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Statement
of the Honorable Steve Buyer before Committee
on Veterans’ Affairs Hearing to receive the report of the VA Claims Processing
Task Force (Cooper Report) November
6, 2001 Thank you, Chairman
Smith, for holding this important hearing to receive the Cooper Report
of the VA Claims Processing Task Force. Earlier this year,
I held a field hearing in Indianapolis to examine the delivery of
benefits to Indiana veterans. During
our hearing we learned that appeals, on average, take up to 597.4
days. I am sure that none of us here today question the need to
change the current system of delivery.
We must take steps to eliminate the backlog of claims, which is
currently a staggering 660,000 claims.
This is absolutely inexcusable.
Obviously, we are pleased that Secretary Principi has made
reducing the backlog of veterans’ claims a top priority.
We now have an excellent opportunity to make sure that our
veterans will no longer be forced to experience such long delays
before receiving the benefits they have earned.
Secretary Principi has taken several important and decisive
steps to reduce the veterans’ claims backlog and the time it takes
the VA takes to adjudicate each individual claim. Today’s hearing
will highlight the recommendations and progress being made as a result
of the formation of the VA Claims Processing Task Force. The first recommendation made by the Task Force is “the
Tiger Team” initiative, which is already up and running. Tiger Team was specifically given the job of expediting the
processing of older compensation and benefit claims for veterans over
70 years of age that have been languishing for a year or longer.
This is good news! I
hope we can learn today from Admiral Cooper what progress has been
made to date. In reviewing the
Cooper Report, I fully concur with most of the recommendations.
In fact, several are long overdue, such as reducing the time to
30 days for the gathering of evidence.
The Task Force has outlined an ambitious agenda with short and
long-term recommendations. We all have the same goal – to ensure that veterans receive
their benefits in a timely manner.
Adoption of these recommendations will certainly push that goal
forward. Again, I want to
offer my support to Admiral Cooper, Secretary Principi and to you,
Chairman Smith, and the other members of the Committee in moving this
process along. Back to Witness List |