House Veterans’ Affairs picks subcommittee chairs

Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.), chair of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, has made his picks for subcommittee chairs. 

Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.) will head the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Rep. Dan Benishek (R-Mich.) will chair Health, Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) will chair the Economic Opportunity and Rep. Ralph Abraham (R-La.) will lead on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.  

“Whether providing much-needed oversight to the Department of Veterans Affairs or championing legislation designed to improve the care and benefits America’s returning heroes have earned, our subcommittees and their chairmen fulfill vital roles,” Miller said in a news release.  

“This Congress we are fortunate to have a talented roster of both new and returning chairmen. I am confident they will help our committee continue to set the standard for congressional oversight while working to improve the lives of veterans and increase accountability and efficiency at VA.” 

Veteran Affairs was under fire much of last year after long patent wait times were linked to patient deaths. Now the department is trying to move on from one of the most serious scandals in the agency’s history. 

In November, the agency fired Sharon Helman, the director of its Phoenix VA Health Care System, where the scandal erupted. 

Republican lawmakers have been pushing VA Secretary Robert McDonald to remove other senior executives responsible ever since. 

“Sharon Helman’s removal is a positive step, but there are still many more VA scandal figures who also must be purged from the department’s payroll in order for veterans and families to receive the closure they deserve,” Miller said in November.