Congressional Testimony
Congressional Testimony
Here's a look at documents involving congressional testimony and member statements
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Pacific Palisades Residents Association President Rogers Testifies Before Senate Special Committee on Aging
LOS ANGELES, California, Nov. 19 -- The Senate Special Committee on Aging released the following testimony by Jessica Rogers, president of the Pacific Palisades Residents Association, from a Nov. 13, 2025, field hearing entitled "Forgotten After the Flames: Stories From the Palisades Fire":* * *
Good morning. My name is Jessica Rogers, and I serve as President of the Pacific Palisades Residents Association, a 58-year organization dedicated to protecting our environment and ensuring resident safety. I'm also a geriatric social worker who spent over a decade as the clinical social worker for our ... Show Full Article LOS ANGELES, California, Nov. 19 -- The Senate Special Committee on Aging released the following testimony by Jessica Rogers, president of the Pacific Palisades Residents Association, from a Nov. 13, 2025, field hearing entitled "Forgotten After the Flames: Stories From the Palisades Fire": * * * Good morning. My name is Jessica Rogers, and I serve as President of the Pacific Palisades Residents Association, a 58-year organization dedicated to protecting our environment and ensuring resident safety. I'm also a geriatric social worker who spent over a decade as the clinical social worker for ourelderly population at the local synagogue. I am currently the Vice Chair of the Pacific Palisades Long Term Recovery Group. I'm here today to speak about the catastrophic failures that endangered our most vulnerable residents on January 7th, the ongoing abandonment we continue to experience, and why we need federal intervention to ensure our community can rebuild safely.
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The Day of the Fire: A Warning System Failure
At 10:45 AM on January 7th, I saw billowing smoke north of El Medio Bluffs. Within 5 minutes, I knew something was terribly wrong. Within 10 minutes, the entire hillside was engulfed in flames.
Here is what should horrify this committee: We never received an evacuation notice when the fire started. As I ran through my house gathering belongings, I kept checking my phone for alerts from local government. Nothing came. It wasn't until 12:30 PM--nearly two hours after the fire started--that I received a notice to "prepare for potential evacuation." By that time, I was already filling up my car, feeling the heat on my skin like standing too close to a BBQ.
The mandatory evacuation notice? That didn't arrive until nearly 5:00 PM--when the homes on my street were already burned and smoke made it impossible to breathe.
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Emergency Response: When Residents Had to Lead
As soon as I escaped around 1:15 PM, I immediately took charge because local government response was inadequate. I contacted our council woman's staff at the fire department's Central Command, relaying ground-level information from residents. I asked neighbors to knock on doors before evacuating. Most critically, I coordinated sending firefighters and police officers to locations where elderly people were left behind.
The Palisades Highlands situation was desperate. Residents were trapped because access points were blocked by abandoned vehicles. People had been engulfed in flames with no option but to abandon their cars in the middle of the street.
I made calls continuously through the night--so many that my tongue was bloodied on both sides from cuts from my teeth. I did this because our elderly residents--more than 25% of our total population--were in grave danger, and no one else was coordinating their rescue.
Let me be clear: seniors with mobility issues, those dependent on oxygen, residents with dementia who needed assistance--they all lost precious hours because of inadequate warnings. In my years as a geriatric social worker, I knew exactly who would struggle to evacuate quickly. I did everything I could to help coordinate their safety because the system failed.
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Ten Months of Abandonment
What happened on January 7th was a disaster. What has happened since proves local government cannot handle our recovery.
We've been told the city has no funding to support us. We're still fighting for permit fee waivers, adequate security, and infrastructure funding. Every time we ask for help, we're told to "self-fund." We've been charged for repairs of fire hydrants damaged in the fire. The city continues to increase our taxes and raises our rates for water and power.
Before the June deadline, I asked the mayor to add safety funding as a line item request to FEMA. She refused, insisting our community needed to fund our own security. That if we wanted permit fee waivers we would get about $86M worth and any additional funding would have to come from us.
This pattern is clear: local government failed us on January 7th and continues to fail us. We've been forced to lead our own recovery because the city won't.
