It’s another busy week in Washington. This afternoon, the House Veterans Affairs Committee will hold a Technology Modernization Subcommittee hearing, followed by a full committee markup tomorrow. We’ll be closely tracking the legislation under consideration and will share timely updates as soon as we have them. Over in the Senate, VA Secretary Doug Collins is set to testify tomorrow before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee in a highly anticipated hearing on the future of the VA—this one promises to have a few fireworks, so stay tuned.

In this week’s Nimitz Report:

• Secretary Collins back on the Hill: SecVA testifies before SVAC on the VA’s future

• Survivors get a win: OSA moves back under the Secretary’s office

• Big bucks for the EHR: Modernization initiative gets boost in budget request

WHO’S HAVING EVENTS THIS WEEK?

Monday, May 5th

• 💻 Subcommittee Hearing: “Improving Access to External VA Care through Enhanced Scheduling Technology,” House Veterans Affairs Committee (HVAC) Technology Modernization Subcommittee at 3 pm. Watch here.

Tuesday, May 6th

• 📝 Full Committee Markup: “Markup on: H.R. 217, H.R. 1107, H.R. 1969, H.R. 1823, H.R. 1336, H.R. 658, H.R. 1860, H.R. 980, H.R. 1364, H.R. 1458, H.R. 1815, H.R. 647, H.R. 1286, H.R. 2201, H.R. 1578, H.R. 1041, H.R. 2625, and H.R. 3132,” HVAC at 10:15 am. Watch here.

• 🔮 Full Committee Hearing: “Veterans at the Forefront: Secretary Collins on the Future at VA,” Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (SVAC) at 11:30 am. Watch here.

NEWS DRIVING THE WEEK

Congressional News

On Tuesday, VA Secretary Doug Collins will appear before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee to testify on the future of the department. This will mark his first appearance on Capitol Hill since his confirmation hearings. Tensions are expected to run high, as the Secretary continues to face sharp criticism from Democrats over workforce reductions and proposed reforms at the VA. Recent committee hearings have featured strong rebukes of the administration, and even Republican members are expected to press the Secretary with tough questions. We will have a Nimitz News Flash ready with all the key takeaways.

House Republicans are working to rally support for a sweeping legislative package that advances President Donald Trump’s key priorities, including proposed Medicaid cuts. Speaker Mike Johnson hopes to pass the bill through the House by the end of the month, but disagreements on high-stakes provisions are slowing progress. The House Natural Resources Committee is scheduled to mark up its part of the Trump agenda bill Tuesday morning.

Veteran News

This morning, the VA announced a new three-pronged strategy to improve how survivors and dependents of deceased veterans access VA benefits. First, after a high volume of advocate outreach, the Office of Survivors Assistance will be moved back under the VA Secretary to ensure higher visibility and direct policy influence. Second, a specialized “white-glove” outreach team will launch later this month to personally guide survivors through the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) claims process. Finally, the VA will roll out plans to speed up DIC claims and simplify the benefits experience for grieving families through automation.

According to a budget summary released last Friday, the White House is calling for a $2.17 billion boost to the VA’s Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) program, prioritizing full interoperability with the Department of Defense and community providers by 2031. While the EHRM expansion was framed as a top priority in the document, the broader VA IT budget would be cut by nearly $500 million, with a pause on new systems until the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) completes a full review. Lawmakers and veterans’ advocates continue to raise red flags about transparency, especially regarding DOGE’s access to sensitive VA data and the impact of broader IT cuts on veteran services.

President Trump recently announced plans to rename Veterans Day as “Victory Day for World War I” and designate May 8 as “Victory Day for World War II.” The proposed change would overwrite 87 years of tradition recognizing November 11 as a day to honor all American veterans. Veterans groups have expressed concern about the proposed change, with Allison Jaslow of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America saying, “It is not the veterans’ fault if we don’t win wars. Veterans Day should be an acknowledgment of the ways that fellow Americans have served and sacrificed to protect and defend what we have in America.” The specifics of the President’s plan remain unclear.

National News

President Trump has claimed that former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz did not resign but was instead reassigned to serve as the administration’s new ambassador to the United Nations. The President framed this move as a promotion and stressed his continued confidence in Waltz, stating the decision was strategic and not due to any performance issues. The national security advisor role will remain vacant for up to six months, during which time interim duties will be handled by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

FOR FUN

Last Thursday, Danielle celebrated her two-year anniversary with the Nimitz Group! She is incredibly thankful for such a wonderful team and looks forward to continuing to work hard on behalf of American veterans, service members, and their families.

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