House Committee on Veterans' Affairs

Washington D.C. — Calling the recent defacement of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial a cowardly act, Steve Buyer (R-Ind.), ranking member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, called on the vandals to step forward and accept responsibility.

Washington D.C. — At a House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs hearing today on Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) centralization of information technology (IT) infrastructure in accordance with the Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006, signed into law in December, a VA official told members impatient for progress that completion is in sight.

Washington D.C. — The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) today released the following statement in recognition of National Prisoner of War / Missing in Action (POW/ MIA) Day, September 21, 2007. 

Washington D.C. — Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) today commended the largest and most senior veterans’ service organization (VSO), and its former and current national leaders for the Legion’s steadfast support of servicemembers and veterans.

Washington D.C. — House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) today announced that veterans’ advocate Brian E. Lawrence will assume the responsibilities of staff director for disability assistance and memorial affairs and of communications director on the Republican staff of the committee.

Washington D.C. — Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) today commended the work of a presidential commission on care for returning servicemembers, telling its co-chairs that he anticipates the administration’s legislative initiatives reflecting their recommendations. 

Washington D.C. — House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) today commended outgoing Secretary of Veterans Affairs R. James Nicholson, who built a reputation among committee Republicans and Democrats for his leadership of the department during a challenging tenure.

Washington, D.C. — A spike in patient deaths halted surgery at the Marion, Ill. , Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center and has prompted Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Republicans to call for an investigation by the department’s inspector general.

Washington D.C. — Responding to a Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) inspector general report that VA has overstated its success in promptly scheduling health care appointments, Veterans’ Committee Ranking Member Steve Buyer (R-Ind.), today called on VA’s new health under secretary, Michael Kussman, M.D., to quickly identify the scope and cause of the problem and implement solutions to guarantee veterans prompt access to care.

Charleston, S.C. — Today in Charleston, S.C., Michael J. Kussman, M.D., under secretary for health in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), joined Ranking Member Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) and committee member Henry Brown (R-S.C.) to discuss “synergies of excellence” in the potential joint venture between the Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).