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Our Request: A Federally-Funded, Resident-Led Recovery Authority
Based on my experience with local government on the day of the fire and since the fire, we need federal intervention.
The city and county abandoned us during the fire and continue to abandon us. Our elderly residents won't return without proper security, infrastructure, and emergency systems the city refuses to provide. When the emergency happened, residents led the response. We can lead our rebuilding, but we need direct federal funding. The mayor's refusal to request safety funding from FEMA proves that federal dollars filtered through the city won't reach us.
On January 7th, when official systems failed, residents led. We coordinated rescues, we knocked on doors, we saved lives. Ten months later, we're still leading because local government won't. Our elderly residents deserve to return home safely. They deserve emergency systems that work. They deserve a government that responds. Since local government cannot or will not provide this, we're asking the federal government to empower us to lead our own recovery. We know our community. We saved our neighbors. Now we're asking for the resources and authority to rebuild our homes.
Thank you.
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Original text here: https://www.aging.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/4d545952-caed-cd7f-0c3d-5329bd8d5ef3/Testimony_Rogers%2011.13.25.pdf
Combined Arms CEO Hutchings Testifies Before Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee
WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 -- The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee released the following testimony by Combined Arms CEO Mike Hutchings from a Nov. 5, 2025, hearing entitled "A Grateful Nation: Maximizing Veterans' Success After Service":* * *
Chairman Moran, Ranking Member Blumenthal, and Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify on behalf of Combined Arms, a veteran-founded and veteran-led nonprofit dedicated to improving how our nation supports service members, veterans, and their families as they transition to civilian life.
Every year, approximately 200,000 service ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 -- The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee released the following testimony by Combined Arms CEO Mike Hutchings from a Nov. 5, 2025, hearing entitled "A Grateful Nation: Maximizing Veterans' Success After Service": * * * Chairman Moran, Ranking Member Blumenthal, and Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify on behalf of Combined Arms, a veteran-founded and veteran-led nonprofit dedicated to improving how our nation supports service members, veterans, and their families as they transition to civilian life. Every year, approximately 200,000 servicemembers leave active duty. Each faces a fragmented support system of agencies, nonprofits, and benefits programs, each with its own eligibility rules, forms, and wait times. The result is a delivery divide: help exists, but too often it cannot be accessed quickly or effectively enough to prevent a crisis.
Combined Arms exists to close that divide.
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Our Model: A GPS for Veteran Services
Combined Arms operates the nation's most effective closed-loop referral network for veterans, service members, and military families. Our Veteran Services Coordination Platform integrates more than 300 vetted partner organizations, allowing veterans to connect with multiple services through a single intake.
Since our founding, we have connected nearly over 100,000 members of the military community to critical resources nationwide, coordinating more than 175,000 referrals for housing, employment, financial aid, healthcare, and basic needs. This work has generated approximately $603 million in economic impact and taxpayer savings by reducing duplication and inefficiency. Our average response time from intake to first contact is 26 hours, far faster than traditional systems.
Our platform also provides real-time data on unmet needs, giving state and federal partners visibility into service gaps, regional trends, and resource use. These insights enable policymakers to act proactively rather than reactively when addressing veteran needs.
Combined Arms' effectiveness has been recognized by the Milken Institute and the American Enterprise Institute, which have each identified our work as a national program of record in modernizing how veterans access care and transition support. These acknowledgments confirm that our model is bipartisan, evidence-based, and scalable wherever veterans live and work.
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Closing Gaps in the Transition Journey
The transition from military to civilian life remains complex. Veterans must navigate multiple systems, repeat their stories, and often wait weeks or months for action. Combined Arms and our partners are closing these gaps, but veterans should never have to rely on chance or emergency measures to receive the support they have earned.
Across Texas and beyond, our model has produced more than 100,000 success stories. Consider a few examples:
* A U.S. Army Sergeant was swiftly referred to NextOp, securing full-time civilian employment within just 15 days of leaving service.
* A mother of three who relocated to Houston found stability through Combined Arms' network, receiving deposit assistance from Family Houston, access to food and financial education, and support for both wellness and employment.
