House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mike Bost delivered remarks on Apr. 15 at a full committee oversight hearing, focusing on the Department of Veterans Affairs’ progress in reducing the disability compensation benefits backlog. Bost said that under Secretary Collins and President Trump, the VA has seen a decrease in the backlog by more than 57 percent since the start of the Trump administration, including a reduction of over 150,000 claims since the end of the Biden administration.
The topic is significant for veterans and their families who rely on timely decisions regarding their earned benefits. The hearing also examined how recent policy changes from Congress are being used to modernize processes within the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) to deliver decisions faster.
Bost acknowledged improvements in accuracy rates at VA, noting, “V.A.’s reported accuracy has improved from 91.6 percent in October 2024 to 93.5 percent in September 2025.” He also highlighted past issues under previous leadership: “Under the last administration, V.A. saw a 24% increase in the disability claims backlog...that dysfunction left veterans and their families waiting far too long for their earned benefits.”
The chairman addressed concerns about claim processing quality after an Office of Inspector General investigation found that one senior employee authorized an unusually high number of claims with minimal review time, resulting in improper payments estimated at $2.2 million. “V.A. has assured me new leadership is in place to ensure this never happens again,” Bost said.
He praised recent steps such as combining DIC and Survivors Pension processing so survivors receive higher benefits and moving Survivor’s Assistance back to report directly to VA’s secretary.
Bost concluded by thanking VBA leaders Margarita Devlin and Sandra Flint for attending and emphasized ongoing modernization efforts: “It is important that we have a VA that leverages innovative technologies and approaches to improve outcomes for the veterans of tomorrow.”
