House veterans subcommittee presses VA over VR&E wait times, extensions and oversight

A House Veterans' Affairs subcommittee hearing on the Veterans Readiness and Employment Program (VR&E) pressed Department of Veterans Affairs officials on long counselor wait times, unusually large benefit extensions and what members described as a failure of oversight.

Chairman Van Orden opened the hearing by describing site visits that produced “truly disturbing” findings of extended wait times and what he called an unprecedented number of entitlement extensions, saying some veterans have been in the program for decades and that a small number of cases included very large payments. “If anyone's concerned about funding for veterans, they need to be concerned about what's going on in this program,” Van Orden said.

The hearing matters because VR&E provides training, education and on‑the‑job supports that aim to help service‑connected disabled veterans obtain employment and independent living. Lawmakers said the program’s performance and fiscal controls affect veterans’ livelihoods and taxpayers’ funds.

Members pressed Margarita Devlin, acting principal deputy under secretary for benefits at the Department of Veterans Affairs, who testified that caseloads have surged and that the VA has taken steps to reduce backlogs. Devlin said VR&E caseloads grew 52.3% from October 2020 to June 2025 and that the national ratio of veterans per counselor is far above the VA’s target. “We…