ICYMI: Ciscomani’s Veterans’ Bills Make Strides in House Veterans’ Affairs Committee

WASHINGTON – Two veteran-focused bills introduced by U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06) made major strides through the committee process last week. In doing so, the bills are one step closer to a vote on the House floor.

On Wednesday, the House Veterans' Affairs Committee held a hearing to examine bills related to veterans’ disability claims, including Congressman Ciscomani’s bill, the Veterans’ Appeals Backlog Improvement Act. The bipartisan legislation, introduced in early March, is aimed at addressing the backlog of disability claims at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) by increasing staff at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. Congressman Ciscomani testified in front of the committee, highlighting the heartbreaking stories created by these backlogs. You can view the congressman’s full testimony from Wednesday here.  

“The backlog of pending appeals has increased in recent years, topping 200,000 undecided cases with the average veteran facing a wait time of 440 days before a decision,” said Congressman Ciscomani in the hearing.“And sadly, there is a heartbreaking story of a veteran in need behind each of these numbers. Last year, there was a report of an Army veteran in my home state of Arizona who waited 5 years to simply be heard in front of the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. He was described as beaten down, by a broken system, saying ‘I hope I just go to sleep and don't wake up… I'm tired of my life being the way it is.’ Our veterans who were injured in the line of duty, who sacrificed their health and well-being for our country, should feel supported and uplifted by the country they gave so much for – not beaten down.” 

On Thursday, Congressman Ciscomani joined another House Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing to discuss his second veteran services bill, theVET-TEC Authorization Act, which the congressman introduced late last month. Members from stakeholder groups were brought in to comment on the impact of the legislation. A representative from the American Legion—the nation's largest wartime veterans service organization—praised the bill. The VET-TEC program currently has an 84 percent graduation rate for the 12,000 veterans who’ve already completed it. You can view the full remarks from Thursday’s hearing here.

“The VET-TEC Program, as noted earlier, has been a huge success for veterans transitioning out of the service into civilian life; [American Legion] members have benefitted from it,” said Matthew Brennan, a policy analyst from the American Legion. “Right now, as we know, there's a dire need for employment in the sought-after sectors. We believe that making this program permanent and ensuring that they go into these jobs that are well paying is instrumental to ensuring their successful transition.” 

The bills now await additional rounds of review from the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee during the week of April 17 and then April 25. Once voted out of committee, they will head to the House floor for a full vote.