[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6306226,"mediaKeyId","2440182-7c458a58a665d9bce4c8c8b37156f594","parentId",2440182,"title","VSOs urge passage of Student Veteran Benefit Restoration Act to return GI Bill benefits lost to fraud","audioSeconds",1439,"startMs",9127000,"endMs",10566000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2440182-7c458a58a665d9bce4c8c8b37156f594&start=9127&end=10566","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2440182-7c458a58a665d9bce4c8c8b37156f594/thumbnail_9127000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6306226/VSOs-urge-passage-of-Student-Veteran-Benefit-Restoration-Act-to-return-GI-Bill-benefits-lost-to-fraud","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6306226-87dfa2b283ef0b342bb707276394209b/orig.mp4?Expires=1772839639&Signature=DdjsHjomwaMmXH5RIwH1p4CxyCRc8-qUUhU6Kb~zltd9e-iDL6xogTG4kWXPNFxMZqZn6k1ksT6Fy4XsNU1QUNdP2QlLJeEFxwcGWtA3Txk3deoGFjmSpeievRYDT3VYWmtRi8LUaHTY2Ag3e~8xuxzakQX~bwT4-y4rfhAPDxAb26OOMyAu8i-FYNv-jnVa5hil9aE3eNJY9k4x0omSeanAMosF-l87bQMO2tE6qX~sRsE7ej-60fuOyXbsoAntRii3hjjUvA~S5B8kGFQfoY5KM~XCfetMxSPYdEQaaewwBqZhSwsKxMVyJIyeNAugB-8O3wIMENKHFgCnFmJF1w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs","date","2025-02-25T00:00:00Z","article","Veterans Education Success and other witnesses urged lawmakers to restore GI Bill benefits to veterans who were defrauded by training programs, describing cases where veterans lost tuition entitlement and had no statutory recourse to be made whole.

Will Hubbard, president of Veterans Education Success, told the committees that schools with poor outcomes and predatory practices continue to receive GI Bill funds and that when veterans are defrauded ‘‘that veteran will never get their GI Bill back.’’ He praised the House passage last year of the Student Veteran Benefit Restoration Act and urged swift Senate action to allow defrauded veterans to recover lost benefits and resume education.

Hubbard described examples presented to VA and to Congress in which programs delivered repackaged or low‑quality content, used unqualified instructors, or continued to receive GI Bill funding even after law‑enforcement action. He recommended requiring stronger vetting standards: qualified instructors, proof of financial stability, restrictions on marketing‑heavy budgets and limits on repackaged content. He also asked lawmakers to improve VA data sharing to better track outcomes.

Representative Ramirez, who led the House effort, and other members stressed bipartisan support for the restoration bill and asked VA and VSOs to work together on implementation details. Committee members said they intended to reintroduce the measure and advance it as a priority for returning veterans who lost time and entitlement to fraudulent or failing programs.

