[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-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],{"_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",6025713,"mediaKeyId","5753124-167ea9d9ff8f0eb2c76928f8a38bd59f","parentId",5753124,"title","Senators secure nominee's pledge to address Camp Lejeune attorney fees, fiduciary fraud and survivor overpayments","audioSeconds",476,"startMs",4010000,"endMs",4486000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5753124-167ea9d9ff8f0eb2c76928f8a38bd59f&start=4010&end=4486","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5753124-167ea9d9ff8f0eb2c76928f8a38bd59f/thumbnail_4010000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6025713/Senators-secure-nominees-pledge-to-address-Camp-Lejeune-attorney-fees-fiduciary-fraud-and-survivor-overpayments","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6025713-3e1ad24737fe286f206e5c13d93fe0ac/orig.mp4?Expires=1770489012&Signature=CJXmrJaoiDjgxA8YUMpXFi0AE8pof9uUqH5XlYNqN4fLYyjPCGJnDfBE~D1-HfDa4yiHFtxApBTRlANTJwqrejW3MCynQlpQXtsI3qDc91biIlRyT6qT6UgBefTeTMIxvNa6fd4t2IRBLzGzbkxfjQ3KInGXo7etwrArr6RV93o8EbybHQA2tLdLfT24gmdVCd87WjoYg4NOsqPddvqgSot8ufXR6c5LBPbKvY~gvdV6uoXaasHpbZv~Ll6SXPSghX3ef50oXt6AABJ1xziwXpGXs6a-hL-2W9h-DQ9ttYhuBUOhCQphrwjRoKmC6C-S1GMdbZrn1zrDgxd7e6SUDQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","US Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs","date","2025-09-10T00:00:00Z","article","Senators pressed VA Undersecretary‑designate Dr. Karen Bridal to take action on three veterans‑facing problems: excessive contingency fees in Camp Lejeune claims, fraud and abuse in the VA fiduciary program, and survivor overpayments that have left families with bank overdrafts.

Senator Sullivan urged Bridal to \"work with the secretary, who's very committed to this, and the attorney general\" to curb contingency fees charged by private firms pursuing Camp Lejeune claims and said he would push for caps (he called for a 25% cap). \"No veteran should have to pay a third party to receive the benefits they've earned,\" Bridal said in response. Sullivan and others described advertising law firms charging contingency fees as high as 70%, which senators said diverts funds from sick service members and families.

On fiduciary oversight, Senator Tovagov (transcript spelling) asked Bridal to describe the purpose and priorities for the VA's fiduciary program, which the senator described as \"riddled with fraud and abuse.\" Bridal said her three principles would be to put veterans first, follow the law, and \"ensure fiscal stewardship through accountability\" and pledged a program review if confirmed, with attention to mitigating fraud, waste and abuse.

Senator Tullis read a survivor's statement describing an overdraft caused when VA payments deposited on Aug. 27 were reversed days later; he said the reversal occurred without notice and triggered bank fees. Bridal called that outcome \"unacceptable\" and committed to address overpayments and communication gaps. She also said she would coordinate with internal and external stakeholders on scheduling and other operations, noting that scheduling is managed on the health care side but promising to engage where the benefits administration intersects with scheduling and payments.

Ending: Bridal agreed to work with senators, the Department of Justice and other stakeholders; she promised follow‑up on specific contracts, fiduciary program reviews, and outreach and communication improvements for survivors and veterans seeking claims and payments.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Hearing to Consider a Pending Nomination September 10, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Senators pressed Dr. Karen Bridal to curb high contingency attorney fees in Camp Lejeune claims, improve fiduciary safeguards and stop survivor payment reversals that have overdrafted family accounts; Bridal committed to review and to work with DOJ and the committee.","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},6025718,"Senators fault VA nominee over workforce losses, collective bargaining and claims quality",1037,2851000,3888000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5753124-167ea9d9ff8f0eb2c76928f8a38bd59f&start=2851&end=3888","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5753124-167ea9d9ff8f0eb2c76928f8a38bd59f/thumbnail_2851000.jpg","/articles/6025718/Senators-fault-VA-nominee-over-workforce-losses-collective-bargaining-and-claims-quality","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6025718-977fcfe65d2d051107f8b6444db497dd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770489012&Signature=X4BrWkYfpTYeO38iQPfzXTf6nu9lDSdIk99I2pyrqqyDyU0EQLrEMUu06PMJ6Ve2u-HnDZ2Ex~4TzN91mgN4bckXg0hbCYRBdp3nt1WYOE1zuztbQ1RRnP5m77bFxDBJDdkm7hxlUjxwxCPDAAhuJL4I2DTM-~Cn8lesnl71aBILVQ2ncZTiEX71-hUbHu4IFsK0uuVXfEqJ5mCbfpVmDNZGvpOU~XDkmPwBazSsmJW6CE8SZJiwGEWaa3UAxhPxDeSKUAgr2R4Hylz3U611udiQYCNviohz3Gh56YvwCb4u3DSp-7sbXFR36MygGKRt1-rY85FhxGrQ0kzsX3-HkA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Multiple senators told VA Undersecretary for Benefits nominee Dr. Karen Bridal that recent workforce changes and management decisions have harmed the Veterans Benefits Administration's ability to deliver benefits, and they pressed her to address staffing, morale and collective bargaining litigation.

