Navy leaders this week identified an aircraft carrier and two submarines affected by faulty weld issues during work at the Newport News Shipyard in Virginia, but say that the substandard work did not take place on components that affect ship safety or operations.

In a letter to House and Senate armed services committee members Thursday, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said impacted ships include the recently-revamped aircraft carrier George Washington and the brand-new attack submarines Hyman G. Rickover and New Jersey.

Citing shipyard officials, Del Toro wrote that the issue involved “welders who did not follow welding procedures properly.”

“Importantly, the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) has assessed that the welds were not on components or systems that affect ship safety or operations,” he wrote. “NAVSEA, as the technical warrant holder, has determined the ships are safe to operate.”

Del Toro wrote that he first became aware of the issue on Sept. 24.

The Navy had identified those three vessels as having been impacted as of Thursday, and Del Toro’s memo states that the sea service is examining welds on 23 ships under construction or in maintenance to see if faulty welds there may impact future operations.

Lawmakers demand answers over reports of faulty Navy ship welding

Last week, officials with HII, the company that owns Newport News Shipbuilding, acknowledged that “some welders knowingly circumvented certain welding procedures” while working on military vessels.

“Malicious intent” was ruled out as a the source of the problem, HII said in a statement.

“Upon discovery of some welders not consistently following procedures, we followed our protocol, took action to communicate with our customers and regulators in a timely manner and began working the issue with the Navy,” the company said in an additional statement Friday.

The Department of Justice is investigating the matter, lawmakers confirmed this week.

Del Toro promised to cooperate with that probe and wrote Thursday that the Navy “is evaluating all legal options, and reserving our rights accordingly.”

Congressional leaders have pushed the Navy this week for more answers on the scope of the problem and how it was allowed to happen.

“These vessels are critical to U.S. defense,” House Armed Services Committee members wrote to Del Toro this week. “We must ensure that these vessels are protected against any bad actors seeking to put U.S. national security or our service members at risk.”

The Newport News yard is one of two in the United States focused on the nuclear fleet. The yard constructs parts of several submarine classes, as well as Ford-class aircraft carriers.

While the timeframe of the faulty welds has not been disclosed, George Washington left the Newport News yard in May 2023 following its midlife maintenance overhaul that began in 2017 and was originally supposed to wrap in 2021. Officials blamed the delays on extra unanticipated work during the so-called refueling and complex overhaul, or RCOH.

The carrier is currently underway in the Pacific Ocean and on its way to its new home port in Japan.

The submarine Hyman G. Rickover was commissioned in October 2023, while New Jersey was just commissioned on Sept. 14.

In the memo, Del Toro promised a full review of operations at the shipyard to ensure the welding problems do not occur again.

“The safety of our sailors and ships is of paramount importance,” he wrote. “We have given top priority to the task of defining and examining the scope of improper welds conducted on operational in-service ships, and I have directed my Navy technical experts to co-locate with the shipyard immediately to support a thorough review.”

Pentagon officials have said more than 100 U.S. troops were diagnosed with brain injuries following a missile attack at the Ain al-Asad base in Iraq in January 2020. The assault came in response to the American killing of Iranian Revolutionary Guard General Qassem Soleimani in Iraq a few days earlier.

While the missiles did not directly strike any U.S. forces, the barrage of strikes caused dizziness, sensitivity to light, nausea and other traumatic brain injury symptoms in dozens of troops stationed there, Defense Department officials said. In some cases, the effects lasted for weeks or months, and multiple troops had to be evacuated to Germany for medical treatment.

Most casualties from recent attacks in Middle East are brain injuries

On Tuesday, when asked by a reporter if he wished he had been tougher on Iran, given the severity of the injuries incurred in that attack, Trump downplayed the result.

“What does ‘injured’ mean?” he said. “You mean because they had a headache? Because the bombs never hit the fort…”

“None of those very accurate missiles hit our fort. They all hit outside. There was nobody hurt, other than the sound was loud. Some people said that hurt, and I accept that.”

Nearly 80 troops received Purple Hearts for injuries related to the attack, most connected to traumatic brain injury. An inspector general report released in November 2021 hinted the number of injuries may have been even higher, because military officials did not properly document all of the troops’ health issues.

Trump’s comments drew immediate criticism from Democratic Party officials and prompted condemnation from Gov. Tim Walz during the vice presidential debate on Tuesday night.

Trump also claimed at the event that “there was nobody ever tougher” towards Iran than him. Walz, who served 24 years in the Army National Guard, disputed that at the debate in New York a few hours later.

“Iran is closer to a nuclear weapon than they were before because of Donald Trump’s fickle leadership,” Walz said. “And when Iranian missiles did fall near U.S. troops and they received traumatic brain injuries. Donald Trump wrote it off as ‘headaches.’”

Ohio Sen. JD Vance, Trump’s running mate and a Marine Corps veteran, did not directly address the military injuries in his comments but blamed President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris — the Democratic nominee for president — for weak policies toward Iranian aggression.

Trump has previously downplayed the severity of the Iranian missile attack against U.S. military forces. In the days following the attack, while he was still president, Trump called the injuries “not very serious” and labeled the damage caused as “minimal.”

The records intrusions were first reported by the Washington Post. In a statement, VA press secretary Terrence Hayes said the matter was referred to Justice Department investigators as soon as VA leaders were made aware of the issue.

“We take the privacy of the veterans we serve very seriously and have strict policies in place to protect their records,” he said. “Any attempt to improperly access veteran records by VA personnel is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

Neither campaign has made any public comments on the matter. The Washington Post reported the records involved included medical files but not disability or other benefits information.

Here are all the veterans running for Congress in 2024

Walz, the current Democratic governor of Minnesota, served for 24 years in the Army National Guard. Vance, a Republican senator from Ohio, served in the Marine Corps for four years.

Both men have talked about their interactions with veterans services and benefits while on the campaign trail. Vance has publicly acknowledged that he used VA health care after leaving the active-duty ranks. It is not known if Walz ever accessed the medical system.

In a letter to department employees in August, VA Secretary Denis McDonough warned that privacy rules regarding veterans records must be followed to maintain the trust of patients and families.

“Viewing a veteran’s records out of curiosity or concern — or for any purpose that is not directly related to officially authorized and assigned duties — is strictly prohibited,” he wrote. “Failure to comply with these requirements may result in disciplinary action, including removal, as well as referral to law enforcement for civil penalties and criminal prosecution.”

Vance and Walz are scheduled to appear together at their only debate of the election cycle on Tuesday night in New York City.

Republican lawmakers decried the findings as abhorrent and evidence that department planners are still improperly preventing veterans from getting quick medical care outside of the VA healthcare system.

But senior VA leaders said they are committed to providing patients with the best care possible, and promised a full review of the incidents to correct the mistakes and potentially punish the administrators involved.

The report, released Friday afternoon, focused on veterans receiving care through the VA Western New York Healthcare System over the last two years.

Investigators found that local leaders “failed to resolve significant community care scheduling delays for patients with serious health conditions, despite providers’ and community care staff’s efforts to advocate on the behalf of patients.”

Changes to VA’s community care program raise concerns about vets’ health care access

Community care — where veterans can receive medical appointments and treatments at private-sector clinics but have the expenses covered by VA — has been a controversial topic in recent years, with conservatives claiming that department bureaucrats unnecessary limit those outside options.

In the New York investigation, the inspector general found that at least 42 patients had significant delays in accessing that care, despite facing serious health conditions that mandated fast action.

“For three of the 42 patients, the scheduling delay affected the provider’s management of the patient’s condition, and for 9 of the 42, the delay affected the patient’s clinical status or condition,” the report states.

In one case, a veteran with esophageal cancer had radiation therapy incorrectly denied for several months before dying from the illness. Investigators said the treatments would not likely have saved the individual, but a faster response “would likely have decreased the level of pain and improved the quality of life in the patient’s final months.”

In another case, a young veteran experiencing seizures waited more than 300 days for a consult to be scheduled, even as the patient was hospitalized several times a month for related health issues.

“Leaders failed to consistently focus on patients, respond to staff concerns, get to the root cause of concerns regarding delayed scheduling of urgent consults, and predict and eliminate risks before causing patient harm,” the report stated.

In response to the findings, “VA immediately transferred the medical center director and the chief of staff out of clinical- and veteran-facing positions pending the results of an investigation,” VA press secretary Terrence Hayes said in a statement.

“It is unacceptable for any veteran to have their care delayed, which is why we are taking immediate corrective actions to prevent this from happening again.”

Republican lawmakers demanded a full detailing of what that promise means.

“Community care is VA care, and I won’t let VA bureaucrats restrict it,” House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost, R-Ill., said in a statement. “It is unacceptable that VA is allowing its own leadership and failures to yet again lead to patient harm.”

Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee ranking member Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, expressed similar concerns.

“The lapses in care described in this report cannot be ignored,” he said in a statement. “VA must answer to Congress, veterans and the American people by acting without delay to hold leadership and staff accountable through conducting an immediate national review of backlogged consults everywhere.”

In fiscal 2023, VA approved more than 7.8 million community care appointments, totaling more than $31 billion. That was up about 17% from the previous year, and represented nearly one in every six medical appointments covered by VA that year.

But Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill have sparred in recent years over whether VA is doing enough to ensure that veterans are presented with non-department medical options when facing delays in care.

The inspector general said in the New York cases they reviewed, the delays occurred because “the community care team lacked a process to address time-sensitive, high-risk consults and had no standard operating procedures.”

They also said officials “were unfamiliar with community care basic processes and were not following all national standards” for approving such care.

The report recommends a full review of system leaders’ decisions regarding the delays, as well as overhauling procedures for approving such requests in the future.

