Senate Veterans panel reviews 25 bills amid VA bed closures
VA closed Leavenworth ICU beds without advance Congressional notice
VA closed Leavenworth ICU beds without advance Congressional notice
The Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs convened on April 29, 2026 to consider 25 bills covering a wide range of veterans' priorities. Chairman Jerry Moran opened by noting the legislation 'involves a collection of bipartisan priorities to further expand and streamline access to high-quality health care and earned benefits for veterans, their survivors, and their families.' He emphasized that improving the lives of veterans is 'not a partisan issue, but a shared mission' across the committee. The bills included measures addressing ALS benefits (S. 749, Justice for ALS Veterans Act), disability claim fraud prevention (S.
3000, FRAUD in VA Disability Exams Act), appeals backlogs (S. 3286, Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act 2.0), mammography access (S. 3395), homelessness (S. 4043, Healthcare for Homeless Veterans Act), burial benefits (S.
4108, Veteran Burial Benefit Correction Act), maternal health (S. ___, Maternal Health for Veterans Act), and outdoor rehabilitation (S. 4197, Veterans Outdoor Rehabilitation Act).
Essential concepts and terms to understand this topic
Government system providing benefits to military veterans
The Senate''s power to approve or reject presidential appointments and treaties.
The constitutional steps a bill must follow β introduction, committee review, floor votes in both chambers, and presidential action β to become federal law.
Congress can override a presidential veto with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.
A formal vote by all 100 senators to pass, reject, or amend legislation on the Senate floor.
Presidential authority to reject legislation passed by Congress
A Senate procedure that allows any senator to force a committee-bottled bill directly to the floor for a vote, requiring 51 votes to succeed.
Congressional authority to investigate the executive branch and compel compliance with subpoenas.
Senate committee hearings to review presidential nominees
A bill passing both the House and Senate in identical form

Chairman, Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs; Senator (R-KS)
Moran chaired the April 29 hearing and introduced four of the 25 bills under consideration, including S. 4400, the Optimizing the VA Workforce for Veterans Act, co-introduced with Sen. Angus King on the same day. He directly challenged VA leadership on the undisclosed Leavenworth ICU bed closures and demanded a full briefing. His opening statement set the bipartisan framing for the hearing.

Senator (I-ME); Member, Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee
King co-introduced S. 4400, the Optimizing the VA Workforce for Veterans Act, with Chairman Moran on April 29. His independent-party status reinforces the bipartisan nature of the workforce legislation. He questioned VA witnesses about how the workforce plan would ensure staffing changes actually improve veteran access to care and service quality, not just meet numerical targets.

Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs; Senator (D-CT)
Blumenthal serves as the Democratic ranking member and introduced several bills before the committee, including S. 3000 (FRAUD in VA Disability Exams Act), S. 3098 (Presumptive CLARITY Act), and S. 3395 (Mammography Access for Veterans Act). He engaged VA witnesses on why the department opposes the Presumptive CLARITY Act despite supporting the underlying goal of transparency for toxic exposure benefits.
Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Benefits, Veterans Benefits Administration
Devlin led the first VA witness panel, testifying on 25 bills and outlining VA's support, opposition, or concerns for each. She highlighted the department's claims processing achievements in 2025 and outlined Secretary Collins' Veterans First strategy. She could not provide testimony on S. 1127 or S. 4400 workforce bills because VA's human resources and NCA partners were not available at the hearing.

Acting Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Patient Care Services, Veterans Health Administration
Koeniger accompanied Devlin in the first panel and was the primary witness on the Leavenworth ICU and surgical bed closure issue. He acknowledged the closures were staffing-driven, described them as 'temporary,' and committed to ensuring the VA supports full veteran access. He did not provide a specific timeline for restoring the beds and deferred detailed answers to the Secretary-level briefing Moran requested.
Deputy Vice Chairman and Clerk, Board of Veterans' Appeals
Barrans accompanied the VA witness panel with expertise on appeals processing. His presence was relevant to the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act 2.0 (S. 3286), the AMA reform bill. VA's testimony flagged that the budget request projected a year-over-year increase in pending BVA appeals inventory for the first time since the original AMA was implemented β a concern Barrans addressed in the hearing.

