Baldwin, Sullivan Urge Trump Admin to Implement Law They Wrote to Increase Support for Veterans

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) urged the Trump Administration to quickly implement their Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act, bipartisan legislation that was signed into law in 2025 to support County Veterans Service Officers (CVSO). CVSOs are the community-based employees who work directly with veterans to inform them of eligibility for Veterans Affairs (VA) programs and services, file pension and compensation claims, and help them enroll in job, housing, disability, and education benefits. On Thursday, Senator Baldwin also questioned VA Secretary Doug Collins during a Senate hearing, securing commitments on funding for this program and VA's timeline for implementation.

"The clear intent of the law is to empower local agencies with the funding and training necessary to meet rising demand, as well as increase the number of CVSOs to meet the needs of our veterans and ensure they have access to all of their earned benefits," wrote Baldwin and Sullivan in a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins. "At the same time, $2 million has been made available for Fiscal Year 2026. It is imperative that the Department of Veterans Affairs move this process forward quickly and make funding available as soon as possible."

Out of the estimated 19 million veterans in the United States, only a small fraction are aware of and utilize the care and benefits they have earned from the VA. CVSOs are local county employees who are nationally accredited by the VA and are often the first to inform veterans about their eligibility for VA programs and services. They also help enroll veterans into the Veterans Health Administration and provide assistance on a range of benefits, including service-connected disability compensation, VA home loans, education benefits, and job placement assistance.

Baldwin and Sullivan's?Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act?authorized $10 million each for Fiscal Year 2026 and Fiscal Year 2027 to expand and support CVSOs or similar local entities. The VA will award competitive grants to states in order to improve outreach to veterans and enhance the ability of states to develop and submit claims on behalf of veterans, and increase the number of county and tribal service officers serving in the state by hiring new officers.

By increasing the number of CVSOs, states will be better able to leverage their local and federal resources to serve our veterans.

"Timely action will not only honor our commitment to those who wore the uniform but also help advance the broader goals of improving access and ensuring that every veteran, regardless of ZIP code, can get the care and benefits they deserve," wrote Baldwin and Sullivan.

A full version of this letter is available here and below.

Dear Secretary Collins,

We write to urge the Department of Veterans Affairs to act without delay to fully implement the County Veterans Service Officer (CVSO) grant program, carried out through the Dole State and Tribal Outreach Grant Program as authorized by the Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act and Section 302 of the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act.

CVSOs are often the first point of contact for veterans and their families seeking assistance with accessing benefits, health care, and other critical services. They play an essential role in ensuring that no veteran is left behind simply because they live in an underserved county or rural community.

Congress passed our bipartisan Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act as part of the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act (P.L. 118-210) to provide targeted resources to states and tribes to strengthen this network of CVSOs and address shortcomings that too often prevent veterans from securing the support they have earned through their service. The clear intent of the law is to empower local agencies with the funding and training necessary to meet rising demand, as well as increase the number of CVSOs to meet the needs of our veterans and ensure they have access to all of their earned benefits.

At the same time, $2 million has been made available for Fiscal Year 2026. It is imperative that the Department of Veterans Affairs move this process forward quickly and make funding available as soon as possible.

Timely action will not only honor our commitment to those who wore the uniform but also help advance the broader goals of improving access and ensuring that every veteran, regardless of ZIP code, can get the care and benefits they deserve.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. We look forward to working together to fulfill our shared responsibility to those who have sacrificed so much in service to our nation.

Sincerely,

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