{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-kean-hosts-veterans-affairs-roundtable-secretary-collins", "Congressman Kean Hosts Veterans Affairs Roundtable with Secretary Collins", "2026-09-02", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Thomas H. Kean, Jr.", "K000398", "kean.house.gov", "kean", "https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "(September 2, 2026) SOMERVILLE, NJ \u2013 Last week, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) hosted a Veteran Services and Advocacy Roundtable with U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins.\n\nThe roundtable brought together federal, state, and local leaders, Veterans Service Organizations, veteran-serving nonprofits, and other veterans from New Jersey\u2019s 7th Congressional District. Participants discussed the priorities and challenges facing veterans and their families, while working to identify solutions and strengthen the support available to those who have served.\n\n\u201cIt is my priority to ensure that New Jersey\u2019s veterans receive the care, benefits, and support they have earned,\u201d said Congressman Kean. \u201cI appreciate Secretary Collins coming to New Jersey and hearing directly from the veterans and organizations serving our communities. From the Lyons VA to local veterans\u2019 organizations across our district, I am focused on identifying what is working, fixing what is not, and strengthening the services veterans rely on. I will continue working to cut through obstacles and make sure the men and women who served our country can access the care and support they deserve.\u201d\n\n\u201cUnder President Trump and thanks to the steadfast support of strong leaders like Rep. Kean, VA is making major improvements for Veterans in New Jersey and across the nation,\u201d said VA Secretary Doug Collins. \u201cWe look forward to continuing to work with Rep. Kean to make VA benefits better, faster and easier to use than ever before.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Veterans of Foreign Wars thanks Congressman Kean and Secretary Collins for their leadership and cooperation with veteran advocates to improve the lives and welfare of New Jersey's veterans,\u201d said Ken Hagemann, VFW State Commander, Department of New Jersey.\n\n\u201cIt was a true privilege to sit at this table. I was honored to contribute to this vital conversation with our leadership, focusing on how we can better support our veterans, their needs and valuable community presence,\u201d said Jacquie Petersen, Warren County VSO. \u201cParticipants were given time to discuss our concerns. Topics ranged from VA Healthcare, Transportation, VA Claims and the concerns for our veterans as they transition back to civilian life.\u201d\n\n\u201cCongressman Kean\u2019s Veterans Advocacy Roundtable was truly a brilliant way to gather Veterans Advocates from various backgrounds to share their insights and suggestions, resulting in a highly productive meeting,\u201d said Stacia McDonough, founder of Independence for Veterans. \u201cIt's clear that the Congressman and his dedicated team are committed to making meaningful improvements in the Veterans\u2019 services. As someone from a family extraordinarily rich in military history, it brings me great joy to witness progress being made for their benefit. Words alone cannot fully convey my gratitude for his outstanding efforts.\u201d\n\nFor more information on recent VA improvements, click HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-03T09:29:33Z", "2026-09-03T09:31:32Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-kean-hosts-veterans-affairs-roundtable-secretary-collins"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.031107734888792, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}