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Oversight Hearing on “Memorializing our Veterans: Outreach, Upkeep, and Community Partnerships at Veterans Cemeteries" and

Markup of "H.R. 8552, the “Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2026”; H.R. 9006, the “Locating Our Unclaimed Veterans Act”; H.R. 6588, the “PROVIDE Act."

House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs

June 30, 2026 (recording here)

HEARING INFORMATION

Witnesses & Written Testimony (linked) (Panel One):

• The Honorable Samuel B. Brown: Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs, National Cemetery Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

• Mr. Robert J. Dalessandro: Acting Secretary, American Battle Monument Commission

• Ms. Karen Durham-Aguilera: Executive Director, Office of Army Cemeteries, Army National Military Cemeteries

Witnesses & Written Testimony (linked) (Panel Two):

• Ms. Ryan Manion: CEO, Travis Manion Foundation

• Mr. Cole Lyle: National Director of Legislative Affairs, The American Legion

• Mr. Shane LaGone, USAF (Ret.): Director of State Veterans Cemeteries, Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs

QUICK SUMMARY

• Members and witnesses praised the National Cemetery Administration, Arlington National Cemetery, and the American Battle Monuments Commission for maintaining exceptionally high standards while discussing opportunities to improve cemetery capacity, workforce support, and long-term infrastructure planning.

• Lawmakers examined how the National Cemetery Administration's 75-mile access standard could better account for rural geography and travel times to ensure veterans and families have reasonable access to burial benefits.

• Witnesses emphasized the need for earlier and better-coordinated end-of-life planning by integrating memorialization, burial eligibility, survivor benefits, and veterans service organizations into a seamless continuum of care.

• State and veterans service organization representatives highlighted the importance of maintaining robust funding for the Veterans Cemetery Grants Program to support cemetery expansion, infrastructure improvements, and partnerships with state and tribal cemeteries.

• Members and witnesses underscored that national cemeteries serve not only as final resting places for veterans but also as educational spaces that preserve the stories, service, and sacrifices of those who served for future generations.

PARTY LINE PERSPECTIVES

MARKUP RECAP

The subcommittee considered and unanimously advanced three bipartisan bills as an en bloc package: the Veterans Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2026 (H.R. 8552), the Locating Our Unclaimed Veterans Act (H.R. 9006), and the PROVIDE Act (H.R. 6588). Chairman Luttrell emphasized that while the bills had not yet been offset, identifying budgetary offsets would be necessary before they could advance through the full committee. Ranking Member McGarvey voiced support for all three measures, highlighting their efforts to provide annual COLA increases, improve the identification and burial of unclaimed veterans, and expedite disability assistance for veterans impacted by natural disasters. Rep. Keith Self reiterated his concern that any legislative costs would ultimately be borne by veterans through offsets, and the package was ultimately approved by voice vote and forwarded to the full committee.

OPENING STATEMENTS FROM THE COMMITTEE

• Chairman Morgan Luttrell (R-TX) opened the hearing by emphasizing that the nation's veterans cemeteries serve as enduring symbols of service, sacrifice, and national remembrance. He reviewed the history of Memorial Day and Arlington National Cemetery, highlighting the role of communities and veterans organizations in preserving the memory of those who served. He stressed that the National Cemetery Administration and the American Battle Monuments Commission shared the responsibility of maintaining these sacred sites and honoring veterans both at home and abroad. He concluded by thanking the witnesses for their service, welcoming Under Secretary Sam Brown to his first appearance before the subcommittee, and recognizing the National Cemetery Administration's exceptionally high satisfaction rating.

• Ranking Member Morgan McGarvey (D-KY) stated that caring for veterans remained one of Congress's most bipartisan responsibilities and praised the National Cemetery Administration for its professionalism and service to veterans' families. He argued that veterans cemeteries should honor the full diversity of those who served and expressed concern that recent actions had removed or diminished recognition of Black service members, women veterans, and other historically underrepresented groups. He maintained that preserving the complete history of military service, including the discrimination many veterans faced, strengthened rather than diminished the nation's commitment to honoring all who served. He said he looked forward to discussing both the operational management of veterans cemeteries and efforts to ensure every veteran's story continued to be recognized.

SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS (PANEL ONE)

• Under Secretary Brown described the National Cemetery Administration's mission as fulfilling the nation's sacred promise to honor veterans and their families with dignity, compassion, and professionalism. He praised the dedication of the agency's workforce, many of whom were veterans themselves, and emphasized the importance of providing employees with the staffing, tools, and resources needed to sustain that mission. He outlined ongoing efforts to expand outreach, improve pre-need eligibility determinations, modernize digital systems, strengthen partnerships, and empower local leaders to improve service delivery. He concluded that preserving national cemeteries ensured future generations would continue to remember the sacrifices made in defense of the nation.

• Mr. Dalessandro explained that the American Battle Monuments Commission's mission was to preserve overseas military cemeteries and memorials while honoring the service and sacrifice of those buried or commemorated there. He highlighted the agency's work maintaining world-class cemeteries, supporting the identification of unknown service members, correcting historical burial inaccuracies, and expanding services for families through new memorial programs. He also emphasized ABMC's educational initiatives, including visitor centers, classroom resources, digital archives, and partnerships designed to ensure future generations understood America's military history. He concluded that remembrance required both preserving these sacred sites and continually telling the stories of those who served.

• Ms. Durham-Aguilera described the Office of Army Cemeteries' responsibility for overseeing Army cemeteries, including Arlington National Cemetery, while honoring service members through dignified burials and historical preservation. She explained that Arlington continued to experience strong burial demand, noted that ongoing expansion projects would provide additional capacity through the early 2060s, and warned that eligibility changes would eventually be necessary because available space remained finite. She also highlighted the Office's Rights of the Fallen initiative, Memorial Day commemorative activities, and collaboration with the National Cemetery Administration to modernize burial records and cemetery management systems. She concluded by reaffirming the Army's commitment to preserving these sacred places and working with Congress and partner organizations to honor future generations of veterans.

• Chairman Luttrell asked for an update on Arlington National Cemetery's caisson program, including the status of the horse platoons, facilities, and staffing. Ms. Durham-Aguilera said the cemetery had resumed two caisson-supported funeral services per day, established four fully trained caisson platoons that would support four daily services beginning in the fall, completed a new Caisson Village for the horses, and created a new Army military occupational specialty dedicated to military working equines. Chairman Luttrell praised the program's progress and thanked the Army for restoring and modernizing the caisson operation.

• Ranking Member McGarvey questioned about workforce reductions at the National Cemetery Administration and whether staffing shortages had affected cemetery maintenance or services. Mr. Brown said employees had maintained high-quality service through overtime despite workforce losses, but acknowledged growing maintenance backlogs, aging facilities, and the need to hire additional frontline caretakers.

• Ranking Member McGarvey also questioned reports that exhibits recognizing Black veterans had been removed from an overseas cemetery; Mr. Dalessandro responded that the original display had been replaced with historically accurate exhibits highlighting African American service and emphasized that ABMC remained committed to telling those stories.

• Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI) asked about the National Cemetery Administration's criteria for establishing new cemeteries, arguing that straight-line distance measurements did not accurately reflect travel burdens for veterans in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and other remote areas. Mr. Brown confirmed that the current policy relied on straight-line distance and population thresholds, acknowledged the limitations of that methodology, and agreed to examine whether factors such as drive time and geographic isolation could be incorporated into future planning while noting that funding constraints remained a consideration.

• Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-OR) recognized the service of Major General Jeanne Holm and asked each witness whether her military career exemplified the type of service their agencies were charged with honoring, with each witness responding affirmatively. She then asked about the cancellation of the Bipartisan Women's Caucus wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, expressing concern that it had been canceled because of executive branch guidance related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Ms. Durham-Aguilera said Arlington had only provided the venue for the event, was not responsible for the cancellation, and emphasized that the cemetery honored all veterans through their military service and educational programming.

• Rep. Keith Self (R-TX) asked Mr. Brown to provide measurable outcomes demonstrating the effectiveness of the National Cemetery Administration's outreach efforts and requested a written response. He then asked about the greatest long-term challenges facing the American Battle Monuments Commission, and Mr. Dalessandro identified workforce recruitment and retention, particularly among overseas local employees, as the agency's most significant concern.

• Rep. Self also asked about plans to preserve Arlington National Cemetery's long-term burial capacity, and Ms. Durham-Aguilera explained that the Army was reconsidering eligibility rulemaking originally directed by the FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act but could not provide a timeline for completion.

SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS (PANEL TWO)

• Mr. Lyle praised the National Cemetery Administration, the American Battle Monuments Commission, and Arlington National Cemetery for maintaining high standards while emphasizing that opportunities remained to improve cemetery access, outreach, and volunteer engagement. He urged the Department of Veterans Affairs to better integrate memorial planning into routine veteran care by expanding pre-need burial planning resources and improving coordination among VA offices, funeral directors, and veterans service organizations. He also called for stronger support for surviving families through more seamless assistance before, during, and after a veteran's death, including full implementation of the Survivor Assistance and Memorial Support Program. He concluded that honoring veterans required maintaining trust with their families throughout the entire memorialization process.

• Ms. Manion testified that national cemeteries should serve not only as places of remembrance but also as educational spaces that inspire future generations to understand service and sacrifice. She highlighted the Travis Manion Foundation's Honor Project, which mobilized more than 2,500 volunteers to visit 78 veterans cemeteries and place commemorative tokens at the gravesites of 10,000 fallen service members during Memorial Day. She argued that community partnerships helped bridge the growing civilian-military divide by connecting Americans, especially young people, with the stories of those who served. She concluded that preserving veterans' legacies required encouraging future generations to live lives of service inspired by those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

• Mr. LaGone described Kentucky's successful partnership with the National Cemetery Administration and the Veterans Cemetery Grants Program, which had provided more than $43 million in federal grants to construct and expand the state's five veterans cemeteries. He highlighted recent collaboration that enabled Kentucky to efficiently implement the Burial Equity for Guard and Reserve Act while sharing best practices with other state and tribal cemeteries. He emphasized the growing need for additional cemetery infrastructure as cremation rates increased and expansion projects became more complex. He urged Congress to maintain the increased Veterans Cemetery Grants Program funding in fiscal year 2027 to address expansion backlogs and ensure state and tribal cemeteries could continue meeting the highest standards for honoring veterans.

• Ranking Member McGarvey asked whether the National Cemetery Administration's 75-mile burial access standard adequately served rural communities. Mr. LaGone said the standard was a useful national benchmark but argued that geography, terrain, and community needs should also be considered when determining cemetery locations, citing Kentucky's rural cemeteries as examples.

• Ranking Member McGarvey also asked about the Veterans Cemetery Grants Program, and Mr. LaGone emphasized that it ensured state and tribal cemeteries met consistent national standards while providing critical funding for long-term expansion and infrastructure. Finally, Mr. LaGone described Kentucky's efforts to identify and bury unclaimed veterans through partnerships with funeral homes, volunteers, and veterans service organizations, ensuring no eligible veteran was laid to rest without honors.

• Rep. Bergman asked whether The American Legion supported expanding cemetery capacity in underserved regions such as Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Mr. Lyle agreed that geographic access should be considered alongside distance metrics, explaining that functional access often differed significantly from straight-line mileage and that rural veterans and their families faced unique barriers to burial services and visitation. He also advocated for a more coordinated continuum of care that connected healthcare, memorialization, and survivor benefits, including stronger interagency coordination and expanded use of the Survivor Assistance and Memorial Support Program to provide families with smoother transitions.

• Rep. Bergman concluded by recognizing Ms. Manion's family's legacy of military service and thanking her for continuing her brother's commitment to service through the Travis Manion Foundation.

• Chairman Luttrell asked how the Department of Veterans Affairs could better bridge the gap between end-of-life care and memorial benefits so that veterans and families were aware of available resources before they were needed. Mr. Lyle recommended creating a unified planning process that introduced memorial planning earlier in a veteran's healthcare journey, strengthened coordination among VA administrations, and leveraged veterans service organizations to educate veterans throughout their lives rather than only at the end of life.

• Chairman Luttrell suggested incorporating memorial planning and survivor resources into the military transition process while acknowledging that continued education would still be necessary as veterans' needs evolved over time. He concluded by thanking Ms. Manion for her advocacy and service to veterans and military families.

• Ranking Member McGarvey closed by thanking the witnesses for their continued service and emphasizing that the subcommittee remained focused on improving care and support for veterans rather than politics. He highlighted the importance of strengthening coordination between federal and state cemeteries, supporting frontline cemetery personnel, and ensuring veterans remained at the center of every policy decision. He also recognized Ms. Manion's advocacy and thanked Mr. LaGone for sharing Kentucky's experience with the Veterans Cemetery Grants Program.

• Chairman Luttrell concluded by reflecting on the nation's upcoming 250th anniversary and reaffirming that honoring veterans and supporting their families remained the committee's highest priority. He thanked the witnesses for their testimony and stressed that those entrusted with serving veterans must never lose sight of that responsibility. He then entered additional materials into the record and adjourned the hearing.

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