Daines Leads Colleagues in Calling Out Biden’s VA for Mismanagement, Failing to Serve American Veterans

• August 27, 2024

U.S. Senator Steve Daines led his colleagues in sending a letter to the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) expressing strong disappointment of the VA's mismanagement and failure to effectively serve American veterans, specifically the unacceptable budget shortfall stemming its failure to correctly implement the "PACT Act."

Daines wrote in the letter: "There are numerous examples of ignoring Congressional intent, but perhaps the most illustrative is the implementation of the PACT Act. In January 2023, the VA announced it would begin processing PACT Act benefits claims for all veterans and survivors, completely ignoring statutory requirements that benefits be phased in over an 8-year period. What resulted was a $15 billion combined budget shortfall that you only recently notified Congress about. As mentioned previously, this shortfall is the largest for the VA under any administration and flies in the face of the FY25 budget request that this administration requested barely four months ago. Your active disregard for the law directly impacts veterans and threatens to put their promised benefits for exposure to toxic substances while serving their country at risk.

"Sadly, while the blame for this manufactured crisis rests at your feet, it is the American veteran-men and women united across generations by their willingness and desire to answer the call to service with an understanding that their government would be there for them when the time comes-who suffers most from your failures."

Senators Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn) and Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) joined Daines in signing the letter.

Read the full letter here.