Press Releases

Today, Ranking Member Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs passed 18 bipartisan bills out of committee:

"Today, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs continued to deliver on our promise to take care of veterans and ensure that they receive the services and support they deserve. The many bipartisan bills reported to the full House today would accomplish worthy goals for veterans and their families.

“Several of the bills that the Committee passed are aimed at preventing servicemember and veteran suicide and I am glad that one of my bills, H.R. 1812, was one of them. This bill would expand eligibility for readjustment counseling at VA Vet Centers to certain members of the National Guard and Reserve and bring us one step closer to eliminating suicide among these brave men and women.

“I was also happy to see the passage of two of my Republican colleagues’ bills that would improve veterans’ access to education and economic opportunity and help create a more seamless transition from the military to civilian life. Rep. Andy Barr’s bill, H.R. 2196, would improve GI Bill benefits for veterans pursuing a STEM degree and Rep. Brad Wenstrup’s bill, H.R. 2045, would create a fourth administration within VA to ensure that education, employment, and transition benefits receive the attention they deserve from the Department.

"Additionally, I was glad to see the passage of Rep. Doug LaMalfa's bill, which was included in H.R. 1947, to honor veterans' families by authorizing VA to include inscriptions on headstones with the names of surviving spouses and dependent children.

“Perhaps the greatest achievement today was the passage of H.R. 299, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019. Blue Water Navy Vietnam veterans selflessly served this country, only to return home and wait decades for the benefits that they earned.  It pains me that they have waited so long, which is why I remain dedicated to getting this bill to the President’s desk as quickly as possible in their honor.

“I am grateful for the dedication of all of our Committee Members, particularly our Subcommittee Chairs and Ranking Members, for their hard work on this legislation and I look forward to working with them and Chairman Takano to move these bills quickly to the House floor.”

The following bills were passed out of committee: 

• H.R. 299: The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019
• H.R. 2372: Veterans’ Care Quality Transparency Act
• H.R. 2340: FIGHT Veteran Suicides Act
• H.R. 2359: Whole Veteran Act
• H.R. 1947: To exempt transfers of funds from Federal agencies to the Department of Veterans Affairs for nonprofit corporations established under subchapter IV of chapter 73 of such title from certain provisions of the Economy Act.
• H.R. 1812: Vet Center Eligibility Expansion Act
• H.R. 2385: to permit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a grant program to conduct cemetery research and produce educational materials for the Veterans Legacy Program
• H.R. 1988: the Protect Affordable Mortgages for Veterans Act
• H.R. 2045: the VET OPP Act
• H.R. 2333: Support for Suicide Prevention Coordinators Act
• H.R.1200: the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act
• H.R. 1199: The VA Website Accessibility Act
• H.R. 95: the Homeless Veteran Families Act
• H.R. 2109: the BRAVE Act
• H.R. 2196: to amend title 38, United States Code, to reduce the credit hour requirement for the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
• H.R. 2326: the Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer William Bill Mulder (Ret.) Transition Improvement Act of 2019
• H.R. 2398: the Veteran HOUSE Act
• H.R. 2399: the Home for Our Heroes Act of 2019