Press Releases

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 the subcommittee’s markup on 6 House Republican bills that seek to streamline the delivery of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits for veterans and their families by modernizing the GI Bill program, provide additional resources to make life more affordable for disabled veterans, and advance VA’s Home Loan program. A full list of the bills can be found here.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Today, we are marking up 12 bills. I will be asking unanimous consent to consider several bills en bloc. 

All of these bills were considered at a legislative hearing in this Subcommittee.

I am supportive of many of the bills on today’s agenda as they are important measures that will streamline the delivery of benefits for veterans and their families by modernizing the GI Bill program, providing additional resources and affordability to disabled veterans, and improving the VA home loan program.

In accordance with Committee rules, the Subcommittee has contacted the Congressional Budget Office seeking informal, preliminary cost estimates for each of the bills being considered today.

Many of these preliminary scores are only a range of potential costs because the Subcommittee has still not received official cost estimates on the bills from the Congressional Budget Office.

None of the bills being considered here today include the offsets that will be necessary to move these bills further in the legislative process.

However, as we work to refine the list of bills that will be considered at a Full Committee markup, and bills that may be considered on the House Floor, we will need to find offsets to ensure that we are in accordance with House rules.

If we cannot find an offset for a bill, we would not be able to consider it at a Full Committee markup. 

We want to make sure that we are not passing legislation out of this Subcommittee that would increase the debt and the burden on the American taxpayer.

One of the provisions within a bill we are considering today would increase the Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) for On-the-Job training (OJT) and apprenticeship programs.

America’s veterans should be able to pursue whatever educational route they prefer to attain meaningful employment.

Another bill on today’s agenda would streamline the way VA currently pays its providers for Automobile Adaptive Equipment (AAE) and provide additional oversight to the timeliness of these adaptive vehicles. 

Another bill we plan to consider today would add emerging technologies into the VET-TEC program, so that VA is identifying emerging technologies and the routes to get veterans into these critical career paths.

I still have concerns about several of the other bills we’re marking up today and the amendments we received that were late.

My colleagues across the aisle were not afraid to call out the administration when they received late testimony.

Ranking Member Takano at the last full committee hearing said, “We did not receive testimony until 6 p.m. last night” giving us little opportunity to review it prior to this hearing.

He proceeded to say “It is inexcusable.  This should never happen again.  And I want to reiterate that.  It will not happen again, or I will lodge an even larger protest with the chairman.”

I should note there are still multiple opportunities to improve and make necessary changes to the bills on the agenda.

The Ranking Member and I will continue to work with our colleagues on the Committee and any stakeholders that have feedback on these bills as we continue to work through the legislative process.

I look forward to continuing to make necessary changes to legislation before any consideration before the Full Committee.

I am proud of the non-partisan work this Subcommittee continues to do and I believe the bills that we are considering, and the manner in which we are considering them today truly reflect that process.

I look forward to working with Ranking Member Pappas and other Members of the Subcommittee to find reasonable offsets for these bills.

I now recognize the distinguished Ranking Member for any opening remarks he may have.