WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, held an oversight hearing on collaboration between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense, in relation to recent recommendations from the following groups: The President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors; the Veterans Disability Benefits Commission; the Task Force on Returning Global War on Terror Heroes; and the DoD Independent Review Group on Walter Reed. Today's hearing is the most recent in a series of Committee hearings on cooperation and collaboration between VA and DoD.
"The veterans of this Nation deserve the best care possible. We in Congress must study the recommendations of these groups to improve services for our wounded, seriously injured or ill servicemembers, and achieve a smooth and seamless transition from active duty," said Chairman Akaka.
The witnesses at today's hearing included: Honorable Bob Dole and Honorable Donna Shalala, Co-Chairs, President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors; Lieutenant General James Terry Scott, USA (Ret), Chairman, Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission; Honorable Patrick W. Dunne, Assistant Secretary for Veterans Affairs for Policy and Planning, representing the Task Force on Returning Global War on Terror Heroes; Honorable Togo D. West, Jr., Co-Chair, Independent Review Group, Report on Rehabilitative Care and Administrative Processes at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and National Naval Medical Center; Ms. Ariana Del Negro, wife of Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran; Colonel Peter J. Duffy, USARNG (Ret), Deputy Director, Legislative Programs, National Guard Association of the United States; Mr. Gerald Manar, Deputy Director, National Veterans Service, Veterans of Foreign Wars, representing authors of The Independent Budget; Ms. Meredith Beck, National Policy Director, Wounded Warrior Project; and Colonel Steven P. Strobridge, USAF (Ret), Director, Government Relations, Military Officers Association of America.
Chairman Akaka's opening statement is copied below:
Aloha and welcome to the Committee's hearing on issues relating to the findings of the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors, known as the Dole-Shalala Commission for its two distinguished co-chairs; the Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission; and other groups that have recently examined matters regarding coordination and collaboration between the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs in the care and treatment of veterans from Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
Today's hearing is the latest in a series of hearings we have held this year that focus on the issue of coordination and collaboration between the two Departments. Since our first hearing last January on this subject, the problems that gained public attention involving Walter Reed Army Medical Center brought more energy to this issue. Our Committee and the Armed Services Committee have worked together toward achieving the goal of wounded warriors receiving optimal care and experiencing a truly seamless transition from DoD to VA, but there is much more that needs to be done.
The problems at Walter Reed led to the creation of the Dole-Shalala Commission, the Task Force on Returning Global War on Terror Heroes, and DoD's Independent Review Group, each of which we will hear from today.
We will also hear from the Veterans Disability Benefits Commission which had been in existence for some time when the stories about Walter Reed first broke. I note that the Commission, earlier this month, issued a comprehensive report on the overall disability compensation system. The Committee will hold a subsequent hearing to take testimony on that report. General Scott, the Chair of the Commission, has been invited here today to provide the views of the Commission on the recommendations of the Dole-Shalala Commission and to discuss areas of overlap between the Disability Benefits Commission and the other entities which were created in response to the stories about Walter Reed.
It is important to recall that the problems identified at Walter Reed were not about the quality of health care provided by DoD, but more about a process that created confusion and inequities in the delivery of disability benefits to wounded warriors. The stories about Walter Reed also highlighted existing problems in the organization of medical hold/medical holdover detachments and in the hand-off between the military services and VA for wounded or seriously injured or ill servicemembers.
The good news is that, since this spring, much hard work has been done by DoD, VA, and the military services in seeking to resolve these problems. However late DoD and VA may have been in recognizing the significant problems of adapting their departments to the stresses of the current conflicts, I am satisfied that real work is now underway. I am particularly impressed by the work of the joint VA and DoD Senior Oversight Committee, co-chaired by VA's Deputy Secretary Gordon Mansfield and DoD's Deputy Secretary Gordon England, that meets every Tuesday to work on a wide range of ongoing transition issues. This is an unprecedented level of attention to the issue of DoD-VA cooperation and collaboration.
Today's hearing gives us an opportunity to review the recommendations of the Dole-Shalala Commission, the Disability Benefits Commission, and other reports that impact the interaction between DoD and VA, especially in those areas which still need improvement and where there is overlap or potential disagreement. I hope to gain a better understanding of the relationship among all the various recommendations, with a particular focus on how the recommendations may relate to legislation developed by the White House in response to the Dole-Shalala Commission. Senator Burr and I, along with the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee, were briefed on this draft legislation earlier this month and I have many questions and concerns about it.
I thank Senator Dole and Secretary Shalala and our other distinguished witnesses for joining us today. Their testimony will allow us to better understand the many recommendations and help identify areas where Congressional action is required.
At our first hearing in January, I spoke about the stress that a new veteran with a life altering wound or injury endures when faced with the challenge of applying for benefits and transitioning from one health care system to another, while still in the process of recovery and rehabilitation. With the input of the many recommendations that we will hear about today, I believe that we can continue to make progress toward achieving the goal of a truly smooth and seamless transition.
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