To name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Newton, New Jersey, as the "Anthony "Tony" J. Gallopo VA Clinic".

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Bill ID: 119/hr/6007
Last Updated: July 28, 2026

Sponsored by

Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]

ID: G000583

Follow the money

The bill

To name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Newton, New Jersey, as the "Anthony "Tony" J. Gallopo VA Clinic".

HR. 6007, 119th Congress.

The sponsor

Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]

Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.

The money

$193,281 raised

29 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.

The alignment

70% match to Project 2025

This bill's text tracks the "Department of Veterans Affairs" section, p. 688-691 of the Mandate for Leadership.

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

July 15, 2026

Introduced

Committee Review

Floor Action

Passed House

Senate Review

📍 Current Status

Next: Both chambers must agree on the same version of the bill.

🎉

Passed Congress

🖊️

Presidential Action

⚖️

Became Law

📚 How does a bill become a law?

1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.

2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.

3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.

4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.

5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.

6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.

7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!

Bill Summary

Another masterpiece of legislative theater, courtesy of the geniuses in Congress. Let's dissect this travesty, shall we?

**Main Purpose & Objectives:** Oh, please, it's a naming ceremony. The "main purpose" is to stroke the ego of some local bigwig, Anthony "Tony" J. Gallopo, by slapping his name on a VA clinic in Newton, New Jersey. Because, clearly, this is the most pressing issue facing our nation's veterans.

**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** Wow, I'm impressed. The bill changes... wait for it... the name of the clinic! That's right, folks, after years of grueling debate and careful consideration, Congress has decided to alter the signage on a building. I bet the lawyers and bureaucrats worked overtime to craft this earth-shattering legislation.

**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** Ah, the "stakeholders." Let me guess: the Gallopo family, local politicians looking for a photo op, and maybe a few VA administrators who get to update their letterhead. Meanwhile, actual veterans will continue to wait in line for subpar care, but hey, at least the clinic has a fancy new name!

**Potential Impact & Implications:** *yawn* This bill is a placebo, a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. It's a distraction from the real issues plaguing our VA system: inadequate funding, bureaucratic red tape, and a general disregard for the well-being of those who served. But hey, who needs meaningful reform when you can rename a building?

Diagnosis: This bill is a classic case of " Legislative Attention Deficit Disorder" (LADD), where Congress prioritizes feel-good gestures over actual governance. The symptoms are clear: a lack of substance, an abundance of self-congratulatory back-patting, and a healthy dose of contempt for the intelligence of the American people.

Prognosis: This bill will pass with flying colors, because who wouldn't want to honor some local hero by renaming a building? Meanwhile, the real problems facing our veterans will continue to fester, ignored by the very people who claim to care. It's just another day in the asylum that is Congress.

Related Topics

Military & Veterans Affairs
Generated using Llama 3.1 70B (Dr. Haus personality)

💰 Campaign Finance Network

Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]

Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$193,281
21 donors
PACs
$0
Organizations
$63,374
Committees
$0
Individuals
$129,907

No PAC contributions found

1
AMERICAN EXPRESS
2 transactions
$33,562
2
PAYROLL DATA PROCESSING
4 transactions
$24,762
3
EASTERN BAND OF CHEROKEE INDIANS
1 transaction
$3,300
4
SEKAS LAW GROUP LLC
1 transaction
$1,500
5
SANDOR F. GENET & ASSOCIATES, P.A.
1 transaction
$250

No committee contributions found

1
FIRESTONE MILKEN, SARAH
2 transactions
$23,100
2
WEBB, DAN K.
2 transactions
$13,200
3
MCKNIGHT, ANDREW
2 transactions
$10,000
4
CRETELLA, JEANNE
2 transactions
$10,000
5
WOODSIDE, KEVIN E.
1 transaction
$6,600
6
CARSON, RUSSELL L.
1 transaction
$6,600
7
ROSMAN, ELIZABETH
1 transaction
$6,600
8
BOECKMANN, ALAN
1 transaction
$6,600
9
MCLEAN, TERRENCE
1 transaction
$6,600
10
MANN, TRACY
1 transaction
$6,600
11
REYNOLDS, RALPH
1 transaction
$6,600
12
HANOVER, ADAM
1 transaction
$6,600
13
ROBERTSON, WILHELMINA E.
1 transaction
$5,807
14
VIXAMAR, STEVE
1 transaction
$5,000
15
KNIGHTS, CLIFFORD
1 transaction
$5,000
16
CUBERO, MARIA
1 transaction
$5,000

Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance

This bill has 10 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.

