Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4601, as amended, the Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act.

This bill would provide VA the authority to award grants to States and Indian Tribes to improve outreach to veterans and their families about the benefits they may be eligible for.

H.R. 4601, as amended, would prioritize grants to the areas that have large populations of underserved veterans and high rates of suicide. Additionally, this bill would help county and Tribal VSOs assist veterans with preparing and presenting their disability compensation claims.

With the implementation of the PACT Act right around the corner, it is imperative that Congress provide local VSOs with the resources they need to assist veterans with their claims.

Every veteran deserves access to the same wraparound help with their benefits regardless of where they live. Congressman Levin and Congressman Rosendale's proposal would do exactly that.

I also want to point out that this bill has a mandatory cost because of toxic exposure funds created by the PACT Act. Now, I am happy to see the cost is now fully offset rather than swept under the rug.

Congress must find a permanent solution to the toxic exposure fund scoring problem before we use up all of our offsets and become unable to move additional legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all my colleagues to work toward that solution, and I urge all Members to support H.R. 4601, as amended.

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