Clear Communication for Veterans Claims Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. BARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my very first piece of legislation that I introduced as a Member of Congress, H.R. 1039, the Clear Communication for Veterans Claims Act.

This bipartisan bill, which I am proud to lead with Chairman Bost and Representative Budzinski, the ranking member of the subcommittee that I lead on Chairman Bost's committee, will make it easier for veterans to access the care and benefits they have earned by making significant improvements to our overly complicated claims process.

Mr. Speaker, you have already heard from other Members today about issues with veterans filing claims and running into problems with forms, legalese, bureaucratic speak, and things that are not easily understood. I can tell you, I personally have seen this myself in applications and interfacing I have had with the VA and challenges you get when you receive things in the mail. It is hard to determine whether this is an update on the claim that I have filed, a resolution to that claim, or seeking more information, or is it simply a delay saying that they don't have a resolution to the claim yet? It can be very difficult to figure that out, especially if you have multiple claims within the same packet.

When a veteran files a claim, it means they need help, yet too often they receive long, confusing letters full of legal jargon that leaves them with more questions than answers, ultimately leading them to call into a claims center or a helpline, which overburdens that and slows down the overall claims process.

This is unacceptable. Claims letters should be the catalyst to care and benefits and not the obstacle.

That is where my bill comes in. H.R. 1039 requires the VA to make these notices clear, concise, and easy to understand while also streamlining the Department's overall communication with our veterans.

As you heard already, it requires the VA to partner with an outside agency, not the bureaucrats within the VA, to make these communications easier and more streamlined for veterans to understand. Often, when you are working within the industry, it can be very difficult to put yourself in the position of those receiving these letters to understand what would be best absorbed by them.

Our veterans serve the United States military with honor. They shouldn't need a lawyer or specially trained advocate to explain a claims letter to them.

When I was elected to the State legislature in Michigan 10 years ago, I became the only Iraq war veteran in the entire Michigan House of Representatives. I worked closely with my Federal Members of Congress to help veterans obtain their benefits.

I maintained then that if I were ever in a position to make the process more streamlined and easier to understand, I would commit to doing that. This very first bill in Congress makes good on that commitment. I am proud to offer that today.

Mr. Speaker, I thank you and the rest of the Chamber for taking up this bill for consideration. It is time to give America's heroes and their families a clear and efficient claims process that actually works for them. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill that would do just that.

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