Rep. Conaway, Herbert C. [D-NJ-3]

ID: C001136

Top Contributors

22

1
THE PLATT LAW GROUP P.C.
OrganizationSTRATFORD, NJ
$1,000
May 8, 2024
2
FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP DEMOCRATIC CLUB
OrganizationFREEHOLD, NJ
$250
Jul 24, 2024
3
GALLETTI, SCOTT
NOT EMPLOYED • RETIRED
IndividualHO HO KUS, NJ
$3,300
Sep 26, 2024
4
LEITNER, ROBYN
ADVANCED UROLOGIC ASSOCIATES ENTERPRIS • PHYSICIAN
IndividualPOINT PLEASANT BORO, NJ
$3,300
Jul 17, 2024
5
ESTIN, DAVID
NOT EMPLOYED • RETIRED
IndividualMONMOUTH BEACH, NJ
$3,300
Sep 26, 2024
6
SHEIKH, WASIF
ION MONITORING • NEUROPHYSIOLOGY
IndividualPISCATAWAY, NJ
$3,300
Sep 18, 2024
7
COBB, WILLIAM S
NOT EMPLOYED • RETIRED
IndividualALLENDALE, NJ
$3,300
Sep 26, 2024
8
CHAUDHRY, FARRUKH
ION MONITORING MANAGEMENT • NEUROPHYSIOLOGIST
IndividualMONMOUTH JUNCTION, NJ
$3,300
Sep 18, 2024
9
OLSON, TY J
NEUROSURGEONS OF NEW JERSEY • PHYSICIAN
IndividualRUMSON, NJ
$3,300
Sep 26, 2024
10
FALCONE, CARMEL A
NOT EMPLOYED • RETIRED
IndividualALLENDALE, NJ
$3,300
Sep 26, 2024

Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12]

ID: W000822

Top Contributors

0

No contribution data available

Rep. Norcross, Donald [D-NJ-1]

ID: N000188

Top Contributors

20

1
DAVIS, MITCHELL
DAVIS & ASSOCIATES • DEVELOPER
IndividualPHILADELPHIA, PA
$4,600
Dec 5, 2023
2
BELLIA, MICHAEL
BELLIA ENTERPRISES • CFO
IndividualWOODBURY, NJ
$3,300
Oct 22, 2024
3
BERNARDES, JULIENE
SELF EMPLOYED • PT
IndividualARLINGTON, VA
$3,300
Oct 29, 2024
4
BIBBS, K. WENDELL
REMINGTON & VERNICK • ENGINEER
IndividualVOORHEES, NJ
$3,300
Oct 24, 2024
5
BIRD, ALLEN
M&A • CONTRACTOR
IndividualARLINGTON, VA
$3,300
Oct 28, 2024
6
CAPOFERRI, ROBERT
ASPHALT PAVING SYSTEMS, INC. • PRESIDENT
IndividualHAMMONTON, NJ
$3,300
Oct 31, 2024
7
CULNAN, DENNIS JR
PHOENIX STRATEGIES • MANAGING DIRECTOR
IndividualMT LAUREL, NJ
$3,300
Oct 30, 2024
8
FORMAN, DONNA R
N/A • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualCHERRY HILL, NJ
$3,300
Oct 30, 2024
9
LEONARD, THOMAS A ESQ.
OBERMAYER REBMANN ET AL • ATTORNEY
IndividualPHILADELPHIA, PA
$3,300
Oct 30, 2024
10
KRONE, DAVID BRETT
APOLLO MANAGEMENT • PARTNER
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$3,300
Jan 22, 2024

Rep. Kean, Thomas H. [R-NJ-7]

