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“Bounce Houses, Drones, and Massage Chairs: A Review of VA’s Purchase History in the Veteran Readiness and Employment Program”

House Veterans Affairs Committee, Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing

April 16, 2026 (recording here)

HEARING INFORMATION

Witnesses & Written Testimony (linked):

• Ms. Margarita Devlin: Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Benefits, Veterans Benefits Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

• Ms. Chantile Stovall: Acting Executive Director, Veterans Readiness and Employment Service, Veterans Benefits Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

• Ms. Julie Howell: Associate Legislative Director, Paralyzed Veterans of America

TOP-LINES TO SHOW YOU ARE IN THE KNOW

1. This hearing clarified that the VR&E program is working for many veterans, but there are real concerns about oversight, costs, and whether outcomes are being properly tracked.

2. There was bipartisan agreement that staffing shortages and high caseloads are straining the system and limiting veterans’ access to timely and effective support.

3. Members debated whether high-cost purchases reflect waste or necessary, individualized investments that help veterans build successful careers and businesses.

4. VA witnesses tied many of the questioned expenditures to real success stories, including veterans running profitable small businesses.

5. At the end of the day, the conversation kept coming back to one core issue: making sure the program delivers measurable employment outcomes while still meeting veterans’ unique needs.

PARTY LINE PERSPECTIVES

OPENING STATEMENTS FROM THE SUBCOMMITTEE

• Chairman Derrick Van Orden opened the hearing, describing the Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) program’s effectiveness and potential waste, fraud, and abuse within a multi-billion-dollar VA program. He argued that certain expenditures appeared excessive and lacked clear employment outcomes, citing examples of high-cost purchases and long-term participation without measurable results. He called for stronger oversight, spending caps, and accountability to protect taxpayers while ensuring veterans receive meaningful support. He supported reforms to ensure the program fulfills its primary goal of helping veterans achieve employment.

• Ranking Member Chris Pappas asserted that VR&E was a highly effective program that supported veterans’ transition to civilian life, including employment and entrepreneurship. He criticized the premise of the hearing as misleading, stating that it relied on selectively presented high-cost examples while ignoring successful outcomes. He claimed that many expenditures supported viable veteran-owned businesses and that staffing shortages and contractor reliance were the real drivers of inefficiency. He said that Congress should focus on strengthening staffing, oversight, and resources rather than undermining a successful program.

SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS

• Ms. Margarita Devlin explained that the VR&E program helped veterans overcome service-connected disabilities to achieve employment or independent living. She maintained that purchases highlighted in the hearing were made within statutory authority and tailored to individualized rehabilitation plans that supported real outcomes. She underlined that the VA balanced stewardship of taxpayer dollars with maximizing veteran success and remained committed to strong oversight and program improvements. Ms. Devlin articulated that the VA would implement any legislative changes enacted by Congress and stood ready to assist in strengthening the program.

• Ms. Julie Howell testified that VR&E was a critical employment program for disabled veterans but faced ongoing challenges related to staffing, workload, and program understanding. She explained that vocational rehabilitation counselors were overburdened with administrative tasks, limiting their ability to provide effective employment guidance. She pointed to increased staffing, reduced administrative burdens, and structural improvements as necessary to sustain the program and improve outcomes. She concluded that without these changes, veterans would continue to face delays and barriers to achieving long-term employment and independence.

• Ranking Member Pappas asked about counselor caseloads and whether hiring 300 additional counselors would meet target ratios. Ms. Devlin replied that the current ratio was approximately 1:199 and that hiring would improve but not fully meet the 1:125 goal. When asked about administrative burdens, she agreed that counselors should spend more time on counseling, believing that a new system would reduce administrative workload.

• The Ranking Member inquired about specific expenditures. Ms. Devlin and Ms. Chantile Stovall stated that veterans receiving high-cost resources, such as for a fishery business, were successfully operating businesses, with one veteran reporting significant earnings.

• Rep. Morgan McGarvey raised concerns about long wait times and barriers to accessing VR&E services, asking what the VA was doing to address delays. Ms. Devlin acknowledged that wait times had increased, partly due to a government shutdown, but reported that the VA was redistributing workload and using tele-counseling to improve access. She added that hiring efforts and workload balancing were helping reduce delays. Rep. McGarvey underscored the importance of timely communication and access for veterans navigating the system.

• Chairman Van Orden asked about educational requirements for VA counselors and employment outcomes for program participants. Ms. Devlin explained that counselors typically required a master’s degree, though requirements had been expanded, and provided data on program participation and successful outcomes. The Chairman pressed for clearer employment metrics, including job creation and long-term employment outcomes, and advocated for better tracking of program effectiveness.

• Ranking Member Pappas inquired about oversight and approval processes for VR&E expenditures. Ms. Devlin and Ms. Stovall responded that proposals underwent review for feasibility, including collaboration with the Small Business Administration, and that high-cost plans required additional approval, with some being denied. When asked about a specific purchase, Ms. Stovall stated that a massage chair was approved based on the medical need for a severely disabled veteran to support independent living.

• The Ranking Member also questioned high contracting costs. Ms. Devlin explained that contractors supplemented counselors but did not replace decision-making authority. Ms. Howell suggested that funds might be better used to hire permanent staff.

• Rep. McGarvey asked Ms. Howell about the primary barriers preventing veterans from receiving effective VR&E support. Ms. Howell answered that the biggest issue was the lack of time for meaningful employment counseling due to administrative burdens on counselors. She emphasized that counselors needed to focus on complex cases, particularly for veterans with severe disabilities, and that performance metrics and workload demands were limiting their effectiveness.

• Rep. McGarvey then asked what immediate changes could improve outcomes for veterans, particularly in independent living programs. Ms. Howell suggested creating specialized teams of experienced counselors to handle complex cases and reduce delays while newer staff were trained. She indicated that this approach could improve processing and service delivery for veterans with more complicated needs.

• Chairman Van Orden questioned the role of contractors versus full-time staff and whether additional hiring was necessary. Ms. Devlin said that contractors provided surge support and met similar qualification standards, but were not permanent staff. Ms. Howell added that long-term staffing shortages persisted and argued that permanent hires were still needed despite contractor support. The Chairman confirmed that the issue was primarily one of volume and capacity rather than quality.

• Chairman Van Orden reiterated that veterans had earned these benefits and deserved timely access to effective programs that maximized their success and independence. He reaffirmed the Committee’s commitment to refining the program to better serve veterans.

• Ranking Member Pappas restated the importance of moving beyond headlines to address the program’s underlying challenges. He also urged for continued oversight, process improvements, and adequate resources to ensure veterans received timely and effective support from the VA.

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