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Stopgap Measure on the Table with Funding Deadline & Fly-Out Dates Looming
Congress in a mad dash to push 3-month continuing resolution through before the week ends.
It’s the final countdown! The House and Senate are in their last stretch before taking off for election prep, and there’s certainly plenty to get done before that happens. The House Veterans Affairs Committee is set to host four hearings this week on topics including the Hampton VA, caregivers, VA scheduling issues, and the Digital GI Bill. No hearings are on the docket for the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.
In this week’s Nimitz Report:
Continuing resolution: House vote on stopgap agreement expected on Wednesday
Text messages & difficult navigation: Updates on the VA’s disability claims filing process
PACT Act legacy?: Other hazard-exposed veterans may have a few decades to wait for their benefits
👋 See y’all later: It will be a while before you have us in your inbox again, and we encourage you all to have a safe and productive October. If you know anyone who’d be interested in receiving our updates when we’re back in town, feel free to send them this link. Thanks again, as always, for your support.
WHO’S HAVING EVENTS THIS WEEK?
Red Star: House Event, Blue Star: Senate Event, Purple Star: Other Event
Tuesday, September 24th
Wednesday, September 25th
Thursday, September 26th
⏰ Subcommittee Hearing: “Ensuring Timely Access: Challenges in VA Scheduling,” HVAC Technology Modernization Subcommittee at 9 am. Watch here.
🖥️ Subcommittee Hearing: “Digital GI Bill in Disarray: Holding the Biden-Harris Administration Accountable for VA's Costly Mismanagement,” HVAC Economic Opportunity Subcommittee at 1 pm. Watch here.
NEWS DRIVING THE WEEK
Congressional News
Lawmakers are gearing up to head home at the end of the week, pending the passage of a bipartisan agreement to fund the government. Despite a largely “clean” three-month stopgap measure that was unveiled over the weekend, discontented hard-line conservatives are still advocating for a shorter continuing resolution. If all goes according to plan, the stopgap will likely be considered in the House on Wednesday before heading to the Senate. As a reminder, Congress will hit its shutdown deadline on September 30.
Last Thursday, Congress passed a $3 billion emergency spending bill to fund the VA following the department’s predicted shortfall. Veterans benefits delivery is now back on track for October 1. At the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing last week, Democrats praised the PACT Act and attributed the shortfall to more veterans receiving more care. Republicans, however, continued to question whether this shortfall was foreseeable, why they were not informed sooner, and whether the department would call for additional funds again. Another request from the VA for $12 billion for fiscal year 2025 has not been addressed.
Veteran News
The VA is now sending text messages to veterans who are eligible for monthly compensation and encouraging them to apply for disability benefits. Despite looking like a scam at first glance, this effort is meant to reach more veterans where they are and provide an easier means of applying for earned benefits. The White House commented that the text message is part of a “paradigm shift” prompted by President Joe Biden and VA Secretary Denis McDonough. Over 3 million veterans have received such a text message, and more are anticipated to follow.
Last Wednesday, Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) published a report highlighting the challenges veterans face when filing VA disability claims, especially those unaware of their exposure to toxic substances. While the PACT Act has recently extended recognition to many veterans, numerous others are expected to experience much longer wait times for similar benefits. According to the report, thousands of service members exposed to environmental hazards during their service may wait an estimated 31 years for the same acknowledgment from the VA.
A new VA grant program will now offer $5 million to organizations that provide employment-based resources and tools supporting recently separated veterans and their spouses. The Veteran and Spouse Transitional Assistance Grant Program is the first of its kind to be geared toward veterans’ spouses, and 13 grantees will be selected to carry out its mission. Under Secretary for Benefits Joshua Jacobs commented, “Each year, more than 200,000 service members make the transition to civilian life, and we know that journey doesn’t just affect the Veteran — it impacts their entire family.”
National News
The Nimitz Group is proud to be a nonpartisan advocacy firm, focused on veterans’ affairs and the larger military-connected community. As election season heats up, we encourage everyone to consider the issues that are important to you and make educated, informed decisions on who deserves your vote. We also urge you to verify your voter registration information and make sure you’re ready for November! Every race matters this year.
WHAT ELSE WE’RE WATCHING 👀
Tuesday, September 24th
An Assessment of the State Department’s Withdrawal from Afghanistan by America’s Top Diplomat. House Committee on Foreign Affairs. 10 am. Link here.
Defending America from the Chinese Communist Party’s Political Warfare, Part III. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. 10 am. Link here.
Safeguarding the Homeland: Examining Conflicts of Interest in Federal Contracting to Protect America’s Future. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. 10 am. Link here.
⭐ Cyberspace Under Threat in the Era of Rising Authoritarianism and Global Competition. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. 10 am. Link here. This hearing will be covered in a Nimitz News Flash for our companion publication, Nimitz Tech. Subscribe to receive these updates here!
⭐ An Outage Strikes: Assessing the Global Impact of CrowdStrike’s Faulty Software Update. House Committee on Homeland Security. 2 pm. Link here. This hearing will be covered in a Nimitz News Flash for our companion publication, Nimitz Tech. Subscribe to receive these updates here!
Wednesday, September 25th
The Border Crisis: The Cost of Chaos. House Committee on Oversight & Accountability. 2 pm. Link here.
Thursday, September 26th
Foreign Policy, Interrupted: How Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Blunt America’s Impact Abroad. House Committee on Foreign Affairs. 10 am. Link here.
Given the Green Light: Open Border Policies and Threats to Law Enforcement. House Committee on Homeland Security. 10 am. More information here.
Examining the Public Health Impacts of PFAS Exposures. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. 10 am. Link here.
Trafficked, Exploited, and Missing: Migrant Children Victims of the Biden-Harris Administration. House Committee on Homeland Security. 2 pm. More information here.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
We’re focused on making sure we grow our majority, and I wish we had a better way to keep the government functioning where we could get some sort of win, but we couldn’t get that play across the finish line.
FOR FUN
It’s almost spooky season! 🎃 👻 If you’re interested in Danielle’s Halloween movie list, feel free to respond to this email and she will send it your way.
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