{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20140413005314/http://shea-porter.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/shea-porter-votes-to-reduce-veterans-disability-backlog", "Shea-Porter Votes to Reduce Veterans Disability Backlog", "2013-10-29", "2013", "2013-10", "Democrat", "House", "NH", "Carol Shea-Porter", "S001170", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\nContact: Ben Wakana, 202-225-5456\n\u00a0\nWASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) released the following statement after voting in favor of bipartisan reforms to help reduce the Veterans Administration\u2019s (VA) disability claims backlog:\n\u201cThe VA backlog is simply unacceptable, and I am 100% committed to ensuring veterans have access to the health benefits they\u2019ve earned. We owe it to veterans and their families to reduce the backlog, which is at 400,000 disability claims, quickly and as accurately as possible.\u201d\n\u00a0\nBACKGROUND\nYesterday, the House of Representatives passed a number of bills that included key provisions cosponsored by Shea-Porter to address the VA claims backlog by:\n Speeding up claims by allowing veterans\u2019 medical examinations to be done by physicians outside the VA system and encouraging veterans to file fully developed claims.\n\tStrengthening accountability by requiring the VA to regularly track and provide information to the public on claims processing and the performance of VA regional offices.\n\tExpediting claims processing by educating veterans on the quickest route to receive their decision. \u00a0\n\tEncouraging the VA to look at better ways to process claims in an electronic system.\n\tTaking steps to help ensure the VA has the needed information from other agencies to accurately process claims in a timely way.\n\tPaying veterans more quickly by paying as their individual conditions are adjudicated.\n Over the last six months, the Administration has significantly reduced the backlog claims by over 30%, or 190,000 claims.\u00a0However, the government shutdown created a self-inflicted wound that reduced the progress made on the veterans backlog.\u00a0\n\u00a0\n###", 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://web.archive.org/web/20140413005314/http://shea-porter.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/shea-porter-votes-to-reduce-veterans-disability-backlog"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5459831338375807, "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"}