When a veteran submits a disability claim, they shouldn’t be forced to wait in limbo or navigate endless red tape, but unfortunately this has been their reality for far too long. As a veteran who relies on VA healthcare, I know the overwhelming hurdles we are faced with to get the care and answers we’ve earned. That’s not acceptable. And it’s why we’re working overtime to fix it.

Now, thanks to the new leadership under the Trump Administration, we are changing the system and the Department of Veterans Affairs is processing disability claims faster than any point in American history. In April alone, the VA processed a record-breaking 256,178 claims, including more than 15,000 in a single day—a daily record. Since President Trump took office in January, the VA has already cut the backlog by 25 percent, bringing it down from 264,717 to 198,378.

Let’s be clear: this is a dramatic reversal from the last administration. Under Joe Biden, the backlog skyrocketed to 378,000 claims—leaving veterans stuck, waiting, and underserved. That failure has now been met with real action. They’ve cut out the bureaucratic waste and refocused the VA back to  its core mission: taking care of our veterans.

But we’re not just stopping at fixing the VA; our government is finally working together to support our service members on and off the battlefield. This week, Secretary Doug Collins and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth came together to sign an agreement aimed at supporting our troops as they transition out of the military and back into civilian life. 

That’s a mission that’s personal to me, and why I introduce bills like the Wounded Warrior Bill of Rights and the Oath of Exit Act. We need to do everything in our power to smooth the path from the battlefield to the homefront. Thankfully, in just a few short months we have already seen so much progress and support for our veteran community, and we’re just getting started.