News & Opinion

Department of Veterans Affairs officials this week began accepting applications for the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program, part of Congress’ effort last year to help unemployed veterans back into the workforce. Read more »

Lawmakers told Veterans Health Administration officials to go slow on their plans to take acquiring patients' prosthetics out of the hands of purchasing agents and place it with contracting officers. Read more »

There's a project in the works to create a third veterans cemetery in Minnesota. It's something Congressman Tim Walz, a veteran himself, is working hard to make a reality. He and other veterans say time is running out for many of Minnesota’s older service members. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, thousands of Minnesota's veterans die every year which is why when it comes time to find a final resting place, local veterans say there isn't an option close to home. Read more »

Congress is preparing to dive into President Obama’s executive order on schools receiving tuition assistance and GI Bill money — the details of which are still a mystery to some officials. Read more »

Two weeks after the Department of Veterans Affairs’ inspector general issued report eviscerating the agency for its handling of mental-health care, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki appeared before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. Read more »

House lawmakers grilled Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki in a full committee on Tuesday, following a damning Inspector General’s report in April showing that veterans were waiting an average of 50 days for mental health evaluations, though the VA had reported that most were seen within 14 days. Read more »

Members of Congress expressed doubts Tuesday on plans by the Department of Veterans Affairs' to hire 1,900 additional workers to improve access to mental health care. Rep. Jeff Miller, chairman of the House committee with jurisdiction over veterans' issues, said the VA's plans to beef up staffing looked like a knee-jerk reaction to a critical inspector general's investigation that was in the works. Read more »

On March 27, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs held a hearing entitled, “From the Ground Up: Assessing Ongoing Delays in VA Major Construction.” The purpose of the hearing was to address delays in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) construction process, and identify why the completion of multiple facilities has been delayed several years past original completion dates. The committee focused on four medical facilities still under construction in Las Vegas, Denver, New Orleans, and Orlando (Fla.). Read more »

While Americans disagree on foreign policy, everyone can agree that our warriors and their families should be given the best medical treatment for ailments from their time of service. That certainly is the case for more than 750,000 people who might have been contaminated by harmful chemicals in the tap water at Marine Corps Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. The contamination struck from 1957 to 1987. Read more »

The House Budget Committee is poised to pass two measures on Monday to avoid across-the-board federal budget cuts in January and also restore $8 billion in previously approved defense cuts. Read more »