* A Vietnam War Navy Veteran arrived at Faith Mission with nothing but the clothes on his back. Through coordinated action by the Northwest Texas Coalition and Combined Arms, he was placed in the Lamun-Lusk-Sanchez Texas State Veteran Home, enrolled in VA healthcare, and rediscovered dignity and community.
Even in smaller moments, this collaboration matters. When a VA psychologist reached out for help, a veteran in need was quickly connected to Baker Ripley for housing support while also introducing a federal provider to the network of local resources available through Combined Arms.
These stories represent a nationally replicable model of coordinated care, a system that ensures no veteran or family member faces their transition alone. When local, state, and federal partners share information and work together, veterans are met with dignity, stability, and hope rather than barriers and delay.
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Navigating an Oversaturated Service Landscape
According to a recent Milken Institute report, there are more than 45,000 nonprofits in the veterans' services space./1
Many are well-intentioned but rarely coordinated, which leads to duplication, confusion, and inefficiency.
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1 Milken Institute, Thriving Beyond Service: Strategic Philanthropy for the Military-to-Civilian Transition (2025), p. 33.
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Combined Arms streamlines this environment. Veterans complete one intake and are connected to multiple community services through a single system. Partner organizations are accountable for timely responses and outcome reporting, ensuring closed-loop results rather than open-ended referrals.
Our platform complements, rather than replaces, VA and government systems. It helps veterans access both public and private resources more efficiently and effectively.
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Veterans as Civic and Economic Assets
Veterans are leaders, not liabilities. They vote, volunteer, and participate in civic life at higher rates than the general public.
When we invest in their success, we strengthen our workforce, our communities, and our civic institutions. Every successful transition adds stability to one family and resilience to an entire community. Our experience shows that when veterans have food, housing, and employment stability, they go on to lead, innovate, and give back.
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The Role of Government and Civil Society
The covenant between our government and veterans is sacred, but it cannot stand alone. Federal systems are vital but often limited by scale and speed, and they cannot meet every need.
Community-based, nonprofit organizations like Combined Arms provide nimble, holistic, and human-centered support that complements government programs. When we work together, no veteran must wait in crisis while help exists just out of reach.
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Policy Recommendations
The Committee has the opportunity to strengthen outcomes for veterans by improving coordination, accountability, and visibility across the entire support ecosystem without creating new bureaucracy. The following recommendations leverage existing systems and partnerships to ensure every veteran receives timely, effective, and connected care.
1. Establish Two-Way Referrals Between VA and Community Networks Develop a formal mechanism for reciprocal referrals between the Department of Veterans Affairs and accredited community-based organizations. Currently, data flow is one directional. Community partners refer veterans into VA systems but receive no confirmation or outcome visibility. A two-way referral system would enable warm handoffs, verify service completion, and ensure that when the VA cannot provide niche or localized services, veterans are quickly connected to qualified community providers without falling through administrative gaps.
2. Modernize the Transition Ecosystem Through a National Vetting and Validation Framework Create a federal framework that identifies and highlights "best in class" community-based organizations and state agencies. This framework would use outcome data, evidence-based performance standards, and interoperability requirements to integrate trusted partners earlier in the transition process, ensuring veterans are connected to proven resources wherever they live.
3. Create a National Interoperable Veteran Data Dashboard Develop a secure, privacy-compliant national dashboard that reflects the real-time state of the veteran population, supported by shared digital standards for data exchange among federal, state, and community systems. Aggregated, non-personally identifiable data on veteran demand, service usage, and emerging needs would allow policymakers to allocate resources proactively and identify service gaps at every level of government. This visibility would form the foundation for evidence-based policymaking and coordinated delivery nationwide.
Together, these actions would create an integrated ecosystem of care that ensures accountability, honors partnership, and delivers on the nation's promise to those who have served.
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Closing
Veterans should not have to navigate a maze of disconnected systems to find help. Combined Arms demonstrates that when technology, data, and compassion work together, we can close the delivery divide and ensure every veteran and family transitions with dignity, stability, and opportunity.
