It’s a busy week on Capitol Hill, with the House and Senate diving into everything from budget negotiations to reconciliation debates and high-stakes hearings. We’ll have a Nimitz News Flash ready for you for every VA-related event, so stay tuned.

Meanwhile, veterans and VA policy remain in the spotlight across the news cycle. We’re closely tracking the latest headlines and looking forward to keeping you updated as these stories continue to unfold.

Friday marks the third annual National Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) Day, a time to honor veterans, service members, and first responders who exemplify the belief that adversity can lead to meaningful growth and transformation. We encourage everyone to learn more about this vital initiative, which supports our heroes and empowers them to thrive after trauma.

In this week’s Nimitz Report:

• Isn’t it ironic?: Partisan veterans’ caucus launched to fight partisanship

• Transgender vet files lawsuit: Army veteran sues over halted hormone therapy

• Veterans push back on LA: Ongoing response to protests raising alarm among military, veteran groups

WHO’S HAVING EVENTS THIS WEEK?

Tuesday, June 10th

• 📝 Full Committee Markup: “Fiscal Year 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Bill, Interim Subcommittee Allocations,” House Appropriations Committee at 3 pm. Watch here.

Wednesday, June 11th

• 📝 Subcommittee Hearing: “Hearing on Pending Legislation,” House Veterans Affairs Committee (HVAC) Economic Opportunity Subcommittee at 10 am. Watch here.

• 📋 Full Committee Business Meeting: Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (SVAC) at 11:30 am. More information here.

• 📝 Subcommittee Hearing: “Hearing on Pending Legislation,” HVAC Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee at 2:15 pm. Watch here.

Thursday, June 12th

• 📝 Subcommittee Hearing: “Hearing on Pending Legislation,” HVAC Health Subcommittee at 2:15 pm. Watch here.

Friday, June 13th

• 🖤 Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) Day: Learn more and access additional resources here.

NEWS DRIVING THE WEEK

Congressional News

As Senate committees refine their reconciliation proposals, the House is preparing to vote on President Donald Trump’s $9.4 billion rescissions package, which includes cuts to foreign aid and public broadcasting. While House GOP leaders frame the effort as a push to reduce waste and enforce accountability, moderate Republicans have raised concerns over potential cuts to PEPFAR, a signature HIV/AIDS program. Meanwhile, Congress is also weighing D.C.-focused legislation proposing to bar noncitizen voting and modify police union rights. Alongside budget and appropriations work, Senate hearings this week will feature testimony from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, as debate intensifies over spending priorities, rural health care, and digital asset regulations.

House Democrats have launched the Democratic Veterans Caucus, a new partisan group of 18 military veteran lawmakers led by Reps. Ted Lieu, Pat Ryan, and Chris Deluzio, to address national security and veterans issues they believe are being politicized under the Trump administration. Unlike bipartisan groups like the For Country Caucus, this caucus aims to directly challenge actions they view as harmful, such as VA staffing cuts, policy shifts, and rhetoric undermining military norms. They also intend to push back on what they see as partisan misuse of the military. With backing from VoteVets and House leadership, the caucus plans to amplify veterans’ voices in policymaking and campaign efforts, even as they acknowledge the tension of forming a partisan bloc to counter rising partisanship.

The House has passed H.R. 1815, the VA Home Loan Program Reform Act, introduced by Rep. Derrick Van Orden. The bill creates a permanent partial claims program within the VA Home Loan Program, aligning the VA with other federal agencies by offering struggling veteran homeowners a path to avoid foreclosure while preserving long-term fiscal responsibility. Advocates are now urging the Senate to consider and swiftly pass this bill, as some predictions estimate approximately 7,000 veterans are currently at risk of foreclosure.

Veteran News

Thousands gathered on the National Mall for the “Unite for Veterans, Unite for America” rally, organized by the Unite for Veterans Coalition to protest proposed cuts to the VA. Speakers, including Marine veteran Joe Plenzler and longtime VA nurse Irma Westmoreland, warned that efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) could gut essential VA services just as they have in other agencies. Attendees expressed deep concern that the proposed reductions threaten core services, especially mental health and primary care, for veterans who rely on the VA for their well-being. With voices ranging from frontline VA workers to a 100-year-old World War II veteran, attendees upheld that protecting the VA is a moral obligation owed to those who have served.

The VA’s Health and Benefits mobile app has surpassed 3 million downloads, with 1.4 million active users, reflecting the department’s push to modernize and improve access to care and benefits through digital platforms. The app allows veterans to manage prescriptions, appointments, claims, and payments, while also offering secure messaging and direct access to the Veterans Crisis Line—features designed to meet rising demand for timely, remote services. This digital milestone comes alongside broader VA reforms, including the launch of a Survivor Outreach Team, automation to ease payment delays, and new rules eliminating secondary approval for community care, all aimed at improving efficiency and responsiveness.

A transgender Army veteran has filed a lawsuit against VA leadership after the department halted her hormone therapy, citing a new policy that eliminates all transgender-related medical care. Filed by Yale Law School’s Veterans Legal Services Clinic, the case argues that the change is discriminatory, lacks legal justification, and threatens the mental health of affected veterans. The veteran, who is 100% service-connected for PTSD, had relied on VA care after transitioning from military to civilian life, only to be told she must now pay for hormone therapy out of pocket. With the policy shift expected to impact thousands, the case highlights growing legal and ethical concerns as both the VA and the Defense Department move to restrict care and service for transgender individuals.

National News

Veterans and former military leaders are criticizing the Trump administration’s decision to federalize the National Guard and deploy troops to Los Angeles against the wishes of California’s governor, warning that it marks a dangerous politicization of the military. Some experts say that the move lacks justification from a genuine emergency and opens the door to invoking the Insurrection Act, allowing broader domestic military use. A memo authorizing deployments nationwide, even preemptively against anticipated protests, has heightened fears that the military is being used to enforce political agendas, particularly in support of immigration raids and federal crackdowns. Veteran advocates have raised concerns about long-term damage to civil-military norms that directly impact service members and the democratic values they defend.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

FOR FUN

The Nimitz team is excited to attend the Congressional Baseball Game this Wednesday! If you see us, feel free to say hello. 👋

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