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FEDERALhearing transcript
High Impact

Congressional Hearing on VA Appeals Reform

Original title: APPEALS REFORM: WILL VA'S IMPLEMENTATION EFFECTIVELY SERVE VETERANS?

January 1, 2019

veterans affairsappeals processgovernment reformVA backloglegislative oversight

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The Frame

What this does

This hearing monitors the implementation of a major law intended to reduce the six-year wait time for veterans seeking decisions on their benefit appeals.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Veterans

Veterans are the primary group waiting for appeal decisions and are directly impacted by the speed and accuracy of the VA's new process.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

The agency is responsible for implementing the new appeals process and managing the existing backlog.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2019.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs held a hearing to evaluate the Department of Veterans Affairs' progress in implementing the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017. The committee reviewed efforts to address a of over 470,000 pending appeals, which currently result in wait times of up to six years for veterans.

Key Facts

  • The VA currently faces a backlog of more than 470,000 pending appeals.
  • Veterans currently face wait times of at least six years for a decision on their appeals.
  • The Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 (AMA) is the primary legislation being implemented to reform the appeals process.
  • The hearing took place on January 30, 2018, in the Cannon House Office Building.
  • The committee received testimony from VA officials, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and veterans' advocacy organizations.
  • Every member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs was an original cosponsor of the AMA legislation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the AMA?
It is the acronym for the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017, a law designed to reform how the VA handles appeals for benefits.
How long are veterans waiting for appeal decisions?
According to the hearing, many veterans wait at least six years for a decision.

Why It Matters

This hearing monitors the implementation of a major law intended to reduce the six-year wait time for veterans seeking decisions on their benefit appeals.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Unanimous Legislative Support

The document notes that every member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs was an original cosponsor of the reform legislation, indicating rare bipartisan consensus on the issue.

House Committee on Veterans' Affairs

Connected Entities

personGene L. Dodaro“Comptroller General of the U.S. Government Accountability Office”Map →
organizationU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs“Federal agency responsible for veterans' benefits and appeals”Map →
personDavid P. Roe“Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs”Map →
personThomas G. Bowman“Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance85
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy20
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz15
    Current news / social attention level

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