The full report is available on the inspector general’s website.

But veteran representation in the halls of the Capitol is expected to remain much higher than in the public at large. Currently, about 6% of the U.S. population has served or is serving in the military. In comparison, about 18% of House and Senate lawmakers spent time in the ranks.

Advocates say that’s good news, since veterans bring important perspectives to key issues facing congressional responsibilities.

Here are all the veterans running for Congress in 2024

“That type of lived experience is invaluable when it comes to national security debates,” said Allison Jaslow, CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. “It’s essential to have a decent amount of veterans in office to protect the military, track veterans’ issues first-hand.

“There are plenty of civilians who do good work on issues like mental health and veterans care, but individuals who have lived it are more likely to engage thoughtfully on them.”

Fewer veteran candidates

In 2022, 196 candidates with military backgrounds won primaries for House and Senate races. Of that group, 97 — 17 Senate candidates and 80 House hopefuls — won their races.

This year, the number of primary winners who are veterans is down almost 10%, to 181. The smaller pool means the number of November election victors is also likely to drop.

Veteran representation in Congress peaked in the 1970s, when the number of veterans in both chambers reached 400. But after the introduction of the all-volunteer military force, both the number of veterans in America and the number running for Congress dropped steadily.

In 1980, more than 29 million veterans were living in the United States. Today that total is less than 18 million.

That population change is largely to blame for the decrease in congressional numbers. In 1986, the number of veterans who won congressional elections fell below 300 for the first time in almost four decades. It dropped below 200 for the first time in 1996. In 2014, it fell below 100.

The 116th Congress, which began in 2021, opened with 91 veterans among its members, the lowest total since the end of World War II. Depending on the outcome of races this year, the total for next year’s Congress could slip below that benchmark.

Even as the totals have dropped, the number of younger veterans mounting — and winning — congressional bids has grown in recent years.

In 2018, 54 veteran candidates started their military careers before 1980, versus 44 who joined the military after 2000. This year, 55 veteran candidates started after 2000, against 38 who signed onto military service before 1980.

Of the 75 candidates this cycle with a combat zone deployment, 62 of them served in Iraq, Afghanistan or both.

Breaking down the number of veterans in the 118th Congress

Understanding the military

About 70% of the candidates with military experience are running as Republicans. That’s slightly higher than in recent years, with GOP candidates usually averaging about 65% of the field.

But Jaslow — who served with the Army in Iraq — said some of the shared political background of those candidates can blunt the partisan divide between the major parties.

These are people who have already sacrificed and served on behalf of their country,” she said.

House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost, R-Ill. — a Marine Corps veteran himself — said his panel’s work depends on that first-person perspective.

“There are non-veterans on the committee too, but if you’re a disabled veteran, or a decorated veteran, there is a different understanding,” he said.

“The combat veterans on the committee in particular have always been a great help, because they have had to maneuver the Veterans Affairs health care system themselves. There’s just so much more wisdom that’s available from their experiences.”

Ten of the committee’s 25 members are military veterans. Two are among the seven women veterans serving in the House and Senate.

With Trump pick, JD Vance is first post-9/11 vet on major party ticket

The presidential factor

Not included in the list of congressional candidates are the two vice presidential nominees — Democrat Tim Walz and Republican JD Vance — both of whom served in the military.

Vance enlisted in the Marine Corps after graduating high school and served a four-year stint as a combat correspondent, during which he escorted civilian press and wrote articles for a military news service. He deployed to Iraq in 2005.

Walz served 24 years in the Minnesota National Guard, deploying to Europe in support of overseas operations in Afghanistan. His departure from the military months ahead of his unit’s deployment to Iraq has become a point of contention on the campaign trail.

This year marks the first time since 2004 that both major party presidential tickets have included a candidate with military experience. In that race, it was the presidential hopefuls themselves, Republican George W. Bush and Democrat John Kerry.

“Having two candidates who are both veterans and both post-9/11 veterans, that’s an exciting moment for our country,” Jaslow said. “And it sends a message.”

Whether that veteran vice president will have fewer veteran colleagues in Congress or a larger caucus to work with will be decided by voters on Nov. 5.

This year’s field boasts 70 incumbents, 16 women and 55 individuals who started their military careers after January 2000. Fifty-two of the candidates are Democrats, while 124 are Republicans.

Below is a list of those congressional hopefuls sorted by state, with biographical data on each. Military Times will be tracking each of these races on Election Day and be following each of the winners as they enter the 119th session of Congress next January.

Fewer vets will be on the November ballot for Congress this year

Editor’s note: Eight states do not have any veterans who won a primary contest. They are Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Wyoming. Independent candidates who did not win a primary matchup were not included in this list.

Alabama

House

District 1: Barry Moore (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Army National Guard, 1990s

Member of the House Agriculture and Judiciary committees.

District 1: Tom Holmes, Democrat

Branch: Navy Reserve, 1960s

Retired state worker and advocate for the developmentally disabled.

Arizona

House

District 2: Eli Crane (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Navy, 2000s–2010s

Combat deployments: Afghanistan

Member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

District 4: Kelly Cooper, Republican

Branch: Marine Corps, 1990s

Owns three restaurants and credits his success to the Marine Corps.

District 8: Abraham Hamadeh, Republican

Branch: Army Reserve, 2010s–2020s

Unsuccessfully ran for Arizona Attorney General in 2022.

9: Quacy Smith, Democrat

Branch: Marine Corps, 1990s–2000s

Currently a bishop with Grace Unlimited International Church.

Senate

Ruben Gallego, Democrat

Branch: Marine Corps, 2000s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Vocal member of the House Armed Services Committee now running for Senate.

Arkansas

House

District 1: Rick Crawford (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Army, 1980s

Member of the House Intelligence Committee.

District 1: Rodney Govens, Democrat

Branch: Army, 2000s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Works as a court advocate for abused and neglected children.

District 2: Marcus Jones, Democrat

Branch: Army National Guard, 1990s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

His assignments included serving as program director at NATO’s Joint Warfare Centre in Norway.

District 3: Steve Womack (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Army National Guard, 1970s–2000s

Serves on the House Budget Committee and appropriations’ defense subcommittee.

California

House

District 2: Chris Coulombe, Republican

Branch: Army & Marine Corps, 2000s–2010s

His assignments included running the Army’s Pacific Theater Air Assault School.

District 4: Mike Thompson (Incumbent), Democrat

Branch: Army, 1960s–1970s

Combat Deployments: Vietnam

Received a Purple Heart with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, was an airborne school instructor.

District 5: Mike Barkley, Democrat

Branch: Navy, 1960s

Has run unsuccessfully for Congress six times.

District 7: Tom Silva, Republican

Branch: Army, 1980s–2010s

Worked as veterans program coordinator at University of the Pacific.

District 8: Rudy Recile, Republican

Branch: Army National Guard 1980s–2010s

Also worked as a civilian in the Department of Agriculture.

District 9: Kevin Lincoln II, Republican

Branch: Marine Corps, 2000s

Served in the White House Military Office on Marine One.

District 19: Jimmy Panetta (Incumbent), Democrat

Branch: Navy Reserve, 1990s–2000s

Combat Deployments: Afghanistan

Son of former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.

District 21: Michael Maher, Republican

Branch: Navy, 2000s

Served on the submarine USS Salt Lake City in support of overseas operations.

District 24: Salud Carbajal (Incumbent), Democrat

Branch: Marine Corps Reserve, 1990s

Born in Mexico, he served eight years in the military before his political career.

District 26: Michael Koslow, Republican

Branch: Air Force National Guard, 2000s–2010s

Also worked as a civilian in the Department of Defense Inspector General’s office.

District 27: Mike Garcia (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Navy & Navy Reserve, 1990s–2010s

Had more than 30 combat sorties during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

District 31: Gil Cisneros, Democrat

Branch: Navy, 1990s–2000s

Served as Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness under Biden.

District 32: Larry Thompson, Republican

Branch: Army Reserve, 1960s–1970s

Worked as a Hollywood talent manager.

District 35: Mike Cargile, Republican

Branch: Army, 1990s

Worked as an actor and manager for an indie music label.

District 36: Ted Lieu (Incumbent), Democrat

Branch: Air Force & Air Force Reserve, 1990s–2010s

Member of the House Foreign Affairs and Judiciary committees.

District 39: David Serpa, Republican

Branch: Marine Corps, 2010s–2020s

Founded his own real estate company.

District 45: Derek Tran, Democrat

Branch: Army, 1990s–2000s

Son of refugees who fled Vietnam.

District 48: Darrell Issa (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Army, 1970s–1980s

Served in the U.S. House for 18 years until 2019, then won re-election again in 2021.

District 50: Peter Bono, Republican

Branch: Navy, 1970s–2000s

Volunteers time to help disabled veterans with benefits claims.

Colorado

House

District 6: Jason Crow (Incumbent), Democrat

Branch: Army, 2000s

Combat Deployments: Iraq & Afghanistan

Served as a prosecutor during Trump’s first impeachment trial.

District 6: John Fabbricatore, Republican

Branch: Air Force, 1990s

Retired after 26 years as an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officer.

District 8: Gabe Evans, Republican

Branch: Army & National Guard, 2000s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Trained as a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter pilot.

Connecticut

House

District 1: Jim Griffin, Republican

Branch: Army, 1970s

Lost his bid for this seat in the 2020 Republican primary.

Senate

Matthew Corey, Republican

Branch: Navy, 1980s

Worked as a postal service employee and has run several restaurants.

