As Washington heads into a packed first week of December, lawmakers are bracing for major debates on veterans’ benefits, workforce issues, and mental health innovations that could reshape federal support for years to come.

This week brings high-impact hearings on the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act, new scrutiny of VA workforce strength and medication safety, and growing national attention to fraud schemes and homelessness interventions affecting veterans nationwide. Even as Congress navigates political pressure and an increasingly unpredictable House, advocates are focused on critical gains in DIC reform, suicide-prevention investments, and expanded housing outreach.

With the holiday season approaching, and major legislative decisions still in motion, here’s what you need to know.

In this week’s Nimitz Report:

• Benefits expansion bill: HVAC signals will to move legislation quickly

• Trouble ahead for the Speaker: Johnson faces mounting pressures as the end of the year approaches

• AI, DOGE, fraud, & more: Top news stories paint a broad picture of challenges facing veterans today

WHO’S HAVING EVENTS THIS WEEK?

Tuesday, December 2nd

• 💪 Subcommittee Hearing: “Strengthening the Workforce of Veterans in America,” House Veterans Affairs Committee (HVAC) Economic Opportunity Subcommittee at 10:30am. Watch here.

Wednesday, December 3rd

• ⭐ Full Committee Hearing: “Legislative Hearing on: H.R. 6047, the ‘Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act of 2025’, H.R. 4077, the ‘GUARD Veterans’ Health Care Act,’” HVAC at 10:15am. Watch here.

• 💊 Committee Hearing: “Medication Management in VA Healthcare,” Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (SVAC) at 4pm. Watch here.

Thursday, December 4th

• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Full Committee Hearing: “119th Congress Member Day Hearing,” HVAC at 9:30am. Watch here.

Friday, December 5th

• 🎁 HillVets Holiday Party: 6pm, hosted by Oracle. RSVP here.

NEWS DRIVING THE WEEK

Congressional News

This Wednesday, the House VA Committee will hear testimony on the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act (H.R. 6047), which proposes long-overdue increases to VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation and new annual payments for catastrophically disabled veterans who require around-the-clock care. Members of Congress and several major VSOs have overwhelmingly supported the legislation, calling it a long-needed correction to financial gaps that have left more than 700,000 families struggling. For veterans and survivors, the bill represents one of the most significant benefit expansions in a generation and a renewed commitment to honoring lifelong sacrifice. Although no Democrats have signed on yet, advocates remain hopeful that the legislation will gain bipartisan traction and advance this Congress.

House Speaker Mike Johnson faces mounting challenges as members of both parties increasingly turn to discharge petitions to force action on stalled legislation, including a stock-trading ban, Russia sanctions, and federal-worker union protections. These efforts reflect broader frustration within the House, where a narrow GOP majority makes it easier for small blocs of lawmakers to bypass leadership and bring bills directly to the floor. Speaker Johnson’s attempts to balance ideological factions are further complicated by disputes over upcoming defense, funding, and health-care decisions, as well as tension surrounding President Donald Trump’s policy positions. With bipartisan coalitions forming around multiple issues, experts believe that the House is likely to act independently of leadership when enough members align.

Veteran News

The FY26 MilCon-VA bill, signed into law on November 12, directed the VA to expand its use of artificial intelligence and other “innovative tools” to better identify veterans at high risk of suicide. Congress allocated $698 million for suicide prevention and encouraged the VA to pursue real-time analytics, omnichannel engagement tools, and expanded use of programs like REACH VET to pinpoint red flags such as military sexual trauma (MST) and spousal abuse. Lawmakers emphasized that AI should supplement, not replace, human providers, especially amid broader federal workforce reductions that raised concerns about automated mental health interactions. For veterans, these investments signaled a major push toward earlier intervention, more personalized care, and potentially faster support pathways during mental health crises.

A recent Rolling Stone article argued that the now-dissolved Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) caused significant and lasting harm to veterans by slashing veteran-owned contracts, eliminating thousands of veteran federal employees, and destabilizing core VA programs. It described how DOGE fueled a workforce collapse across the VA, which pushed the system toward “privatization by attrition” and left veterans facing longer waits, weakened services, and failing support structures. The author noted that DOGE’s touted savings were almost entirely fabricated, while its actions increased federal costs and pushed many veterans into job loss, mortgage distress, and stalled disability claims. The opinion piece underscored that DOGE’s legacy would be decades of compounded damage to VA access, benefits processing, and economic stability unless future administrations take corrective action and ensure accountability.

Consumer-protection groups and state agencies have found that veterans face significantly higher fraud risk than the general public, as scammers routinely impersonate VA officials, accredited representatives, or benefit experts to steal money or personal information. Schemes such as pension poaching, fake disability-claim consultants, fraudulent charities, and new AI-driven scams specifically target veterans navigating complex benefit systems. The VA and consumer-protection organizations have responded by urging veterans to use only accredited representatives, avoid fee-based claims services, and report suspicious contacts through official channels. Veterans are encouraged to utilize heightened vigilance, as evolving technology and persistent impersonation schemes continued to threaten financial security and access to earned benefits.

The VA’s nationwide “Getting Veterans Off the Streets” initiative, conducted from May to September 2025, mobilized every VA Medical Center to locate unsheltered veterans and provide same-day connections to housing, health care, and benefits. Using a rapid-response model, outreach teams engaged veterans where they lived and ultimately helped 25,605 veterans move into interim or permanent housing, exceeding the department’s goal by more than 25%. Veteran homelessness has already fallen to its lowest level since tracking began in 2009, and the VA credited coordinated federal–local efforts and housing-first strategies for the progress. This initiative demonstrates the VA’s commitment to sustained, hands-on outreach and provides a model for how targeted engagement can quickly reduce homelessness and improve access to essential services.

National News

The Supreme Court’s final session of the year is set to take up major disputes, including President Trump’s attempt to overturn a 90-year precedent limiting his ability to fire FTC commissioners, a move that could reshape the independence of federal agencies. The justices will also consider a high-stakes campaign finance case in which Republicans seek to strike down coordinated party expenditure limits, arguing they violate the First Amendment, while Democrats warn the change would enable donor corruption. Another case involves New Jersey’s subpoena of a faith-based pregnancy center, raising questions about whether compelled disclosure of donor information chills free speech and when such First Amendment disputes can reach federal court. Rounding out the docket, a Mississippi street preacher is asking the Court to clarify whether someone with a prior conviction can pursue prospective relief against a law they claim restricts protected speech, a decision that could influence the scope of future civil-rights challenges. For more information on each of these cases, click here.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

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