ID: K000398

Top Contributors

22

1
EASTERN BAND OF CHEROKEE INDIANS
OrganizationCHEROKEE, NC
$3,300
Oct 24, 2024
2
EASTERN BAND OF CHEROKEE INDIANS
OrganizationCHEROKEE, NC
$3,300
Dec 27, 2024
3
LOEB, JOHN
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualPURCHASE, NY
$6,600
Nov 4, 2024
4
LOEB, JOHN
IndividualPURCHASE, NY
$6,600
Nov 4, 2024
5
VOCCOLA, FREDERICK
KASEYA • CEO
IndividualMIAMI, FL
$6,600
Mar 1, 2024
6
PISANO, JOHN
IndividualWEST PALM BEACH, FL
$3,700
Jan 22, 2024
7
VOCCOLA, FREDERICK
IndividualMIAMI, FL
$3,500
Mar 12, 2024
8
NIEMIEC, DAVID
SELF • INVESTMENTS
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$3,300
Oct 11, 2024
9
TAYLOR, ALEXANDER
MATRIX DEV GRP • REAL ESTATE
IndividualBELMAR, NJ
$3,300
Oct 1, 2024
10
BRUECKNER, RICHARD F.
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualBEDMINSTER, NJ
$3,300
Oct 4, 2024

Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10]

ID: M001229

Top Contributors

23

1
FRIENDS OF ANDRE SAYEGH
CITY OF PATERSON • ELECTED OFFICIAL
COMPATERSON, NJ
$250
Jun 28, 2024
2
ELECTION FUND OF CRAIG J. COUGHLIN
OrganizationFORDS, NJ
$1,000
Jun 13, 2024
3
ELECTION FUND OF PATRICK COUNCIL
OrganizationNEWARK, NJ
$250
Jun 12, 2024
4
JACOBS, IRWIN
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualLA JOLLA, CA
$3,300
Nov 21, 2024
5
HANINI, SAMER
SKYE • ARCHITECTURE
IndividualWEST ORANGE, NJ
$3,300
Jun 26, 2024
6
JACOBS, JOSEPH
SELF EMPLOYED • ATTORNEY
IndividualPUNTA GORDA, FL
$3,300
Jun 24, 2024
7
PANEPINTO, JOSEPH
PANEPINTO PROPERTIES • CEO
IndividualJERSEY CITY, NJ
$3,300
Jun 21, 2024
8
GOMES, JOE
EMPIRE PLAZA LLC • OWNER
IndividualLINDEN, NJ
$3,300
Jun 29, 2024
9
ISSA, MARK
ASHTON BUILDING COMPANY LLC • CO-OWNER
IndividualFLORHAM PARK, NJ
$3,300
Jun 29, 2024
10
JORGE, LEE
ASHTON BUILDING COMPANY LLC • CO-OWNER
IndividualFLORHAM PARK, NJ
$3,300
Jun 29, 2024

Rep. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ-8]

ID: M001226

Top Contributors

31

1
SCARINCI & HOLLENBECK
OrganizationLITTLE FALLS, NJ
$3,300
Mar 29, 2024
2
SAMPSON FOR ASSEMBLY
OrganizationBAYONNE, NJ
$1,000
Mar 26, 2024
3
ACTBLUE
CONDUIT TOTAL LISTED IN AGG. FIELD
OrganizationSOMERVILLE, MA
$1,000
Feb 4, 2024
4
ACTBLUE
CONDUIT TOTAL LISTED IN AGG. FIELD
OrganizationSOMERVILLE, MA
$1,000
Mar 31, 2024
5
FRANK X SCHILLARI FOR SHERIFF
OrganizationSECAUCUS, NJ
$1,000
Jan 30, 2024
6
SOPHIA ROOFTOP LLC
OrganizationJERSEY CITY, NJ
$1,000
Jan 30, 2024
7
BARONA BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
OrganizationLAKESIDE, CA
$1,000
Jun 24, 2024
8
ACTBLUE
CONDUIT TOTAL LISTED IN AGG. FIELD
OrganizationSOMERVILLE, MA
$500
Feb 25, 2024
9
ACTBLUE
CONDUIT TOTAL LISTED IN AGG. FIELD
OrganizationSOMERVILLE, MA
$500
Feb 18, 2024
10
ACTBLUE
CONDUIT TOTAL LISTED IN AGG. FIELD
OrganizationSOMERVILLE, MA
$500
Mar 31, 2024

