Hodes Passes Veterans' Ombudsman Legislation Out of House Subcommittee

Press Release

Hodes Passes Veterans' Ombudsman Legislation Out of House Subcommittee

Today, the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Health passed Congressman Paul Hodes' legislation that would create an Office of the Ombudsman within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The office would function as an independent advocate for our veterans, protecting their interests and coordinating their benefits as they move through the federal bureaucracy.

"With more veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and the mismanagement we witnessed at Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital, we need an independent office that advocates specifically for veterans and their families and helps them cut through red tape," Congressman Paul Hodes said.

The Office of the Ombudsman would deliver direct and timely assistance to those seeking help with their benefits. The legislation requires that all veterans be given contact information for the Office and notified of the services it provides.

"Everyone agrees that the process to get veterans the benefits they have earned is far too complicated and complex," Hodes said. "After fighting our wars abroad, the last thing we should do is force our veterans to fight bureaucracy here at home."

The legislation now goes to the full Veterans Affairs Committee for a formal vote.

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