VSAFE Act of 2025

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in hesitant support of H.R. 1663, the Veterans Scam And Fraud Evasion, or VSAFE, Act, as amended.

I fully support the intention of this bill and strongly encourage the Department to fully resource the VSAFE program established under President Biden. However, the actions taken by the Trump administration over the last year will significantly hinder the great work that has been accomplished by the VSAFE Task Force, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which is, unfortunately, more pressing than ever.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, veterans reported some of the highest numbers of fraud complaints and greatest total losses in 2024, amounting to nearly $600 million. Veterans also continually face higher losses than their civilian counterparts, with median losses reported around $700, which is over $200 higher than the general population.

Both the FTC and CFPB have done important work in identifying the most pressing scams and fraudulent activities that target veterans and their families. These include scams like credit card fraud, investment schemes, and imposter scams, which seek to impersonate government officials, technology support, or even love interests to collect money or gain access to veterans' personal systems.

They have also identified the threat of multilevel marketing schemes and other ``business opportunities,'' like Amway, Mary Kay, and Herbalife, who regularly target veterans, servicemembers, and their families under the guise of patriotism, flexible hours, and financial independence.

I applaud my colleague, Representative Delia Ramirez, for offering an amendment to require specific trainings on these tactics to provide veterans and their families with clear, actionable guidance to protect their hard-earned benefits. It is unfortunate that this commonsense amendment was voted down by the Republican members of our committee.

Lastly, I find it ironic that these same Republican colleagues want to advance this legislation while our President actively dismantles the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, one of the only agencies set up to protect military and veteran consumers. This is ironic.

Since its inception in 2008, the CFPB has returned more than $21 billion--that is billion with a b--back to consumers, which includes hundreds of millions of dollars to servicemembers and veterans impacted by violations of the Military Lending Act. Unfortunately, President Trump has determined that those who served our Nation no longer deserve protections against bad actors who seek to profit off their benefits.

As fraudsters' ability to create more complex scams and become more convincing in their deceit thanks to emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, the time to create informed and resourced tools is now.

H.R. 1663 marks a step in the right direction, but I urge my congressional colleagues to do more to help protect our Nation's veterans against these scams.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

In response to the chairman, let me just say that I did say that this bill was a step in the right direction, a step that could be a big leap if we all got behind bigger initiatives and called upon this administration to stop diminishing and diluting the power of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The results of protecting military servicemembers and veterans by that particular agency are undisputed, and it became particularly impactful when it was in full force. The philosophy of this administration has been to diminish the authority and reach of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as well as the Federal Trade Commission, and our veterans are suffering.

In spite of this very small step we are taking with this bill, it is insufficient to take on the enormous challenge of fighting fraudsters in this country who will take advantage of those who have laid their lives on the line for all of us.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I intend to vote ``yes.'' I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1663) to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs a Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 1663, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1663, as amended, offered by Representative Calvert from California.

This bill would protect veterans from scams and fraud that may target the benefits they earned through service. Too many veterans, along with their families, caregivers, and survivors, are being hit with savvy fraud schemes designed to steal personal information, drain bank accounts, and even redirect VA benefits to bad actors. When these scams happen, veterans often don't know where to turn inside the Federal system.

The VSAFE Act would take direct action to fix this issue. This bill would add dedicated veterans scam and fraud evasion officer positions at the Department of Veterans Affairs. This would rightfully build up VA's fraud prevention and response efforts across VA, so this problem is treated like a real threat, not just an afterthought.

Representative Calvert's bill would also require VA to improve communications during urgent fraud incidents, so veterans and their families are not left in the dark while scammers continue to strike. By building up VA's existing antifraud tools, adding new ones where necessary, we can combat fraud head-on.

Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, veterans should never lose their hard-earned benefits because the system failed to protect them from criminals. The VSAFE Act should strengthen the accountability, improve prevention, and give veterans the support and protection they deserve.

This bill takes an important step toward safeguarding veterans and strengthening trust in the VA system, and I am proud to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1663, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Someday, I would like to carry on this floor from our committee a bill that is actually sponsored by a Republican that my colleague can actually find totally good. We come out here every time, and he finds all the excuses of why this is bad, this is bad, and this is bad. This is a really good bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from

California (Mr. Calvert), the person who has worked very hard on this bill to make sure it deals with the fraud that is out there.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. I encourage all Members to support this piece of legislation. I think it is a wonderful piece of legislation. It is way overdue.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, through their service and sacrifice, our veterans willingly put themselves in harm's way to ensure the security of our country. It is our turn to ensure that they are protected from scams and fraud. That is why I introduced H.R. 1663, the Veterans Scam And Fraud Evasion Act, or VSAFE Act.

The sophistication and frequency of scams and fraud targeting our veterans are constantly increasing. According to a report from the Federal Trade Commission, U.S. veterans and military retirees reported $350 million in total fraud losses in 2023.

While a number of departments and staff work in an uncoordinated manner to combat fraud within the VA and other agencies, the VSAFE Act will establish a comprehensive effort that will assist our veterans by establishing a veterans scam and fraud evasion officer in the Department of Veterans Affairs who is responsible for all fraud prevention efforts.

By providing veterans with more consistent guidance on how to identify, report, and avoid fraud and scam attempts, we can reduce the occurrences that are occurring.

I thank Chairman Mike Bost and all the cosponsors of this bill for their support. I encourage all of my colleagues to protect our veterans by supporting the VSAFE Act.