Defense and veterans hearings on Capitol Hill for the week of May 20, 2024. A sweeping veterans measure introduced by lawmakers on Tuesday would improve benefits for veteran caregivers and individuals facing homelessness. A new grant program will provide up to $500,000 to organizations helping veterans and spouses land post-military jobs. A watchdog report criticized VA leaders for mistakes in handling $11 million in bonuses for senior department leaders. Whistleblowers told lawmakers that fewer than one-third of VA law enforcement personnel completed mandatory suicide prevention training last year. VA leaders have said they plan to trim about 10,000 department posts in fiscal year 2025 in an effort to better manage their workforce. A massive cyberattack against a private health care firm in February may have exposed millions of veterans' personal medical records. Matthew Quinn, VA's top cemeteries official, will leave the key department leadership post later this month. Researchers tracked nearly 460,000 veterans and found increased risk of several respiratory and heart issues among individuals who deployed near burn pits. Veterans Affairs officials are updating rules regarding benefits eligibility to include more individuals with other-than-honorable discharges. Load More