Latest news with #SteeringandPolicyCommittee
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
‘Don't deny us what Abraham Lincoln promised us': Veterans testify to Congress on Norfolk State campus
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Hosted by Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va., 3rd), Democratic members of the Steering and Policy Committee listened to testimony of the struggles of veterans during the first four months of the Trump administration. Scott was joined by committee members Nanette Barragan (D-Calif., 44th), Mike Thompson (D-Calif., 4th) and Robin Kelly (D-Ill., 2nd) in the Brothers Auditorium on the campus of Norfolk State University. The members heard testimony from four witnesses who represent veterans and their concerns. 'Don't deny us what we were promised by Abraham Lincoln,' said Susan Hippen, a retired Navy Master Chief who represents the Veterans of Military Families Caucus. She was invoking Lincoln's pledge to care for American veterans and their families in his second inaugural address in March 1865. Hippen said she has visited the new veterans' clinic in Chesapeake several times, and it has about a third of the necessary patient treatment teams. 'You walk in, there's one person,' she said. 'You look at the pharmacy, there's one window open. There's no one in radiology. There's no optometry open.' Scott said he's not surprised, given how the new clinic has been hiring. 'Some were offered jobs and then those jobs were rescinded,' he said. 'They've got pending layoffs, so nobody wants to come into a group as a provisional employee.' The cause, according to congressional Democrats, is the Trump administration's cutbacks and layoffs at the Department of Veterans Affairs. 'It means longer lines at VA medical centers and hospitals, and crowded waiting rooms,' said Robin Kelly. Del. Jackie Glass (D-Norfolk) served as a cryptographer aboard USS Nimitz and said access to health care is getting tougher, especially for those who are in crisis. 'I see it my own family,' Glass said. 'Trying to find a provider, specifically a mental health provider that takes TRICARE, it's getting non-existent.' Hippen said veterans now face more obstacles to get disability benefits. She wants the Trump's Department of Veterans Affairs to 'stop using contract doctors to re-examine veterans who are submitting disability claims. Military doctors already diagnosed us.' Scott said he'll gather all the information from Tuesday's testimony and work it through the budget process, because in order to make improvements to service and access a reality, the money will have to come from Capitol Hill. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senate announces 'Response 2025' to Trump administration actions
BOSTON (WWLP) – Massachusetts Senate leaders announced a response plan to the Trump administration, consisting of designating a pre-existing committee to the task of responding to new federal policies, 70 days into Trump's second term. Senators describe their plan as a coordinated effort to protect Massachusetts residents–dubbed 'Response 2025'–by tasking the Steering and Policy Committee with meeting with other senators to come up with strong policies to combat Trump. Notably, meeting with other senators to put forth bills is already the job description of the Steering and Policy Committee, but one western Massachusetts senator says naming Trump's response as a priority will allow for faster action. 'We know how to do this, we know how to get together, get the best ideas surfaced, move as quickly as we must do to meet the acute challenges of this time,' said Steering and Policy Vice Chair Senator Jo Comerford. Senate leaders were asked multiple times how this committee will differ from the normal day-to-day business of the Senate, and they emphasized that it will expedite lawmaking and allow for a more targeted response to Trump. 'That is the idea, to meet with experts, meet with the Senate chairs, to come up with policies that will help alleviate some of the pain,' said Senate President Karen Spilka. While senators did name Trump policies they are specifically concerned with, and they spent time naming past accomplishments, they did not disclose any specific policies or areas of focus for the committee, and no related bills are being filed today. Any policies put forth by this senate committee will need to be approved by the House as well, and President Spilka says she is confident they will be able to reach compromises and pass significant laws this session. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
