Press Releases

In honor of Women’s History Month, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mike Bost (R-Ill.) and Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-Calif.), reauthorized the bipartisan Women Veteran Task Force (WVTF), with Rep. Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (R-American Samoa) serving as Chairman and Rep. Julia Brownley (D-Calif.) serving as Co-Chair. The Members released the following statements in recognition of the task forces reauthorization this week.

The Committee’s WVTF is open to every Member of the Committee and will run for six months. The Task Force will host a series of roundtable discussions both in DC and outside the beltway on the various day-to-day issues women veterans face. At the end of the six-month period, the Task Force will produce a bipartisan report on their findings and recommendations for issues the whole Committee can address to improve the delivery of care, benefits, and services to women veterans.

“Women make up the fastest growing population of veterans in the United States and deserve a VA that serves them exceptionally well. Our committee shares a bipartisan desire to ensure that VA can be successful in carrying out this mission,” said Chairman Mike Bost. “I know that the challenges our women veterans face are unique, which is why as Chairman I am pleased to reauthorize this Task Force to hear firsthand from women veteran voices and stakeholders around the country. I’m confident that the Women Veterans Task Force will have a lasting, positive impact on our women veteran community, and I look forward to seeing all it will accomplish this year.”

"I am incredibly pleased that we are once again recognizing the important role women veterans have played in service to our country by authorizing the Women Veterans Task Force for the 118th Congress. I applaud Chairman Bost for continuing this effort – originally started under a Democratic-led Congress and championed throughout the 116th and 117th Congresses. In her role as Co-Chair of the newly reauthorized Women Veterans Task Force, I am pleased that Congresswoman Julia Brownley will continue her tireless efforts to ensure women veterans can fully access the care and benefits they have earned, and I look forward to the Task Force’s work on ensuring our nation lives up to the promises we have made to women veterans," said Ranking Member Takano.

“It’s a joy to work on the issues of most importance to our women Veterans, especially as American Samoa sends so many of our own to serve,” said Task Force Chairman Aumua Amata Radewagen. “These strong women served the country, and provide leadership in our communities, while they encounter unique challenges and VA priorities. The Women Veteran Task Force benefits from their input. I look forward to continuing our efforts with Committee Chairman Bost, Ranking Member Takano, and especially Co-Chair Julia Brownley, whose leadership was instrumental to creating this Task Force in the 116th Congress.”

“As the founder and co-chair of the Women Veterans Task Force, I am so pleased the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, once again, reauthorized the Task Force, allowing for the continuation of the Task Force’s important work and its critical mission to promote inclusivity and to bring equity to the more than two million women who have served our nation in uniform,” said Task Force Co-Chair Brownley. “The Women Veterans Task Force is a powerful expression of democracy, giving women veterans the opportunity to play a central role in changing the way policy impacts their lives. I appreciate the leadership of Chairman Bost, Ranking Member Takano, and the Task Force co-chair, Congresswoman Radewagen. I look forward to working with my colleagues as we uphold our commitment to support those who have worn the uniform and ensure we best serve them as they have served us.”

Background:
The Women Veteran Task Force was established during the 116th Congress by former Chairman and current Ranking Member Takano. The Task Force has conducted important work over the past few years on behalf of women veterans and played an important role in the passage and signing into law of the bipartisan Deborah Sampson Act in 2021. However, due to House rules regarding task forces, it must be reestablished and authorized, should the Committee Chair deem appropriate, each Congress. To follow along for updates on the work the Task Force will do this year, click here.