Ending: VSOs asked Congress to pass the Student Veteran Benefit Restoration Act and to tighten VA approval standards for training programs so veterans’ GI Bill benefits are protected from fraud and abuse.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Legislative Presentation of Disabled American Veterans & Multi VSOs: AMVETS, Vietnam Veterans of America, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Blinded Veterans Association, Veterans Education Success, Gold Star Wives of America, Inc., and Reserve Organization of America","oneSentenceSummary","Veterans Education Success and other witnesses told the committee that veterans defrauded by colleges lose GI Bill entitlement with no statutory path to restoration; they urged quick passage of the Student Veteran Benefit Restoration Act to make affected veterans whole.","taxTitle","Veterans Affairs: Senate Committee, Standing Committees - House & Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal","taxId",2000,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6306230,"VSOs and lawmakers press for stronger mental‑health access, TBI research and suicide prevention measures",1256,3512000,4768000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2440182-7c458a58a665d9bce4c8c8b37156f594&start=3512&end=4768","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2440182-7c458a58a665d9bce4c8c8b37156f594/thumbnail_3512000.jpg","/articles/6306230/VSOs-and-lawmakers-press-for-stronger-mentalhealth-access-TBI-research-and-suicide-prevention-measures","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6306230-9fd8c8024e3e4ea16e4cb6cb0c7d0e10/orig.mp4?Expires=1772839639&Signature=LupA7n0SEX~22zM7w8htGa3bVozh0yONBSqbpjzzNJQKtB60m-bGissyNHoH6IZrcGlx~DuIz6UH9TEEls3VpNDMIfgm~WUpuhKxObL~UY0~bnsozz6Na22QmKaxcqUyEXn2gdgCjGFtoTLbVCLejAqtGgFugAo-cbAWPDzVTzYt8Q3hNrDOc5lWg8~C60FrCx8ARL8Fi5Zv1HKcFKGzdpK5cbzgOY8iDcpMJZSuTzRVW-ESwmN7bNGL2DYCS-uIXafcTttnGlvLOilfWHUwxDuivvXvCBzNtTgNk7UDyfJFS--7AZz6Pyuhd1vNMNTOKDhtS964UlE-JFmGYCCfvg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Leaders of Disabled American Veterans and other veteran organizations urged Congress and VA to strengthen access to mental‑health care, expand suicide‑prevention measures, and accelerate research into traumatic brain injury (TBI) and emerging therapies.

At the hearing, Commander Daniel Contreras described caregiving and mental‑health needs as priorities and asked for a comprehensive approach rather than singular fixes. Joy Elam, DAV legislative director, highlighted firearm safety counseling as an important suicide‑prevention tool and said veterans should feel comfortable discussing firearm storage with providers; she referenced a statistic that roughly 72–73% of veteran suicides involve firearms.

Members asked what strategies could close mental‑health care gaps. Witnesses recommended better timeliness for specialized services such as residential rehabilitation and substance‑use disorder treatment, clearer access standards, and increased community‑care capacity under the Mission Act. Senator Moran pressed for more information about quarterly VSO engagements under the PACT Act and how those exchanges could improve mental‑health implementation.

Several members raised TBI as an underaddressed risk factor for suicide. Horace Johnson (AMVETS) and other witnesses called for additional research linking TBI to mental‑health outcomes. Senator King asked whether DAV would oppose proposals that reduce disability benefits to achieve budget savings; DAV representatives said they would not support reductions in benefits and expressed concern about policy ideas in documents like Project 2025 that target future claims.

The hearing also touched on research into psychedelic‑assisted therapies. Representative General Bergman, co-chair of the PATH Caucus, and others asked about VA research roles; witnesses expressed cautious interest in exploring alternatives and called for expedited, rigorous research so that effective treatments can reach veterans.

Ending: Lawmakers and VSOs asked VA to speed access to mental‑health services, incorporate suicide‑risk factors such as military sexual trauma into predictive models, increase TBI research and consider rigorous study of emerging therapies. They urged continued VSO engagement to monitor outcomes and implementation.","Veteran service organizations and lawmakers urged expanded mental‑health services, better access standards, greater attention to traumatic brain injury and more research — including authorizing studies of psychedelic‑assisted therapies — as part of broader VA reform.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6306235,"DAV urges Congress to expand caregiver, home- and assisted‑living supports as veterans age",2245,2712000,4957000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2440182-7c458a58a665d9bce4c8c8b37156f594&start=2712&end=4957","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2440182-7c458a58a665d9bce4c8c8b37156f594/thumbnail_2712000.jpg","/articles/6306235/DAV-urges-Congress-to-expand-caregiver-home-and-assistedliving-supports-as-veterans-age","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6306235-5e97e2910005ff63641ed4e5ed20be4b/orig.mp4?Expires=1772839639&Signature=Zr-u~ZjkfOlicI3aFfi2HYw~O~3ttp~2d5Eff5zRs8hCbPvwnL64mTMsJD3ipAJ3YAfl4UKhgMc2X1QItV8tjVs4Zq780pU9wxl7MlA6PYtsH4WKrZth9rxBH5i10dOdL4l1PxSCJBw54Z2Aw3ZkLKU5kECoxTAiR~GTsYwQp2N6t5JzjjxQLyuti11lL9mITVDg~EOskJuOVueQNXFTz0phjRyIT4n3gudwns5ebBPad3mFSR3VZh0HzwLxLK9ihi0YQfhe1JswoBtIEpWrUz-S6YobZFW6httFLCYSXSCQpmC1HHrpZN1Xc7oXPO1k8dQKdUS7OAOFbwReqlMGCw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Disabled American Veterans told the joint hearing that caregiver support and long‑term care need urgent attention as the veteran population ages, and the organization urged Congress to fund expanded home‑based services and create assisted‑living options for service‑disabled veterans.