Florida

House

District 2: Neal Dunn (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Army, 1980s

Completed his medical internship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

District 5: Jay McGovern, Democrat

Branch: Navy, 1980s–2010s

Served as a naval aviator aboard multiple aircraft carriers.

District 6: Michael Waltz (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Army & National Guard, 1990s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Afghanistan

Green Beret was a regular Fox News contributor before joining Congress.

District 7: Cory Mills (Incumbent), Republican,

Branch: Army, 1990s–2000s

Combat Deployments: Bosnia

Spent time in Iraq and Afghanistan as a diplomatic consultant with the State Department.

District 9: Thomas Chalifoux, Republican

Branch: Army, 1960s–2000s

Self-funded his congressional bid.

District 13: Anna Paulina Luna (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Air Force & National Guard, 2000s–2010s

One of five female veterans currently serving in the House.

District 14: Robert Rochford, Republican

Branch: Navy, 1980s–2010s

Former commander of Naval Beach Group One.

District 16: Vern Buchanan (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Air National Guard, 1970s

Sits on the House Ways and Means committee.

District 17: Greg Steube (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Army, 2000s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Serves on the House Veterans’ Affairs and Oversight committees.

District 17: Manny Lopez, Democrat

Branch: Army, 1980s

Disabled veteran who suffered a neck injury during grenade training.

District 18: Scott Franklin (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Navy & Navy Reserve, 1980s–2000s

Combat Deployments: Bosnia

Flew combat missions over Bosnia and Kosovo.

District 21: Brian Mast (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Army, 2000s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Afghanistan

Lost both legs in an IED attack in Afghanistan.

District 25: Christopher Eddy, Republican

Branch: Air Force Reserve, 1980s–2010s

Worked 13 years as an FBI Intelligence Manager.

District 28: Phil Ehr, Democrat

Branch: Navy, 1980s–2000s

Combat Deployments: Gulf War

Founded a nonprofit to counter disinformation in U.S. politics.

Senate

Rick Scott (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Navy, 1970s

Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Georgia

House

District 2: Sanford Bishop Jr. (Incumbent), Democrat

Branch: Army, 1960s–1970s

Has served in Congress since 1992.

District 3: Maura Keller, Democrat

Branch: Army, 1970s–2000s

Retired lieutenant colonel who also worked in the Atlanta VA healthcare system.

District 4: Eugene Yu, Republican

Branch: Army, 1970s–1980s

Also worked as a firefighter and police officer.

District 7: Rich McCormick (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Marine Corps, 1990s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Afghanistan

Served as the department head for emergency medicine in Kandahar.

District 7: Bob Christian, Democrat

Branch: Army, 1990s–2000s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Has also worked as a sports reporter, baker and restaurant executive.

District 9: Andrew Clyde (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Navy & Navy Reserve, 1980s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Serves on the House Homeland Security Committee

District 11: Barry Loudermilk (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Air Force, 1980s–1990s

Serves on the House Financial Services Committee.

District 11: Katy Stamper, Democrat

Branch: Army, 1970s–1980s

Has received criticism for her close ties to Republican lawmakers and groups.

District 13: Jonathan Chavez, Republican

Branch: Air Force, 1990s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Worked as the non-commissioned officer in charge of a joint service medical team in Iraq.

District 14: Shawn Harris, Democrat

Branch: Marine Corps & National Guard, 1980s–2020s

Combat Deployments: Afghanistan

Served as director of Joint Staff for the Army National Guard.

Hawaii

House

District 1: Patrick Largey, Republican

Branch: Air Force, 1980s-2000s

Head of maintenance for a 43-story high rise building.

Senate

Bob McDermott, Republican

Branch: Marine Corps, 1980s–1990s

Combat Deployments: Gulf War

Worked as executive director of the Honolulu Navy League.

Illinois

House

District 7: Chad Koppie, Republican

Branch: Army, 1960s

Pilot who worked for Delta Airlines for 35 years.

District 12: Mike Bost (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Marine Corps, 1970s–1980s

Current Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

District 13: Joshua Lloyd, Republican

Branch: Army & National Guard, 2010s–2020s

Graduated from West Point in 2022.

Indiana

House

District 4: Jim Baird (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Army, 1960s–1970s

Combat Deployments: Vietnam

Earned a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts while serving with the 523rd Transportation Company.

District 4: Derrick Holder, Democrat

Branch: Marine Corps, 1990s–2000s

Worked as a paralegal in the Indiana Department of Child Services.

District 5: Deborah Pickett, Democrat

Branch: Army Reserve, 1980s

Her brother-in-law is a Medal of Honor recipient.

Senate

Jim Banks, Republican

Branch: Navy Reserve, 2010s

Combat Deployments: Afghanistan

Has served in the House since 2017.

Iowa

House

District 1: Mariannette Miller-Meeks (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Army & Army Reserve, 1970s–1990s

Served as the first female president of the Iowa Medical Society.

District 3: Zach Nunn (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Air Force & National Guard, 2000s–2020s

Combat Deployment: Afghanistan

Served on the White House’s National Security Council prior to Congress.

District 3: Lanon Baccam, Democrat

Branch: Army National Guard, 1990s–2000s

Combat Deployment: Afghanistan

Oversaw veterans programs within the Department of Agriculture.

Kansas

House

District 3: Prasanth Reddy, Republican

Branch: Air Force Reserve, 2000s–2020s

Still serving as a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve.

Kentucky

House

District 2: Brett Guthrie (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Army, 1980s–1990s

Eight-term congressman is a West Point grad.

District 5: Hal Rogers (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Army National Guard, 1950s–1960s

Dean of the House, he has served in Congress since 1981.

Louisiana

House

District 3: Clay Higgins (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Army National Guard, 1970s–1980s

Prominent member of the House Freedom Caucus.

Maine

House

District 1: Ronald Russell, Republican

Branch: Army, 1970s–2000s

An Airborne Ranger and a Special Forces qualified Green Beret.

District 2: Jared Golden (Incumbent), Democrat

Branch: Marine Corps, 2000s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Iraq & Afghanistan

Serves on the House Armed Services Committee.

Senate

Demi Kouzounas, Republican

Branch: Army, 1980s

Longtime dentist was also chairwoman of the Maine Republican Party.

Maryland

House

District 1: Andrew Harris (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Navy Reserve, 1980s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Gulf War

Still-practicing physician served in the Navy Medical Corps.

District 1: Blane Miller III, Democrat

Branch: Navy, 1990s–2000s

Later worked as a deep-water technical diver testing military equipment.

District 3: Rob Steinberger, Republican

Branch: Navy Reserve, 1990s–2000s

Founder of a financial consulting firm.

Massachusetts

House

District 4: Jake Auchincloss (Incumbent), Democrat

Branch: Marine Corps, 2010s

Combat Deployments: Afghanistan

Sits on the House Transportation Committee and select panel on China.

District 6: Seth Moulton (Incumbent), Democrat

Branch: Marine Corps, 2000s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Ran for the Democratic nomination for president in 2019.

Senate

John Deaton, Republican

Branch: Marine Corps, 1990s–2000s

Worked as a trial advocacy instructor at the Naval War College.

Michigan

House

District 1: Jack Bergman (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Marine Corps & Guard/Reserve, 1970s–2000s

Combat Deployments: Vietnam

Served as commanding general of Marine Forces Reserve.

District 7: Tom Barrett, Republican

Branch: Army National Guard, 2000s–2020s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Narrowly lost a bid for this congressional seat in 2022.

District 10: John James (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Army, 2000s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Sits on the House Foreign Affairs and Energy committees.

Senate

Mike Rogers, Republican

Branch: Army, 1980s

Previously served in the House from 2001 to 2015.

Minnesota

House

District 2: Joe Teirab, Republican

Branch: Marine Corps, 2010s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Worked as an assistant U.S. Attorney, focused on narcotics trafficking and violent crime.

District 3: Tad Jude, Republican

Branch: Army Reserve, 1970s

Was the youngest individual ever elected to the Minnesota Legislature, at age 20.

Mississippi

House

District 1: Trent Kelly (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Army National Guard, 1990s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Gulf War & Iraq

Chairman of the House Armed Services’ seapower subcommittee.

District 2: Ronald Eller, Republican

Branch: Army, 1970s–1990s

Works in cardiac and thoracic surgery at St. Dominic’s Hospital.

Senate

Ty Pinkins, Democrat

Branch: Army, 1990s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Community organizer who has focused on unfair pay practices.

Missouri

Senate

Lucas Kunce, Democrat

Branch: Marine Corps, 2000s–2020s

Combat Deployments: Iraq & Afghanistan

Led a police training team in the Sunni Triangle while deployed to Iraq.

Montana

House

District 1: Ryan Zinke (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Navy, 1980s–2000s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Served as Secretary of the Interior under Trump.

District 2: Troy Downing, Republican

Branch: Air National Guard, 2000s

Combat Deployments: Afghanistan

Served in a Combat Search and Rescue squadron.

District 2: John Driscoll, Democrat

Branch: Army National Guard, 1960s–2000s

Has worked as a wildland firefighter, a public utility regulator, and a writer.

Senate

Tim Sheehy, Republican

Branch: Navy, 2000s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Iraq & Afghanistan

Founded an aerospace firm and still works as a firefighting pilot.

Nebraska

House

District 2: Don Bacon (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Air Force, 1980s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Chair of the House Armed Services Committee’s quality of life panel.

Nevada

House

District 2: Mark Amodei (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Army, 1980s

Serves on the House Appropriations Committee.

Senate

Sam Brown, Republican

Branch: Army, 2000s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Afghanistan

Severely burned in a roadside bomb attack in Kandahar.

New Jersey

House

District 1: Theodore Liddell, Republican

Branch: Army, 1990s–2000s

Manages his own law practice.

