Veteran Fraud Reimbursement Act of 2025

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1912, the Veteran Fraud Reimbursement Act, and to underscore the urgent need for this bipartisan and bicameral legislation.

As a Nation, we have a solemn obligation to ensure that the men and women who have served in our Armed Forces and their families receive the benefits they have rightfully earned through their sacrifice and unwavering dedication. Unfortunately, an unintended consequence of the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 has hindered this mission. That law introduced a requirement for an internal negligence determination by the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) before defrauded veterans in the Veterans Affairs (VA) fiduciary program could be reimbursed. While well- intentioned as a mechanism for improving oversight, this procedural step has caused unacceptable delays, at times exceeding a year, in making victims of fraud financially whole.

A July 21, 2021, report from the VA Office of Inspector General, titled ``VBA's Fiduciary Program Needs to Improve the Timeliness of Determinations and Reimbursement of Misused Funds,'' brought national attention to this problem. It found that defrauded veterans were forced to endure long wait times before receiving reimbursements, with some tragically passing away before they could be made financially whole. This is especially troubling since approximately 50 percent of veterans in the fiduciary program are pensioners and part of a financially vulnerable population.

H.R. 1912, the Veteran Fraud Reimbursement Act, removes the negligence determination requirement as a prerequisite for reimbursement. Instead, it authorizes VBA to conduct a statisticallv valid analysis of fiduciary misuse cases to determine the rate and nature of negligence after reimbursement has occurred. This shift transforms a bureaucratic barrier into a quality assurance mechanism, enhancing oversight while prioritizing timely relief for veterans. This legislation was developed in close collaboration with the VBA and received strong bipartisan support during the 118th Congress, when it passed the House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support, 413-0. I thank Representative Ciscomani for partnering with me in introducing this important measure, and I am grateful to Subcommittee Chairman Lutrell, Ranking Member McGarvey, Full Committee Chairman Bost, and Ranking Member Takano for their commitment to advancing it.

I am proud to represent a district home to nearly 50,000 veterans, including those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, to Vietnam veterans, and even a few remaining World War II heroes. We owe them more than gratitude; we owe them action. H.R. 1912 will ensure Veterans receive their reimbursement on a timely basis. It ensures that we do not let oversight mechanisms cause harm to those they are intended to protect.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation and reaffirming our commitment to the dignity and well-being of our veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1912) to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the repayment by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs of benefits misused by a fiduciary, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 1912.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1912 introduced by my colleague from Virginia (Mr. Connolly). My prayers are with him and his family as he once again battles cancer.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the leadership teams, especially Leader Scalise and his staff, for agreeing to move this bill forward in his absence.

Representative Connolly's bill would ensure that the VA's fiduciary program is improved so that our Nation's most vulnerable veterans receive the benefits that they have earned. Let me say that again: our most vulnerable veterans.

The VA appoints fiduciaries for veterans who are unable to manage their VA financial benefits. These fiduciaries are required to use a veteran's VA benefits for the veteran's care and welfare. The VA periodically reviews fiduciary activities to ensure that fiduciaries are not misusing a veteran's VA benefits.

When a fiduciary misuses a veteran's benefit, current law does not allow the veteran to be made financially whole until after the VA determines whether the misuse was the result of VA negligence.

These determinations of negligence amount to bureaucratic red tape that have caused long delays before veterans could recoup their misused benefits. Some veterans have passed away before their misused benefits are returned.

We must ensure that the VA's fiduciary program is streamlined. This bill would get rid of red tape preventing victims of misuse from promptly recouping their VA benefits. It would prohibit the VA from withholding repayment of misused benefits while the VA is still working on a negligence determination.

It would also require the VA to implement methods to ensure that negligence determinations are made in a timely manner. Veterans deserve to have access to their benefits without bureaucratic hurdles and unnecessary delays.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 1912, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this legislation and send our colleague, Mr. Connolly, our best wishes and prayers.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 1912, the Veteran Fraud Reimbursement Act of 2025, authored by my colleague, Representative Connolly. He cannot be here today as he bravely battles cancer, and our thoughts and our prayers are with him.

I echo the comments of Representative Bergman. Veterans in the fiduciary program are some of the most vulnerable in the VA's care. Because they are often elderly or mentally ill, they are at greater risk for financial abuse and theft of benefits than the population at large. Unfortunately, despite the VA's best efforts at vetting proposed fiduciaries, bad actors do arise from time to time. When that happens, theft or misuse of benefits can financially devastate veterans.

On top of the financial harm, the strain of being taken advantage of can further eat away at the veteran's physical and mental health. We must empower the VA to more quickly return stolen or misused benefits to veterans who are exploited by their fiduciary. This bill would do just that.

It passed the House last Congress, and I encourage my colleagues to support it again.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I also ask my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 1912, the Veteran Fraud Reimbursement Act of 2025.

Before I yield back, I do want to express my deepest appreciation and admiration for the sponsor of this bill, Representative Connolly.

Representative Connolly has been a faithful and passionate servant of the American people for decades, both through his time as a congressional staffer and then as a Representative of his beloved State of Virginia.

Unfortunately, he cannot be with us today. Anybody who knows Representative Connolly knows he is a bulldog, he is a fighter, and he is tenacious. He is facing some serious health challenges right now.

Mr. Speaker, I know you will join me and Representative Bergman and everyone else in wishing him the absolute best as he is in this fight. I know he has got it, and we are with him.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 1912 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.