Government Affairs Director, Wounded Warrior Project
Dempsey testified in the second witness panel representing Wounded Warrior Project, one of the nation's largest veterans service organizations. WWP submitted written testimony on multiple bills, particularly those affecting disability exams, appeals processing, and health care access. VSOs serve as independent validators of VA policy from the veteran community's perspective.
National Executive Director, AMVETS
Chenelly testified for AMVETS in the second panel. AMVETS (American Veterans) is a congressionally chartered VSO representing veterans of all branches and conflicts. Chenelly's testimony provided VSO perspective on the pending legislation across the full 25-bill agenda, including benefits, health care, and workforce issues.
Director of Government Relations for Veterans and Retired Affairs, Military Officers Association of America
Goodale represented MOAA in the second witness panel. MOAA advocates specifically on behalf of active duty military, retired officers, and surviving spouses. Her testimony addressed veterans' specialty care access, workforce planning, and benefits legislation from the perspective of career military personnel and their families.

Senator (D-IL); Member, Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee
Duckworth, an Army combat veteran and double amputee, raised maternal health issues for veterans during questioning. She discussed the planned introduction of the Maternal Health for Veterans Act to address ongoing gaps in VA maternity care coordination, citing data that women veterans face disproportionate maternal mortality risks compared with non-veteran women. She co-authored the 2021 Protecting Moms Who Served Act.
True
The VA closed half of the intensive care unit and half of the surgical beds at the Leavenworth, Kansas VA Medical Center without advance notice to Congress.
The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee's own press release and Chairman Moran's recorded statements at the hearing confirm the closure of half of the ICU and surgical beds at Leavenworth and Moran's statement that he was not notified until a week after the fact. The VA acknowledged the staffing-driven closures in testimony. [1][2]
Sources
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The VA's FY2027 budget request projected a year-over-year increase in pending Board of Veterans' Appeals appeals for the first time since the AMA was implemented.
VA testimony at the April 29 hearing included this projection, which is based on the department's budget submission data. The Appeals Modernization Act restructured the appeals system beginning in 2019 and had been reducing inventory; a reversal in the trend is a significant signal for the committee. This is a projection, not yet a final outcome. [1]
Sources
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Women veterans face higher maternal mortality rates compared with non-veteran women.
Sen. Duckworth cited this data in her hearing questions, consistent with published research on maternal health disparities among women veterans. Studies including those from the VA's own Women's Health Research program and peer-reviewed literature have documented elevated maternal mortality risk among women veterans compared with age-matched civilian women, attributable in part to service-related health conditions and access gaps. [1]
Sources
True
The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee reviewed 25 bills at the April 29 hearing.
The official hearing page lists all 25 bills with their bill numbers, sponsors, and titles. Chairman Moran confirmed the count in his opening statement. [1]
Sources
True
S. 4400, the Optimizing the VA Workforce for Veterans Act, was introduced by Senators Moran and King on April 29, 2026.
Sen. King's official press release and the committee's press release both confirm that Moran and King introduced S. 4400 on April 29, 2026, the same day as the hearing. [1][2]
Sources
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VA opposes S. 4140, the Carlton H. Ingram Veterans Benefits Protection Act, because it has already implemented the underlying court decision.
VA witness Margarita Devlin testified that VA does not support S. 4140 because the department has already implemented the Ingram court decision, which requires VA to consider medication use in disability ratings for conditions like hypertension. VA stated it continues to apply this approach as it updates other body systems in the rating schedule. [1]
Sources
Contact your senators to support the Optimizing the VA Workforce for Veterans Act
civic action
S. 4400 would require the VA to produce a five-year workforce plan and notify Congress before cutting staff or closing beds. The Leavenworth ICU closure illustrates why this legislation is needed. Calling your senators before the bill advances from committee can push it toward a floor vote.
Report VA access problems or staffing shortages to the VA Inspector General
civic action
If you or a veteran you know has been denied VA care, experienced long wait times, or encountered closed services β including bed closures not publicly announced β the VA Inspector General office investigates these complaints independently of VA management.
Urge Congress to pass the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act 2.0
civic action
S. 3286 updates the 2017 appeals reform law as the Board of Veterans' Appeals indicates signs of a renewed backlog. Contacting your senators and House representative before the backlog grows can help prioritize the update.
Contact your veterans service organization to advocate for pending legislation
civic action
VSOs like Wounded Warrior Project, AMVETS, and the Military Officers Association of America testified at this hearing on behalf of veterans. Joining or contacting your VSO lets you add your voice to coordinated advocacy on pending veterans legislation.