District 9: Billy Prempeh, Republican

Branch: Air Force, 2000s–2010s

Has twice run for the same seat without success.

District 11: Mikie Sherrill (Incumbent), Democrat

Branch: Navy, 1990s–2000s

Sea King helicopter pilot flew missions throughout the Middle East.

New Mexico

House

District 1: Steve Jones, Republican

Branch: Army, 1970s

Worked as a management consultant and executive in the energy industry.

New York

House

District 1: Nicholas LaLota (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Navy, 2000s–2010s

Sits on the House Armed Services Committee.

District 6: Thomas Zmich, Republican

Branch: Army Reserve, 1980s–1990s

Worked as a construction manager.

District 12: Mike Zumbluskas, Republican

Branch: Army, 1980s

Has been a member of the Reform and Independence parties in the past.

District 13: Ruben Vargas, Republican

Branch: Air Force, 1970s–1990s

Advocate who has been active with the International Chess Federation.

District 15: Gonzalo Duran, Republican

Branch: Marine Corps, 2000s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

CEO of a firm focused on veterans reintegration into civilian life.

District 18: Pat Ryan (Incumbent), Democrat

Branch: Army, 2000s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Serves as vice ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee.

District 22: Brandon Williams (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Navy, 1990s

Served as the strategic missile officer on board the USS Georgia.

District 25: Gregg Sadwick, Republican

Branch: Navy, 1980s–1990s

Owner of a collision shop and countertop company.

North Carolina

House

District 1: Donald Davis (Incumbent), Democrat

Branch: Air Force, 1990s

Helped coordinate Air Force One operations at Andrews Air Force Base.

District 1: Laurie Buckhout, Republican

Branch: Army, 1980s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Led an 800-person battalion task force as part of the initial attack into Iraq in 2003.

District 2: Alan Swain, Republican

Branch: Army, 1970s–2000s

Combat Deployments: Gulf War

Flew AH-1 Cobras and AH-64 Apache helicopters.

District 4: Eric Blankenburg, Republican

Branch: Air Force, 1970s–1980s

Currently working as a technology consultant.

District 8: Justin Dues, Democrat

Branch: Marine Corps, 2000s–2010s

Founder of a firm specializing in wearable technology.

District 10: Pat Harrigan, Republican

Branch: Army, 2000s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Afghanistan

A Green Beret with multiple combat tours in Afghanistan.

District 10: Ralph Scott Jr., Democrat

Branch: Air Force, 2010s

Sixth great-grandson of James Madison.

District 12: Abdul Ali, Republican

Branch: Army, 1990s–2000s

Past chairman of the Cabarrus County Republican Party.

North Dakota

House

District 1: Trygve Hammer, Democrat

Branch: Marine Corps & MC Reserve, 1990s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Former airline pilot and security consultant.

Ohio

House

District 1: Orlando Sonza, Republican

Branch: Army, 2010s

Currently the executive director of the Hamilton County Veterans Service Commission.

District 3: Michael Young, Republican

Branch: Air Force, 1960s

Worked as a real estate developer and singer-songwriter.

District 6: Michael Kripchak, Democrat

Branch: Air Force, 2000s

Worked in the Air Force’s quantum computing initiatives while in service.

District 7: Max Miller (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Marine Corps Reserve, 2010s–2020s

Former deputy campaign manager for presidential operations under Trump.

District 8: Warren Davidson (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Army, 1980s–1990s

Took the seat of former House Speaker John Boehner.

District 12: Jerrad Christian, Democrat

Branch: Navy, 2000s

Works as a software engineer, but has used his Navy meteorology skills as a climate activist.

District 15: Mike Carey (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Army National Guard, 1980s–1990s

Was elected to Congress in a 2021 special election.

District 15: Adam Miller, Democrat

Branch: Army Reserve, 1990s–2020s

Combat Deployments: Afghanistan

Serves in the Ohio House of Representatives.

Oregon

House

District 4: Monique DeSpain, Republican

Branch: Air Force & AF Reserve, 1980s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Kosovo

Served as a lawyer with the Judge Advocate General’s Corps for 30 years.

Pennsylvania

House

District 1: Ashley Ehasz, Democrat

Branch: Army, 2010s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Could become the first female graduate of West Point to serve in Congress.

District 4: David Winkler, Republican

Branch: Army & Marine Corps, 2000s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Iraq & Afghanistan

Former CEO of the veterans charity Wings for Warriors.

District 5: Alfe Goodwin, Republican

Branch: Army & Army National Guard, 2000s–2020s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Philadelphia police officer served alongside her brother in Iraq.

District 6: Chrissy Houlahan (Incumbent), Democrat

Branch: Air Force, 1980s

Daughter and granddaughter of career naval officers.

District 10: Scott Perry (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Army National Guard, 1980s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Serves on the House Transportation and Foriegn Affairs committees.

District 14: Guy Reschenthaler (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Navy, 2000s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Sits on the House Foreign Affairs committee.

District 14: Chris Dziados, Democrat

Branch: Army, 2000s–2020s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Was involved in the development of Space Force while serving in the Pentagon.

District 17: Chris Deluzio (Incumbent), Democrat

Branch: Navy, 2000s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

First-term congressman serves on the House Transportation Committee.

District 17: Rob Mercuri, Republican

Branch: Army, 1990s–2000s

Combat Deployments: Gulf War

Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

Senate

David McCormick, Republican

Branch: Army, 1990s–2000s

Combat Deployments: Gulf War

Former Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs.

South Carolina

House

District 2: David Robinson II, Democrat

Branch: Army, 2000s

Combat Deployments: Afghanistan

Became an advocate for missing persons after his son’s disappearance in Arizona.

District 3: Sheri Biggs, Republican

Branch: Air National Guard, 2010s–2020s

Combat Deployments: Afghanistan

Commissioned in the Air Force at age 40 after a nursing career.

District 4: William Timmons (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Army National Guard, 2010s

Member of the House Republican Steering Committee.

Tennessee

House

7: Mark Green (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Army & Army Reserve, 1980s–2000s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Served on the mission where Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was captured.

Texas

House

District 2: Daniel Crenshaw (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Navy, Active, 2000s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Iraq & Afghanistan

Navy SEAL lost an eye in an IED blast in Afghanistan.

District 3: Keith Seif (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Army, 1970s–2000s

Served in Joint Staff assignments in U.S. European Command and NATO.

District 4: Pat Fallon (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Air Force, 1980s–1990s

Was a member of the 1988 Notre Dame football team which won a national championship.

District 6: Jake Ellzey (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Navy, 1990s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Iraq & Afghanistan

Piloted the H-60 Seahawk helicopter, F-14 Tomcat, F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet.

District 8: Morgan Luttrell (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Navy, 2000s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Iraq & Afghanistan

Brother of Marcus Luttrell, whose military service inspired the movie “Lone Survivor.”

District 11: August Pfluger (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Air Force, 1990s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Former F-22 pilot who served on President Trump’s national security council staff.

District 13: Ronny Jackson (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Navy, 1990s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Former White House physician was demoted after retirement for improper conduct while on duty.

District 14: Rhonda Hart, Democrat

Branch: Army, 2000s

Lost her daughter in a 2018 school shooting in Santa Fe.

District 22: Troy Nehls (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Army National Guard & Reserve, 1980s–2000s

Combat Deployments: Iraq & Afghanistan

Has faced criticism for improperly wearing a Combat Infantry Badge.

District 23: Tony Gonzales (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Navy, 1990s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Iraq & Afghanistan

Sits on the House Appropriations and Homeland Security committees.

District 26: Ernest Lineberger III, Democrat

Branch: Navy, Active, 1980s–1990s

20-year career with Texas Instruments as an industrial engineer.

District 28: Jay Furman, Republican

Branch: Navy, 1990s–2010s

Served as a naval aviator.

District 36: Brian Babin (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Air Force & Air National Guard, 1970s

Earned his dental degree while in the service.

District 38: Wesley Hunt (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Army, 2000s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Served as an AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter pilot.

Utah

House

District 3: Glenn J. Wright, Democrat

Branch: Air Force, 1960s–1970s

Combat Deployments: Vietnam

Worked as a safety consultant.

Vermont

Senate

Gerald Malloy, Republican,

Branch: Army, 1980s–2000s

Worked as a business executive for a variety of defense-related firms.

Virginia

House

District 2: Jennifer Kiggans (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Navy, Active, 1990s–2000s

Currently serves on the House Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs Committees.

District 2: Missy Cotter Smasal, Democrat

Branch: Navy, 2000s

Executive Director for Valor Run, a non-profit that hosts running events to honor military women.

District 3: Bobby Scott (Incumbent), Democrat

Branch: Army National Guard & Reserve, 1970s

Dean of Virginia’s congressional delegation.

District 3: John Sitka III, Republican

Branch: Navy, 1970s–1990s

Former merchant mariner has been involved in advocacy for those careers.

District 5: John McGuire, Republican

Branch: Navy, 1980s–1990s

Former Navy SEAL.

District 6: Ken Mitchell, Democrat

Branch: Army, 1970s–1990s

Worked as a White House advisor for both George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

District 7: Derrick Anderson, Republican

Branch: Army, 2000s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Iraq & Afghanistan

Serves as a Green Beret and a member of the “Old Guard” at Arlington National Cemetery.

District 7: Eugene Vindman, Democrat

Branch: Army, 1990s–2020s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Former White House NSC advisor, brother of Trump impeachment witness Alexander Vindman.

District 8: Jerry Torres, Republican

Branch: Army & National Guard, 1970s–2000s

Served in Army Special Forces as a Green Beret.

