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Today, Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.), the Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, delivered the following opening remarks, as prepared at the start of the subcommittee’s legislative hearing to discuss legislation to better the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) education benefits service, improve coordination between VA and the Department of Defense (DoD) through the Transition Assistance Program (TAP), reform the VA Veterans Readiness and Employment (VR&E) program, and enhance VA’s Home Loan program. A full list of bills on today’s agenda can be found here.

Good morning,

The Subcommittee will come to order.

I welcome the witnesses and Subcommittee Members to today’s hearing.

As I have said many times, on this subcommittee we operate in a nonpartisan way with the ultimate goal of serving those who have served our country.

This legislative hearing continues in that spirit.

We have seventeen important legislative proposals to consider here today. It is important to note that not all of the proposals will move forward in the legislative process. 

A number of these proposals seek to improve education programs, accessibility to VA, and VA’s home loan program.

I specifically want to highlight three of my bills that are on today’s agenda.

My first bill would expand communication outreach methods within the Solid Start program by allowing digital communications so that VA can increase the ways they connect with veterans.

America’s new generation of veterans do not always pick up the phone like previous generations.

It is time to modernize VA and meet our new generation of veterans where they are.

This change would allow veterans to receive a text or digital message instead of just an unknown phone call from VA.

This is an additive, we will still have what are becoming legacy methods of communication available for older veterans- like me.

Another bill that I have today is the Refinancing Relief for Veterans Act. This legislation would reduce the fee for veterans who are using an interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan or (IRRRL).

This bill would allow veterans an even less expensive way to get into a mortgage with a lower interest rate. This would halve the refinancing fee associated with the VA home loan, making it easier for veterans to secure better rates.

It is the duty of this Subcommittee to get money back in the veterans’ pockets where we can.

My final bill is the Enhancing the Transitioning Servicemember’s Experience Act or ETS Act.

This bill would make improvements to the Transition Assistance Program for servicemembers leaving the military.

This legislation would require data collection on the experience of transitioning service members.

We need to have a better understanding of how we are preparing our military members and their families for civilian life.

Certain military branches are doing TAP better than others, and those doing it well are setting their members up for success, and individual units in different branches are doing this better.

Servicemembers leaving these successful branches will show others the value of military service. They are the best tool we have for recruitment.

TAP must be seen as a retention and recruitment tool for the Department of Defense, and this bill would do just that.

I am pleased to see Secretary Collins and Hegseth’s Memorandum of Understanding signed on May 23rd to create a more seamless transition experience.

My bill, the ETS Act, would continue their spirit and I am pleased to see it on the leg hearing today.

Additional bills that we will consider would address modernizations and improvements to the VR&E program, the VA home loan program and the GI bill.

I have reservations about some of the proposals on the agenda today. The witness testimony and questions from Members will hopefully address some of these issues so we can make informed decisions about whether to move these bills forward in the legislative process.

We look forward to hearing from the Members who have introduced these proposals, as well as our witnesses, on how we can continue to improve these bills and better the lives of our veterans.

I now yield to the Ranking Member for five minutes for his opening remarks.