Our organization stands ready to work with this Committee, the VA, and federal and state partners on bipartisan, data-driven solutions that strengthen the continuum of care for all who served.
Thank you for your time and for your steadfast commitment to those who have worn the uniform.
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Original text here: https://www.veterans.senate.gov/services/files/1917E90F-6EA3-4575-8F75-294B732DDBB4
Pacific Palisades Community Council Rebuild Committee Chairman Schwarz Testifies Before Senate Special Committee on Aging
LOS ANGELES, California, Nov. 19 -- The Senate Special Committee on Aging released the following written testimony by David A. Schwarz, chairman of the Rebuild Committee of the Pacific Palisades Community Council, from a Nov. 13, 2025, field hearing entitled "Forgotten After the Flames: Stories From the Palisades Fire":* * *
Chairman Scott and Senator Johnson, thank you for the opportunity to discuss the impacts of the Palisades Fire on our family and my neighbors, and to propose a way forward to rebuild our community within our lifetimes. Palisadians have substantial reason to doubt that the ... Show Full Article LOS ANGELES, California, Nov. 19 -- The Senate Special Committee on Aging released the following written testimony by David A. Schwarz, chairman of the Rebuild Committee of the Pacific Palisades Community Council, from a Nov. 13, 2025, field hearing entitled "Forgotten After the Flames: Stories From the Palisades Fire": * * * Chairman Scott and Senator Johnson, thank you for the opportunity to discuss the impacts of the Palisades Fire on our family and my neighbors, and to propose a way forward to rebuild our community within our lifetimes. Palisadians have substantial reason to doubt that theCity is up to this task, which is one reason why I appreciate your decision to visit Pacific Palisades so that you can see first-hand the magnitude of the devastation and better understand the enormity of rebuilding our schools, homes, businesses, and community.
My name is David Schwarz. I am Chairman of the Rebuild Committee of the Pacific Palisades Community Council ("PPCC"), an NGO created over fifty years ago to advocate for Palisadians. I am appearing here today in my personal capacity, as PPCC has not yet taken an official position on aspects of what I'm going to discuss today./1
Until January 7th, my family lived in the Huntington Palisades, which is bounded by Sunset Boulevard and the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Although most of my neighbors' homes were destroyed, by some miracle ours survived. Because we are located in the epicenter of the burn zone, the thermal damage and toxic metal contamination renders our home presently unsafe to inhabit.
After he toured our devastated community on January 24, 2025, President Trump said this: "We're going to get it fixed -- though we'll get it permanently fixed so it can't happen again."/2
Gavin Newsom told us that "California is organizing a Marshall Plan to help Los Angeles rebuild faster and stronger."/3
Ten months into this crisis, Palisadians are losing hope. The City can't take charge of the rebuild. To date, the Governor has chosen not to exercise his extraordinary emergency powers to assume responsibility of a public works project rivaling the scale of the Hoover Dam. And neither the City nor the State has the financial resources to tackle this problem.
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1 I am also a Partner in the Business Trial Practice Group of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP, with specialization in constitutional and administrative law. My professional biography may be accessed at https://www.sheppardmullin.com/dschwarz. The views expressed in my testimony today are mine, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sheppard Mullin, its clients, or my partners.
2 'We're going to get it fixed', Trump vows to help LA after touring wildfire zone | FOX 11 Los Angeles, at https://www.foxla.com/news/president-donald-trump-visit-la-wildfire-areas-friday.
3 https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/01/13/governor-newsom-proposes-billions-in-new-funding-for-l-a-firestorm-response-and-recovery/.
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Without jumpstarting reconstruction, vacant lots and unoccupied houses will give license to squatters, petty crime, and vandalism. Without fire resiliency infrastructure improvements, the cost and availability of insurance will remain a huge barrier to obtaining construction financing or home mortgages. Without insurance, many people will refuse to reinvest in a designated Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. Without new home and commercial rebuilding, the property tax base will remain stagnant. Without federal support, the Palisades will remain America's most visited disaster tourist destination and an embarrassment to the host country of the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in LA.
