Defense and veterans hearings on Capitol Hill for the week of Feb. 5, 2024. Portland VA Medical Center leaders have promised an investigation after several incidents at the facility. Officials will speed up portions of the PACT Act to allow enrollment of thousands of veterans into VA health care next month. Officials have no plans to try and recoup the money, noting that no laws appear to have been violated by the doubled stipend payments. In one instance, funds were spent to investigate a sinkhole, according to a recent Defense Department Inspector General report. Leaders lament that the tech industry does not have a history of public service in career choices. A record pace for finishing claims in fiscal 2023 and so far in fiscal 2024 hasn't been enough to slow the department's backlog of cases. Republican lawmakers have accused the department of using funding and resources to help with immigration work at the expense of veterans services. Lawmakers voted to subpoena information from the department for the first time since 2016. Veterans can get up to $40,000 in life insruance coverage through the program regardless of their health status. Load More