Key Takeaways
- •Witnesses and members celebrated the VA's decision to halt a rule that would have reduced disability ratings for veterans using medication to manage their service-connected conditions.
- •Coleman Nee (National Commander, Disabled American Veterans) urged Congress to modernize the VA and reject privatization efforts that could erode specialized care for combat-related injuries.
- •Rep. Luttrell (R, TX-8) pressed witnesses on veteran spouse suicide rates and advocated for expanded VA research into alternative therapies like psychedelics to prevent veteran self-harm.
- •Rep. Takano (D, CA-39) criticized VA staffing reductions and reorganization, while Rep. Mace (R, SC-1) promoted legislation to expand community care options and increase benefits for severely disabled veterans.
- •Bipartisan members and VSOs called for the immediate passage of the Major Richard Star Act to end the offset of combat-related disability pay and retirement benefits.
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Hearing Analysis
Key Testimony
The Joint House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committees met on February 24, 2026, to receive the annual legislative presentations of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and several other prominent Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs). The hearing served as a platform for these organizations to outline their policy priorities for the 119th Congress, focusing on the preservation of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system, the expansion of survivor benefits, and the modernization of the transition process for separating service members. Rep. Nancy Mace (R, SC-1) and Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) presided over the session, which featured testimony from two panels representing a broad spectrum of the veteran community, including women, minority, and Native American veterans.
Overview
A central theme of the hearing was the universal opposition to a recent VA interim final rule titled "Evaluative Rating Impact of Medication." Witnesses and lawmakers, including Rep. Mark Takano (D, CA-39) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), criticized the rule for potentially reducing disability ratings for veterans whose conditions improve through medication. While VA Secretary Doug Collins reportedly indicated the rule would not be enforced, Ranking Member Takano and Sen. Blumenthal demanded its immediate rescission, arguing that medication manages rather than erases service-connected injuries. Coleman Nee, National Commander of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), characterized the VA as being at a "defining crossroads," arguing against the dismantling or privatization of the system in favor of principled modernization and infrastructure investment.
The hearing highlighted several key legislative proposals. There was overwhelming bipartisan support for the Major Richard Star Act, which would allow combat-injured, medically retired veterans to receive both their retirement pay and disability compensation without the current offset. Additionally, the GUARD VA Benefits Act, introduced by Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH-1), was frequently cited as a necessary tool to combat "claim sharks"—unaccredited for-profit companies that charge veterans high fees for disability claim assistance. Other discussed legislation included the Caring for Survivors Act (S. 611/H.R. 2055) and the Love Lives On Act, both aimed at increasing Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) and protecting benefits for surviving spouses who remarry.
Industry Impact
The second panel provided specialized perspectives on sector-specific impacts. Lieutenant General Brian Kelly, President and CEO of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), emphasized the TAP Promotion Act to improve the Transition Assistance Program, noting that many veterans leave service without understanding their earned benefits. Dr. Lindsay Knight of Blue Star Families discussed the success of the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Program and advocated for the BRIDGE Act to extend transition services to military families. Larry Wright Jr. of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) called for advance appropriations for the Indian Health Service (IHS) and increased staffing for the Native American Direct Loan program.
Overview
The hearing also addressed the unique needs of women and minority veterans. Captain Rita Graham of the Service Women's Action Network (SWAN) urged Congress to close gender-based research gaps in the PACT Act, specifically regarding reproductive health and infertility linked to toxic exposures. Richard Brookshire of the Black Veterans Project (BVP) delivered a sharp critique of the VA's recent elimination of the Office of Equity Assurance and other diversity initiatives, arguing that systemic racial disparities in disability grant rates remain unaddressed.
Organizations & Entities
Notable exchanges occurred regarding alternative therapies for mental health. Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R, TX-8) and Rep. Mace discussed the high efficacy of plant-based and psychedelic therapies for treating PTSD and suicidal ideation. Rep. Luttrell called for an "all-hands muster" to push the VA, Department of Defense (DOD), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to accelerate research into these treatments, noting that current reliance on opioids and SSRIs is failing to lower suicide rates.
Key Testimony
The organizations identified in the hearing were discussed in the following contexts: - Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): The primary subject of oversight, criticized for its interim final rule on medication and staffing shortages, while being defended as a necessary, specialized healthcare system. - Disabled American Veterans (DAV): Presented its 2026 legislative agenda focused on claims processing, mental health, and opposing VA privatization. - Department of Defense (DOD): Mentioned regarding the transition process (TAP) and its recent review of women in ground combat positions. - Blue Star Families: Testified on the success of the Staff Sergeant Fox grant and the need for the BRIDGE Act. - Service Women's Action Network (SWAN): Advocated for reproductive health research and protecting women's roles in combat. - Military Officers Association of America (MOAA): Focused on the GUARD VA Benefits Act and the TAP Promotion Act. - National Congress of American Indians (NCAI): Discussed the unique housing and healthcare challenges facing Native American veterans. - Black Veterans Project (BVP): Criticized the VA for terminating equity initiatives and highlighted racial disparities in benefits. - Gold Star Wives of America, Inc.: Advocated for the Caring for Survivors Act to increase DIC payments. - Veterans Health Administration (VHA): Referenced regarding staffing levels and the need for internal infrastructure improvements. - Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Mentioned by Rep. Luttrell as a barrier to researching alternative PTSD therapies. - Indian Health Service (IHS): Identified as a critical healthcare provider for rural Native veterans requiring stable funding. - VA Advisory Committee on Tribal and Indian Affairs: Praised for ensuring tribal voices are represented in VA policy. - Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA): Represented on the second panel to discuss the needs of aging veterans. - Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): Referenced regarding coordination on alternative medical research. - Office of Equity Assurance: Criticized by BVP for being liquidated by the VA. - Department of Labor (DOL): Mentioned in the context of the Transition Assistance Program (TAP). - National Cemetery Administration (NCA): Praised by DAV for its role in providing dignified burials. - Yale Law School: Referenced by BVP for its role in FOIA litigation against the VA. - Johns Hopkins University: Mentioned as a site for specialized clinical trials for PTSD.