I am going to say something that may buck the orthodoxy around federal disaster recovery appropriations: Do not write the City or the State a blank check. Do not pump billions of dollars in unearmarked block grants for infrastructure reconstruction or hazard mitigation. To expedite reconstruction, leverage private sector innovation and investment, and to restore accountability over spending, Congress should insist on four clear, measurable, and necessary conditions before it releases another dollar of federal infrastructure reconstruction assistance.
First, the Governor must create an Independent Pacific Palisades Community Reconstruction Authority (the "Authority") to oversee the distribution of federal and state infrastructure funding. Governor Newsom has the power to create this Authority under the California Emergency Services Act ("CESA"), Cal. Gov. Code Sec. 8550 et seq. He should exercise that executive power, much as New York Governor George Pataki did after 9/11. Governor Pataki knew that ceding control over the World Trade Center reconstruction to the State Legislature would lead to a political negotiation over every aspect of the rebuild and would cause needless delays. So he bypassed Albany, created the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation ("LMDC"), and appointed a board of directors that did not include even one elected local or state official, thus making its decisions less susceptible to political pressures and agency capture.
Second, Governor Newsom must delegate to that Authority certain of his emergency powers to coordinate rebuilding logistics, including traffic, security, supply chain management, facilities construction, and street improvement sequencing within the reconstruction zone. The Authority must also be given the power to accelerate the pace of rebuilding, including by cutting through contradictory or burdensome permitting requirements or by providing safe harbor protections from some of California's most punitive public works wage and hour or hiring regulations.
Third, while the Authority needs to be independent from City Hall, it must be accountable to residents and to the federal government to safeguard against mission creep or co-optation by interest groups. There has to be strings attached to each tranche of federal funding so that the Authority will remain focused on the economic and infrastructure needs of Palisades residents and business owners. This means Sacramento and Washington have to reach agreement on the composition of the Authority's board of directors.
Fourth, Palisadians should not be asked to repair the damage to their streets, sewers, or utilities after being so grievously let down by their elected and public safety officials. This does not mean that the City and Palisades residents -the long-term beneficiaries of fire resiliency infrastructure improvements, such as undergrounding power lines - would be unwilling to coinvest alongside the federal government, including through long-term bonds backstopped by tax increment financing, special property tax assessments, federal loans, or loan guarantees.
One more top level consideration: We are running out of time. Governor Newsom has about 12 months left in his administration during which he can do much that is substantial. If Congress is going to condition funding on implementation of these obvious and necessary steps, the discussions should not be left for Governor Newsom's successor to resolve.
The U.S. Army Transportation Corps has a motto: "Nothing Happens Until Something Moves." This rebuild needs to get moving, now. That's what my neighbors have been saying at every one of the innumerable town halls and "listening tours" conducted by our elected officials. Those officials should be listening to the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, who understands what it takes to manage a construction project of this size and complexity.
Forty years ago, President Trump took over the stalled renovation of the Wollman Rink in Central Park, completing in four months (and under budget) what New York City failed to accomplish in six years. He showed how private enterprise could run circles around government bureaucracy, and New Yorkers loved it. The Trump Organization then reclaimed blighted Columbus Circle by recreating the Gulf + Western Building. And he created Riverside South, now home to over 10,000 people on a former West Side rail yard site. This past April, the Trump Administration took over the New York Penn Station overhaul by withdrawing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority from leading the reconstruction project in order to "drive efficiencies, reduce costs, and deliver results faster than traditional government-led projects."/4
We need - desperately - an infusion of the can-do audacity that drove these projects across the finish line.
As far as we know, neither Mayor Bass nor Governor Newsom has asked President Trump how he would resurrect the Palisades. So, Mr. President - we're asking. Bring us your ideas, your impatience with the status quo, and your willingness to set aside the business-as-usual federal disaster relief playbook - so we can fix the Palisades so this "so it can't happen again."
