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“Hearing to Consider a Pending Nomination”

Senate Veterans Affairs Committee

September 10, 2025 (recording here)

HEARING INFORMATION

Witness & Written Testimony (linked):

• Karen L. Brazell, DSL: Nominee to be Under Secretary for Benefits, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Keywords mentioned:

• Benefits delivery, veteran disabilities, claims backlog, VBA modernization, veteran outreach, contract cancellations, workforce challenges, third-party litigation, disability compensation, technology modernization, leadership challenges

IN THEIR WORDS

OPENING STATEMENTS FROM THE COMMITTEE

• Chairman Jerry Moran began by reflecting on the anniversary of September 11 and honored the sacrifices of post-9/11 veterans, noting that they represent 28% of the veteran population and face the highest rate of service-connected disabilities. He then outlined the responsibilities of the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), including disability, pension, education, home loan, survivor, and transition benefits. He commended Dr. Karen Brazell’s military and professional background, pointed to recent progress in reducing the claims backlog, and expressed his expectation that, if confirmed, she would continue improving services for veterans and their families.

• Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal thanked Dr. Brazell and her family for their service and reaffirmed the VBA’s core mission of providing world-class benefits. He said that although the Trump administration inherited a VBA expanded by the PACT Act, the past eight months had seen harmful workforce cuts, forced overtime, and the curtailing of collective bargaining rights. He warned that these policies had caused a mass exodus, with about 50% of regional directors and over 1,000 claims processors leaving the agency. He expressed concern about Dr. Brazell’s role in these policies and contracts, and said he would seek detailed answers about her involvement in decisions that undermined the VA’s ability to deliver benefits effectively.

SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS

• Sen. Marsha Blackburn introduced Dr. Brazell and praised her as President Donald Trump’s nominee for VA Under Secretary for Benefits. She highlighted Dr. Brazell’s military service, her senior leadership roles at the VA, the Navy, and the White House, as well as her academic achievements. She underscored the size of the VBA’s mission, delivering over $250 billion in benefits, but warned of the ongoing claims backlog and outdated systems that burden veterans. Sen. Blackburn expressed confidence in Dr. Brazell’s competence, integrity, and dedication, stating that she was pleased to support her nomination.

• Dr. Karen Brazell thanked President Trump, VA Secretary Doug Collins, and the Committee for considering her nomination, stating that serving veterans was a deeply personal mission as a third-generation veteran and military spouse. She shared her family’s legacy of service, including her own Army service and her husband’s career, illustrating how both perspectives shaped her understanding of leadership and sacrifice. She described her experience in both public and private sectors, mentioning roles at the VA where she managed major acquisition portfolios, modernized systems, and expedited contracts to expand care. She pledged to always put veterans at the center of decision-making, ensuring their benefits were delivered with dignity, efficiency, and urgency.

• Chairman Moran asked Dr. Brazell about her concerns with VBA workplace culture, the biggest hurdles in serving veterans, and what changes might be needed. Dr. Brazell responded that she had not been directly involved in VBA operations but acknowledged challenges with culture. She talked about the need to modernize claims processes, reduce redundant paperwork, digitize forms, and leverage emerging technologies, while also strengthening the workforce. She said that modernization and transparency, coupled with human oversight, would be her priorities if confirmed.

• The Chairman then asked what impediments she foresaw in achieving these goals. Dr. Brazell stated that culture and overreliance on contractors were challenges, and she argued for a more balanced approach. She explained that leaders must encourage calculated risk-taking, using agile methodologies to push staff to think differently. She pledged to bring her industry experience to foster innovation within VBA.

• Chairman Moran added that outdated forms and poor communication within the VA troubled him, as they created gaps where veterans “fell through the cracks.” He mentioned complaints from constituents about misleading claim notices marked “ready for decision” with no follow-up. Dr. Brazell agreed that transparency and clarity were essential and promised to improve communication so veterans understood the true status of their claims.

• Ranking Member Blumenthal pressed Dr. Brazell on whether she had reviewed canceled contracts at the VA. Dr. Brazell testified that she had reviewed some canceled contracts but could not recall specific ones related to suicide prevention services or cancer registry databases. When asked about her former employer, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), she said that she had complied with all legal requirements but would not give a direct yes-or-no answer about reviewing their contracts.

• The Ranking Member then inquired whether she supported means testing for VA disability compensation. Dr. Brazell responded that she would conduct a full assessment if confirmed, but she did not take a direct position. When pressed further on proposals to reduce benefits for veterans with lower disability ratings, she repeated that all veterans must receive the benefits they earned. On questions about changing disability calculations and eliminating collective bargaining, she answered that she would follow the law and declined to comment on issues under litigation. Ranking Member Blumenthal expressed frustration at her lack of direct responses.

• Sen. Tommy Tuberville asked about Dr. Brazell’s priorities for the VA fiduciary program, which has faced fraud and abuse. Dr. Brazell said that her principles were to put veterans first, follow the law, and ensure fiscal accountability. She pledged to review the fiduciary program and implement stronger processes to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse.

• Sen. Tuberville also asked how she would balance swift benefits delivery with proper regulation under the PACT Act. Dr. Brazell answered that she would conduct a full assessment to ensure timely and accurate benefits. Sen. Tuberville noted that under Secretary Collins, the VA had processed record numbers of claims, and Dr. Brazell confirmed that significant progress had been made in reducing the backlog. When asked how to sustain this, she pointed to workforce upskilling and internal reassignment of staff despite recent losses.

• Sen. Tuberville also asked about strengthening interagency relationships with the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Labor (DOL), Department of Education (DOE), and Small Business Administration (SBA). Dr. Brazell replied that she would use existing agreements to improve data sharing and streamline transitions for separating service members. Sen. Tuberville claimed that better communication with veterans was essential, and he looked forward to supporting her nomination.

• Sen. Mazie Hirono began by asking her standard questions about whether the nominee had ever engaged in sexual harassment or misconduct, which Dr. Brazell denied.

• Sen. Hirono then asked which executive orders Dr. Brazell had overseen the implementation of at VA. Dr. Brazell replied that she had been responsible for those applicable to the VA, including orders on reducing fraud, waste, and abuse in federal contracting. When pressed for specifics, she responded that there were over a dozen such orders and agreed to provide a full list.

• Sen. Hirono also asked about the reduction in the claims backlog and whether it had led to increased requests for review. Dr. Brazell replied that she did not have the data but would provide it, clarifying that the backlog had decreased from over one million claims to about 650,000.

• Sen. Hirono asked how many veterans lived in the U.S. and how many accessed VA benefits. Dr. Brazell estimated 17 million veterans overall, with about 8 million enrolled in VA services. When asked about outreach to the millions not enrolled, she claimed that improved outreach was essential and pledged to leverage the Veterans Experience Office and community partners.

• Sen. Hirono expressed concern that outreach was promised repeatedly but rarely delivered, especially with planned workforce reductions, and requested clear goals for expanding access. Dr. Brazell said she did not yet have specific goals but believed progress could be made within 12 to 15 months.

• Sen. Angus King asked whether Dr. Brazell had any involvement in reviewing contracts related to her former employer and pressed for a direct yes-or-no answer. Dr. Brazell stated that she did not review her former employer’s contracts and underscored that she was not a contracting authority, reiterating that only warranted contracting officers could award, modify, or terminate contracts.

• When Sen. King questioned her use of the word “risk,” Dr. Brazell explained that she meant calculated, test-environment risk in adopting new technology and not taking risks with real veterans’ benefits. She added that her role in the contract-cancellation effort was to recommend a review structure for career leaders, asserted that approximately 2,500 of 76,000 contracts had been terminated, said she was not involved in VBA budget development, and maintained there had been no reduction in force, while acknowledging voluntary separations and promising a workforce assessment if confirmed.

• Sen. Dan Sullivan invited Dr. Brazell to discuss her and her family’s military service, and then turned to Camp Lejeune attorney fee issues. Dr. Brazell recounted her Air Force family background, her own Army service, and her use of the GI Bill, and she thanked the Senator for his leadership. On Camp Lejeune, she said that no veteran should have to pay a third party to access benefits and shared that her Marine brother had been medically discharged due to toxic exposure. She committed to work with the Committee, the Secretary, and the Department of Justice to ensure enforcement against excessive contingency fees and to protect affected Marines and families.

• Sen. Thom Tillis condemned third-party litigation funding abuses and read a statement from a surviving spouse describing account overdrafts caused by immediate benefit reversals after her husband’s death. Dr. Brazell called such overpayments and reversals unacceptable and said processes must prevent financial harm to veterans and survivors.

• When Sen. Tillis pressed for broader modernization and a credible method to deliver results, citing costly scheduling failures and the need for people-process-technology alignment, Dr. Brazell pledged early stakeholder engagement and effective delivery within VBA’s remit. She committed to provide a “stop, start, continue” feedback report to the Committee within 90–120 days of being in the role.

• Ranking Member Blumenthal sought clarity on whether anyone had been involuntarily separated or fired and pressed about reports of probationary employees being discharged. Dr. Brazell testified that there had been no reduction in force to her understanding, declined to comment on matters in litigation, and claimed that she was not aware of broad rehiring.

• The Ranking Member asked whether she had communicated with her former employer since joining the VA, and Dr. Brazell confirmed only for financial disclosure purposes. When asked what proportion of separations involved veterans and what percentage of the VA workforce are veterans, she did not have the figures at hand and pledged to provide them after the hearing, prompting the Ranking Member to again express frustration with the lack of direct answers.

• Chairman Moran offered Dr. Brazell an opportunity to add any clarifications before adjournment. Dr. Brazell thanked the Committee for its consideration and stated that, if confirmed, she would ensure veterans received timely and accurate benefits.

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