Commander Daniel Contreras, national commander of DAV, said caregiver needs have grown and that VA projections show the number of veterans 85 and older will increase substantially in the next decade. He said caregivers often sacrifice employment and their personal health to provide unpaid care, and that taxpayer savings result because caregivers help veterans avoid government‑funded residential care.

Contreras highlighted DAV’s own caregiver support initiative, launched in October 2023, and said it had connected more than 1,400 caregivers to public and private resources. \"We are exceptionally proud of the success of our program, but the responsibility to provide such support ultimately rests with the VA,\" he said, and asked Congress to increase resources for expanding home‑based services and assisted‑living options.

Witnesses and members also discussed the Homemaker and Home Health Aide program and other long‑term care options that range from home health to community living centers. Joy Elam, DAV legislative director, told the panel that long‑term care must include a wide variety of services and that the committee should consider assisted‑living options that could help younger veterans who need support yet want to live independently.

Lawmakers from rural districts emphasized access gaps for veterans outside urban centers. Representative Kilmer and others noted that veterans in remote areas often face choices between caregiving and paid employment; the witnesses said telehealth and local community partners can help but that more options are required.

Ending: DAV asked Congress to fund and legislate expanded home‑based services and assisted‑living options, to recognize caregivers’ contributions and to require VA to build capacity so aging and service‑disabled veterans can remain in homes and communities with dignity. Committee members said they would continue discussions on long‑term care options and funding.","DAV told committees that veteran caregivers are under strain and that VA should expand home-based services and assisted‑living options, while the organization described its own caregiver support initiative and asked Congress for more funding and program authority.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6306240,"VSOs and lawmakers press VA on PACT Act implementation and 'ending the wait' for toxic-exposed veterans",554,2924000,3478000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2440182-7c458a58a665d9bce4c8c8b37156f594&start=2924&end=3478","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2440182-7c458a58a665d9bce4c8c8b37156f594/thumbnail_2924000.jpg","/articles/6306240/VSOs-and-lawmakers-press-VA-on-PACT-Act-implementation-and-ending-the-wait-for-toxic-exposed-veterans","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6306240-3c043c4c099dbe2f7004e26db66887a7/orig.mp4?Expires=1772839639&Signature=kelkYDdLRctjjpYeQVZCR8rD~eUZLocLtZcX1vOQmP0XfaeLXJZUJCc8DcRfDbRdlLqUaKiQKZkjs23cSEfRYuyw-eCL52OmaGa4l23SzVwoACsS-Qd9e8LX64E1NAUyquAoFr3JcYBVxKp-tj5xfAURBfC96PjLvH5TxwBI2jZpOXrVlkwXK3Ek6NvFZaiQzDUyeNrknxw6JmwzU2DaPGP5j8KMMkMZGk9m9kAKzErByN9rAQ7esfu~Eh1iO0MllE7MbRrVVD4AUxHUWS34IQzpZELvbZ5hs8L9Ue4IJ9DGPNiNu2NkHDDERv~~b2-bdeSWkczvPZcAHnmWMlDrwQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Disabled American Veterans and other veteran service organizations told a joint House-Senate hearing that implementation gaps in the PACT Act are leaving many toxic-exposed veterans without timely benefits and called for faster research, transparency and independent scientific review.

