{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://lamalfa.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/lamalfa-supports-package-of-measures-to-support-veterans-end-backlog", "LaMalfa Supports Package of Measures to Support Veterans, End Backlog", "2013-10-30", "2013", "2013-10", "Republican", "House", "CA", "Doug LaMalfa", "L000578", "lamalfa.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 \u00a0Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) voted in support of a package of bills this week to support much-needed reform within the Department of Veteran\u2019s Affairs, which currently has a backlog of hundreds of thousands of cases. Among the bills are measures to eliminate millions in bonuses to VA staff, ensure that veterans denied serviced are automatically offered appeals and assist homeless veterans. The bills will now be considered in the Senate.\n\u201cOur veterans deserve swift and fair consideration of their disability claims, and I know firsthand of many in our district who have had to wait far too long. The backlog that has formed in the last decade is unacceptable and unconscionable, and rewarding this backlog by spending $400 million a year on employee bonuses does not seem to be the answer to the problem,\u201d said LaMalfa. \u201cI\u2019m also pleased to support the creation of a task force to look outside of the box for ways to end the backlog at Veteran\u2019s Affairs. We need to see the veterans of this country treated with respect, and we\u2019ll keep working until this problem is resolved.\u201d\nThe measures passed on the House floor include the following:\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 HR 2189: Empowers a task force to evaluate the backlog of disability claims of the Department of Veterans Affairs and recommend solutions.\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 HR 248: Establishes the Veterans Economic Opportunity Administration (VEOA) to manage the GI Bill and veterans housing and employment programs. The measure also extends the $50 million Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program.\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 HR 1405: Ensures that veterans whose claims are denied have immediate access to information to submit an appeal, and cuts $55 million from the bonuses that the Department of Veterans Affairs can pay its federal employees.\n\u00a0Doug LaMalfa is a lifelong farmer representing California\u2019s First Congressional District including, Butte, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou and Tehama Counties.\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": ["http://lamalfa.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/lamalfa-supports-package-of-measures-to-support-veterans-end-backlog"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.6555670406669378, "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"}