Senate panel to work on VA fixes

The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee will hold a hearing next week to consider legislation to address the medical claims backlog scandal at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

“When the Senate returns, the Veterans’ Affairs Committee will immediately work on the appropriate legislation to address these deeply rooted problems,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said.

{mosads}On Thursday, Chairman Bernie Sanders’s (I-Vt.) panel will begin work on a two-pronged legislative response to hold the VA accountable for mismanagement and to improve healthcare for veterans.

On Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee will begin to consider legislation that aims to amend the U.S. Constitution. Democrats are pushing a campaign finance reform in response to recent Supreme Court rulings allowing unlimited campaign donations.

Democrats say democracy isn’t for sale, and the rulings allow the wealthy and corporations to buy elections, leaving the poor and working class powerless.

Details on these and other Senate hearings follow:

Senate Appropriations

– June 5, “Markup of the fiscal year 2015 Commerce, Justice, and Science, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development”

10:30 a.m., 106 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs

– June 3, “S. 2244, the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act”

10 a.m., 538 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Budget

– June 4, “Impact of Student Loan Debt on Borrowers and the Economy”

10 a.m., 608 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation

– June 3, “Surface Transportation Reauthorization: Examining the Safety and Effectiveness of our Transportation Systems”

9:30 a.m., 253 Russell Senate Office Building

– June 5, “Preserving Public Safety and Network Reliability in the IP Transition”

10:30 a.m., 253 Russell Senate Office Building

Senate Energy and Natural Resources

– June 3, “Klamath Basin Water Recovery and Economic Restoration Act”

2:30 p.m., 366 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Environment and Public Works

– June 4, “NRC’s Implementation of the Fukushima Near-Term Task Force Recommendations and other Actions to Enhance and Maintain Nuclear Safety”

10 a.m., 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Foreign Relations

– June 5, “Developments in Ukraine”

10 a.m., 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

– June 4, “Evaluating Port Security: Progress Made and Challenges Ahead”

342 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Judiciary

– June 3, “Examining a Constitutional Amendment to Restore Democracy to the American People”

10:30 a.m., 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building

– June 4, “Nominations”

10:30 a.m., 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law

– June 4, “The Location Privacy Protection Act”

2:30 p.m., 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Veterans’ Affairs

– June 5, “Pending Legislation”

10 a.m., 418 Russell Senate Office Building