Commander Daniel Contreras, national commander of Disabled American Veterans, said DAV’s written testimony includes recommendations to expand research on toxic exposures and to create an independent scientific review process and a veterans advisory commission. He noted DAV’s joint report with the Military Officers Association of America that found veterans waited on average more than 34 years from exposure until VA established presumptive conditions.

The committee and witnesses discussed a provision of the PACT Act that requires the VA to hold quarterly engagements with veterans service organizations. Senator Moran asked whether those engagements were occurring and whether they delivered the information VSOs needed to advise the agency. Jim Marsalek, DAV national service director, responded that “the quarterly updates aren't occurring” in the form intended; VA meets with VSOs frequently but the groups “are not getting the information we really need.” He added that a study required on exposures at Fort McClellan began 30 months ago and has produced no substantive public updates.

Testimony emphasized two related implementation issues: transparency on studies that inform presumptive decisions, and timeliness. Contreras and DAV leaders urged Congress to pass legislation that would fund expanded research and set up an independent scientific review in order to shorten the period between exposure recognition and VA presumptions. \"Veterans have been forced to wait on average more than 34 years after exposure before VA established presumptives,\" DAV said in testimony, calling the delay “a massive injustice.”

Lawmakers from both parties said passing the PACT Act was a major achievement but stressed that enactment is only the start. Senator Blumenthal and Representative Takano both urged continued VSO engagement and said oversight is required to ensure statutory promises translate into timely benefits and care. Several members sought more complete status reports from VA on studies, on how VA is using research to define presumptives and on opportunities for VSOs to participate.

Ending: DAV and other VSOs recommended immediate steps: expand federal funding for toxic-exposure research, create an independent scientific review to evaluate exposures and conditions, and establish a veterans advisory commission to accelerate presumptive decisions. They said Congress should monitor VA implementation closely and that the committees will press VA for more regular, specific briefings and data.","Disabled American Veterans and other service organizations urged faster implementation of PACT Act provisions, more transparency on scientific reviews and expanded presumptive coverage for toxic exposures; DAV cited a report finding veterans waited decades for presumptions in prior cases.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6306245,"Lawmakers and VSOs demand answers after VA workforce terminations, warn of service risks",9819,1563000,11382000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2440182-7c458a58a665d9bce4c8c8b37156f594&start=1563&end=11382","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2440182-7c458a58a665d9bce4c8c8b37156f594/thumbnail_1563000.jpg","/articles/6306245/Lawmakers-and-VSOs-demand-answers-after-VA-workforce-terminations-warn-of-service-risks","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6306245-90ba92d59c4ac0cabb3e20b3f434b023/orig.mp4?Expires=1772839639&Signature=ovJ4lfkky~~8npbI9fCp-oU47rypVHyiGo4sBi8v7Ew3G~daBkNtcAI9UHg0jCzaNURBn6Mt5xj~BcpK3XMTreO5bavCSNbkCv24bCO~GdaBUc4saKnrKspRxfPvVDbLE4wdRkYvrJAh3O-GG9j-YO8fOfeIi4QIKN--usRTImCee7LdcTyEBzYC-e6K4J~lPdChi-Y7sKfifEriAOSN~vR~GszYRHGCLoyQW3o6blvSRkgZ-L~6tZjQ7ovzbzZ0UANc4LDMgwCoBvipd3fv8LNXwPVdeBKPMwK13if7HbR7KXFjhioZiTgYMB78VWj2k7TVCCyPYi-7uC8qTT36PQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House and Senate lawmakers and leaders of major veteran service organizations pressed for transparency and answers during a joint Veterans Affairs hearing after a wave of recent staff terminations at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The concern centered on sudden workforce actions described during the hearing as including roughly 1,400 additional terminations announced the prior night and earlier reductions that witnesses and members said total thousands. Senator Blumenthal, ranking member, told the panel that “another 1,400 members of the veterans family were fired from their VA jobs” and said those actions “will do significant and irreparable harm to the delivery of your care and benefits.”

