{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-testifies-hearing-her-legislation-assist-veterans-va-debt", "Pingree Testifies at Hearing on Her Legislation to Assist Veterans with VA Debt", "2017-09-13", "2017", "2017-09", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) testified today at a hearing of the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs in support of H.R. 3705, the Veterans Fair Debt Notice Act. The legislation she\u2019s introduced assists veterans who find themselves with debts to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).\u00a0  \n\t\u00a0  \n\t\u201cWe\u2019ve seen single mom veterans who can\u2019t get a home loan and newly transitioned service members who struggle to re-integrate with garnished pay, recouped tax returns and reduced disability payments, all because of assigned debts they knew nothing about because something got \u2018lost in the mail,\u2019\u201d Pingree told the committee in her testimony. \u201cH.R. 3705, the Veterans Fair Debt Notice Act, proposes a straightforward solution. \u00a0It requires the VA to modify its regulations so that debt notifications are sent by certified mail. \u00a0Thus, the VA would know that the veteran has actually received the letter.\u201d\u00a0\nFull text of her testimony is below.\u00a0  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tSeveral national veteran service organizations submitted testimony to the committee in support of the bill, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. \u00a0  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tDuring her time in Congress, Congresswoman Pingree has been contacted by many veteran constituents who\u2019ve been surprised to find out that they owe the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) money for overpayment of benefits.\u00a0\nOften, these veterans only learn about the debt when their benefits are withheld. Having never received a prior notification, they miss deadlines for appealing the debt, setting up a payment plan, or applying for a waiver. The shock of learning that they owe money when they can no longer do anything to address it adds undue stress to veterans who may be dealing with service-connected disabilities and challenges, such as homelessness.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tEven when some veterans have sent a timely response, the VA has said they did not receive it. One reason is that the VA does not send notifications via certified mail, meaning that it can\u2019t confirm whether they have a veteran\u2019s correct address and a veteran can\u2019t be sure of whether their response was received.\u00a0  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tPingree\u2019s bill, H.R. 3705, the Veterans Fair Debt Notice Act, would do two things to remedy the situation\u2014requiring the VA to 1) used certified mail for these kinds of notifications and 2) use plain language so veterans can clearly understand their rights in these situations.\n Pingree\u2019s Testimony Text \nChairman Bost, Ranking Member Esty, thank you for the opportunity to testify on the Veterans Fair Debt Notice Act. \u00a0I believe this bill offers a common sense fix to frustrations that some veterans in my district have shared with me, which I know veterans across the country have also experienced.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tMy district office has been contacted by veterans who are shocked and surprised to learn that they owe money to the VA -- for overpayment of benefits or some other reason -- months or even years after the debts were incurred. \u00a0By the time they inquire, they are told by the VA: tough luck, the clock has run out. \u00a0You\u2019ve lost the ability to dispute, seek forgiveness, or create a payment plan for the alleged debt. \u00a0  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tWe\u2019ve seen single mom veterans who can\u2019t get a home loan and newly transitioned service members who struggle to re-integrate with garnished pay, recouped tax returns and reduced disability payments, all because of assigned debts they knew nothing about because something got \u201clost in the mail.\u201d  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tCurrent VA regulations provide that such debtors are notified by \u201cordinary mail,\u201d which is deemed to provide a \u201csufficient\u201d notification to a veteran of an outstanding debt and what his or her rights of redress are. \u00a0The problem is that people move and mail can get lost. \u00a0This is a particular challenge for homeless vets or those without fixed address. \u00a0At times the error is on the VA side. \u00a0Our caseworkers have uncovered instances where the VA sent mailings to addresses in states where the veteran has never lived.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tH.R. 3705, the Veterans Fair Debt Notice Act, proposes a straightforward solution. \u00a0It requires the VA to modify its regulations so that debt notifications are sent by certified mail. \u00a0Thus, the VA would know that the veteran has actually received the letter. \u00a0 Likewise, it directs the VA to request that veterans seeking waivers use certified mail, so a veteran knows that the VA has received his or her response. \u00a0We have heard from veterans who have submitted waivers, tried to create payment plans or tried to dispute the charges within the allotted time period, only to be told by the VA that the office never received their materials.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tLastly, the bill requires the VA to use plain language in how it communicates to a veteran about his or her debts and the rights to challenge it or seek accomodations. \u00a0A veteran shouldn\u2019t have to rely on a Congressional caseworker to interpret the VA\u2019s bureaucrat-ese.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tI urge the Committee to approve the Veterans Fair Debt Notice Act to promote accountability, consumer protection, efficiencies in the VA system, and fairness to our veterans who deserve peace of mind.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tFinally, I appreciate the support of this legislation from veterans service organizations, who can attest to the frustrations that their members have experienced.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tThank you.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-testifies-hearing-her-legislation-assist-veterans-va-debt"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3168379664421082, "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"}