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House Veterans Affairs subcommittee pushes VA on digital GI Bill timeline, Rudacille reviews and staffing
Summary
At a House Veterans Affairs subcommittee hearing, lawmakers pressed VA officials on the pace of the Digital GI Bill rollout, the agency's plan to review Rudacille-related claims, automation gains and whether hiring freezes and headquarters staffing growth have hurt benefit delivery.
At a House Committee on Veterans' Affairs subcommittee hearing, Chair Derek Van Orden and members questioned Department of Veterans Affairs officials about delays in education-benefits delivery, the timeline for the Digital GI Bill (DGI) migration and the agency’s plan to process Rudacille-related claims.
The hearing centered on whether recent IT modernization work and internal staffing changes have improved service to veterans or diverted funds into headquarters bureaucracy. "Since 2020, the number of employees at the education services at VA's headquarters in DC has nearly doubled," Chair Derek Van Orden said, adding concerns that increased headquarters staff had not clearly translated into faster delivery of benefits. Van Orden listed a string of problems he said the committee has identified, including contract and oversight mistakes tied to the Digital GI Bill and other administrative errors.
Ken Smith, acting executive director of Education Services at the Veterans Benefits Administration,…
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