Friends,

Welcome back to another weekly recap! Today, I'm headed back to Washington, D.C. for another week of session where Congress will debate and vote on several important pieces of legislation, including bills to fund the Departments of Interior and Energy, as well as other critical programs.

Here's a recap of recent highlights as we head into the final 41 legislative days left in Congress before the end of the year...!

Leadership Changes at the Hampton VAMC

For months, I have pressed the VA on complaints of patient safety, staffing shortages, denials of care, unsanitary exam rooms, allegations of whistleblower retaliation, and more. Just last week, I sent a letter to the Hampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) Executive Director, Dr. Taquisa K. Simmons, requesting the Hampton VAMC examine and take action on recent alleged denials of community chiropractic care requests for over 25 patients. 

On Friday, Paul Crews, the Network Director of the Veterans Affairs (VA) Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network, VISN 6, announced the reassignment of Executive Director Simmons to the VHA Office of Social Work Services. The Hampton VAMC Chief of Staff and Chief of Surgery have also been replaced. The announcement regarding the change in leadership at the Hampton VAMC is a step in the right direction but long overdue, as many patients and providers have been raising concerns to me about this facility for quite some time. 

I'm pleased to see the VA finally taking a closer look at those in charge in an effort to ensure that policies and procedures are being strictly adhered to at the hospital, but there is still more work that needs to be done and changes that need to be made. The highest priority for the Hampton VAMC should be the delivery of safe and quality healthcare for our nation's veterans. 

As the Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations for the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and a third-generation veteran, it is a priority of mine to ensure the VA is held accountable and keeps their promises to our veterans. My office will continue to investigate concerns brought to us about the Hampton VAMC and provide the necessary oversight to ensure our nation’s veterans receive the quality healthcare they deserve.

Working with the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services to Support Caregivers

Recently, I met with Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Director, Dr. Meena Seshamani, to discuss ways CMS and Congress can better collaborate to support our nation's caregivers. Over the past six months, CMS has implemented new guidelines and policies to benefit caregivers, making it easier to care for their loved ones.

Specifically, Medicare now covers the costs of the extra time spent by healthcare providers when providing in-person training to caregivers on how to carry out treatment or therapy plans to family caregivers. Additionally, on July 1st, CMS launched the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model, which focuses on condition-specific, comprehensive care for patients living with dementia. The GUIDE Model aims to increase access to much-needed support for people living with dementia and their caregivers.

I was happy to learn about these CMS improvements for caregivers, and I look forward to continuing to use my experience as a geriatric nurse practitioner to advance beneficial policies. I will always be a voice in Congress for our older adults and their caregivers...!

Additionally, I recently spoke with AARP members from Virginia's Second Congressional District on an AARP Telephone Town Hall with caregivers.

We had many people call in to talk about their experiences with caregiving, and I was able to answer several questions about the services offered by the federal government. As a geriatric nurse practitioner who has had the privilege of caring for the Greatest Generation, I enjoyed speaking with senior citizens and their families about what is available to them and how my office can help. If you or a loved one needs help with CMS, the Social Security Administration, the Post Office, or another federal agency, please contact my office at (757) 364-7650 or visit us at https://kiggans.house.gov/agencies.

Mental Health Training for Law Enforcement

I recently cosponsored legislation to provide grants to law enforcement agencies at the local and state levels to help train officers on best practices for interacting with individuals with mental health issues. When someone has a behavioral health crisis, our men and women in blue are often times the ones who are tasked with responding and assessing the situation. In fact, one in every 10 calls for police response involve a person suffering from a mental illness, and one in every three people transported to a hospital emergency room for psychiatric reasons are taken by the police.

The Law Enforcement Training for Mental Health Crisis Response Act would guarantee additional funding dedicated to crisis response training for our officers. The funding would be authorized under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne JAG) program. The Byrne JAG program awards grants to local law enforcement agencies to supplement public safety initiatives.

Thank you, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) for leading the bipartisan initiative to support our law enforcement and our communities. This legislation not only calls attention to the need for mental health training for our first responders, but ensures our local agencies have the funding to provide adequate training. I will continue to advocate for policies that help law enforcement protect our communities!

Celebrating 150 years of Sigma Kappa Sorority

It was an honor to be presented with the Colby Award for Public Affairs at the national convention for my college sorority, Sigma Kappa! I cherish my experiences from my time as a chapter president in college and was excited to help celebrate Sigma Kappa's 150th anniversary last week. I had the pleasure of reconnecting with old friends and meeting new sisters from across the country. Congratulations to Leslie Claybrook and Jamie Valvano, who also received the Colby Award! It is a privilege to be a part of such an amazing group of women...!

