Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2023

Floor Speech

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Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Takano for yielding. I rise today in support of this bipartisan legislation, the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act.

As ranking member of the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee, I am honored to be able to partner with the subcommittee chair, Mr. Luttrell, on this legislation. I thank him for working in a bipartisan fashion to ensure that our veterans can access the benefits and services that they are owed.

We all have a solemn obligation to ensure that the needs of veterans are met. We know that too many of our heroes encounter red tape, delays, and backlogs when trying to access benefits. My office has spoken with countless veterans across New Hampshire who have had trouble completing and filing disability benefits questionnaires due to a lack of clear and timely communication.

Often, our office will step in when things go awry along the way and advocate on their behalf with VA, but veterans shouldn't have to reach out to yet another office just to navigate these processes, which are all too complicated.

By improving transparency and accessibility for those filing a disability claim, as well as communications between veterans, their accredited representatives, and contractors, we can make sure that veterans receive the support that they have earned.

As we see more veterans file claims as a result of the PACT Act, it is so crucial that we have steps in place that are going to improve these processes as soon as possible.

Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation, which will help reduce the VA claims backlog and minimize delays that too many of our veterans are facing today.

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