The Committee’s Work to Serve Veterans in 2021
In 2021, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs did more than simply say “thank you” to veterans. Under the leadership of Chairman Mark Takano, the Committee has worked alongside the Biden Harris Administration and House Democrats to help veterans and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic through the American Rescue Plan, Chairman Takano’s Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act of 2020, and his SAVE LIVES Act, which expanded COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to veterans and their families. In addition, the Committee had 18 bills become law, passed an additional 22 bills through the House that aimed to support veterans, and held more than 45 hearings addressing Chairman Takano’s priorities.
Here are a few highlights from 2021:
Creating a more welcoming VA and build equity for veterans
At the start of the 117th Congress, Chairman Takano made creating a safe and welcoming VA for all veterans — regardless of gender, sexuality, race, or gender identity — a top priority.
No veteran should face barriers to care or benefits they’ve earned — that’s why we must document how veterans were denied benefits in the past, determine the extent of ongoing inequities, remediate that disparity, and ensure that VA equitably disburses future benefits to all who have served. As an important step, President Biden signed into law Chairman Takano’s and Senator Reverend Warnock’s bill that directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study racial and ethnic disparities in how veterans have access to VA benefits.
Reducing veteran suicide
The Committee has been working to reduce veteran suicide. The full Committee held a hearing last September to examine new and ongoing suicide research and prevention efforts at VA and hear directly from Veterans Service Organizations about the mental health issues their members face. The hearing was an opportunity to learn how VA was supporting these veterans. The Committee also passed Representative Cindy Axne’s Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans Mental Health Act of 2021 into law last September to increase access to mental health resources in rural areas.
Click to view mental health resources available to veterans, their loved ones, and their caregivers.
Addressing toxic exposure
We need to recognize toxic exposure as a cost of war. In the 116th Congress, Chairman Takano led the monumental effort to finally pass the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act to grant benefits to Vietnam veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange during their service off the coast of Vietnam. But it took more than forty years — that’s why Chairman Takano announced that he will prioritize toxic exposure this Congress and moved comprehensive legislation forward with his Honoring our PACT Act.
If the United States is willing to send servicemembers into harm’s way, then we must be willing to care for these servicemembers — and pay for that care — when they come home.
The Committee and House Democrats will continue to lead the way to ensure VA is ready to serve the next generation of an increasingly diverse veteran population, expand and strengthen access to mental healthcare and suicide prevention programs, and provide care and benefits to veterans exposed to toxic substances.