District 11: Michael Van Meter, Republican

Branch: Navy, 1980s–1990s

Spent 20 years in various roles at the FBI.

Senate

Hung Cao, Republican

Branch: Navy, 1980s–2020s

Combat Deployments: Iraq & Afghanistan

Former special operations explosive ordnance disposal officer.

Washington

House

District 2: Cody Hard, Republican

Branch: Navy, 1990s

Worked as an aircraft mechanic while in the ranks.

District 3: Joe Kent, Republican

Branch: Army, 1990s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Husband of Shannon Kent, a sailor who was killed in fighting in Syria.

District 4: Jerrod Sessler, Republican

Branch: Navy, 1980s–1990s

Former NASCAR driver who competed in Northwest Series events.

District 6: Drew MacEwen, Republican

Branch: Navy, 1990s

After the military, founded a financial services firm.

District 10: Don Hewett, Republican

Branch: Air Force, 1980s

Worked as an engineer for Boeing and Microsoft.

West Virginia

House

District 2: Steven Wendelin, Democrat

Branch: Navy & Navy Reserve, 1980s–2020s

Combat Deployments: Iraq

Former networks manager for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

Wisconsin

House

District 3: Derrick Van Ordern (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Navy, 1990s–2010s

Combat Deployments: Iraq & Afghanistan

Authored the book “A Navy SEAL’s Guide to the Lost Art of Manhood.”

District 5: Scott Fitzgerald (Incumbent), Republican

Branch: Army, 1980s–2000s

Serves on the House Financial Services and Judiciary committees.

The system is not designed to replace 911 calls or emergency room visits for veterans who are seeking immediate, life saving help, department leaders said. But the tele-emergency options can provide answers for medical questions from veterans who are worried they may be heading towards an emergency situation and are unsure of what to do next.

“Every veteran can feel like they have a doctor in the family now,” said Dr. Neil Patel, acting director of the VA National Emergency Medicine Office, during a rollout of the new program.

“Veterans can simply pick up the phone to call VA, and we can give them advice on what to do and where to go for care,” Patel added. “It’s bringing emergency care and advice into a veteran’s home, rather than asking veterans to always go to an ER.”

VA delays rule change on how it pays veterans’ air ambulance services

The tele-emergency care program was launched earlier this year with pilot programs in separate sections of the country. Medical providers working the calls can access veterans’ medical records and other relevant biographical information if callers are already in the VA health care system.

Of the more than 61,000 callers so far this year, about 59% had their medical questions resolved without the patient having to travel to an urgent care clinic or hospital, officials said.

Patel said in one case, a veteran called complaining of dizziness and lightheadedness. He had considered traveling to a hospital to be evaluated, but the nearest one was an hour away.

“So, by talking to him and reviewing his charts, we were able to figure out that his prostate medication was increased about a week earlier,” he said. “This is a pretty common side effect … so we provided him with an education about when to take this medication and how to best avoid the side effects.

“When we checked up on him a couple days later, he was doing great, and so, so thankful that he didn’t need to figure out how to get to an ER and spend hours waiting there.”

Patel said officials can connect veterans with local emergency services if they determine a patient’s condition is too serious to be dealt with through a phone call or video chat.

He acknowledged that the idea of emergency care may feel uncomfortable to some veterans, but said the effort is designed to give patients more options for their care, and not to replace needed emergency visits.

“It’s really just as simple as giving us a call, so we can get veterans the right care,” he said.

Unlike 911, the specific call in numbers for the VA tele-emergency care vary from state to state. A full list of contacts is available on the department’s website.

Senate lawmakers approved the move on a voice vote without any objections one week after House members similarly advanced the measure without opposition. President Joe Biden is expected to sign the legislation into law in the next few days.

About 5 million veterans and 2 million military retirees receive benefits checks each month through the Department of Veterans Affairs. The COLA increase legislation would apply to payouts for disability compensation, clothing allowance, dependency and indemnity benefits, as well as some other VA assistance programs.

Vets may see only a small cost-of-living boost in benefits next year

Although a non-controversial proposal, the legislation linking veterans benefits to Social Security increases is an annual responsibility of Congress. Without it, beneficiaries would see their payouts remain flat, even as other federal support programs were granted increases.

In a statement after the House passage, bill sponsor Rep. Morgan Lutrell, R-Texas, called the measure a critical step to ensuring disabled veterans remain financially healthy.

“Our veterans gave everything to defend our freedoms, and it is our duty to ensure they receive the care and compensation they deserve,” he said.

The Social Security increase last year was 3.2%, down from 8.7% in 2023 — the highest such raise in 40 years. Federal officials will announce the 2025 rate on Oct. 10.

Officials from the Senior Citizens League in August estimated that the figure is likely to be around 2.4%, based on analysis of economic conditions. If correct, that would be the lowest cost-of-living boost since 2020, when the rate was 1.3%.

The plan, which extends current federal program funding to Dec. 20, is expected to be signed into law by President Joe Biden on Thursday.

The extension lets lawmakers push debates over a full-year budget for government agencies until after the November elections. The plan passed despite objections from some Republicans who wanted some federal spending trims and language requiring additional verification of voters’ citizenship.

Congress approves $3B lifeline to prevent delay in vet benefits

The stopgap includes an additional $231 million to boost Secret Service operations amid the ongoing presidential campaigns.

Without a budget extension, military paychecks could have been halted in October and nonessential activities canceled due to lack of funding. Those concerns of a partial government shutdown are now moot, at least until late December.

But military leaders in recent weeks warned that any budget extension will have an impact on fiscal 2025 defense spending, because officials cannot begin new programs or procurement lines without a full-year budget plan in place.

“Asking the department to compete with (China), let alone manage conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, while under a lengthy continuing resolution, ties our hands behind our back while expecting us to be agile and to accelerate progress,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin wrote in a letter to congressional leaders Sept. 7.

“We have already lost valuable time, having operated under 48 continuing resolutions, for a total of almost five years, since 2011,” Austin wrote.

Last week, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth warned in a similar letter to lawmakers that a six-month budget extension would have delayed construction projects, munitions purchases, recruiting efforts and a host of other national security priorities.

The shorter extension will have a lesser impact, but Wormuth warned that any delay in getting a full-year budget will lead to “the Army’s inability to start new programs or realign funds to match emerging needs (which) would reduce our purchasing power and create meaningful cost as well as schedule risk in Army programs.”

Per previous agreements negotiated between the White House and congressional leaders, defense spending for fiscal 2025 is expected to total around $833 billion.

Nordhaus’ promotion was accompanied by the confirmation of three other senior military posts: Navy Vice Adm. Alvin Holsey to be head of Southern Command; Air Force Lt. Gen. Randall Reed to be head of Transportation Command; and Army Lt. Gen. Xavier Brunson to be head of U.S. Forces Korea.

All four were approved without objection from any members. The men all received strong support during earlier confirmation hearings before the Senate Armed Services Committee and are expected to be sworn into the new roles in coming days.

Opinion: The National Guard is in the crosshairs. Congress can save it

Nordhaus, who will also be promoted to a four-star general, takes over the top Guard role from Gen. Daniel Hokanson, who retired in early August. Lt. Gen. Jonathan Stubbs, director of the Army National Guard, has been serving as acting chief, since the vice chief post for the Guard is also unoccupied.

He currently serves as a top officer at North American Aerospace Defense Command.

During his confirmation hearing earlier this month, Nordhaus noted that nearly 42,000 National Guard soldiers and airmen are currently deployed around the globe, and balancing national security needs with the part-time nature of those troops’ military service will be a key responsibility for him in the new leadership post.

“We face persistent threats both in the homeland and abroad, and the next chief of the National Guard Bureau must work closely with the 54 states territories and the District of Columbia, as well as with the services, the joint force and our allies and partners,” he said.

[Our service members] must balance their military careers, their family careers, their civilian careers, so we can keep our promise as Americans to be always ready and always there.”

The Senate confirmation votes came just days before an expected six-week break for the chamber ahead of the November elections.

If a link is established, the move would mark the first time the department provided fast-track benefits for any condition related to PFAS exposure.

The chemicals — used in a host of products like water-repellent clothing and firefighting foams — have been used widely on military bases for the last 50 years and are suspected to be the cause of a host of medical complications, including testicular cancer and thyroid disease.

‘It’s scary as hell’ — PFAS exposure a ‘widespread’ problem for troops, families nationwide

In a statement released Wednesday, department officials said the move is part of a broader review of suspected military toxic exposure injuries which started with the passage of the PACT Act in August 2022.

“We want to understand the health conditions that veterans are living with so we can provide them with all of the benefits they deserve, and that’s what this review process is all about,” VA Secretary Denis McDonough said.

“As a result of this scientific review, we may be able to make kidney cancer a presumptive condition for Veterans exposed to PFAS, thus lowering the burden of proof on these veterans.”

Presumptive status allows veterans applying for benefits to skip paperwork establishing their condition as a result of military service. That can cut months or years of wait times off the benefits process.

Department officials have already established presumptive benefit status for kidney cancer in cases where veterans served around burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan, or if they were stationed at North Carolina’s Camp Lejeune between the 1950s and 1980s.

But no such connection has been formally recognized with PFAS chemical exposure in the military. Individual veterans can petition VA adjudicators to consider their illnesses and their personal exposure to the toxins, but blanket coverage for all veterans is not yet in place.

Department officials did not say how long the review will take. VA staff will host a public listening session on the issue on Nov. 19, and will solicit veterans’ comments on the issue through the Federal Register.

McDonough in his statement said veterans “should not wait for the outcome of this review to apply for the benefits and care they deserve,” and urged individuals to reach out with disability claims as soon as possible.

