Subcommittee Chairman Tom Barrett Leads Economic Opportunity Hearing on GI Bill Payment Delays for Veterans’ Dependents

Subcommittee Chairman Tom Barrett Leads Economic Opportunity Hearing on GI Bill Payment Delays for Veterans' Dependents

Today, Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Mich.), the Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization, delivered the following opening remarks, as prepared at the start of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity's oversight hearing to examine how payment failures in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Digital GI Bill (DGIB) program originated, which caused delayed payments for over 75,000 Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) and Post 9/11 GI Bill (PGIB) participants.

Good morning. The Subcommittee will come to order.

The Chair may declare a recess at any time.

I want to welcome the witnesses here today to discuss the Chapter 35 issues that have plagued VA education benefits the last few months.

While I am not the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, I am the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Technology Modernization, and a top priority of mine is ensuring VA's technology works for veterans.

The VA was created to provide world-class services to the veterans they serve.

Unfortunately, VA has fallen short of providing these services and that promise to veterans and their families through delays in processing a subset of education benefits.

This hearing will review how payment failures in the Department of Veterans Affairs Digital GI Bill (DGIB) program originated.

Since August, up to 75,000 children or spouses of a veteran who has died, are missing, or have a permanent and total service-connected disability paid through the Dependents Educational Assistance program, have had a delay in payments.

This is not money that goes to the institution, instead the benefit goes directly to the student who then uses it to pay the institution and cover their expenses.

Because of the payment delays, this Subcommittee has heard horror stories about students not being able to make ends meet because of VA's mistake.

While I recognize that the situation was made worse by the government shutdown, VA has failed students by not paying them on time and refusing to communicate with stakeholders.

This hearing today isn't about politics or playing partisan games. It is about getting to the bottom of how this decision was made, who made the decision, and who is at fault for failing to implement proper automation for Chapter 35 cases.

Ms. Devlin, while you have only been at VA a few months, you and Mr. Smith have overseen this data reconciliation, and the thousands of claims that were not processed on time because of it.

I expect the days of the status quo to end, and VA is holding those responsible for this failure accountable because the subcommittee plans to do so.

Today, we will also examine how many students utilizing VA's education programs were impacted.

These delays have a real-world impact for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) and Post-9/11 GI Bill (PGIB) participants.

Military connected students shouldn't be put in financial hardship due to VA's technology and processes falling short on delivering for veterans.

While I am new to Congress, I understand that this is at least the fourth time since the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill was implemented that significant payment delays because of IT issues have impacted checks going to veterans or other beneficiaries.

If you are a student who lives in my district and you are facing delays in education payments from VA, please contact my office or the Committee.

My door is always open to help my fellow veterans.

I expect this to be a productive hearing today, and I hope to understand who was at fault for this crisis, and who at VA will be taking accountability so that we can ensure this doesn't happen again.

I now yield to the Ranking Member for his opening remarks.

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