House Committee on Veterans' Affairs

Washington, D.C. — Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) today commended a decision by the Commandant of the Marine Corps to study the issue of how best to protect the heads all Marines and servicemembers from traumatic brain injuries from blasts caused by improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Washington, D.C. — Today VA Secretary Nicholson announced that the laptop storing the sensitive information of over 26 million veterans and military personnel was recovered and is undergoing forensic investigations to determine whether or not the information was duplicated. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has said that it appears that data was not accessed.

Washington, D.C. — In response to concerns lodged by House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Steve Buyer (R-Ind.), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Information and Technology will now have broad authority over the department’s information resources and security. At the committee’s fifth hearing on the recent data theft, VA Secretary R. James Nicholson made this announcement of this fundamental policy change as well as satisfying Buyer’s wish that VA provides detection, protection and insurance to any veteran who becomes a victim of fraud in connection with VA’s data loss.

Washington, D.C. — At today’s oversight hearing on the recent data theft at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), committee members heard a familiar refrain: testimony about the culture of resistance to change and opposition to centralized authority over the department’s information technology system. Chairman Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) seeks to elevate the chief information officer (CIO) to the level of under secretary, giving VA greater control over its IT resources.

Washington, D.C. — Today, the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health heard testimony from Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Under Secretary for Health Dr. Jonathan B. Perlin on efforts to provide high quality health care to remote veterans in rural communities. One in five veterans who enroll to receive health care through VA lives in a rural area, and the health subcommittee is exploring ways to improve health care access for these veterans.

Washington, D.C. — During a full committee hearing today on Department on Veterans Affairs (VA) information security and VA’s data loss, Committee Chairman Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) called for the VA to insure veterans against loss from fraud resulting from the data breach, amid testimony from academic and private-sector experts that reinforced the image of an agency whose entrenched culture of bureaucracy had stalled information management reform and invited disaster in the compromise of sensitive information.

Washington, D.C. — Today, on the floor of the House of Representatives, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Steve Buyer (R-Ind.), secured support to direct funds to conduct a series of tests and evaluations on combat helmets to improve the helmet and force protections for servicemembers.

Washington, D.C. — Yesterday, the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs and the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity held a joint oversight hearing on the Veterans Benefits Administration’s (VBA) data security procedures and explored deficiencies that have been identified in the past by the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

Washington, D.C. — Today, the Subcommittee on Health held an oversight hearing to examine the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) efforts to maintain the security and integrity of the electronic health records of enrolled veterans, while safeguarding personal veteran information from internal and external security threats.

Washington, DC — Last night, Chairman Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) and Ranking Member Lane Evans (D-Ill.) were the guests of honor at the weekly summer “Sunset Parade,” held at the Marine Corps War Memorial, commonly known as the Iwo Jima memorial for its subject, the 1945 raising of the national colors at Mount Suribachi.

Washington, D.C. — Commanders of four leading national veterans’ service organizations (VSOs) met today with Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) and will accompany him as his guests to the United States Marine Corps Sunset Parade at the Marine Corps War Memorial this evening.

Washington, D.C. – At a hearing yesterday of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations on patient safety at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers, testimony indicated inadequate coordination between top levels within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and VA, showed how unclear package labeling and instructions contributed to patient safety errors and revealed a lack of standard protocols for safe operating room procedures at VA.

Washington, D.C. — Today, House Committee on Veteran’s Affairs Chairman Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) participated in a hearing held by Congressman Curt Weldon (R-Penn.), Chairman of the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee. This hearing was the third in a series held this year regarding Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom force protection issues. The hearing detailed existing combat helmet programs of the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps.

Washington, D.C. — Vulnerabilities in the Department of Veterans Affairs Information Technology Department (VA IT) were exposed and made worse when cyber security recommendations went unheeded, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) assessed during a Full Committee Oversight hearing.

Washington, DC — At a lunch meeting yesterday arranged by Chairman Steve Buyer (R-Ind.), to introduce House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) to leaders of national veterans’ and military service organizations, the majority leader told representatives of 15 VSOs and MSOs that he appreciated their service to country and the leadership that they provide.

As Chairman Steve Buyer pushes for answers and solutions from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the committee will continue its oversight responsibility to investigate the pervasive problems and vulnerabilities within VA’s IT architecture.

Washington, D.C. — Today the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs held an oversight hearing on the Veterans Benefits Administration’s (VBA) fiduciary program.  Testimony was received on VBA’s implementation of Title 5 of Public Law 108-454, a law to improve fiduciary accountability and enhance protections for the beneficiary. 

Washington, D.C. — Responding to the theft of personal data on millions of veterans and servicemembers from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in May, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs is moving quickly on a bipartisan basis with plans to consider legislation.

Washington, DC — House Committee on Veterans Affairs Chairman Steve Buyer (R-Ind.), joined by Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs James Walsh (R-N.Y.) and other members of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, today held a roundtable with information technology experts from private-sector companies, including Goldman, Sachs & Company, EMC Corporation, VISA, Citigroup, TriWest, and American Bankers Association, all of whom essentially agreed with the importance of centralized management of sensitive information.