More information on applying for disability benefits is available through the VA website here.

Officials expect an announcement on Wednesday, as global leaders meet at the U.N. General Assembly, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy uses his appearance there to shore up support and persuade the U.S. to allow his troops to use long-range weapons to strike deeper into Russia. The following day, Zelenskyy meets with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington.

The aid includes air-to-ground bombs, which have cluster munitions and can be fired by Ukraine’s fighter jets, as well as munitions for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, Javelin and other anti-armor systems, Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, bridging systems and other vehicles and military equipment, according to officials. The U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the aid has not yet been publicly announced.

Nearly $6B in Ukraine aid at risk if Congress doesn’t act by month-end

The latest package of weapons, provided through presidential drawdown authority, is one of the largest approved recently and will take stocks from Pentagon shelves to deliver the weapons more quickly to Ukraine.

It comes as nearly $6 billion in funding for aid to Ukraine could expire at the end of the month unless Congress acts to extend the Pentagon’s authority to send weapons from its stockpile to Kyiv. Congressional leaders announced they reached an agreement Sunday on a short-term spending bill, but it’s unclear if any language extending the Pentagon authority to send weapons to Ukraine will be added to the temporary measure as negotiations with Congress continue.

Ukrainian and Russian forces are battling in the east, including hand-to-hand combat in the Kharkiv border region where Ukraine has driven Russia out of a huge processing plant in the town of Vovchansk that had been occupied for four months, officials said Tuesday. At the same time, Ukrainian troops continue to hold ground in Russia’s Kursk region after a daring incursion there last month.

The aid announcement comes on the heels of Zelenskyy’s highly guarded visit on Sunday to a Pennsylvania ammunition factory to thank the workers who are producing one of the most critically needed munitions for his country’s fight to fend off Russian ground forces.

Including this latest package, the United States has provided more than $56.2 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russian forces invaded in February 2022.

Lee reported from the United Nations.

Researchers from the RAND Epstein Family Veterans Policy Research Institute also found that nearly one in 10 adults in America provided some level of caregiver services to a veteran or wounded military member in the last two years, a much higher figure than seen in past surveys.

About 14.3 million individuals — 5.5% of the U.S. adult population — are currently serving as military and veteran caregivers, according to the institute’s estimates. Report authors said the value of the services they provide ranges from $199 billion to $485 billion, when taking into account the range of support and medical services they provide.

“Few are compensated in any way for this care,” they wrote. “In fact, caregivers are monetarily penalized: Over a quarter of military and veteran caregivers reported that, because of caregiving, they had cut back the hours they work, switched jobs, quit working or left school early, or felt that they were discriminated against at work.”

White House pledges caregiver support, but VA program’s future unclear

Fewer than half of individuals surveyed reported getting accommodations at work to account for their extra role as a veteran or military caregiver. More than a quarter though they were discriminated against at work because of the extra demands of their home life.

The report — produced in cooperation with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation — represents the most comprehensive review of the caregiver community in years and advocates for more financial aid, mental health care and community support for those caregivers.

“According to the survey estimates, military and veteran caregivers who cut back on their work or schooling because of caregiving lose approximately $10,000 in household income in a given year,” the authors wrote.

“And caregivers are struggling: Between 50 and 70 percent of military and veteran caregivers have difficulty paying bills, and 22 to 40 percent are food insecure.”

Caregivers of younger veterans are also at higher risk of depression and less likely to seek care than non-caregivers. Researchers found that 43 percent of military and veteran caregivers to injured individuals aged 60 or younger met the criteria for depression, almost four times the rate of the general population.

The advocates said federal and community resources need to better tailor their support services to individual groups’ needs.

For example, caregivers of veterans under 60 were more interested in finding joint activities to conduct with their injured loved ones. Caregivers of veterans over 60 were more focused on “programs that help keep the recipient safe and help with filling out forms.”

The report’s release comes just a few weeks after 11 veterans groups petitioned the White House to speed up decisions on the future of VA’s Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers, the rules of which have been under review for more than two years.

More than 30,000 families are enrolled in that program, which provides stipends and assistance services to caregivers of seriously injured veterans. But thousands of those were threatened with removal from the program when eligibility criteria was updated two years ago.

VA leaders paused those expulsions until another review could be finished, but that has still not yet been finished. The groups warned that “further delay, layered with a change in presidential administration, would only serve to prolong the strain that so many veterans and caregivers have felt while PCAFC continues to fall short of its intent and potential.”

Report authors said they hope the latest research will serve as an additional incentive to move along those reforms, as well as bring other government resources into the conversation about how best to help caregivers.

The full report is available on the Rand website.

On Tuesday, officials from the non-partisan group With Honor and lawmakers from the For Country Caucus gathered near the Washington Monument to plant flags along the National Mall as a reminder of the estimated 325,000 military families currently struggling with hunger and financial hardship.

According to a 2023 study by Rand researchers, nearly 26% of active-duty service members are considered food insecure, and about 15% rely on food stamps or food banks to help support their families.

More troops would be eligible for new allowance under DOD proposal

“There are a lot of contributing factors for the military recruiting crisis, but one of them is we’re not paying junior enlisted well enough so that they can live without food stamps,” said Rye Barcott, co-founder and CEO of With Honor. “To have a strong military, we need to treat our people the right way.”

Tuesday’s event comes as lawmakers are considering a host of provisions in the annual defense authorization bill that could help with those financial issues.

House lawmakers have proposed pay raises of up to 19.5% for troops ranked E-4 and below next year, bringing nearly all service members’ base salary above $30,000 a year. Senate lawmakers have proposed a 4.5% pay raise for all troops and an additional 1% boost for troops ranked E-3 and below.

Advocates at Tuesday’s event said either move would help, but pushed for a larger pay raise for young military families given the known pressures they face.

The measure also includes boosts in other stipends, as well as changing the formula for food stamp eligibility to allow more military families to receive that assistance.

Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif. and sponsor of the food stamp eligibility provision, said at the flags event that he’s working to build awareness of the problem with his colleagues and is hopeful Congress will act on the issues later this year.

“It’s embarrassing that there are military men and women and their families who are on food stamps, but it’s our job to make sure that they at least have access to them when they need them,” he said.

He took time to plant several flags with Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., who expressed similar optimism on the annual defense authorization bill.

“We ask our service members to do a lot, to sacrifice a lot, and ask their families to sacrifice a lot,” he said. “We should provide them at least with the bare minimum, with respect to things like food.”

Lawmakers are expected to break later this week for a month ahead of the November congressional elections. But House and Senate leaders have said they hope to pass a final compromise authorization bill sometime in November or December.

Lawmakers want Veterans Affairs leaders to better secure the department’s suicide prevention hotline amid a spate of short-term outages in the emergency lifeline, even though officials have insisted those challenges have not resulted in widespread problems for operations.

On Monday, Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., released a letter to VA Secretary Denis McDonough asking for “a more comprehensive review of the system’s reliability and resilience, backup and redundancy procedures, and related areas to ensure (the crisis line) is available every second of every day.”

“While it appears that in each recent incident the department … acted quickly to resolve the technology issues, rerouted calls, attempted to re-engage all dropped calls or chats, the volume of problems is concerning,” he wrote.

Most VA police have not finished veteran suicide prevention training

The letter’s release comes during National Suicide Prevention Month and just a few days after a House Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing into the hotline’s operations.

Dr. Matthew Miller, executive director of VA’s Office of Suicide Prevention, testified Sept. 18 that the Veterans Crisis Line has suffered 12 “noteable outages” in the last 12 months, down from the fiscal 2023 total. Most of those were the result of technology issues outside of VA’s operations.

About 700 callers were affected by those outages, and roughly 500 were reconnected with specialists after a short delay, according to VA officials. Others called back on their own, but staffers acknowledged that not every caller was brought back into the system.

The missed calls represented less than 0.1% of the total call volume to the crisis line last year. Since a national 988 number was established in July 2022 for suicide intervention, Veterans Crisis Line operators have seen a nearly 23% increase in calls and nearly 77% increase in texts from individuals seeking emergency mental health aid.

“We know that we’re saving veterans’ lives,” Miller told lawmakers. “Two published studies recently have found veteran callers were over five times more likely to have less distress and less suicide ideation at the end of the call compared to the beginning, were 11 times more likely to have reduced suicidal urgency at the end of the call than the beginning.”

But he acknowledged the need to improve the system even more.

“These outages (in the last year) varied in scope and impact,” he said. “However, none of them incapacitated Veterans Crisis Line services. Our commitment to modernization and improvement is critical to ensuring it can promptly respond when interruptions do arise.”

Lawmakers on the House panel echoed that sentiment while also encouraging veterans to reach out for help if needed, despite the system’s rare lapses. Tester asked for officials to share specific steps they plan on implementing to analyze past outages and coordinate with other federal agencies to prevent future ones.

About 17 veterans a day die as a result of suicide, according to the latest statistics from VA researchers.

Members of the House Armed Service Committee questioned Army leaders about the rules during a hearing Thursday. The rules, introduced in June, say commanders must ensure troops are trained about off-limits extremist activities, take action when they spot extremism in their units and report any incidents to the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General.

Oops! Army training mislabeled nonprofits as terror groups for years

The rules codify the Pentagon’s definition of extremist activities, which was updated in 2021 to include online interactions that promote terrorism, as well as rallies, fundraising and organizing in support of extremist ideologies, among other prohibited behaviors.

Rep. Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii, questioned Lt. Gen. Patrick Matlock, the Army deputy chief of staff, about who makes the final determination when a soldier is accused of engaging in a potential extremist activity. Matlock said that responsibility fell to commanders, who could consult with legal and law enforcement experts before coming to a decision on whether something should be labeled as extremism.

