Thanksgiving is in sight, and we are well on our way to an eventful lame duck. This week, we are keeping our eye on some key bills as they come up on the suspension calendar. On Wednesday, the House Veterans Affairs Committee is scheduled to hold two hearings. The first will review cybersecurity at the VA, and the other will look at the department’s delivery of prosthetics care.

The House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies will also have a hearing this week on the VA’s potential FY 2025 budget shortfall. Given the hullabaloo surrounding the FY 2024 “shortfall,” we’ll be interested to see how VA Under Secretaries Shereef Elnahal and Josh Jacobs respond to the Subcommittee’s line of questioning.

In this week’s Nimitz Report:

• VA Secretary Doug Collins: USAF Reserve chaplain preps to take the stage

• Canceled VA mental health appointments: Lawmakers sound the alarm

• Looking ahead to 2025: Tackling “woke” policies and possible recess appointments

⚠️ Legislative Alert: The Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act (H.R. 8371) is set to be considered under suspension of the rules in the House this week.

WHO’S HAVING EVENTS THIS WEEK?

Wednesday, November 20th

• 👨‍💻 Subcommittee Hearing: "VA Cybersecurity: Protecting Veteran Data from Evolving Threats," House Veterans Affairs Committee (HVAC) Technology Modernization Subcommittee at 9 am. Watch here.

• 💸 Subcommittee Hearing: “Assessing the Veterans Health Administration Fiscal Year 2025 Potential Shortfall,” House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies at 10 am. Watch here.

• 👨‍🦽 Subcommittee Hearing: “Life After Limb Loss: Examining VA Amputee Prosthetics Care,” HVAC Health Subcommittee at 2:30 pm. Watch here.

NEWS DRIVING THE WEEK

Congressional News

The 119th Congress will have the most women veterans ever elected in its ranks. Sheri Biggs of South Carolina and Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire will become the newest such representatives. Veteran incumbents Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Jen Kiggans of Virginia, and Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa all won their re-election bids. In the Senate, Joni Ernst of Iowa and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois did not face re-election. Nearly 80 veterans total have won races this cycle and will join 14 Senate incumbents next year.

Former Congressman and Air Force Reserve chaplain Doug Collins has been selected by President Donald Trump to serve as the next VA Secretary. Collins thanked Trump for the nod, saying, "We'll fight tirelessly to streamline and cut regulations in the VA, root out corruption, and ensure every veteran receives the benefits they've earned.” While he never served on the Veterans Affairs Committee, Collins voted in favor of major veterans bills during his time in the House, including the 2014 Choice Act, the 2018 MISSION Act, and the 2017 VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act. House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost and Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Ranking Member Jerry Moran have both congratulated Collins on social media.

Last Friday, a bipartisan group of lawmakers sent a letter to VA Secretary Denis McDonough demanding answers on the “deeply disturbing” rates of canceled VA mental health appointments. Reps. Marilyn Strickland and Mike Waltz are leading the charge on this issue after constituent feedback and an October investigation revealed that the VA is failing to keep up with the rising demand for mental health appointments. "Veterans who take the step to schedule behavioral health care are often doing so because they are in critical need of support. Yet too many report long wait times or a lack of available appointments,” they wrote.

Veteran News

The VA has announced that it surpassed its yearly goals to support and house veterans experiencing homelessness this fiscal year. The VA and its partners permanently housed 47,935 homeless veterans, representing 116% of the department’s goal. Of those housed, 96% remained in housing by the end of the year. The VA engaged with over 42 thousand total unsheltered veterans, and the department said that they will continue the fight to end homelessness among veterans until they all have a “safe, stable, accessible and affordable place to call home.”

Conservative lawmakers are hopeful that President Donald Trump will act on his campaign promises to erase “woke” policies from the military and VA. Last week, Senator Tommy Tuberville said that he wants Trump to quickly reverse the VA’s abortion access policies that led to his 11-month nomination blockade. Though these policies have received massive airtime on Capitol Hill, military officials reported that their abortion allowances were accessed just 12 times in the first year. VA officials said the department has performed 88 abortions in the same time frame.

National News

As President Donald Trump continues to fill his Cabinet, experts and lawmakers are forecasting the potential use of recess appointments to bypass the Senate confirmation process. Newly elected Senate Majority Leader for the 119th Congress John Thune has pledged to keep “an aggressive schedule until [Trump’s] nominees are confirmed.” Given some controversial choices thus far, it is not clear how successful recess appointments would be. Senator John Cornyn said, “Obviously, I don’t think we should be circumventing the Senate’s responsibilities, but I think it’s premature to be talking about recess appointments right now.”

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

FOR FUN

The Thanksgiving holiday is fast approaching, and we are looking forward to spending some much-needed time with our closest friends and family. Danielle is excited to make her favorite dish (even though it looks a little strange) — Pistachio Pudding Salad. Check it out here and feel free to send along any favorite recipes of your own!

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