Julia Brownley

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize Gene Fisher, whose exceptional leadership and tireless advocacy as Co-Chair and Executive Director of the Regional Defense Partnership have strengthened Ventura County's defense community, bolstered our regional economy, and ensured that our military installations remain resilient and mission-ready. Under Gene's leadership, the Regional Defense Partnership has served as Ventura County's community-based organization supporting our military installations and commands as essential assets to our national security and key contributors to our local economy.

During periods of uncertainty and significant challenges, including threats of base realignment, downsizing, and evolving defense priorities, Gene was a steady and trusted leader who helped ensure that Naval Base Ventura County continued to thrive as the county's largest employer, generating an estimated $4.6 billion annually and supporting more than 24,000 military, civilian, and contractor jobs.

Throughout his tenure, Gene represented the interests of Naval Base Ventura County with distinction, communicating its needs and priorities to local government leaders, educational institutions, and business partners, while building enduring partnerships among military commands, public agencies, and the private sector. His deep commitment to both the base and our community is evident in his work to ensure that Ventura County's infrastructure, workforce, and expertise continue to meet the evolving demands of 21st century national defense.

Among his many accomplishments, Gene led the Regional Defense Partnership's efforts to expand Naval Base Ventura County from approximately 70 to 110 commands, helped secure funding and legislative support to enhance critical capabilities such as the Center for Maritime Directed Energy Testing, and worked to ensure that Ventura County remains at the forefront of advanced defense innovation and collaboration.

Of particular importance to me is Gene's genuine passion for fostering cooperation and partnership. In addition to his many other community-focused initiatives, he convened monthly joint military-- community meetings, creating an essential forum for dialogue, coordination, and mutual support among base leadership, local stakeholders, and elected officials.

As he steps down from this role, I am proud to join our community in recognizing Gene's 27 years of dedicated public service and his extraordinary contributions to preserving the defense, economic, and technological vitality of the County of Ventura.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great admiration and respect that I recognize Gene Fisher for his steadfast leadership and for the lasting impact he has had on our community.

Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman and ranking member for bringing my bill forward today.

I rise in support of the bill titled: Establishment of Qualifications for the Appointment of a Person as a Marriage and Family Therapist, Qualified to Provide Clinical Supervision, in the Veterans Health Administration, legislation I have authored, because of the very real stories I have heard from veterans, from their families, and from therapists, not only in my district but across our great country.

Ventura County has a long and proud military history. We are home to Naval Base Ventura County, and more than 40,000 veterans call our community home.

Every day, I see the strength, the resilience, and sacrifice of these families. I also see the challenges they face when their service ends and their transition back to civilian life begins. That transition is not only difficult for many servicemembers. It affects their spouses. It affects their children, and it affects entire families.

Many of these families, rightly so, turn to therapy and counseling for support as they navigate major life changes, trauma, and the stress that can follow after years of service.

Licensed marriage and family therapists are often the professionals helping these veterans and their families. They help couples work through their challenges. They help parents and children communicate. They help veterans develop healthy coping mechanisms and rebuild stability at home.

However, the VA's current promotion rules are discouraging many of these highly trained and qualified therapists from working at VA facilities throughout the country. While VA hires marriage and family therapists who are accredited through different organizations, under current VA regulations, only therapists who graduated from the one specific accreditation pathway are eligible to be promoted into supervisory roles at VA. This is despite the fact that, nationwide, nearly 30 percent of licensed marriage and family therapists did not graduate from that specific accreditation program. In States like New York, Florida, and Ohio, that number is closer to 40 percent. In my home State of California, 95 percent of licensed marriage and family therapists hold licenses from other programs.

Let's be clear: All of these marriage and family therapists are fully licensed in their States where they practice and are fully qualified professionals. Their accreditations are also already recognized by private insurance, TRICARE, and some State Medicaid programs.

However, inside the VA system, they hit a career ceiling, which they cannot fix because this credential cannot be obtained retroactively. What happens? They leave, or they never come to the VA in the first place, and veterans and their families lose access to care or lose the therapists that they have trusted.

I have heard directly from therapists who want to serve veterans but feel pushed away by this outdated rule. I have heard from so many veterans who want to keep their therapist who has helped them and their family through some of the hardest moments of their lives.

This bill is about fixing that. It is about recognizing that these therapists are qualified, capable, and already doing life-changing work for veterans and their families. It is about removing an unnecessary bureaucratic barrier that is shrinking the pool of providers and supervisors at a time when demand for mental health services has never been greater.

More importantly, this bill is about upholding our promise to care for veterans after their service, not just with words, but with access to support their families' needs to stay strong and healthy.

This legislation passed the Veterans' Affairs Committee with strong, bipartisan support.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill today and support our Nation's veterans and their families who depend on this care.

Madam Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding, and I thank him for the very kind words. I appreciate it very much. I thank the chairman and the ranking member for their support of this bill, the Veterans Law Judge Experience Act, and for their work to bring it to the floor today.

Every day, far too many veterans across this country are waiting for a VA benefit decision, but not only for the benefits they are due, but for the stability, the security, and the relief that comes with these benefits.

Too often, that wait stretches from months and sometimes into years. During that time, veterans are left in limbo, unable to work, struggling to support their families, and forced to navigate a system that moves far too slowly for the urgency of their lives.

Across our district offices, our caseworkers hear directly from veterans who are desperate for answers about their claims and appeals. In many cases, a timely VA decision could change a veteran's life. Yet, even after waiting for an initial decision, they may need to appeal their case to the Board of Veterans' Appeals where they face more months and often years of additional delay.

Veterans deserve a system that works with the same urgency and seriousness with which they served our Nation. In recent years, despite hiring new veteran law judges, the board has often lacked the experienced personnel needed to move cases efficiently and accurately. This is in part due to the fact that in February 2020 the longstanding experience requirement for the veteran law judges was eliminated, opening the door to hiring judges without a background in veterans law.

While we respect the commitment of those entering this workforce, the reality is that lengthy training periods slow decisions, increase errors, and leave veterans waiting even longer for answers.

The Veterans Law Judge Experience Act takes a practical, commonsense, and targeted step to address this challenge to encourage the Board of Veterans' Appeals to prioritize hiring judges with at least 3 years of veterans' law experience. That means more cases decided, fewer delays, and stronger retention of professionals who already understand this complex and deeply consequential area of the law.

Hiring experienced veteran law judges will help speed the appeals process, improve the accuracy of decisions, and reduce unnecessary appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veteran Claims.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, there are approximately 200,000 pending appeals before the board today--200,000 pending appeals before the board today.

Further, a GAO audit spanning 2019 to 2022, showed the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veteran Claims either partially or fully remanded more than 80 percent of veteran cases back to the board, resting the clock and compounding delays.

Madam Speaker, our obligation to veterans does not end when they no longer serve in uniform. It continues in how we care for them, how we honor their service, and how seriously we take the responsibility to deliver the benefits they have earned. That is what guides my work on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee and why I am proud to see this bipartisan bill move forward.

By strengthening the expertise of the Board of Veterans' Appeals, we can reduce the backlog, restore trust in the system, and ensure veterans receive the timely and fair decisions they deserve.

Madam Speaker, I respectfully urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill which passed the House Veterans' Affairs Committee with overwhelming bipartisan support.