Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, but the atmosphere in Washington, DC, is anything but warm and fuzzy. This week, battles over reconciliation are dominating the headlines, though much attention remains on the whirlwind first weeks of the Trump administration.

The House Veterans Affairs Committee has two subcommittee hearings on the docket over the next few days. We look forward to covering all relevant developments.

In this week’s Nimitz Report:

• DOGE at VA HQ: Single employee confirmed to be working at the department

• No DRP for VA employees: Many VHA, VBA, & NCA occupations ineligible for Trump’s offer

• “Don’t count on our support”: Democrats issue warning ahead of shutdown battle

⌛ Time is running out: Congress faces a March 14 deadline to fund the government or shut it down. Many insiders are starting to grow concerned that a deal may not be reached before then.

WHO’S HAVING EVENTS THIS WEEK?

Tuesday, February 11th

• 🍎 Subcommittee Hearing: “Bureaucratic Barriers: Making VBA Education Services Work for Veterans and not the Bureaucracy,” House Veterans Affairs Committee (HVAC) Economic Opportunity Subcommittee at 10:15 am. Watch here.

Wednesday, February 12th

• 🩺 Subcommittee Hearing: “Roles and Responsibilities: Evaluating VA Community Care,” HVAC Health Subcommittee at 2:15 pm. Watch here.

NEWS DRIVING THE WEEK

Congressional News

This week, Congress will unofficially kick off its work on the annual National Defense Authorization Act. Drafting and negotiating the must-pass defense authorization bill will begin with the consideration of the challenges facing Northern Command and Southern Command at a Senate hearing this week. Witness testimony will likely help inform lawmakers in their efforts over the next several months, and several related hearings are expected to follow later this spring.

House Speaker Mike Johnson continues his struggle with intra-party conflict over his budget reconciliation plan. Budget Committee leadership is reportedly at odds with the Ways and Means Committee and other senior Republicans, throwing Johnson’s hopes for moving a resolution through the chamber this week into a tailspin. On the other side of Congress, Budget Chairman Lindsey Graham expects a vote for the Senate’s proposed budget resolution on Thursday.

Veteran News

According to an email sent by the VA late last week, several staff members responsible for veterans’ care and benefits are not eligible for President Trump’s deferred resignation offer. The VA intends to exempt 116 positions within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) from the newly introduced Deferred Resignation Program (DRP). Additionally, the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) will exclude five roles, including rehabilitation counselors, general legal and kindred administration staff, veterans claims examiners, appraisers, and vocational rehabilitation specialists. The National Cemetery Administration (NCA), the third branch of the VA, will exempt 20 positions, primarily related to the management, care, and maintenance of VA cemeteries.

A representative from Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is now confirmed to be working at the VA. A department spokesperson has claimed that the individual is "specifically focused on identifying wasteful contracts, improving VA operations, and strengthening management of the department's IT projects." According to department officials, the DOGE employee will be solely examining ways to improve VA performance and will not have access to veteran or beneficiary data. The employee is the only individual from DOGE currently working at the department.

Earlier today, newly appointed VA Secretary Doug Collins announced the cancellation of the VA’s $178,000 subscription to Politico Pro. He claimed he became aware of the contract only after President Trump highlighted that the federal government had spent over $8 million on subscriptions to the company in recent years. On X, Sec. Collins wrote, “Discovered a $178,000 contract the VA had with Politico and promptly canceled it. That money is better spent on Veterans' health care!”

National News

Some Democrats in Congress are beginning to threaten shutting down the government in March over the Trump administration’s recent moves to dismantle federal programs and agencies. Sen. Andy Kim stated that House Republicans “should not count” on Democratic support for a funding deal like they have in recent years. “If we have to take steps to be able to hold (the Trump administration) accountable, use the leverage that we have to force it, I cannot support efforts that will continue this lawlessness that we're seeing when it comes to this administration's action,” he said. As a reminder, lawmakers have until mid-March to agree on a budget solution.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

FOR FUN

Congratulations to Essam for getting the Super Bowl winner correct (all the way back in September of last year). 🎉 Some of our team members are still grieving the season’s losses, but we are looking forward to starting fresh next fall.

JOIN THE NIMITZ NETWORK!

Enjoying our updates? Don’t keep it to yourself — forward this email to friends or colleagues who’d love to stay informed. They can subscribe here to become part of our growing community.

If you are interested in receiving updates like this related to technology policy, our team has your back. Please subscribe to our newest publication by clicking below: