The clock is ticking, and Congress is kicking into high gear this week. Lawmakers are racing to avoid a shutdown by negotiating a continuing resolution, though internal GOP divisions and partisan clashes over healthcare provisions cast doubt on its prospects. On the veterans’ front, the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees will hold hearings on artificial intelligence and on strengthening services for veterans with spinal cord injuries and disorders.

Beyond Capitol Hill, new research underscores both the civic strength and health challenges of the veteran community—from expanding food access and advancing diabetes prevention to reaffirming how veterans continue to lead in civic engagement, even amid national declines. As always, the Nimitz team is here to keep you informed on what matters most.

In this week’s Nimitz Report:

• Another CR before the holidays?: Congress eyes Thanksgiving extension

• MilCon legislation advances: Authorization bill passes the House, now what?

• Vets’ engagement gap narrows: Civic engagement still higher than civilians, but lower than in recent years

WHO’S HAVING EVENTS THIS WEEK?

Monday, September 15th

• 🤖 Subcommittee Hearing: “Advancing VA Care Through Artificial Intelligence,” House Veterans Affairs Committee (HVAC) Technology Modernization Subcommittee at 3 pm. Watch here.

Wednesday, September 17th

• 🦽 Committee Hearing: “Strengthening Services for Veterans with Spinal Cord Injury and Disorder,” Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (SVAC) at 4 pm. Watch here.

Thursday, September 18th

• 🍷 HillVets Happy Hour: Walter’s Sports Bar at 5:30 pm. RSVP here.

NEWS DRIVING THE WEEK

Congressional News

House Republican leaders are pushing to pass a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through November 20, though the final text has not yet been released. Democrats have criticized early versions as partisan, particularly for including provisions they believe weaken healthcare protections, raising the likelihood that the GOP may need to pass it without Democratic support. Internal GOP opposition also threatens the plan, as some Republicans have publicly rejected further CRs and warned against triggering another year-end omnibus negotiation. Meanwhile, lawmakers are considering White House requests for funding add-ons, including $58 million to bolster security for government officials after the Charlie Kirk shooting, and they are continuing talks to finalize legislative branch, VA, and USDA funding bills before time runs out.

Last week, the House advanced an $892.6 billion FY26 defense authorization bill that includes nearly $19 billion for military construction projects and aims to streamline procurement. The legislation narrowly passed the full House 231–196 after partisan amendments, including those tied to culture war issues, drew Democratic opposition. The bill includes provisions to expand veteran-owned small business contracting, shift military construction oversight, pilot nuclear microreactors and 3D-printed housing, and require transparency in veteran hiring. A Senate companion measure has been introduced but has not yet received a vote.

Veteran News

A new report from We the Veterans and Military Families and the National Conference on Citizenship shows that while veterans remain more civically engaged than their civilian peers, the gap has narrowed since 2021. Veterans still voted at higher rates in 2024 (73% vs. 66%), gave more volunteer hours (93 vs. 69), and were more likely to donate to charitable causes and engage with their communities. Researchers say that broader declines in civic health, political polarization, and misconceptions about veterans may be contributing to the overall drop, but they highlighted the untapped potential veterans bring to community leadership.

Retired USMC Major Chris Lovell has partnered with the company Siren to introduce smart socks designed to prevent diabetic foot ulcers and amputations by alerting clinicians to early temperature changes in the feet. Diabetes affects about one in four veterans, roughly 2.4 million people, driven in part by service-related factors such as Agent Orange exposure. While the VA provides broad diabetes care, including lifestyle counseling, medications like GLP-1s, and technology-based monitoring, critics say the system still reacts to problems rather than preventing them. Lovell praised VA Secretary Doug Collins for recent progress but continues to call for a stronger focus on proactive diabetes prevention across the VA.

A Syracuse University-led study is providing 250 rural veterans with $100 monthly Instacart “Fresh Funds,” nutrition counseling, and cooking classes to evaluate how better food access impacts health outcomes for those with diet-sensitive conditions like diabetes and hypertension. Funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, the New York Health Foundation, and Instacart, the randomized controlled trial is part of the VA’s broader “Food is Medicine” initiative and seeks to inform future VA policy. Researcher Colleen Heflin emphasized the program’s potential for real-time impact and hopes it will lead to long-term changes in VA and broader public health nutrition programs.

National News

President Donald Trump threatened to declare a national emergency and federalize Washington, D.C.’s police force after Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the city would no longer cooperate with ICE following the expiration of his emergency authority. Bowser claimed that immigration enforcement is not a role for the Metropolitan Police Department and that cooperation with ICE would end with the return to pre-emergency norms. Trump accused Bowser of caving to pressure from Democrats and warned that crime would surge without federal intervention.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

FOR FUN

What a weekend of football! Apologies to any Bengals, Chiefs, or Giants fans out there, but goodness gracious, those were some amazing games. We know one Lions fan who is particularly thrilled on this Monday afternoon, and we hope everyone has a great week ahead. 🦁

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