{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-morgan-mcgarvey-introduces-veterans-appeals-backlog-improvement", "Congressman Morgan McGarvey Introduces Veterans\u2019 Appeals Backlog Improvement Act", "2023-03-07", "2023", "2023-03", "Democrat", "House", "KY", "Morgan McGarvey", "M001220", "mcgarvey.house.gov", "mcgarvey", "https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Congressman Morgan McGarvey Introduces Veterans\u2019 Appeals Backlog Improvement Act\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. (March 7, 2023) \u2013 Today, Congressman Morgan McGarvey (KY-03) introduced the Veterans\u2019 Appeals Backlog Improvement Act alongside his Veterans Affairs Committee colleague Rep. Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06). Reps. Jen Kiggans (VA-02), Nikki Budzinksi (IL-13) and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01) are original co-sponsors.\n\n\u201cDisabled veterans deserve a system that provides access to their earned benefits in a fair and timely manner, so I\u2019m proud to join this bipartisan effort to address the growing backlog of VA disability compensation appeals,\u201d said Rep. McGarvey. \u201cThis bill will allow the VA and Board of Veterans\u2019 Appeals to establish a legal internship program, hire more young attorneys, and create better access to resources, cutting down on delays and improving veterans\u2019 lives. It\u2019s crucial that we continue to best serve those who served us.\u201d\n\nThis bipartisan bill would improve the Board of Veterans\u2019 Appeals ability to hire qualified attorneys and address the backlog of disability claims by:\n\nEstablishing a competitive internship program for high-performing law students at the Department of Veterans\u2019 Affairs and the Board of Veterans\u2019 Appeals\n\nCreating a nine-year pilot program to recruit, hire, and incentivize high-performing entry-level attorneys\n\nAuthorizing a report on improving access to tele-hearings\n\n\u201cWe have a responsibility to look after our veterans, especially those who have sacrificed so much for our country,\u201d said Congressman Ciscomani. \u201cNo veteran should be forced to wait for vitally important disability payments. These programs will enlist our brightest legal minds to assist the Board of Veterans\u2019 Appeals with overcoming this unacceptable backlog. It will also offer aspiring public servants an invaluable opportunity to serve their country.\u201d\n\n\u201cDAV has long called on Congress and the Department of Veterans Affairs to support significant and meaningful reforms aimed at addressing the growing backlog of VA claims and appeal processing,\u201d said DAV National Service Director Jim Marszalek. \u201cA key measure in modernizing these processes is providing the Board of Veterans\u2019 Appeals with adequate resources to better support its judges. By establishing an internship program and authorizing the hiring of entry-level attorneys, the Veterans\u2019 Appeals Backlog Improvement Act would vastly improve the Board\u2019s ability to hire and retain qualified attorneys to help address the backlog of appeals. DAV is proud to support this legislation and applauds Reps. Ciscomani and McGarvey for their bipartisan leadership on this important issue.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T23:30:02Z"]], "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://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-morgan-mcgarvey-introduces-veterans-appeals-backlog-improvement"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9406330063939095, "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"}