Just days after announcing a halt to the embattled Veterans Affairs electronic health records program, department Secretary Denis McDonough will travel to Capitol Hill to talk about the decision and what comes next for veterans support efforts.

McDonough is scheduled to testify on the fiscal 2024 budget request and related issues before the Senate Appropriations Committee on April 26. A day earlier, the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee will hold a separate hearing on the health records modernization effort, which was completely halted on April 21.

The decision to “reset” the program came after months of delays and complaints about the new system, currently in use at five VA health care sites. Additional deployments were scheduled for later this year, but have now been put on hold indefinitely.

Lawmakers on the House committee have already questioned whether the $16-billion, 10-year project will ever be fully functional. Although only a portion of that total is included in the department’s nearly $325 billion budget request for next fiscal year, McDonough will likely face significant questions about the ongoing costs and plan ahead for the program.

Tuesday, April 25

House Veterans' Affairs — 3 p.m — 390 Cannon
Electronic Health Records
Department officials will testify on the latest delays with the electronic health records modernization program.

Wednesday, April 26

Senate Armed Services — 9:30 a.m. — G-50 Dirksen
Energy Defense Activities
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm will testify on atomic energy programs and the fiscal 2024 budget request.

Senate Foreign Relations — 10 a.m. — 419 Dirksen
USAID Budget
Samantha Power, administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development, will testify on the fiscal 2024 budget request.

Senate Appropriations — 10:30 a.m. — 124 Dirksen
VA Budget
Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough will testify on the fiscal 2024 budget request.

House Armed Services — 10:30 a.m. — 2118 Rayburn
Europe
Gen. Christopher Cavoli, head of U.S. European Command, will testify on current operations and the fiscal 2024 budget request.

House Foreign Affairs — 10:30 a.m. — Visitors Center H-210
Iran Sanctions
The committee will consider several bills including legislation to impose new sanctions on Iranian leadership.

Senate Foreign Relations — 2 p.m. — 419 Dirksen
Tunisia
State Department officials will testify on the current security situation in Tunisia.

House Armed Services — 2 p.m. — 2212 Rayburn
National Security Space Programs
John Plumb, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy, and service officials will discuss current space security programs.

House Armed Services — 2:30 p.m. — 2118 Rayburn
Army Modernization Programs
Douglas Bush, assistant Army secretary for acquisition, and other service officials will testify on service modernization plans.

Senate Armed Services — 2:30 p.m. — 232-A Russell
Air Force Modernization
Service officials will discuss modernization plans and the fiscal 2024 budget request.

Senate Veterans' Affairs — 3 p.m. — 418 Russell
Pending Business
The committee will consider pending legislation.

Senate Armed Services — 3 p.m. — 222 Russell
DOD Public Integrity
Service legal officials will testify on public integrity and anti-corruption laws at the Department of Defense.

Thursday, April 27

Senate Armed Services — 8 a.m. — G-50 Dirksen
European/Transportation Commands
Gen. Christopher Cavolihead of U.S. European Command, and Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, head of U.S. Transportation Command, will testify on current operations and the fiscal 2024 budget request.

Senate Foreign Relations — 10 a.m. — Capitol S-116
Nominations
The committee will review several pending nominations.

House Armed Services — 12:30 p.m. — 2118 Rayburn
Air Force Budget
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Brown Jr., and Chief of Space Force Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman will testify on the fiscal 2024 budget request.

House Armed Services — 4 p.m. — 2212 Rayburn
China
Gen. Paul Nakasone, head of U.S. Cyber Command, and Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, will testify on strategic challenges posed by China.

Friday, April 28

House Armed Services — 9 a.m. — 2118 Rayburn
Navy Budget
Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday, and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger will testify on the fiscal 2024 budget request.

House Veterans' Affairs — 10 a.m. — 390 Cannon
Pending Legislation
The committee will consider several pending bills.

Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.

Share:
More In Federal Oversight