Sen. Daniel K. Akaka Holds a Hearing On Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense Cooperation and Collaboration

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Sen. Daniel K. Akaka Holds a Hearing On Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense Cooperation and Collaboration

SENATE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS HOLDS A HEARING ON DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE COOPERATION AND COLLABORATION

APRIL 23, 2008

SPEAKERS: SEN. DANIEL K. AKAKA, D-HAWAII CHAIRMAN SEN. JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, D-W.VA. SEN. PATTY MURRAY, D-WASH. SEN. BARACK OBAMA, D-ILL. SEN. SHERROD BROWN, D-OHIO SEN. JON TESTER, D-MONT. SEN. JIM WEBB, D-VA.

SEN. BERNARD SANDERS, I-VT.

SEN. RICHARD M. BURR, R-N.C. RANKING MEMBER SEN. ARLEN SPECTER, R-PA. SEN. LARRY E. CRAIG, R-IDAHO SEN. KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, R-TEXAS SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, R-S.C. SEN. ROGER WICKER, R-MISS. SEN. JOHNNY ISAKSON, R-GA.

WITNESSES: DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE GORDON R. ENGLAND

DEFENSE UNDERSECRETARY FOR PERSONNEL AND READINESS DAVID S.C. CHU

DEPUTY ADMINISTRATION SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS GORDON MANSFIELD

ACTING UNDERSECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR BENEFITS AND ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR POLICY AND PLANNING PATRICK DUNNE

ADRIAN ATIZADO, ASSISTANT NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR, DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS

TODD BOWERS, DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN VETERANS OF AMERICA

COMMANDER RENE CAMPOS (USN, RET.), DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR GOVERNMENT RELATIONS, MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

[*] AKAKA: The hearing will come to order.

(OFF-MIKE) hearing on V.A. and DOD and your cooperation and collaboration. More specifically, today's hearing will focus on the joint V.A. and DOD Senior Oversight Committee.

This is the 11th hour in a series of hearings dating back to January of 2007 addressing how well V.A. and DOD are working together to meet the needs of returning servicemembers.

This level of oversight is indicative of how important this issue is to me and the committee. Progress has been made in this area over the last year, but much work still remains.

It is clear that the two departments need to function as one, especially when we have veterans at risk of suicide and severe PTSD. If either DOD or V.A. mishandles the veteran at risk, the result can be tragic.

This committee has asked for even greater collaboration to ensure that the wounded warrior provisions of the 2008 Defense Authorization Act are carried out appropriately, namely improvements to the way in which V.A. and DOD care for veterans with traumatic brain injuries.

V.A. Secretary Peake recently stated that the two departments are currently operating under unprecedented levels of cooperation and information sharing. Secretary Gates recently declared that V.A. care is inconsistent.

Both statements are indeed true, and both statements assure me that more can be and should be done. This committee will work to strengthen the relationship between the departments.

Today we'll take a closer look at the Senior Oversight Committee, the mechanism V.A. and DOD established last May to resolve many of the issues related to servicemembers' transition from activity duty to veteran status.

This special body is co-chaired by V.A. Deputy Secretary Gordon Mansfield and DOD Deputy Secretary Gordon England. It is vital that with the upcoming change in administration there be no wavering of the energy and focus the departments have brought to the issues of coordination and cooperation.

Given the importance of improving the care and transition of wounded servicemembers, it is critical that the departments sustain their joint efforts for as long as there are servicemembers in combat.

I understand that the current plan is for the Senior Oversight Committee to hand over its responsibilities piece to the Joint Executive Council in January of next year. I am concerned that this body has neither the resources nor the leverage within the departments to carry on this essential work.

AKAKA: Let me be clear on that.

I am committed to sustaining the energy and focus the Senior Oversight Committee has brought to bear on these issues and will take the necessary action to ensure this continues.

Without the weight of both the department secretaries behind solving the problems relating to seamless transition and full-time joint staff to track them, we run the risk of returning to the bureaucratic lethargy which contributed to the Walter Reed scandal. We have come too far to return to those days.

I hope that our witnesses today will provide us with a real sense of the next steps forward.

As we learned last month from the testimony of families of wounded warriors, it is apparent that servicemembers, even those who are seriously wounded, are still, remarkably, not getting the attention and assistance they need. We owe more to those who have g...

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