson Valley so they can see and hear firsthand the personal effects that this claims backlog has had on Hudson Valley veterans.”

New York’s veterans face significant claims backlog even higher than the national average.  Hall is hosting this Field Hearing to provide Congress with an important opportunity to take notice of the needs and concerns of Hudson Valley veterans.

 

House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner (CA-51) and U.S. Rep. Tim Walz (MN-1), a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee and the highest ranking enlisted soldier ever to serve in Congress, are among the Members of Congress who will be participating in Hall’s Field Hearing.

 

 

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