The discussion mattered because witnesses and lawmakers said VA operations rely on a large, specialized workforce. Horace Johnson, national commander of AMVETS, told the committees that veterans rely on timely appointments and that delays in staffing “mean when people are sick, they're sick right then. They don't want to wait until next month.” Commander Daniel Contreras, national commander of Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and DAV executive director Randy Rees described cases of terminated employees who had strong performance records, including Veterans Crisis Line staff and claims coordinators, and said the organization was preparing its own statement on the terminations.

Members of both parties criticized the lack of full information from VA. Senator Moran said the committees had asked for lists of impacted employees by location and occupation and that the VA had responded with limited details, including a claim that none of the affected employees were in “mission critical” positions. Representative Takano said he had requested information about implementation of executive orders and personnel actions and had not received satisfactory responses. Lawmakers from both parties asked VSOs and staff to provide named examples and evidence of mission-critical roles lost so congressional offices could pursue specific inquiries with VA leadership.

Several witnesses warned that the workforce reductions risked undermining implementation of recently enacted programs. Witnesses noted that the PACT Act increased the number of veterans seeking care and benefits and that VA had surged hiring to handle that demand. Joy Elam, DAV legislative director, said VA had seen a surge in workload and that “we have staffing shortages that have been noted by the inspector general.”

At points the committee split on framing. Chairman Boss said he trusted Secretary Collins to “right size and reorganize VA” and repeated VA statements that the workforce reduction was less than 1% of a 400,000-employee agency. Ranking members and several witnesses disputed that characterization as insufficient reassurance, noting specific examples of front-line and specialized employees who had been dismissed. Witnesses emphasized differences in the types of separations: return-to-work departures, hiring freezes, probationary-terminations and other administrative actions, and asked Congress to distinguish the causes and operational impacts.

Lawmakers asked VSOs to submit names, dates and specific mission impacts to allow the committees and agency officials to investigate individual cases. Several members pledged to continue oversight and to request detailed lists and exemption requests that VA said the agency had available for impacted employees.

The hearing closed with repeated requests from lawmakers that VSOs and members of the public report cases where services have been reduced or a named employee appears to have been improperly terminated. \"If you see a reduction in any service that is due to the change,\" said Chairman Boss, \"or someone that you know works at the VA that has been improperly released from their employment, please come to me in my office because we will argue on their behalf.\" The committee offered members five legislative days to extend remarks and submitted materials into the record.

Ending: Lawmakers and VSOs left the hearing publicly urging the VA to provide lists, timelines and named examples so Congress can more precisely evaluate whether personnel actions are hurting veterans’ access to care and benefits. The committees said they will press VA leadership for the requested data and asked VSOs to document specific operational harms as they occur.","At a joint House-Senate veterans hearing, lawmakers and veteran service organizations pressed VA leaders and the administration for details about recent employee terminations, expressing concern that mass firings, probationary dismissals and hiring freezes could worsen access to care and claims processing.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

VSOs urge passage of Student Veteran Benefit Restoration Act to return GI Bill benefits lost to fraud

VSOs and lawmakers press for stronger mental‑health access, TBI research and suicide prevention measures

DAV urges Congress to expand caregiver, home- and assisted‑living supports as veterans age

VSOs and lawmakers press VA on PACT Act implementation and 'ending the wait' for toxic-exposed veterans

Lawmakers and VSOs demand answers after VA workforce terminations, warn of service risks