Dear Chairman Chaffetz:
Our hearing today continued a long tradition of bipartisan Committee oversight of transition delays affecting our injured service members returning from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. As we heard from the witnesses, significant challenges continue to plague the Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES), including skyrocketing delays and staffing shortages that unnecessarily burden our wounded warriors.
We are pleased to work with you in this partnership. As Ranking Member Cummings said, our Committee should hold the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to a deadline by stating now our intent to hold a follow-up hearing at a time certain. As Ranking Member Tierney said, this hearing should include high-level department officials who can be held accountable for the successes and failures of the program. We appreciate your commitment to hold another hearing within six months, and we will support a request for senior officials at that hearing.
We fully support sustained oversight of the IDES program to ensure that our brave men and women in uniform receive the benefits and care they deserve. Based on the testimony we heard today, it is clear that this additional oversight is vital to improving the IDES program.
Sincerely,
Rep. Elijah E. Cummings Rep. John F. Tierney
Ranking Member Ranking Member
Committee on Oversight and Subcommittee on National Security,
Government Reform Homeland Security and Foreign Operations
cc: Honorable Darrell E. Issa, Chairman