1. The damage caused by the Palisades Fire goes far beyond the loss of thousands of homes and businesses.
The Palisades Fire burned 23,448 acres (37 square miles), killed 12 people, and destroyed 6,837 structures, making it the most destructive fire in the history of the City of Los Angeles. These statistics do not convey the full extent of the damage caused to the remaining 3,000 structures impacted by soot, ash, vegetative char, toxic metals (such as lead, lithium, and chromium), and other carcinogens. According to one estimate, one million pounds of lithium-ion power walls or car batteries were scraped from damaged home sites. No one can accurately predict long-term impacts from the toxic metals they left behind.
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4 https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-takes-control-penn.
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It therefore must be presumed that, in addition to the structural damage associated with exposure to extreme heat, virtually all HVAC/mechanical systems, electronics and electrical systems, light fixtures and appliances are at risk of deterioration, oxidation, and corrosion due to the fire insults. The same holds true for drywall, attic and wall insulation, cabinetry, floors, weatherstripping, or any other soft or porous material that can absorb chemicals and toxic metals. Those who did not lose their homes face the uncertain and costly prospect of remediation which, in some cases, has required taking the house down to the studs.
2. The failure to better prepare for, anticipate, and respond to the January 7th fires.
The Palisades is a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. That means it is designated by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection ("CAL FIRE"), as having a greater risk for life and property loss from wildfires, based on factors like vegetation, topography, and weather. Fires in these zones start easily from all causes and can spread rapidly with high intensity, making them very difficult to control. No one - least of all our firefighters and elected officials - should be unfamiliar with the dangers presented by a wildfire in the Palisades.
Second, most every Angeleno knows that the maximum danger of wild fires comes in December and January when the hot, dry Santa Anas hit their peak./5
We need to know whether LAFD did all that it could to forward deploy personnel and equipment in anticipation of brush fires.
Third, we now know that the Palisades Fire was caused (allegedly) by arson; that LAFD had "suppressed" the fire in the early morning hours of New Year's Day; but that the fire smoldered underground until it was reignited by high winds on January 7. This raises concerns that preventative efforts were not sufficient to monitor and interdict a known ignition source before it became uncontrollable.
Fourth, we need to better understand why fire fighters lacked the personnel, tools and infrastructure necessary to save more lives and homes. It is undisputed that much more could have been done. Days after the fire, a member of Engine Company No. 69 pointed out to me the smoldering debris of what once was a house directly across from the fire station. On four occasions, his crew saved that house after flying embers set the roof on fire. When it ignited a fifth time, they stood by helplessly - because they lost water pressure. This story can be replayed a hundred times as to other structures engulfed in the early morning hours of January 8. It is also consistent with the LA Department of Water and Power's ("LADWP") claim that the City's water system had more water than required by the fire code. The problem, it explains, is that the water system "is not designed for wildfire protection."/6
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5 Raymond Chandler said in his 1938 short story "Red Wind" that the approaching violence of the Santa Ana winds would "curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch." Joan Didion, who lived adjacent to the Palisades, wrote that no one needs to be told when the Santa Ana is due: "We know it because we feel it." "The Santa Ana," The Saturday Evening Post (August 26, 1967).
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The failure of the hydrant systems is mentioned only once in LAFD's 70-page October 8, 2025 Palisades Fire After-Action Review Report, as one of several "secondary challenges" to LAFD's response./7
While acknowledging "a loss of water in the elevated areas above Sunset Boulevard around 2000 hours" on January 7 (p. 48), the Report seeks to shift responsibility for the decreased water volume on homeowners who continued to operate their automatic sprinklers in hopes of saving their property. The Report acknowledges that siphoning swimming pool water was "highly effective" in structure defense, but that "[m]ultiple pools remained filled following the containment of the Palisades fire." (p. 63.) Thus, the most obvious and readily-available alternative source of water was never tapped - hundreds of pools, each containing 12,000 - 20,000 gallons of water - enough to save at least two to three homes.
3. The reconstruction of the Palisades demands innovative, market-driven private sector solutions that most municipal governments cannot deliver.
When he toured our community on January 24, 2025, President Trump compared the damage to the destruction of World War II. He's right to make that comparison. Rebuilding the Palisades will require a military scale coordination of equipment, men, and material and logistical control over the reconstruction zone itself.