Ranking Member Blumenthal told Bridal that the current administration \"in effect, the workforce [has been] drastically cut through hiring freezes and demoralizing initiatives like forced overtime, an end to collective bargaining for the vast majority of the Veterans Administration workforce.\" He said the \"mass exodus at VBA, about 50% of the VA's regional office directors have opted to leave federal service rather than implement the collective bargaining busting practices,\" and that \"more than 1,000 claims processors have opted to leave.\" Blumenthal and others linked those departures to increased difficulty in processing claims and an increase in higher‑level review requests.

Senator King pressed Bridal on whether she had been involved in reviewing contracts and on the administration's FY26 budget proposal; he described the contract cancellation process as \"one of the most disastrous I've ever seen\" and said he had lost confidence in the nominee's involvement. Bridal repeatedly told the committee she had not been involved in VBA operations and that she would conduct a full workforce assessment if confirmed. \"If confirmed, I will do a full workforce assessment,\" she said.

Committee questioning highlighted quantitative points that senators want clarified: the nominee said roughly 1,400 VBA staff departed through VERA/VSIP/DRP, including about 1,000 claims adjudicators; Senator King pointed to a VA internal line in the FY26 filing showing \"disability compensation minus 862 people.\" Bridal characterized the separations as voluntary and said she could not assess the FY26 budget impact until she reviewed workforce data.

On collective bargaining, Bridal declined to comment because the issue was \"under litigation.\" Senators repeatedly asked for written follow‑up data on separations, the proportion of separated employees who are veterans, and the projected effect of staffing changes on claims processing.

Ending: Bridal committed to assessing workforce needs, reporting back to the committee with requested metrics, and evaluating the effects of separations on claims processing and service delivery.","Committee members warned Dr. Karen Bridal that hiring freezes, voluntary separations and litigation over collective bargaining have reduced the VBA workforce and may harm claims quality; Bridal said she would assess workforce needs if confirmed.",{"_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},6025723,"Senators press VA nominee on contract cancellations, review process and ties to former employer",1197,2448000,3645000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5753124-167ea9d9ff8f0eb2c76928f8a38bd59f&start=2448&end=3645","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5753124-167ea9d9ff8f0eb2c76928f8a38bd59f/thumbnail_2448000.jpg","/articles/6025723/Senators-press-VA-nominee-on-contract-cancellations-review-process-and-ties-to-former-employer","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6025723-6a2f992e70c43b12b2fbba3466f01ee3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770489012&Signature=OdIr4UtsZSZfLlhU5j6hxznHc2NZrntUSG3adgTBmja4IlYNT6BHN~1PlcrW0STtMlporkfpGj68U5w9m7Vp5FZ0LWf3T3FLwqB3aGC3kwJqV4Q1btGEzLYo3kmdvWvfIxuIgztyoZ55Nu0TOWITWbl-CTvUwR4yal7iAS91FWURGSYoyvbv2BB7gedqzkTYeISzEntb3aJZSpuFmIOu-Sli5nbn2bTOL-JeWDGotv3L8i9E9J5VNXpwsyTsdZPXo7EDzcj38gHk1bS~06MBFw8SkUs3yx4hzagojFmiBPzsy8XjonsPyg5xWqVpvM1Emj~ixrCUT3RyD17PFAtMxg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senators on the Veterans' Affairs Committee repeatedly questioned nominee Dr. Karen Bridal about her involvement in the VA's contract review and cancellation process and whether she had reviewed contracts linked to her former employer, Science Application International Corporation (SAIC).

Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal pressed Bridal on whether she had reviewed specific canceled contracts and cited a figure that SAIC received $70,000,000 from the VA. \"I know you have said you weren't directly involved, but I'm gonna wanna know exactly how you were involved in what has been done already by the VA,\" Blumenthal said. Bridal told the committee that she had reviewed \"some of those\" contracts but later said she had not reviewed contracts of her former employer and that she had \"met the requirements of the law\" regarding her prior employment.

Disputed counts: Senators gave differing totals for canceled contracts during the exchange. Blumenthal at one point cited tens of thousands canceled; Senator King noted various publicly cited figures (31,000, 16,000). Bridal said the number of contracts actually terminated as of her testimony was about 2,500 out of roughly 76,000 contracts, and she described a structure she recommended that relied on career senior leaders to independently evaluate contracts for termination or nonrenewal.