Rep. Pallone, Frank [D-NJ-6]

ID: P000034

Top Contributors

30

1
PUYALLUP TRIBE OF INDIANS
OrganizationTACOMA, WA
$3,300
May 22, 2024
2
PUYALLUP TRIBE OF INDIANS
OrganizationTACOMA, WA
$2,900
Jun 6, 2023
3
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
OrganizationPRIOR LAKE, MN
$1,650
Jun 18, 2024
4
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
OrganizationPRIOR LAKE, MN
$1,650
Jun 1, 2023
5
CHOCTAW NATION OF OKLAHOMA
OrganizationDURANT, OK
$1,000
Oct 16, 2024
6
CHOCTAW NATION OF OKLAHOMA
OrganizationDURANT, OK
$825
Sep 29, 2023
7
HOLMDEL FUNERAL HOME
OrganizationHOLMDEL, NJ
$500
Dec 1, 2023
8
MISSISSIPPI BAND OF CHOCTAW INDIANS
OrganizationCHOCTAW, MS
$500
Dec 27, 2023
9
HIGHLANDS DEMOCRATIC CLUB
OrganizationHIGHLANDS, NJ
$500
Sep 10, 2024
10
PUYALLUP TRIBE OF INDIANS
OrganizationTACOMA, WA
$400
May 22, 2024

Rep. Pou, Nellie [D-NJ-9]

ID: P000621

Top Contributors

21

1
MATSIKOUDIS & FANCIULLO, LLC
OrganizationJERSEY CITY, NJ
$500
Oct 15, 2024
2
COOK, HAROLD P. III
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualNORTH HALEDON, NJ
$3,300
Oct 22, 2024
3
MUKHERJI, RAJ
STATE OF NEW JERSEY • SENATOR
IndividualJERSEY CITY, NJ
$3,300
Oct 27, 2024
4
KRAMER, LAWRENCE
V. PAULIUS & ASSOCIATES • ATTORNEY
IndividualGLEN ROCK, NJ
$3,300
Nov 8, 2024
5
CURITOMAI, NORBERTO
SPANISH TRANSPORTATION SVC • CEO
IndividualCLIFTON, NJ
$3,300
Oct 25, 2024
6
KIPIANI, CARLA TURCO
CARLA DEVELOPMENT GROUP • COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
IndividualLYNDHURST, NJ
$3,300
Oct 22, 2024
7
CRISOSTOMO, YAMILKY
YNC TAX • CEO
IndividualCLIFTON, NJ
$3,300
Oct 20, 2024
8
AVILA, RENE A.
GI AUTO SALVAGE • PRESIDENT
IndividualPINE BROOK, NJ
$3,300
Oct 28, 2024
9
COLGAN, BILL
GP MANAGEMENT, LLC • PARTNER
IndividualBLOOMFIELD, NJ
$3,300
Oct 24, 2024
10
KIPIANI, PAUL
CARLA DEVELOPMENT GROUP • COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
IndividualFRANKLIN LAKES, NJ
$3,300
Oct 22, 2024

Rep. Sherrill, Mikie [D-NJ-11]

ID: S001207

Top Contributors

20

1
SANZONE, MICHAEL
HSBC BANK • BANKER
IndividualGLEN RIDGE, NJ
$3,300
Nov 4, 2024
2
ST. ROMAIN, CLAUDETTE L.
SETON HALL UNIVERSITY • PROFESSOR
IndividualCHATHAM, NJ
$3,300
Oct 23, 2024
3
LUSTBERG, LAWRENCE S.
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualCHATHAM, NJ
$3,300
Oct 23, 2024
4
SLATER, FREDRIC
LRF SLATER COMPANIES, INC. • PRESIDENT
IndividualLIVINGSTON, NJ
$3,300
Oct 28, 2024
5
ST. ROMAIN, CLAUDETTE L.
SETON HALL UNIVERSITY • PROFESSOR
IndividualCHATHAM, NJ
$3,300
Oct 23, 2024
6
JOY, MARTHA
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualENGLEWOOD, FL
$3,300
Nov 3, 2024
7
CONNORS, SUSAN
NAGEL RICE, LLP • ATTORNEY
IndividualCHATHAM, NJ
$3,300
Oct 23, 2024
8
MILLER, VALERIE
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualBROOKLYN, NY
$3,300
Oct 27, 2024
9
MILLER, JOSHUA
THE BROWSER COMPANY OF NEW YORK • CEO
IndividualBROOKLYN, NY
$3,300
Oct 27, 2024
10
MINDICH, ERIC
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$3,300
Nov 20, 2024

Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4]

ID: S000522

Top Contributors

21

1
WALL REPUBLICAN CLUB
OrganizationWALL, NJ
$1,100
Mar 5, 2023
2
CLAYTON, WILLIAM MR.
RALPH CLAYTON & SONS • OWNER
IndividualBRIELLE, NJ
$3,300
Oct 30, 2024
3
DUNCAN, JAN L. MRS.
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualHOUSTON, TX
$3,300
Oct 29, 2024
4
HARRIS, MARY ELLEN MRS.
HARRIS FRC CORPORATION • CEO
IndividualHOLMDEL, NJ
$3,300
Oct 29, 2024
5
KOLBER, GEORGE MR.
KOLBER PROPERTIES • OWNER
IndividualRUMSON, NJ
$3,300
Oct 31, 2024
6
OBERHELMAN, DIANE MRS.
CULLINAN PROPERTIES • CHAIRMAN
IndividualEDWARDS, IL
$3,300
Dec 6, 2024
7
HOLMES, WILLIAM MR.
SELF • OIL & GAS
IndividualMIDLAND, TX
$3,300
Dec 18, 2023
8
HOLMES, WILLIAM MR.
SELF • OIL & GAS
IndividualMIDLAND, TX
$3,300
Dec 18, 2023
9
DEANGELIS, MARK MR.
SELF • FINANCE
IndividualHOLMDEL, NJ
$3,300
Sep 25, 2023
10
ADJMI, HARRY MR.
ONE STEP UP LTD • CEO
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$3,300
Sep 29, 2023

Donor Network - Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.

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Showing 51 nodes and 60 connections

Total contributions: $60

Top Donors - Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]

Showing top 21 donors by contribution amount

5 Orgs16 Individuals

Project 2025 Policy Matches

This bill shows semantic similarity to the following sections of the Project 2025 policy document.AI-enhanced analysis provides detailed alignment ratings.

Department of Veterans Affairs

Moderate
Vector: 60%
Pages: 688-691AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill's focus on renaming a VA clinic to honor a veteran aligns with the VA's broader goals of recognizing veteran service and enhancing patient experience and morale, though it does not substantively change VA policy or operations."

Key themes:veteran recognitioncommunity engagementpatient experiencemoralehonoring service

— 655 — Department of Veterans Affairs ENDNOTES 1. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Division, VHA Directive 1003, “VHA Veteran Patient Experience,” April 14, 2020, pp. 1 and B-1. 2. S. 2372, VA Mission Act of 2018, Public Law No. 115-182, 115th Congress, June 6, 2018, https://www.congress. gov/115/plaws/publ182/PLAW-115publ182.pdf (accessed January 30, 2023). 3. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VA History Office, “VA History,” last updated May 27, 2021, https://www. va.gov/HISTORY/VA_History/Overview.asp (accessed January 28, 2023). 4. 38 U.S. Code § 1116, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/38/1116 (accessed January 28, 2023). 5. S. 3373, Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022), Public Law No. 117-168, 117th Congress, August 10, 2022, https://www. congress.gov/117/plaws/publ168/PLAW-117publ168.pdf (accessed January 28, 2023). 6. H.R. 2471, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, Public Law No. 117-103, 117th Congress, March 15, 2022, Division S, Title I, https://www.congress.gov/117/plaws/publ103/PLAW-117publ103.pdf (accessed March 18, 2023). Known variously as the Department of Veterans Affairs Nurse and Physician Assistant Retention and Income Security Enhancement Act and the VA Nurse and Physician Assistant RAISE Act. 7. See note 5, supra.