“I think the problem here is we have a diffused sense of accountability,” Tokuda said. “If every single command has its own arbitrary, subjective ability to make a determination on an extremist activity, therein lies your problem, and I think you have to answer the question of where does the buck stop.”

Army imposes stricter rules for addressing extremism among troops

Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., likewise said there was too much “gray area” about what constituted active participation in extremism. The Army’s rules add another layer of accountability but don’t solve the problem, she said.

“There still seems to be enough of a gulf that you could drive a Mack truck through,” Sewell told Matlock and Agnes Gereben Schaefer, the assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs. “There’s still gray area, and that leads to ambiguity and subjectivity. It makes it harder for those of us who hear legitimate complaints from our service members about extremism to actually have those addressed.”

Sewell joined other Democratic lawmakers to advocate for legislation in 2021 that would’ve established an office of countering extremism within the Defense Department. That measure was dropped due to Republican opposition.

Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., asked Army leaders Thursday about how troops were educated on the extremist policies. The Army’s new rules mandate the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command add information about prohibited extremist activities into initial active duty training, precommissioning training, commander training and professional military education, among other training programs,.

Commanders also have the responsibility of advising troops periodically about extremist activities and how they are “inconsistent with the Army goals, beliefs and values, as well as the oaths of office and enlistment,” the rules state.

Matlock said he had reviewed the training materials ahead of Thursday’s hearing, and he described them as “very well designed.”

“It’s delivered in a standard package across the Army,” Matlock said. “We take maintaining good order and discipline in our formations very seriously, and the extremism policy is a key part of how we do that and deliver combat-ready units.”

This story was produced in partnership with Military Veterans in Journalism. Please send tips to MVJ-Tips@militarytimes.com.

On Sunday, congressional leaders announced plans for a short-term budget extension to fund federal operations through Dec. 20. The money would allow for minimal disruption in federal programs and services through the fall elections and provide a chance for the newly elected White House administration to weigh in on the full federal budget later this year.

House leaders had hoped for a longer budget extension and extra provisions on voting security in their initial budget bill drafts, but those plans failed to gain enough support to move ahead.

If lawmakers don’t approve the compromise plan by Oct. 1, it could trigger a partial government shutdown, delaying paychecks for military members and shuttering some nonessential Defense Department and Veterans Affairs services.

In a letter to House colleagues on Sunday, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said “shutting the government down less than 40 days from a fateful election would be an act of political malpractice” and urged chamber members to back the budget plan.

Here’s what else is happening on Capitol Hill this week:

Tuesday, Sept. 24

Wednesday, Sept. 25

Thursday, Sept. 26

Signers of the document include a mix of Republicans and Democrats, including four former defense secretaries — William Cohen, Chuck Hagel, Leon Panetta, and William Perry — and seven Senate-confirmed military service secretaries.

“This election is a choice between serious leadership and vengeful impulsiveness,” the letter states. “It is a choice between democracy and authoritarianism. Vice President Harris defends America’s democratic ideals, while former President Donald Trump endangers them.”

The public message comes just a few days after Harris’ campaign released a similar public message from about 100 former Republican officials calling Trump “unfit to serve” and two weeks after a group of retired generals wrote a public statement defending Harris from Trump’s attacks regarding her involvement in the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Both campaigns have traded letters with military and national security themes throughout the summer.

GOP vets in Congress attack VP nominee Walz over his military record

Earlier this month, several families of servicemembers killed in Afghanistan offered their support for Trump. In August, a group of 50 veterans serving in Congress released a statement criticizing Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz for mischaracterizing his military service.

The latest letter also includes signatures from three former acting service secretaries, former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and former Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano.

The group criticized Trump’s incitement of supporters ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and his past praise of foreign dictators as reasons to oppose his return to the White House. They also praised Harris’ work as vice president and her commitment to work with foreign allies to strengthen U.S. military capabilities.

“That is how we know Vice President Harris would make an excellent Commander In-Chief, while Mr. Trump has proven he is not up to the job,” the group wrote.

“As leaders, we know effective leadership requires in-depth knowledge, careful deliberation, understanding of your adversaries, and empathy for those you lead. It requires listening to those with expertise and not firing them when they disagree with you.”

The presidential election will be held on Nov. 5, but early voting has already opened in several states.

The move came just two days after House lawmakers advanced the same appropriations measure, which also mandates a report from department officials on the reasons behind the department’s budget shortfall within a month. The legislation is expected to be signed into law by President Joe Biden before the end of Friday.

Sept. 20 was the deadline given by VA leaders earlier this month for when they needed money approved by Congress to avoid benefits delays starting in October. On Wednesday, Under Secretary for Benefits Joshua Jacobs told members of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee that education support and monthly disability payouts could be delayed days or weeks without the emergency funds.

“The majority of the funds that we provide are delivered through direct deposit … and we’re working closely with the Treasury to find ways to compress that timeline,” he said.

Congress moves to fix VA budget gap, but time is running out

“The biggest risk is the 2% of veterans and survivors without that, 140,000 of the most vulnerable of our customers, many living in rural areas with more health conditions, who would have a delay of up to two weeks [for paper checks].”

Jacobs and other VA leaders said the budget shortfall came as a result of record-high benefits approvals and medical services usage by veterans in the last fiscal year, much of it due to the PACT Act. That legislation, passed in August 2022, dramatically expanded eligibility for those services to veterans who suffered toxic exposure injuries while in the service.

Under that legislation, administration officials had up to 10 years to implement all of the new benefits and support. But the White House opted to accelerate that timeline earlier this year, which officials said led to the higher, unexpected budget pressures.

Through the first 10 months of fiscal 2024, VA staff granted disability compensation benefits to more than 1.1 million veterans and survivors, a new record. Nearly 413,000 veterans newly enrolled in VA health care services over the previous 12 months, up 27% from the same time frame a year earlier.

Despite approving the $3 billion lifeline, numerous Republican lawmakers criticized the department for not recognizing the budget issues sooner, leading to a near emergency situation.

House lawmakers included the oversight report language to “hold the administration accountable for its budgeting errors,” according to Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. Bill sponsor Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., said the measure “demands accountability with real oversight to make sure every dollar is spent right.”

Ahead of Thursday’s Senate vote, lawmakers blocked proposals from Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, to withhold bonuses for senior VA executives in cases of budgeting issues and from Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., to rescind $2.9 billion from the Department of Energy to pay for the VA funding patch.

But Democrats in the House and Senate have downplayed the budgeting problem, saying that while the specifics were not known until recently, the extra expense from increased participation of veterans in department services was not a surprise.

“This is not the time for partisan politics,” Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester, D-Mont., said during Wednesday’s hearing. “It is time to act to ensure that 7 million veterans and their families who are wondering whether they’ll receive their benefit checks in the next 13 days get them.”

VA officials have also asked for an additional $15 billion in the fiscal 2025 budget to cover increased benefits and medical care costs. Lawmakers are expected to debate that request after the November elections.

Austin visited Maxwell Elementary Middle School last week along with first lady Jill Biden to highlight the launch of universal pre-kindergarten classes available to all 4-year-olds at 80 installations with elementary schools operated by the Department of Defense Education Activity.

“We heard loud and clear that families juggling work and raising kids need affordable child care and quality early childhood education,” Austin said, speaking to airmen, their families and school staff.

Austin highlighted the pre-kindergarten launch as one of the Defense Department’s efforts to make life easier for troops and their families.

DOD also announced seven new initiatives, including another effort to increase access to quality child care, with a $33.5 million budget request specifically for the child care workforce, to improve recruitment, retention and the work environments in DOD’s child development program. Like many civilian child care programs, the military has faced shortages of child care workers for years.

About 4,000 four-year-olds attend pre-K classes at the 80 schools where it’s being offered. Officials anticipate about 6,000 students will attend once the program is rolled out to all 90 elementary schools. Enrollment in the program is optional.

The remaining 10 elementary schools in the DODEA system will get pre-K over the next several years, pending construction and renovation.

The Department of Defense Education Activity, which manages schools on U.S. military bases around the world, launched its universal pre-K program in 2023 with a cohort of 65 4-year-olds at one school — M.C. Perry Primary School at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan.

US military to expand universal pre-K at dozens more bases this fall

It was a success, said Beth Schiavino-Narvaez, who became director of the defense school system June 1.

“The families there were so grateful and so excited, and just saw their children flourishing in the program,” Narvaez told Military Times in a recent interview. “That was a great indicator about how important this is. And for military commanders, they’ve asked us for nearly a decade, and told us how important this is for readiness. They’re so appreciative. "

Narvaez said universal pre-K is her top priority this school year.

The startup costs for universal pre-K this year are about $65 million, and total annual expenditures, including teachers’ salaries, are expected to be about $45 million, said DODEA spokesman Will Griffin.

Officials were able to accelerate the timeline for bringing pre-kindergarten to the schools this year because of the determination of local school officials. In 2023, defense school officials said they expected the program would be phased in gradually over a five year period. They were initially slated to start universal pre-kindergarten this year in 47 schools.

But school leaders wanted the programs to come to their schools sooner, and worked to make it happen.

“They did that on their own because they know how important this initiative is,” Narvaez said. “People were so excited and realized how important this was, that they walked their buildings, they looked to see if they had viable space, they worked with military commanders to find the space to do it… They looked in every nook and cranny to see if there’s appropriate space.”

The student/teacher ratio for pre-K is 18 to 1. Every pre-K classroom has a full-time, certified early childhood educator and a full-time educational aide.

Any child who will be age 4 on or before Sept. 1 of a coming school year may enroll.

