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On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs held a legislative hearing to review several important pieces of veteran’s legislation, including H.R. 1302, the VA Appeals Backlog Relief Act, a bill introduced by Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05).

“I thank Chairman Miller, Subcommittee Chairman Abraham, and Ranking Members Brown and Titus for taking this legislation under consideration today,” said Rep. Latta. “We are blessed to have the bravest men and women in the world serving in America’s armed forces. As they fought to preserve the freedoms that define our nation, this country and this body have the obligation to ensure they receive the timely care and benefits they deserve upon their return home.” 

“The VA’s lack of timely claims processing has created a massive backlog in which there are at least 300,000 appeals claims currently pending, with nearly 60,000 pending VA Form 9’s with an average pending time of well over 600 days,” Latta continued. “The VA Appeals Backlog Relief Act would make it mandatory for all appeals claims to be certified to the Board of Veterans Appeals (BVA) no later than 12 months after the local VA office receives the VA Form 9. I would ask my colleagues for their continued support of H.R. 1302 so we can better fulfill our obligations to our nation’s veterans.”

Read: Rep. Latta Statement for the Record