Ed Case

VA Staffing Layoffs. I oppose the Trump administration’s policies to issue blanket, ill-focused notices to terminate employees at the VA. I believe this will lead to longer wait times and reduced access for veterans seeking access to the benefits they earned. The government may also lose valuable experience and expertise, potentially impacting the quality and efficiency of its operations.

Government employees are challenging the Trump administration’s moves to fire vast swaths of the federal workforce, saying they violate regulations for carrying out mass “reductions in forces” across government. Ultimately, our courts will have to decide this matter, assuming that Congress does not act. 

Appropriations. In the current 119th Congress, I will continue to support federal programs supporting our veterans through my seat on the exclusive U.S. House Committee on Appropriations, which is responsible for all federal discretionary spending (all spending other than for mainly automatic federal benefits programs like Social Security and Medicare). Under our Constitution, no such spending can occur unless first appropriated (authorized and allocated) by Congress, and appropriations must begin in the U.S. House. We make these appropriations annually for each fiscal year.

To help our nation’s veterans, I worked with my Committee to provide $182 billion for veterans-related programs in FY 2024, which was $15 billion above the budget request. You can learn more about the FY 2024 funding bill and how it will help our Hawai‘i at https://bit.ly/3MnRsAG. 

For the most part, these levels are continued in the current fiscal year because, unfortunately, Congress could not agree on a regular FY 2025 funding bill. We instead passed a continuing resolution (CR) that omitted the $23 billion in advanced funding needed for the Toxic Exposures Fund to care for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange and other toxic substances. For this and other reasons, I voted against the CR. 

We are now beginning our FY 2026 appropriations. Again, the President’s FY 2026 budget provides increased funding for the VA, with a $1.1 billion increase for health care services. While the proposed funding level for FY 2026 is encouraging, concerns regarding workforce stability remain. If there are federal programs (programmatic requests) that you believe are critical to our state or that could be improved, such as the Veterans Crisis Line and the Native American Veteran Housing Loan Program, please contact me at ed.case@mail.house.gov as it will help me review the President’s spending proposal.

New Facility for Our Aging Veterans. After many years of hard work, the Daniel K. Akaka State Veterans Home in Kapolei opened in March of this year. This 120-bed long-term care nursing facility with single occupancy rooms is the first state veterans home on O‘ahu, where more than two-thirds of Hawaii’s veterans live.

I have long supported the federal grant program that provides federal assistance to states like ours in order to provide critically needed long-term care. I remain committed to securing federal support as needed to meet the needs of those this facility will serve.

Federal Legislation. Since the beginning of the 119th Congress (2025-2027) in January of this year, I have continued to cosponsor legislation that directly impact key areas to improve the overall quality of care veterans, their families and caregivers receive and to ensure all eligible veterans are able to receive their entitled benefits. The legislation ranges from very Hawaiʻi specific needs to proposed nationwide policy changes that also have a direct impact on Hawaiʻi veterans.

Some of the legislation I have cosponsored this Congress include:

1. H.R. 2102, the Major Richard Star Act, which would allow certain military retirees to receive both their full military retired pay and VA disability compensation concurrently.

2. H.R. 220, the Veterans Infertility Treatment Act of 2025, which would expand coverage for infertility treatment and fertility preservation services for veterans.

3. H.R. 1732, the GUARD VA Benefits Act, which would reinstate criminal penalties for unaccredited claim representatives who break the law by charging unauthorized fees while assisting veterans in filing a benefits claim with the VA.

4. H.R. 877, the Deliver for Veterans Act, which would authorize the VA’s Adaptive Vehicle Grant Program to cover shipping and transportation costs, directing the VA to pay the total shipping price for the delivery of an automobile or other conveyance to certain disabled veterans or members of the Armed Forces.

5. H.R. 585, the Supporting Veteran Families in Need Act, which would permanently extend the authorization for the VA to provide financial assistance for supportive services for very low-income veteran families in permanent housing.

6. H.R. 553, the BRAVE Act, which would establish a patient outreach system for mental health care within the VA.

7. H.R. 219, the Improving Menopause Care for Veterans Act of 2025, which would direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on menopause care provided by the VA.

In addition to supporting these bills, I again introduced H.R. 1053, the Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act. This bill would expedite the visa process for children of Filipino World War II veterans. It would provide a long-term solution by amending the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt from global limits the sons and daughters of Filipino World War II veterans who were naturalized under the 1990 law or other specified laws. You can learn more about my bill here: https://tinyurl.com/yvt4yrz4.

Helping With Individual Questions and Concerns. In addition to my efforts on broader concerns for our veterans, my office and I are fully available to help veterans and their families with their own individual concerns. If you, your fellow veterans or anyone else you know needs help with a specific issue they are facing, please visit my website at https://case.house.gov/forms/casework or call (808) 650-6688.

Thank you again, and please continue to let me know of your views. Please also sign up for regular updates from me and my office through my e-newsletter and social media outreach at https://case.house.gov/contact/.

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