VA submits statements late, cannot testify - Navy News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Navy Times

VA submits statements late, cannot testify

Department of Veterans Affairs officials were barred Wednesday from providing testimony before a Senate subcommittee because they didn’t deliver their prepared statements far enough ahead of time.

That may have stopped some fireworks; the testimony included strong objections to legislation pending before the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, including a bipartisan bill to increase benefits to family members who become significant caregivers to disabled veterans by providing specialized training, some health care benefits and a monthly stipend.

VA officials also wanted to express concerns about a bill that would make Iraq and Afghanistan veterans eligible for readjustment counseling — officials say it would give those veterans access not available to other veterans — and sought to oppose a rural health care proposal for veterans because it would have the government pay for air transportation when that is the best way to get to a veterans hospital, which could be costly.

The veterans committee, like most other congressional committees, wants to receive administration testimony several days before a scheduled hearing so the staff has time to review it and come up with questions.

For Wednesday’s hearing, about a pile of veterans health care bills pending before the committee, VA testimony was not received until 8:40 p.m. Tuesday, according to Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, the committee chairman, who announced the VA would not be allowed to give its prepared testimony.

That left three officials — Dr. Gerald Cross, VA’s principal deputy undersecretary for health, and two other VA representatives — on the hot seat.

Cross refused to say why the testimony was late, although Akaka and Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, the committee’s ranking Republican, blamed the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, which approves testimony from administration witnesses and often demands last-minute changes.

Cross would only say, “I am not here to point fingers at anybody. I take full responsibility.”

Burr made clear that late testimony is an old problem that has occurred during Republican and Democratic administrations.

“This is not my first time on the cabbage truck,” he said.

Akaka said the delayed testimony will end up as part of the permanent record of the hearing. Cross and his two associates were still allowed to answer questions.

Akaka said his committee plans to pass a package of veterans health care legislation, including the caregiver benefits, rural health care expansion and increased access to readjustment counseling, in late May. Aides said they expect efforts will be made to address VA’s concerns, but they hope the embarrassment to VA’s witnesses will encourage future witnesses to deliver their statements on time.