With mass layoffs and contract cancellations making headlines, veterans across the country are feeling the real-world impact. We urge everyone to stay informed and stay alert as we continue tracking these developments.

This week, the House Veterans Affairs Committee will hold its first markup of the year and vote to advance two key pieces of legislation. Meanwhile, the joint VSO hearings are slated to come to an end on Tuesday, giving lawmakers the opportunity to process recommendations on the most pressing priorities for veterans this year.

Beyond the VA Committees, Congress is bracing for President Trump’s big speech tomorrow—and scrambling to dodge a government shutdown before the March 14th deadline. It’s a week packed with high stakes and even higher tensions. Stay tuned.

In this week’s Nimitz Report:

• “Baby please don’t go”: Jeffries slams the GOP for ditching budget talks

• VSOs knock DOGE: Veterans groups protest mass layoffs and canceled contracts

• Trump’s joint address: President Trump takes the stage Tuesday night

😵‍💫 Lost in limbo: With less than two weeks to go, lawmakers in Congress are showing no signs of a deal over the federal budget.

WHO’S HAVING EVENTS THIS WEEK?

Tuesday, March 4th

• 🧑🏽‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Joint VSO Hearing: "Legislative Hearing Presentation of The Veterans of Foreign Affairs Wars of the U.S. & Multi VSOs: PVA, IAVA, SVA, TAPS, EDF, NCHV,” House & Senate Veterans Affairs Committees at 10 am. Watch here.

• 📋 Full Committee Markup on Pending Legislation: “Markup on: H.R. 1041, Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act and H.R. 472, The Restore VA Accountability Act of 2025,” House Veterans Affairs Committee (HVAC) at 2 pm. Watch here.

Wednesday, March 5th

• ✔️ Subcommittee Hearing: "Legislative Hearing on: Discussion Draft, Governing Unaccredited Representatives Defrauding VA Benefits Act; Discussion Draft, Preserving Lawful Utilization of Services for Veterans Act of 2025; and Discussion Draft: To amend title 38, United States Code, to allow for certain fee agreements for services rendered in the preparation, presentation, and prosecution of initial claims and supplemental claims for benefits under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes,” HVAC Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee at 10:15 am. Watch here.

NEWS DRIVING THE WEEK

Congressional News

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has accused Republicans of walking away from funding talks as the deadline to avoid a shutdown looms over Congress. “Unfortunately, it appears that Republicans, who control the House, the Senate, and the presidency, are once again determined to shut the government down and hurt everyday Americans,” he said. Both sides of the aisle are arguing over who to blame as March 14 gets closer and closer. Last week, House Republicans successfully advanced their budget proposal, but they can only afford to lose one Republican vote and adopt the measure.

Following recent events, two prominent Senate Democrats have said that they regret voting to confirm Marco Rubio as the Secretary of State. Senators Chris Murphy and Chris Van Hollen both called voting for Rubio a “mistake” in the wake of heightened political tensions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The lawmakers are claiming that Rubio is contradicting the opinions he formerly expressed in the Senate. He once acknowledged that Russia was the aggressor against Ukraine in the conflict and advocated for Ukraine’s defense. “And now,” said Sen. Van Hollen, “he’s simply taking his directions at the State Department from Elon Musk and essentially parroting the president’s position.”

Veteran News

Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jerry Moran and Senator Angus King have reintroduced a bill to launch an in-depth study of how traumatic brain injuries (TBI) impact veterans’ mental health. The proposed legislation would direct the VA to partner with the National Academies of Sciences to conduct a 10-year study on the effects of repetitive low-level blast injuries. Lawmakers have shown remarkable bipartisan support for numerous recent efforts to understand, prevent, and treat TBI among service members and veterans. Evidence from other sources has shown that TBI is linked to increased suicidality and other negative mental health outcomes among this population.

Last week, VA officials flaunted $2 billion in savings resulting from canceled government contracts within the department. However, additional contract cancellations have since been paused as terminated contracts are reviewed “line-by-line” to ensure that no veterans will be harmed. According to reports, congressional staff were told that approximately 875 contracts had been canceled. VA Secretary Doug Collins has dismissed criticism from lawmakers and said that more moves promoting efficiency can be expected in the coming weeks.

Protests over the government’s mass layoffs have broken out across the country as members of Congress and advocacy groups highlight that veterans are among those let go from their roles. The National Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) released a statement last week condemning the broad firings, arguing that veterans have been disproportionately affected. “Since the federal government is the single largest employer of veterans in the nation, it’s veterans who are being indiscriminately harmed in this bull-’DOGE’-ing of the federal workforce,” said National Commander Al Lipphardt. As of last week, there are no official figures available for the number of employees fired since President Trump took office or how many of them were veterans.

National News

Tomorrow at 9 pm ET, President Trump will deliver an address to a joint session of Congress. This appearance will give him the opportunity to share his agenda with Americans in prime time and assure them of his goals for the year. According to experts, Trump will likely speak in support of recent actions taken by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), reducing illegal immigration, and tariffs. This address will be an important one for the president, as a new poll shows that 53% of respondents think the state of the union is not strong, and 54% say the country is headed in the wrong direction.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

FOR FUN

Tomorrow is Mardi Gras! ✨ Our team will be celebrating the holiday with some King Cake and jazz throughout the day. Justin’s missing New Orleans, but he’s excited to be back there soon.

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