Department of Veterans Affairs

Weak
Vector: 59%
Pages: 679-681AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill merely renames an existing VA community-based outpatient clinic and does not address any of the substantive policy goals in Project 2025 such as expanding CBOCs, realigning capacity, reducing wait times, or improving personnel policies."

Key themes:Community Based Outpatient ClinicVA facility namingVeterans health care

— 647 — Department of Veterans Affairs reimagine the health care footprint in some locales, and spur a realignment of capacity through budgetary allocations. Specifically: 1. Embrace the expansion of Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) as an avenue to maintain a VA footprint in challenging medical markets without investing further in obsolete and unaffordable VA health care campuses. 2. Explore the potential to pilot facility-sharing partnerships between the VA and strained local health care systems to reduce costs by leveraging limited talent and resources. Personnel l Extend the term of the Under Secretary for Health (USH) to five years. Additionally, authority should be given to reappoint this individual for a second five-year term both to allow for continuity and to protect the USH from political transition. l Establish a Senior Executive Service (SES) position of VHA Care System Chief Information Officer (CIO), selected by and reporting to the chief of the VHA Care System with a dotted line to the VA CIO. l Identify a workflow process to bring wait times in compliance with VA MISSION Act–required time frames wherever possible. 1. Assess the daily clinical appointment load for physicians and clinical staff in medical facilities where wait times for care are well outside of the time frames required by the VA MISSION Act. 2. Require VHA facilities to increase the number of patients seen each day to equal the number seen by DOD medical facilities: approximately 19 patients per provider per day. Currently, VA facilities may be seeing as few as six patients per provider per day. 3. Consider a pilot program to extend weekday appointment hours and offer Saturday appointment options to veterans if a facility continues to demonstrate that it has excess capacity and is experiencing delays in the delivery of care for veterans. 4. Identify clinical services that are consistently in high demand but require cost-prohibitive compensation to recruit and retain talent, and examine exceptions for higher competitive pay. — 648 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise 5. Assess the medical facilities where Community Care is readily available but referrals for Community Care are below the averages in other similar markets, referrals expiring are above the average, and/ or canceled appointments are above the average. Identify reasons and factors and consider possible ways to improve timeliness and responsiveness for veterans. 6. Further explore how to leverage telehealth to reduce personnel costs across the enterprise and serve veterans. Continue to pursue expansion of broadband services to remote and rural areas. 7. Assess recruitment and retention in highly competitive medical markets to identify common limiting factors for attracting high-demand, specialized occupations. 8. Consider aggressively recruiting retired physicians who desire to serve veterans. 9. Consider expanding VA tuition assistance in exchange for reciprocal service in rural or understaffed VAMCs. 10. Examine the surpluses or deficits in mental health professionals throughout the enterprise, recognizing that the department needs a blend of social workers, therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists with a focus on attracting high-quality talent. l Conduct a high-priority assessment of Electronic Health Record (EHR) transition delays and functionality problems. VA innovation in health care for the next 20 years and beyond will rest squarely on the timely implementation of the new VHA EHR in coordination with the DOD’s parallel pacing effort. The VA’s EHR rollout has been blocked by technical delays at local facilities where personnel have raised safety concerns and infrastructure has not been modernized to accept the new system. VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION (VBA) Needed Reforms The most evident and ongoing concern is the complexity of benefits, which can lead to confusion for the veteran and, if not mitigated early in the veteran’s interactions, long-term distrust of and animosity toward the VA. Wholesale ben- efits reform is unnecessary and politically a “third rail,” but effective managerial

Department of Veterans Affairs

Weak
Vector: 58%
Pages: 676-678AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill focuses on symbolically renaming a VA clinic, whereas the Project 2025 VA section emphasizes policy reforms such as rescinding certain clinical directives and addressing demographic shifts; there is only a tangential connection through the VA outpatient clinic context."