Transcript
Good morning, and thank you all for being here. I'm glad to be here in the Senate with Chairman Moran and Ranking Member Blumenthal. Chairman Bost wishes he could be here today, but due to travel issues caused by the recent snowstorm that we're enduring today, he could not make it here in time for the hearing. I would like to thank the DAV's National Commander, Mr. Coleman Nee, for being here today. I would also like to recognize the DAV Auxiliary National Commander, Melissa Pierce. Thank you for being here today. A special shout-out to Mr. Dan Pierce for being here as well. And I'm pleased that there are folks here from across the country, including my home state of South Carolina. Thank you for traveling through a blizzard, through the snow, to be with us here this morning. If you're from South Carolina, please stand if you're able. I'd like to see some of my folks out there. There you are. [Applause.] God bless you all, and thank you for traveling here, and I want to give a warm welcome to those folks. This year marks my fifth year on the committee. Veterans have always been a part of my life. I grew up around veterans, I know veterans, and they have always been part of our community and our family's community. Every time I'm on the House floor debating a bill or sitting on the dais, I'm always thinking of them and like my dad, the generations of men and women who've served, my siblings. In fact, I just had one come back from a deployment overseas in the Middle East. For me, it's always about taking care of our veteran community when they come home. I know the sacrifices of each of you have made, especially our disabled community. Each of you has fought to protect the freedoms we hold dear. I, along with my House Republican colleagues, are leading the charge to first help make life more affordable for severely disabled veterans and survivors through the Shari-Briley and Eric-Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act that we reported out of the committee two weeks ago. The bill would raise the monthly benefits rate for the most severely service-connected disabled veterans that require around-the-clock care by offering an additional $10,000 annually. It would also boost the monthly support payment that veteran survivors receive by an additional 1.5 percent annually over the next two years. These increases have not been made in decades. I need your support to help ensure they are not caught up in an election-year political games and that they are finally enacted. Second, ensure veterans get quality healthcare at the VA or within the community. That's why we're fighting for the Veterans Access Act, which is common-sense legislation to build and solidify the gains made in the Choice and MISSION Acts. The bill would give veterans even more options in how they access their healthcare outside of the VA, especially veterans living in rural and remote areas. Third, reauthorize VA to make sure the VA's programs work for today's and tomorrow's veterans, something that has not been done in decades. The importance of the Transition Assistance Program, or TAP, is an area that remains a key priority for me and many of us, all of us on the VA Committee. Ensuring that service members are set up for their next mission in life is not something I take lightly. Thank you to the DAV for highlighting the importance of new veterans understanding the benefits they have earned and that they deserve. We are also committed to ensuring opportunities for veterans to explore non-traditional education, whether that be through apprenticeships, on-the-job training during TAP, or the Veteran Readiness and Employment program. We must continue to focus our efforts to ensure veterans are able to find and maintain meaningful employment. The DAV plays an important role in making sure we advance common-sense proposals and conduct oversight to meet the needs of all veterans, no matter their zip code and no matter where they work. Veterans should have the choice to use the benefits VA offers in exchange for their service to meet their own needs. You know where we need to push the agency forward, not stick to the status quo. I can promise you one thing: my House Republican colleagues and I will never stop fighting for you and the voices you represent, the hundreds of thousands of veterans outside the D.C. beltway who just want their healthcare on time, their benefits without a headache, and to live the American dream. We take this mission seriously, and I know my House and Senate Republican colleagues, as well as VA Secretary Doug Collins and President Trump, do too. We made progress with the most recent NDAA, and I proudly supported the following major provisions: enhancing the financial planning section of TAP to cover topics such as debt management, taxes, and investing; improving the warm handover process between VA, DOD, and DOL; allowing service members to attend TAP multiple times and encourage folks to bring their spouses along too. These things make a real difference for transitioning service members, and they must have all the tools needed to prepare for their next phase of life with their family. We will continue to fight to deliver historic economic relief for all veterans, including severely disabled veterans like Eric Edmundson and survivors like Shari Briley. We will continue to fight to modernize the VA and its programs forward through reauthorization. We will continue to ensure veterans, no matter where they live, get the healthcare they deserve at the VA or in their community. I look forward to completing your mission alongside each and every one of you, and thank you again for being here today. And with that, I will recognize Ranking Member Takano for his opening remarks.
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