Wenstrup introduces bill to add new administration to VA and improve economic opportunities

U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) on April 3 sponsored bipartisan legislation that numerous Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) say would provide urgently needed resources for America’s military service members by establishing another agency within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

The Veterans’ Education, Transition, and Opportunity Prioritization Plan (VET OPP) Act of 2019, H.R. 2045 was introduced by Rep. Wenstrup last week with lead cosponsor U.S. Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA). The bill would establish the Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration and its undersecretary to run the new VA department, according to the congressional record. 

“As a member of the Armed Services, I know how important it is to help our warfighters succeed in their transition to civilian life,” Rep. Wenstrup said on Wednesday. “By aligning transition, education and employment programs in a fourth administration within the VA, we will ensure that these opportunity-focused programs get the high priority they deserve and the oversight they need to better serve veterans.”

Currently, the Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA) is responsible for all VA benefits except those for healthcare and cemetery services, according to a one-page summary of H.R. 2045 provided by U.S. House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Phil Roe (R-TN), another cosponsor of the bill. 

However, while VBA provides a variety of benefits, the majority of its staffing and resources have been used to administer disability compensation and pension claims, resulting in what the lawmakers said is a lack of attention on the administration of other VBA benefits, such as the Forever GI Bill, vocational rehabilitation, home loan benefits, and the VA’s portion of the Transition Assistance Program (TAP).

If enacted, H.R. 2045 would realign programs under a new administration that would be accountable to a presidentially appointed undersecretary and would be established using existing resources to avoid additional bureaucracy, according to the summary, which noted that “the new undersecretary would oversee all education, vocational rehabilitation, employment, transition, and home loan benefits, as well as verification of small business under the Vets First program.”

“Education, job training and transition assistance programs are critical to veterans’ economic success, but many veterans aren’t receiving these opportunities because of bureaucratic red tape at the VA,” said Rep. Levin. “This bipartisan bill will allow us to deliver those resources more effectively by creating a new Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration at the VA and bringing more oversight to economic programs for veterans.”

Several VSOs already support H.R. 2045, including Disabled Veterans of America (DAV), the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, Student Veterans of America, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Veterans Education Success.

“While DAV continues advocating for timely access to high quality veterans’ health care and protecting other veterans benefits, we also recognize that this nation should place equal focus on gainful employment, education and other economic opportunities for veterans,” said Randy Reese, DAV’s Washington executive director. “DAV proudly supports the VET OPP Act as it recognizes the value of these programs by combining them into their own Administration focused solely on economic utilization and growth.”

H.R. 2045 has been referred for consideration to the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.