The Palisades is functionally no different from an island, accessible by four narrow surface streets, bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west, mountains to the north, and bisected by Sunset Blvd. The January 7 evacuation debacle underscored the vulnerability of residents with only one means of egress. Supplying and deploying a small army of workers in a construction zone twice the size of Manhattan and with such unique topographical challenges will require the expertise of the Defense Logistics Agency and the common sense of a general contractor who (for example) will tell you that concrete in a cement truck starts to set within 120 minutes, and therefore cannot be stalled in a traffic jam on the Pacific Coast Highway.
The rebuild will drag on for years unless bold, innovative action is taken. That might include the construction of a cement batch plant or temporary worker housing within the fire zone or on adjacent state land, or siting a temporary wharf where Temescal Canyon meets PCH. It's been done before. The original site of the Port of Los Angeles "Mile Long Pier" was located right below the Palisades bluffs. There is no end to the creative suggestions put forward by our community.
Before any of these ideas can be implemented, the City first must candidly assess the magnitude of the challenges facing Pacific Palisades. This includes an independent water supply analysis so that residents can have confidence before rebuilding that the required enhancements to water supply, along with other fire-hardening measures, are more than adequate to deal with future wildfires.
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6 Los Angeles wildfires: LADWP says it never ran out of water in Pacific Palisades during fire, so why did hydrants run dry? - ABC7 Los Angeles
7 See https://ens.lacity.org/lafd/lafdreport/lafdlafdreport1864192431_10212025.pdf
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Second, the City cannot move forward without an infrastructure recovery plan and a base case for funding these fire resiliency improvements. While the City has been telling residents to submit their new home building plans, there has been little communication on how and when the City plans to replace damaged infrastructure, underground the overhead power, and to address water supply and distribution, let alone where it will obtain the funding for these large-scale projects.
Third, our residents rightly insist that state and local lawmakers do not make matters worse, including by delaying critical path decisions or by distracting from the already daunting challenges of rebuilding. Unfortunately, we have seen focus diverted by those who wish to use the crisis to advance other social agendas, ranging from climate change to affordable housing to promoting "equitable development" of areas impacted by disasters. Palisadians do not oppose workforce housing for those who are part of the "glue" of our community - teachers, nurses, firefighters, pharmacists, clergy, and mail carriers. We are, on the other hand, rightly concerned about the serious risks to public safety caused by overbuilding and congestion on our already narrow streets or difficult to access highlands and canyons. That risk increases every time the City grants an over-the-counter permit for split lot developments and multi-unit residences on postage stamp lots in some of our most densely populated neighborhoods.
4. The City of Los Angeles will never be able to take effective charge of the rebuilding of the Palisades.
While no city in America has the resources, skill set, and capacity to undertake a job this size without substantial state and federal support, the City has failed so far to take basic steps to assess the scope of the rebuild, let alone to prepare for the enormous logistical and planning challenges associated with the reconstruction of a burn zone twice the size of Manhattan./8
In late January, AECOM, the global engineering and construction firm, told Mayor Bass to immediately undertake this assessment and cost estimation for this multi-billion dollar undertaking. Inexplicably, this did not begin until mid-July, and won't be completed until mid-November (when AECOM's 120-day contract expires). AECOM's scope of work does not include developing cost estimates for repairs or improvements to (e.g.) wet and dry utilities, roads, and water supply. Not accurately gauging the costs of reconstruction will continue to hamper the ability of the City and the State to engage with Congress in obtaining supplemental appropriations.
For example, there are about 95 miles of water main pipes in the Palisades, some of which dates back to the 1930s. LADWP recently began to replace 8,700 linear feet (or about 1.6 miles) of 90 year old cast iron pipe in parts of my neighborhood. Construction began in July, 2025. Though estimated to take about 12 months, that timeline will likely slip. At this pace, it could take a decade for LADWP to replace the 13 miles of pipes which has already outlived its useful life. This fix won't address the remaining 80+ miles of aging water main pipes, including those already compromised due to land shifts and earthquake activity.
