House lawmakers to unveil draft budget for vets programs this week
Defense and veterans hearings for the week of June 2, 2025.
Pentagon & Congress
Advocates for homeless vets wary over proposed changes to VA programs
VA Secretary Doug Collins has promised to keep focus and funding on programs to help homeless vets, but community groups still worry about possible cuts.
Top lawmaker says VA, DOD leaders continue to ignore Hill requests
Sen. Richard Blumenthal said administration officials aren't providing basic information to Congress on looming plans for massive changes.
Advocates push Senate to drop changes in 90/10 rule for vets benefits
A provision in the Republican-backed reconciliation bill would roll back restrictions on what federal funds for-profit colleges can receive.
Hegseth, Collins promise fixes to post-military transition programs
VA and Pentagon leaders plan to review veteran transition programs to ensure separating troops are getting the support they need.
This WWII pilot crash-landed into a field hosting a Nazi soccer match
Maj. Donald K. Willis crash-landed his plane in Nazi-occupied Holland then stopped at cafes for beers — all while evading the capture for two months.
World War II bomber crash left 11 dead. Four are finally coming home.
All 11 men aboard the bomber were killed. Their remains, deep below the sea, were designated as non-recoverable. That changed in 2023.
Lingering cost worries cloud plans for veterans disability reform bill
Advocates hope to restart momentum in Congress this year on the Major Richard Star Act.
VA drops secondary review rule for community care medical appointments
Congress last year passed legislation designed to simplify the process for veterans seeking medical help outside the VA health care system.
Congressional appropriators criticize VA’s unapproved funding moves
Department leaders shifted about $340 million in budget savings to outside health care accounts without lawmakers' OK.
Federal budget plans still in limbo as Memorial Day approaches
Defense and veterans hearings on Capitol Hill for the week of May 19, 2025.
Vets disability claims backlog down to 200K cases, a post-pandemic low
The number of overdue disability claims rose to more than 400,000 cases after COVID-19 office closures and toxic exposure benefits expansion.
Trump’s vow of ‘substantial’ pay raise for troops counters budget plan
The White House spending plans call for a 3.8% pay boost next year, a smaller raise than troops saw in January.
VA errors in benefits payouts down, but still total more than $1.3B
Recurring errors in VA benefits processing amounted to hundreds of millions in losses for U.S. taxpayers in fiscal 2024.
Trial opens for Navy vet arrested near Obama’s DC home in 2023
Investigators found two guns, roughly 400 rounds of ammunition and a machete in Taylor Taranto’s van after he showed up near Obama’s home.
Sunken USS Yorktown leaves researchers ‘flabbergasted’ in latest dive
Eighty-three years after sinking during the Battle of Midway, the USS Yorktown is still revealing secrets.
Breaking down Trump’s executive order mandating multiple VA reforms
The president signed an executive order Friday calling for several sweeping changes in VA operations and construction goals.
