Press Releases

Today, Rep. Jeff Miller, Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, issued the following statement after the Sequester Replacement Act of 2012 (H.R. 4966) was favorably reported to the Full House for consideration yesterday: “I would like to thank the Members of the House Budget Committee, in particular Chairman Ryan, for being proactive in addressing the serious… Read more »

Today, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs favorably reported five pieces of legislation with bipartisan support (H.R. 4072, as amended; H.R. 4114; H.R. 4201; H.R. 4482; and H.R. 3670) for full House consideration. H.R. 4072, as amended, the Consolidated Veteran Employment Services for Improved Performance Act of 2012, would move the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Veterans… Read more »

Today, Rep. Jeff Miller, Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, issued the following statement on President Obama’s Executive Order, “We Can’t Wait:” “More than 600,000 veterans have used the Post-9/11 GI Bill to improve themselves and their futures through higher education. Consumers should be informed, especially when taxpayer dollars… Read more »

Today, Rep. Jeff Miller, Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, issued the following statement on the Office of Management and Budget’s announcement that VA healthcare is exempt from sequestration: “This decision, nine months in coming and after numerous Congressional inquiries and my own letter to the President in January, is long overdue.… Read more »

Today, Rep. Jeff Miller, Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, issued the following statement on VA’s announcement to hire additional mental health practitioners: “Today, VA announced that they are hiring 1,900 new mental health care practitioners. We have seen high vacancy rates across the country—which in some areas are as high as 23… Read more »

Today, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs held a hearing entitled “From the Inside Out: A Look at Claims Representatives’ Role in the Disability Claims Process” to determine if veterans who receive competent representation fare better in VA’s disability claims process than those without, and if those with representation make the system more… Read more »

Today, the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs (DAMA) received testimony considering eight pieces of pending legislation: H.R. 4142, H.R. 4114, H.R. 2051, H.R. 2498, H.R. 2377, H.R. 2717, H.R. 4168, and H.R. 4213. The American Heroes COLA Act (H.R. 4142), introduced by DAMA Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Jon Runyan provides for annual cost-of-living adjustments to be… Read more »

Today, the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs (DAMA) held a hearing to review the progress made by the Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) in implementing the Integrated Disability Evaluation System, or IDES. A servicemember is referred to IDES when their active duty status is questioned through either physical or mental injuries incurred on… Read more »

Today, members of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs questioned VA officials regarding four major construction projects in Orlando, Florida, Las Vegas, Nevada, Denver, Colorado, and New Orleans, Louisiana, estimated to cost more than $3 billion, as well as to receive status updates on VA major medical facility leases, which collectively have start up costs of $442 million,… Read more »

Today and yesterday, during joint hearings with members of the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees, the Committees heard testimony from numerous veterans’ organizations on their legislative priorities for 2012. The organizations represented included the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the National Association of… Read more »