Happy Monday! Congress is set for another busy week, with an especially heavy agenda for the House Veterans Affairs Committee (HVAC).

Kicking things off, the HVAC Health subcommittee will hold a legislative hearing tomorrow on numerous bills, notably the bipartisan BEACON Act, which would strengthen care for veterans living with traumatic brain injuries (TBI). On Wednesday, there are two hearings on the docket, including a Full Committee Markup of the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act of 2025, and a Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee hearing on the VA’s Disability Benefit modernization efforts. We will keep you up to speed as the week progresses.

In this week’s Nimitz Report:

• Shutdown Prevention: Appropriators released a bipartisan two-bill funding package to help prevent a government shutdown ahead of the January 30th deadline

• Promising Progress: VA researchers found hopeful results in studies on Alzheimer’s disease, returning Veterans to home after nursing care, and pancreatic cancer

• Independent Central Bank: DOJ investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell met with bipartisan concern

WHO’S HAVING EVENTS THIS WEEK?

Tuesday, January 13th

• 🩺 Subcommittee Legislative Hearing: “Discussion Draft: the “BEACON Act”; H.R.6444, the “Blast Overpressure Research and Mitigation Task Force Act”; H.R.6526, the “Clarity on Care Options Act”; Discussion Draft: the “Data Driven Suicide Prevention Act”; H.R. 2283, the “RECOVER Act”; Discussion Draft: the “Health Desert Reform Act”; H.R. 2426, the “Veterans Mental Health and Addiction Therapy Quality of Care Act”; H.R 6652: the “US Vets of the FAS Act”; H.R. 4509, the “NOPAIN for Veterans Act”; H.R. 5999, To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish an opioid antagonist to a veteran without requiring a prescription or copayment; H.R. 6001, the “Veterans with ALS Reporting Act”; Discussion Draft: the “Whole Health for Veterans Act.”” House Veterans Affairs Committee (HVAC) Health Subcommittee at 2:15 pm. Watch here. *Will be covered by Nimitz Health*

Wednesday, January 14th

• ⭐ Full Committee Markup: H.R. 6047, the “Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act of 2025”; H.R. 3726, the “Fisher House Availability Act of 2025”; H.R. 3482, the “Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act”; H.R. 785, the “Representing our Seniors at VA Act of 2025”; H.R. 2148, the “Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment, and Retirement Act,” HVAC at 10:15 am. Watch here.

• 🖥️ Subcommittee Hearing: “Reevaluating the Rating Schedule: Examining VA’s Efforts to Modernize Disability Benefits,“ HVAC Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee at 2:15 pm. Watch here.

NEWS DRIVING THE WEEK

Congressional News

The House Veterans Affairs Committee has teed up a busy agenda this week as members are set to review numerous bills pertaining to veterans’ health and access to benefits. Of note, Tuesday’s Health Subcommittee Legislative Hearing will include the BEACON Act, bipartisan legislation that would integrate civilian and academic expertise to improve access to modern, effective TBI care while complementing and strengthening existing VA programs. The legislation also establishes VA grant programs to enable research, clinician training, outreach, and partnerships with community providers and academic institutions. Wednesday’s full committee markup will feature the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act of 2025, which would provide long-overdue increases to VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation and new annual payments for catastrophically disabled veterans who require around-the-clock care.

In addition to a busy HVAC agenda, appropriators have been working to prevent another government shutdown ahead of the January 30th deadline. Last night, appropriators released a bipartisan two-bill package to fund the State and Treasury departments, along with the IRS, judiciary, and Federal Trade Commission. Leaders from both parties emphasize the need to avert another lapse in funding after last year’s prolonged shutdown, though key negotiations continue amid time pressure.

Meanwhile, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth continues to pursue administrative action against Senator Mark Kelly, a retired Navy captain and Democrat, over a video in which Kelly and other lawmakers reminded military personnel of their duty to refuse unlawful orders. After Hegseth issued Kelly’s letter of censure last week, the decision now lies with Navy Secretary John Phelan, who has 45 days to make a recommendation as to whether a reduction in retired grade is warranted. Some Republican senators, including Susan Collins and Thom Tillis, have publicly criticized the Pentagon’s approach as an overreach. Kelly announced today that he has filed a lawsuit against Hegseth over the matter.

Veteran News

The VA has expanded access to preventive care by deploying a mobile mammography unit in partnership with the CHI Memorial MaryEllen Locher Breast Center, bringing on-site breast cancer screenings to rural Veterans in Tennessee and North Georgia. The service, supported through the SERVICE and PACT Acts, reduces travel barriers and uses outreach tools like automated Annie App alerts to improve scheduling and follow-up care, with breast health coordinators ensuring seamless treatment pathways.

VA’s Office of Research and Development recently published new findings showing promising progress in several areas. In a mouse model, researchers reversed Alzheimer’s-like disease by restoring brain energy balance through a novel compound, suggesting a potential future therapeutic approach. The “Nursing Home to Home” pilot program demonstrated high satisfaction and substantial cost savings by helping aging Veterans transition safely from nursing facilities back to community living. Additionally, VA scientists developed a nano-capsule delivery system to make chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer more effective and safer in animal studies.

In Washington, D.C., the historic Metropolitan AME Church has unveiled conceptual plans to construct micro-unit apartments and provide wraparound services aimed at reducing veteran homelessness. While still early in development and facing funding and feasibility questions, the initiative reflects a community-based approach to addressing housing insecurity among local Veterans.

National News

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, issuing grand jury subpoenas tied to his June testimony about cost overruns on a $2.5 billion renovation of Federal Reserve buildings, including its Washington headquarters. Powell publicly characterized the inquiry as an unprecedented political maneuver aimed at undermining the Fed’s long-standing independence in setting monetary policy, especially its ability to make interest-rate decisions free from White House influence.

Critics from both sides of the aisle have expressed alarm, with Republican Senator Thom Tillis vowing to block Federal Reserve nominations until the matter is resolved and other lawmakers and economists warning that such legal pressure could jeopardize confidence in U.S. monetary policy. President Donald Trump has denied involvement in directing the probe, even as he continues to publicly criticize Powell for not lowering interest rates as he prefers. The controversy has also reignited debate over political interference in independent institutions and stirred concern among investors and policy experts about potential impacts on financial markets and economic stability.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

FOR FUN

At last night’s Golden Globe Awards, One Battle After Another and Hamnet emerged as the night’s biggest film winners, while Adolescence dominated the television categories with multiple awards.

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