21st Century Solutions For Veterans

I know firsthand that when it comes to serving those who served us, the VA must do better. Veterans deserve timely care, accurate benefits, and simple, reliable communication. That’s why I’m proud to introduce three commonsense bills that tackle waste, cut red tape, and modernize outdated systems. 

The first bill, the Bipartisan Delivering Digitally to Our Veterans Act, gives veterans the option to receive their G.I Bill information digitally. Right now, the VA sends veterans updates about their G.I. Bill benefits through traditional mail, even though those same benefits are now managed through an online system. That’s a waste of resources. This bill is a simple fix that makes sure if a veteran wants to go paperless, they can. Not only will this save time and improve clarity, it could also save taxpayer dollars by reducing unnecessary printing and postage.

Second, the Forcing Real Accountability for Unlawful Distributions Act directs the VA to implement a modern fraud detection system to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in the community care program. The VA processes billions of dollars in claims from community care providers every year. Inexplicably, the system meant to catch fraud and overpayments has been down for more than two years. This has resulted in the VA paying out $417 million in improper community care payments – in FY2024 alone! Veterans and taxpayers deserve better oversight of where their money is going. This bill ensures the VA follows through and installs tech tools needed to protect those funds. 

Lastly, the Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act would make it mandatory for the VA to upgrade its scheduling platform to empower VA employees to schedule both community care appointments and VA appointments on the same dashboard. In pilot hospitals already using the new system, appointment times dropped by more than 10 days. This is a proven fix that simply needs to be scaled nationwide.

These are practical, cost-saving solutions that put veterans first. Whether it’s cutting through red tape, upgrading broken tech, or preventing wasteful spending, these bills share one goal: ensuring veterans receive the care and benefits they’ve earned without delays or hassle. I will keep fighting to make sure our VA works smarter, faster, and better for every veteran who has served our nation.