House Committee on Veterans' Affairs

Washington, D.C. — House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) yesterday favored passage of amended H.R. 1538, the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act.  An issue that Buyer has pursued for fourteen years, this defense bill will help with the seamless transition of servicemembers and their families from the military to the VA.

Washington, D.C. — House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Steve Buyer (R-Ind) today unveiled the fiscal year 2008 Republican budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that provides strong funding while avoiding higher taxes embraced by congressional Democrats.  During the five years from FY 2008 to FY 2012, the Republican budget would provide $8 billion more in mandatory and discretionary funding than the Democratic proposal.

Washington, D.C. — In its first in a series of oversight hearings on education benefits, the Veterans’ Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity explored the effectiveness of potential improvements that might improve recruiting and retention and increase the use of education benefits among members of the National Guard and Reserves.

Washington, D.C. — House Committee on Veterans Affairs Ranking Member Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) cited as “thorough” a recent Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) assessment of its 1,400 hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and other facilities where veterans receive health care.  Buyer, after reviewing the report of VA’s findings expressed concern that maintenance be a top priority at the department, regardless of the size, age or type of the facility.

Washington, D.C. — House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) made the following response to a statement by Committee Chairman Bob Filner (D-Calif.) that Buyer should “stop worrying” about turf in developing an amendment to the Wounded Warriors Assistance Act of 2007.  Buyer’s language, introduced by Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), would improve the seamless transition of servicemembers from the military to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).  Buyer offered the language after Filner waived his jurisdiction on the issue and consented to the Armed Service Committee’s bill language.

Washington, D.C. — The House Armed Services Committee today unanimously approved a defense bill amendment crafted by Veterans’ Committee Ranking Member Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) that would improve the seamless transition of servicemembers from the military to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).  Buyer offered the amendment after Veterans’ Committee Chairman Bob Filner (D-Calif.) waived his jurisdiction on the issue and consented to the Armed Service Committee’s bill language.

Washington, D.C. – House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) offered his welcome to Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.), who was appointed to the committee on March 12.

Washington, D.C. — A Subcommittee on Health oversight hearing today focusing on polytrauma rehabilitation and traumatic brain injury (TBI) provided continued evidence of barriers between the military and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) preventing the fully seamless transition of servicemembers between the military and VA health care and benefits systems.

Washington, D.C. —  A Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs oversight hearing on the impact the war on terror is having on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability claims system reinforced evidence that a major factor degrading the delivery of benefits to war on terror veterans is the lack of a seamless transition from the military to the VA as well as the growing backlog of benefits claims.

Washington, D.C. — More than five years after the start of Operation Enduring Freedom and after two decades of congressional pressure, a House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs subcommittee today learned that little substantive progress has been made to ensure returning veterans a seamless transition between the military and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Washington, D.C. — House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) made the following statement on the refusal of Committee Chairman Bob Filner (D-Calif.) to elevate to a full committee hearing a subcommittee oversight hearing Thursday on seamless transition.

Washington, D.C. — House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) today announced a bill that would expand the scope of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) disabled veterans’ sports programs in cooperation with the U.S. Olympic Committee and U.S. Paralympics.

Washington, D.C. - The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity held an oversight hearing today to examine the performance, staffing, and services provided by the Education, Loan Guaranty, and Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) of the Department of Labor.

Washington, D.C. — House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) today submitted recommended funding for veterans’ programs totaling $2.91 billion above the Bush administration’s overall fiscal year 2008 request.  Of this amount, $1.41 billion would be for discretionary spending on veterans’ programs and $1.5 billion would fund new mandatory spending on a legislative proposal to improve GI Bill education and training for members of the National Guard and Reserves.

Washington, D.C. — On Wednesday, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing on the January loss at the Birmingham, Ala., Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center of data belonging to more than 500,000 veterans and 1.3 million non-VA health care providers.  Subcommittee Ranking Member Ginny Brown-Waite (R-Fla.), criticized bureaucratic responses to subcommittee questions from VA officials, the Government Accountability Office and VA’s Office of the Inspector General.