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WASHINGTON – There are 72,000 hearings for veteran claims now pending before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, an official for a federal watchdog agency told House lawmakers on Wednesday.

The large caseload is driven by repeat cases sent back to the appeals board after a higher court determined the board’s findings were inadequate or incomplete, said Elizabeth Curda, the director of Education, Workforce and Income Security at the Government Accountability Office.

Every day, the lives and livelihoods of people across this country are severely affected by the millions of illegal immigrants flooding into the United States. As revealed in the House Committee on Homeland Security’s investigation into the costs, causes, and consequences of the border crisis, this is especially true for those who make their living and feed their families on the front lines of this chaos.

As the opioid epidemic continues to grip our nation, claiming lives, destroying families, and burdening communities, it is imperative that we explore every viable solution. Among these potential solutions is a powerful, natural, non-addictive substance known as ibogaine. As voices that have served in political and military capacities, we unite in our appeal to the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission (KYOAAC): Allocate $42 million for ibogaine research.

More than twice as many U.S. service members may have been injured in recent attacks in Iraq and Syria than the Pentagon previously disclosed, U.S. defense officials said on Monday. At least 45 Americans are reporting minor injuries or potential traumatic brain injuries.