Committee members also focused on the role of noncareer review teams and the mechanics of the review. King asked whether Bridal had reviewed the contracts of her former employer; Bridal repeatedly replied that she was not a contracting officer or contracting authority and that she had not reviewed those contracts. \"I am not a contracting officer nor a contracting authority. I do not have that authority,\" she said.

Bridal said she was responsible for assessing executive orders and ensuring they were followed without disruption and that she would take follow‑up actions to locate specifics after the hearing if senators requested them. She told senators she would look into particular contracts raised by committee members and provide information following the hearing.

Ending: No formal committee action was taken during the hearing; senators asked for written follow‑up on specific contracts and an accounting of the contract review process.","During her confirmation hearing, Dr. Karen Bridal faced repeated questions about her role in VA contract cancellations and whether she reviewed contracts tied to her former employer, Science Application International Corporation (SAIC).",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6025728,"VA benefits nominee stresses claims modernization, vows timely, accurate benefits",0,1188000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5753124-167ea9d9ff8f0eb2c76928f8a38bd59f&start=1188&end=1188","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5753124-167ea9d9ff8f0eb2c76928f8a38bd59f/thumbnail_1188000.jpg","/articles/6025728/VA-benefits-nominee-stresses-claims-modernization-vows-timely-accurate-benefits","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6025728-0a808e8c7afe4b0e1d2394f005fa925c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770489012&Signature=LSE6nCr4JtmMDOAoNsd8PEtSM5iAtrulu6gvghNRzgklYWAhrd09C1hsg-UK5p~TkwEcGdLWtOEsGa9HTP0rhNCb2f-EYyljDElz0ikCwtbe7f2iinAkETqZ~2xTZjCY3qwbcQaxJJEZ6eXvDt3vBPbu9g2Z5qPo1oe2FX3zcu8FiEefuwDr69rW0Z-PNUTZw5D16vGpcl~w6ohnaUI9zziHA7O0YPBLnFa8Edcjux~dEob0e~q~5FULWMwHD7n~AGJhS6vOpfARA2KWmwU27RDTlt8Jibhn2UVcTurbLV2MRSykdQtv0SF64Fr7RW2u7XK8L5pUC6hYk696XU74FA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","VA Undersecretary for Benefits nominee Dr. Karen Bridal told the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs that she would prioritize modernizing claims systems and delivering benefits \"timely and accurately\" if confirmed. The hearing, convened by Chairman Moran, focused on backlog reductions, modernization plans and how the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) communicates with veterans.

Bridal said the VA has reduced the backlog in disability compensation claims by more than 37% since January and that for fiscal 2025 the VA is processing claims nearly 18% faster than in fiscal 2024. \"We will ensure that every veteran is provided the benefits they've earned timely and accurately,\" she told the committee.

Why it matters: The VBA administers disability and pension benefits, education and home loan programs and transition services; delays and unclear communications can leave veterans and survivors without expected payments. Committee members pressed Bridal on specific reforms and implementation risks, including digitizing forms, establishing a single foundational data object for veteran records, and ensuring a human remains \"at the beginning and end\" of any automated process.

Bridal described concrete modernization targets she would pursue if confirmed: reducing repetitive paperwork by allowing veterans to submit discharge documents once for use across systems, digitizing long paper forms (she cited a VA notice form that includes 15 pages, six pages of instructions), and deploying automation and real‑time dashboards to speed intake and oversight. She told senators she managed acquisition and enterprise portfolios in prior roles and had overseen a $30,000,000,000 portfolio and a workforce of more than 12,000 professionals while serving as VA chief acquisition officer and acting assistant secretary for enterprise integration.

Committee members asked about quality and transparency as claims volumes fall. Senator Blumenthal warned that faster processing has coincided with an increase in higher‑level review requests and asked Bridal to explain the inputs and safeguards that would preserve decision quality. Bridal said she would do a full assessment of claims processes, workforce needs and transparency measures if confirmed, and emphasized workforce strengthening and veteran‑centered reform.

The nominee agreed to provide further written responses to committee questions and to engage with senators as she assumes the post. Chairman Moran invited members to submit questions for the record; Bridal and the committee agreed she will return follow‑up material as requested.

Ending: The committee did not vote during the hearing. Senators from both parties pressed for specifics on timelines, workforce plans and measurable outreach goals; Bridal said she would provide requested data and implement a review of current claims and outreach practices after confirmation.","At a Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee hearing, nominee Dr. Karen Bridal highlighted digital modernization, workforce review and a push for clearer claims communications as priorities for the Veterans Benefits Administration.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senators secure nominee's pledge to address Camp Lejeune attorney fees, fiduciary fraud and survivor overpayments

Senators fault VA nominee over workforce losses, collective bargaining and claims quality

Senators press VA nominee on contract cancellations, review process and ties to former employer

VA benefits nominee stresses claims modernization, vows timely, accurate benefits