Parents can register through the DODEA Student Information System, but there’s no registration deadline because military families move throughout the year. Parents can visit dodea.edu/upk for more information and to enroll their child.

The Defense Department operates about 160 schools around the world, with nearly 70,000 students. The vast majority of military children attend schools outside the gate.

Universal pre-kindergarten programs are a “defining issue” for the United States, first lady Biden told told an audience of service members at Maxwell AFB.

“What’s happening at Maxwell is part of the blueprint for making quality preschool available to every three- and four-year-old in America,” she said.

Officials from Disabled American Veterans and the Military Officers Association of America called the current toxic exposure system “flawed” and said their findings point to a critical need to overhaul how federal agencies identify, research and respond to the hazardous conditions faced by troops, for both vets already separated and those currently serving.

“Scientific, policy, political and fiscal challenges have too often delayed the establishment of [disability] presumptives, effectively denying justice for some veterans, their families and survivors,” report authors wrote.

“While there have been some significant leaps forward, such as the enactment of the Agent Orange Act of 1991 and the PACT Act of 2022, significant obstacles have left — and will continue to leave — too many toxic-exposed veterans waiting for the health care and benefits they have earned.”

VA eyes more medical care for vets with toxic exposure issues

The study lists 16 military toxic exposure events eventually recognized with presumptive benefits status for veterans. That status is key, because it recognizes all veterans who served in a certain area or certain time frame to skip complicated documentation of their illnesses, and instead concedes that their medical issues were likely caused by military service.

The list includes problems like exposure to the chemical defoliant Agent Orange during the Vietnam War, toxic burn pit smoke during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, poisoned water at Camp Lejeune in from the 1950s to 1980s, and radioactive materials at various sites throughout the Cold War.

In some cases, the link between the toxins and veterans health problems was known within a few years, researchers found. But getting benefits fully sorted out took much longer.

“A veteran who served in Vietnam in 1962 and later developed hypertension had to wait 60 years from first exposure for the government to concede presumptive service connection,” the report stated. “Toxic-exposed veterans are waiting too long for the establishment of presumptives to ease their path to the benefits and health care they have earned.”

The groups are advocating for a clearer process of identifying military toxins, researching their effects and implementing care and benefits for veterans exposed to the chemicals.

“We’re already getting more accurate information about service members and their specific exposures,” said Cory Titus, MOAA’s director of government relations for veteran benefits. “Codifying some of those best practices that we are seeing will help ensure that we have a true system to take care of veterans into the future.”

Advocates briefed VA leaders and members of Congress on their findings ahead of Wednesday’s report release. Peter Dickinson, senior executive advisor for DAV, said advocates hope to turn the report into legislation early next year.

“[The current White House] has run very hard and fast on part of this issue under their control,” he said. “But there is a historical waxing and waning of attention focused on veterans. We need to set up a system where … we acknowledge problems early on, rather than saying we’re not going to acknowledge it until we’re ready to pay the bill.”

The proposed reforms include a clear framework with specific timelines for when VA officials must publicly acknowledge environmental hazard incidents, inform veterans about possible health impacts and begin the process of establishing presumptive rules surrounding those conditions.

Report authors also noted that “expanding scientific understanding of toxic exposures and environmental hazards is essential to support the VA’s efforts to provide timely, comprehensive benefits and health care to exposed veterans.”

The full report is available on the DAV and MOAA websites.

That decision came after advocates raised concerns about the financial impact of those past bills for veterans, some of which could reach over $1,000.

The affected veterans all receive care at sites that are using the department’s new electronic health record. Those include the Washington-based White City VA Medical Center, Roseburg VA Medical Center, Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center, and Jonathan M. Wainwright VA Medical Center. The Chalmers P. Wylie Veterans Ambulatory Care Center in Columbus, Ohio, is also impacted.

More pharmacy problems endanger future of VA’s health records system

Co-payments for outpatient pharmacy services have been paused there for several years as officials have worked through complications with the new medical records system and the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

VA leaders this week sent out notifications to veterans using the services to warn them of the upcoming change.

“The letter will provide Veterans with advance notice that we will begin collecting copays on Oct. 1, 2024 and that they will see those charges on their November statement,” VA press secretary Terrence Hayes said in a statement.

“From then on, pharmacy copayment charges will be seen on the next month’s statement – just as would happen for veterans receiving care and pharmacy benefits from any other VA medical center.”

Hayes said a final decision has not been made on when or whether to collect the paused co-pays retroactively, but that officials are working with “Congress and veterans service organization partners on potential relief for veterans.”

VA caps yearly co-pay totals for veterans at $700. The department offers a variety of financial aid assistance programs, and has shared contact information on those services with the affected veterans.

Additional information is available at the VA website.

https://www.va.gov/manage-va-debt/

Under questioning from members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Air Force Lt. Gen. Randall Reed said that if confirmed into the new role, reviewing the successes and shortfalls of the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS, mission will be among his top priorities.

“It’s my understanding that folks are already looking at it, and if confirmed, I’ll have visibility on exactly what’s being done,” he said. “I’m committing to this committee to share with you what I discover and the impacts of that.”

The controversial Gaza pier project, which involved eight military vessels and more than 1,000 soldiers and sailors at its peak, helped transport about 20 million pounds of food and humanitarian aid into the war-torn region over a three-month period this summer.

Biden pushed forward with Gaza pier despite warnings, watchdog says

But it ended abruptly in mid-July after officials from U.S. Central Command recommended against rebuilding the pier following its separation from shore during bad weather. That was the latest setback in the troubled effort, which was frequently bedeviled by weather and logistics issues.

Three U.S. service members sustained non-combat-related injuries during the mission, and Republican lawmakers repeatedly criticized the White House for potentially putting troops in danger by stationing them near fighting in Gaza.

Reed, who currently serves as deputy commander of Air Mobility Command, did not offer any assessment of the mission during Tuesday’s Senate hearing, but said those kinds of logistics capabilities are critical to long-term planning and strategy for Transportation Command.

Lawmakers echoed that sentiment.

“We’re going to have to do joint logistics over the shore, in all likelihood, in the future,” committee member Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va, said. “Everyone on this committee noticed some good, like the 20 million pounds of aid delivered … but there were also many problems.”

Reed faced no significant resistance to his nomination from the committee during Tuesday’s hearing and is expected to be confirmed as head of Transportation Command in the next few weeks.

VA leaders have said because of increased benefits payouts and medical care enrollments this year, their accounts are about $2.9 billion short of what’s needed to keep normal operations continuing. If money is not provided by Sept. 20, they warned, some benefits checks due next month may be delayed by days or weeks.

House members are expected to vote on legislation providing the money — and calling for a closer look at the reasons behind the funding issue — early this week. Senate leaders have said they will move on the measure as soon as possible afterwards.

But individual senators could disrupt that timeline with objections to the bill, possibly pushing final passage of the stopgap funds to the weekend or next week. VA officials have said they will work closely with lawmakers to see how they can prevent any potential benefits disruptions.

Here’s what else is happening on Capitol Hill this week:

Monday, Sept. 16

Tuesday, Sept. 17

Wednesday, Sept. 18

Thursday, Sept. 19

U.S. officials said the Biden administration has asked Congress to include the funding authority in any continuing resolution lawmakers may manage to pass before the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30 in order to fund the federal government and prevent a shutdown. Officials said they hope to have the authority extended for another year.

They also said the Defense Department is looking into other options if that effort fails.

US to send $125 million in new military aid to Ukraine, officials say

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the funding talks, did not provide details on the options. But they said about $5.8 billion in presidential drawdown authority, or PDA, will expire. Another $100 million in PDA does not expire at the end of the month, the officials said. The PDA allows the Pentagon to take weapons off the shelves and send them quickly to Ukraine.

They said there is a little more than $4 billion available in longer-term funding through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative that will not expire at the end of the month. That money, which expires Sept. 30, 2025, is used to pay for weapons contracts that would not be delivered for a year or more.

Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Thursday that as the Defense Department comptroller provides options to senior defense and military service leaders, they will look at ways they can tap the PDA and USAI funding.

He said it could be important to Ukraine as it prepares for the winter fight.

“One of the areas that we could do work with them on … is air defense capabilities and the ability to defend their critical infrastructure,” Brown told reporters traveling with him to meetings in Europe. “It’s very important to Ukraine on how they defend their national infrastructure, but also set their defenses for the winter so they can slow down any type of Russian advance during the winter months.”

Earlier Thursday at the Pentagon, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the press secretary, noted that the PDA gives the Pentagon the ability to spend money from its budget to send military aid to Ukraine. Funding in the $61 billion supplemental bill for Ukraine passed in April can reimburse the department for the weapons it sends.

“Right now, we’re continuing to work with Congress to see about getting those authorities extended to enable us to continue to do drawdown packages,” said Ryder. “In the meantime, you’re going to continue to see drawdown packages. But we’ll have much more to provide on that in the near future."

The U.S. has routinely announced new drawdown packages — often two to three a month.

Failure by lawmakers to act on the PDA funding could once again deliver a serious setback in Ukraine’s battle against Russia, just five months after a bitterly divided Congress finally overcame a long and devastating gridlock and approved new Ukraine funding.

Delays in passing that $61 billion for Ukraine earlier this year triggered dire battlefield conditions as Ukrainian forces ran low on munitions and Russian forces were able to make gains. Officials have blamed the monthslong deadlocked Congress for Russia's ability to take more territory.

Since funding began again, U.S. weapons have flowed into Ukraine, bolstering the forces and aiding Kyiv’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region. Ukraine’s forces stormed across the border five weeks ago and put Russian territory under foreign occupation for the first time since World War II.