Key themes:Department of Veterans AffairsCommunity Based Outpatient ClinicsFacility namingVeteran services

— 643 — Department of Veterans Affairs with a growth in same-day surgical procedures and outpatient care, so has the VA, and in 2018 Congress added access to private-sector urgent care outlets as one of the VA’s health care benefits. Today, the VA operates 172 inpatient VA Medical Centers (VAMCs), which are an average of 60 years old, and 1,113 Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), which are newer facilities designed to meet the needs of veterans closer to home. The VA also manages a Community Care Network (CCN) through contracts with Optum and TriWest, third-party health care administrators responsible for build- ing and maintaining a robust population of community providers to meet the needs of veterans referred for care outside of the VA system. Currently, approximately 6.4 million veterans out of 18 million nationally (and out of the 9.1 million who are enrolled) use the VA for health care; the remainder use employer-sponsored plans, Tricare, Medicare, and Medicaid. The disability benefits system evolved significantly in the years between the Cold War era and the global war on terrorism, a period when the VA enrolled large numbers of veterans from World War II, Korea, and Vietnam who were seeking disability benefits and health care. Disability compensation is the largest VA benefit, but there also are dozens of others, the next largest of which are the GI Bill and the Home Loan Guaranty. These benefits are administered through 56 Regional Benefits Offices (RBOs) and hundreds of satellite sites around the country. The Agent Orange Act of 19914 significantly expanded the scope of disability ben- efits for those who had deployed to Vietnam, and the cost of those benefits began to increase dramatically as the Vietnam generation of veterans aged and began to expe- rience adverse health conditions, some of which were presumed to have been caused by defoliant chemicals used in Southeast Asia. In 2016 and 2017, a burdensome backlog of appeals of denied disability claims from multiple wartime generations—a backlog numbering in the hundreds of thousands—led to a joint effort by the VA, Vet- eran Service Organizations (VSOs), and Congress to pass legislation that streamlined appeal processes. Implemented in 2017, this historic “good governance” success has helped the VA to reduce the number of these appeals dramatically. The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 20225 addressed adverse health outcomes presumed to be the result of veterans’ exposure to airborne toxins during the global war on terrorism and further expanded disability benefits to the most recent gen- eration of veterans. These ambitious authorities, like the 1991 authorities, have the potential to overwhelm the VA’s ability to process new disability claims and adjudicate appeals. Currently, the VA is seeking to hire large numbers of personnel to process these claims while exploring the use of an automated process to accel- erate claims reviews and decisions. The ever-present lag in the hiring and training of new employees could result in major problems with the timely adjudication of benefits well into the next Administration in 2025. — 644 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise In sum, the VA for the foreseeable future will experience significant fiscal, human capital, and infrastructure crosswinds and risks. Budgets are at historic highs, and with a workforce now above 400,000, the VA is contending with a lack of new veteran enrollees to offset the declining population of older veterans. Recruitment of medical and benefits personnel has become more challenging. Veterans are migrating from the northern states to the southern and western states for retirement and employment. Meanwhile, VA information technol- ogy (IT) is struggling to keep pace with the evolution of patient care and record keeping. Consequently, VA leaders in the next Administration must be wise and courageous political strategists, experienced managers to run day-to-day oper- ations more effectively, innovators to address the changing veteran landscape, and agile “fixers” to mitigate and repair systemic problems created or ignored by the present leadership team. VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (VHA) Needed Reforms l Rescind all departmental clinical policy directives that are contrary to principles of conservative governance starting with abortion services and gender reassignment surgery. Neither aligns with service-connected conditions that would warrant VA’s providing this type of clinical care, and both follow the Left’s pernicious trend of abusing the role of government to further its own agenda. l Focus on the effects of shifting veteran demographics. At least during the next decade, the VA will experience a significant generational shift in its overall patient population. Of the approximately 18 million veterans alive today, roughly 9.1 million are enrolled for VA health care, and 6.4 million of these enrollees use VA health care consistently. These 6.4 million veterans are split almost evenly between those who are over age 65 and those who are under age 65, but the share of VA’s health care dollars is spent predominantly in the over-65 cohort. That share increases significantly as veterans live longer and use the VHA system at a higher rate. VHA enrollments of new users are increasingly at risk of being exceeded by the deaths of current enrollees, primarily because significant numbers of the Vietnam generation are reaching their life expectancy. The generational transition from Vietnam-era veterans to post-9/11 veterans will take several years to complete. The ongoing demographic transition is a catalyst for needed assessments of how the VA can improve the delivery of care to a numerically declining and differently dispersed national population

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