Titus Calls for Immediate Action to Fight VA Appeals Backlog

Press Release

Today Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada's First District and Ranking Member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs called on Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald to immediately increase staffing levels to combat the growing backlog for veterans who have appealed their benefit decisions. Nationwide, veterans are waiting almost 1,300 days to have their appeals adjudicated. In Nevada, some 1,400 appeals claims are waiting to be decided. The full text of Titus' letter to Secretary McDonald is below.

"Since joining the Veterans Affairs Committee two years ago, I have been very concerned about the prospect of an appeals backlog. Unfortunately, the VA has failed to implement a comprehensive strategy to address this backlog," said Titus. "While increasing staffing to address the backlog will not be a silver bullet, it is an important step to ensure veterans' appeals are evaluated in a more timely fashion."

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