Good Luck VA-02 Olympic Athletes!

The 2024 Paris Olympics kick off this week...! We are so excited that three residents of Virginia's Second district are a part of Team USA! Huge congratulations to Leah Crouse (Virginia Beach) who plays field hockey, Justin Dowell (Virginia Beach) who will compete in freestyle BMX, and Grant Holloway (Chesapeake) who will compete in the 110m men’s hurdle!

I know that you all will represent our district and entire nation with distinction and honor! Wear the red, white & blue proudly! Our entire district is pulling for you and cannot wait to watch you compete and WIN in France…! Safe travels and good luck! 

Weekly Poll

With over 1,000 responses last week, 94% of you said that members of Congress should not be able to participate in insider stock trading. I agree, which is why I recently joined a bipartisan group of my colleagues in sending a letter House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, urging them to hold a vote on legislation that would ban Members of Congress from owning and trading individual stocks.

And now on to this week's poll question!

Medal of Honor Recipient of the Week

This week I want to honor Medal of Honor recipient Private First Class, James Anderson Jr., of the United States Marine Corps (Medal of Honor Action Date: February 28, 1967). 

Private First Class, James Anderson Jr. was born in Los Angeles, California on January 2nd, 1947. The sixth child, and first son of Aggiethine and James Anderson Sr, he graduated tenth in his class, while participating in the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and playing clarinet. Intending to be a minister, Anderson studied at the L.A. Harbor College for a year and a half.

To avoid being drafted in the Army, Anderson enlisted in the Marine Corps in February of 1966. He trained at the Marine Recruit Depot in San Diego, California and at Camp Pendleton, California. In December of 1966, Anderson deployed to the Quang Tri province of Vietnam as a rifleman in Company F, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division. 

On February 28, 1967, Anderson and Company F were moving through thick, jungle terrain near Cam Lo, Vietnam in an effort to aid a trapped reconnaissance patrol. Acting as the lead element, the company was ambushed after advancing 200 meters and came under extremely intense enemy fire. As the Marines returned fire, they found themselves bunched tightly together.

When a grenade landed in the midst of the group, without thought for his own safety, Anderson grabbed the grenade, pulled it to his chest, and absorbed the blast. At just 20 years old, Private First Class Anderson exhibited incredible heroism and extraordinary sacrifice. In giving his own life, his supreme valor and selflessness saved his fellow Marines from serious injury and likely death.

Private Anderson was posthumously honored for his unparalleled bravery on August 21, 1968. His courage and sacrifice continues to be remembered. In 1972, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, named a building in his honor. Additionally, in 1982, the U.S. Navy renamed a maritime prepositioning ship, the USNS Pfc. James Anderson Jr., in his honor. The ship served in the Indian Ocean assisting a Marine expeditionary brigade until 2009. The City of Carson, California dedicated the James Anderson, Jr. Memorial Park in his honor, and Anderson Avenue in Compton, California was also named after him. Pfc. Anderson’s name can also be found inscribed in the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Pane 15E- Row 112. He is buried at Lincoln Memorial Park in Compton, California.  

Fun Fact of the Week!

In 1937 President Franklin D. Roosevelt sought to reshape the Supreme Court due to its consistent opposition to his New Deal legislation. He proposed the Judicial Procedures Reform Bill, commonly known as the "court-packing plan," which proposed adding one new justice for every sitting justice over the age of 70 years and 6 months who had served at least ten years, potentially increasing the Court by up to six justices. At this time, the nation was in the depths of the Great Depression, and he aimed to implement programs to manage the economic crisis. Despite his landslide re-election in 1936, the proposal faced  widespread opposition from Congress, the public, and the Supreme Court itself as it was viewed as an overreach of presidential power. The Senate Judiciary Committee ultimately issued a negative report on the bill, and it was decisively rejected on July 22nd, 1937. Although the court-packing plan failed, Roosevelt indirectly achieved his goal as two justices shifted to support New Deal legislation. Over time, through natural attrition, Roosevelt was able to appoint new justices to the Court, ultimately securing a more favorable judicial environment for his policies.

As always, please don't hesitate to contact my DC Office at (202) 225-4215 or my Virginia Beach District Office at (757) 364-7650 with questions, concerns, or if you require assistance with a federal agency. And don't forget - if you’d like to stay up to date with what I’m working on, check out my website and follow my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages (linked below) to stay up to date!

If you or your family are visiting Washington DC in the coming summer months, please stop by to say hello! If you are interested in a tour, please let us know!

Take care,

Jen A. Kiggans

Congresswoman, Virginia's Second District