Washington, D.C. -Congressman Tom Barrett (MI-07) today led a House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity hearing on legislation to reform and improve the VA. This included Barrett's CRUISE Act (H.R. 7083), which he introduced last weekto streamline payments to providers for disabled veterans' vehicle modifications through the Adaptive Automobile Equipment (AAE) program.

Click here or the image above to watch Congressman Barrett's remarks. Below are highlights from Barrett's remarks.

"There have been continued payment delays from VA, and in certain parts of the country, there are 22 adaptive automotive invoices that are over 1,000 days late for their payments. That's years in backlog.

"That's unacceptable, and my bill would get to work at addressing these delays, cutting out the red tape, and ensuring providers get paid for their valuable work - all the while getting disabled veterans the service that they deserve. My bill would also hold VA accountable for making these payments to AAE providers in a timely manner by requiring the VA to publish the exact number of days that each payment takes that exceeds 30 days.

"If we don't fix this, we risk losing good providers who help our veterans get the adaptive vehicles that they need. …We can't let the bureaucracy get in the way of providing these benefits. If this continues, veterans will have less provider options available to them because they won't see the VA as a good-faith partner in that effort."

Background:

The VA's Automobile Adaptive Equipment (AAE) program pays for vehicle modifications necessary for veterans with service-connected disabilities to drive or to enter and exit their vehicles. Currently, individual VA hospitals are responsible for issuing these reimbursements, but some hospitals have fallen behind on paying invoices. As of May 2025, the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association was aware of nearly $11 million in paymentsowed to dealers that were more than 90 days overdue. This creates a real financial burden that is hurting the small businesses that install wheelchair ramps, lifts, and other vehicle modifications for veterans.

Barrett's Centralized Reimbursement for Upgraded Innovative Service Equipment (CRUISE) Act (H.R. 7083) would centralize the AAE reimbursement process at the VA Central Office and remove that responsibility from VA hospitals. The bill would require the department to implement a process to track invoices and issue payments. If the department is unable to process a payment within 30 days, it must publish how many days are necessary to make the payment.

Barrett has been a leader on efforts to help disabled veterans with their transportation needs. Last year, the House unanimously approvedBarrett's Automotive Support Services to Improve Safe Transportation (ASSIST) Act, which would authorize the VA to cover a wider variety of vehicle modifications.

CLICK HEREto read the bill.

CLICK HEREto watch Barrett's introductory remarks.