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The Veterans Benefits Administration -- the arm of the Department of Veterans Affairs that adjudicates disability compensation claims -- has processed more than 1 million filings this year and is on track to complete 2.5 million total by year's end, which is roughly a half-million more than it processed in 2024, according to officials.
The department announced in late February it had reached the 1 million claims mark two weeks earlier than in 2024 despite receiving a 16% increase in applications last year.
WASHINGTON — Veterans groups urged the Department of Veterans Affairs to take steps to end common mistakes in claims reviews for disability that include redundant requests for veterans to undergo more medical exams when the clinical diagnoses already are in their records.
Veterans of Foreign Wars and Disabled American Veterans were among veterans advocacy groups to identify problems and offer recommendations at a hearing Wednesday of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee’s subpanel on disability assistance and memorial affairs.
Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle expressed concern this week over cuts to special operations forces, with many vowing to plus-up their budget as a response.
During Senate and House subpanels, military leaders and members of Congress outlined force cuts and budget reductions that have led to risks in missions for special operations forces because, in many cases, the head of Special Operations Command has been forced to tell combatant commanders “no” when they request capabilities.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Morgan Luttrell (R-TX) introduced the Brian Tally VA Employment Transparency Act of 2025, a critical piece of legislation aimed at ensuring accountability and transparency within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system. This bill is named after Brian Tally, a Marine Corps veteran who suffered devastating consequences due to medical negligence at a VA hospital and the lack of accountability within the system.
It’s vital that Congress renew the expiring $1 billion state and local cybersecurity grant program, witnesses testified before a House panel, but they added that it could benefit from some upgrades, too.
WASHINGTON -- Congressman Morgan Luttrell (R-TX), Chairman of Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs (DAMA) Subcommittee on House Veterans’ Affairs Committee (HVAC), introduced the Service Dogs Assisting Veterans Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. This legislation would require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to award grants to nonprofit organizations to assist with programs to provide service dogs to eligible veterans.
As a combat veteran and a member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I have witnessed firsthand the epidemic of suicide and its devastating impact on the veteran community. Too often I have heard of a fellow brother or sister in arms losing their battle with mental health.
This is a deeply personal issue to me. In Congress, it is my priority to represent the silent voices of those who are suffering alone. No veteran should have to face this battle by themselves; it is our duty to serve those who sacrificed everything for this country.
As a combat veteran and a member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I have witnessed firsthand the epidemic of suicide and its devastating impact on the veteran community. Too often I have heard of a fellow brother or sister in arms losing their battle with mental health.
This is a deeply personal issue to me. In Congress, it is my priority to represent the silent voices of those who are suffering alone. No veteran should have to face this battle by themselves; it is our duty to serve those who sacrificed everything for this country.
EXCLUSIVE: A bipartisan group of lawmakers is teaming up to ensure veteransin need can obtain a service dog at no cost.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Morgan Luttrell (R-TX) recently introduced the Syria Terrorism Threat Assessment Act, requiring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to evaluate threats posed to the United States by individuals in Syria with ties to Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) or a Specially Designated Global Terrorist Organization (STGT). Today, this legislation passed through House Homeland Security Committee’s Counterterrorism and Intelligence Subcommittee mark-up.