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8 This is not to say that local government can never rise to these challenges; rather, that ten months after the Palisades Fire, the City of Los Angeles has yet to show that it can. With coordinated state and federal support, the City of Santa Rosa successfully tackled proportionally larger burns from the 2017 Tubbs Fire. In the devastated Coffey Park neighborhood, 93 percent of the homeowners were able to rebuild.
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Second, the observable dysfunctionality in planning the recovery has been exacerbated by the City's lack of transparency, as well as the tendency of Mayor Bass to shift blame or to take credit for the disaster recovery successes of state or federal agencies. Then there are documented instances where the Mayor's office has exaggerated the pace of recovery efforts - which she claims "is on track to be the fastest in modern California history"/9 - by inflating the number of new home construction permits. This failure to provide complete, accurate, and timely information is, as I have told the Mayor's staff, a self-inflicted wound that erodes public confidence.
For example, in August, the Mayor reported that more than 380 "rebuilding plans" have been approved. In fact, as of July 31, only 104 new builds had been approved since the Palisades Fire. Even that number overstates the pace of permitting, since about three-quarters of these are for "like-for-like" construction, meaning that these building applications were based on plans already approved by the City. As of October 7, 2025, the City claims to have issued 711 permits for 393 unique addresses. At this pace, it could take the better part of a decade to permit new constructions for each of the 6,800+ residences destroyed by the Palisades Fire.
Third, it is still not clear who at City Hall has the authority and responsibility to lead this massive project. Steve Soboroff, the "Chief Recovery Officer" appointed by Mayor Bass in February, didn't last 90 days, which we later learned was the term of his contract - hardly a sign of confidence in the value of hiring an outside expert with substantial project development experience. Mayor Bass has yet to name a successor, reinforcing the public's perception that the Mayor is unwilling to vest real responsibility in the position; or, that no one with the required experience is interested in a short-term contract, especially for a role without any clearly-delineated remit.
There are also systemic problems that stand in the way of moving the recovery forward. LA's governance structure is by design diffuse, muddled, and balkanized to such a degree that decisive action and sustained follow-through by this Mayor, even in the face of a crisis, is not easy. In contrast to cities with strong mayor governance structures, such as New York, Philadelphia, or Chicago, the LA Mayor has little authority even when it comes to responding to emergencies; by law, her emergency orders sunset every 30 days, unless ratified by the City Council./10
These governance issues are dwarfed by the City's lack of resources to tackle a rebuild of this size. The City is currently operating with a one billion dollar budget deficit for FY 2025-2026. It cannot even commit to waive plan check and construction permit fees for those Palisades residents who want to rebuild their homes - fees which could approach $100,000 for each new construction - because the City depends on that revenue to fund other City operations.
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9 https://mayor.lacity.gov/news/mayor-bass-issues-new-executive-actions-further-streamline-palisades-rebuilding,
10 See LA Administrative Code, Sec. 8.27. Powers of Mayor and Council, https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/los_angeles/latest/laac/0-0-0-33515.
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In the face of the enormous financial commitment required to repair and restore roads, gas and power lines, sewers and hydrants, schools, and sidewalks, the City Council approved in August 2025 a $2.6+ billion -- $5.9 billion when borrowing costs are included - expansion and modernization of the L.A. Convention Center, which one Council Member condemned as both fiscally irresponsible and unrealistic in light of the stated goal of completion in time for the 2028 Olympic Games. According to the City Administrative Officer, the cost to tax payers will be $100 million per year from the General Fund (after projected revenue from the project) for the next three decades, which will require cuts to public safety and other vital infrastructure investments./11
With this sort of profligate borrowing, it is no wonder why Palisadians are angry about the continued diversion of their property tax assessments and skeptical that the City has any real interest in rebuilding their community.
5. Unless Congress places certain conditions on disaster recovery appropriations, including the creation of an Independent Community Reconstruction Authority, Pacific Palisades likely won't be rebuilt in my lifetime.
As any opinion pollster will tell you, Americans overwhelmingly believe the federal government should be largely responsible for managing disaster response and recovery. In a recent (June 2025) national survey conducted by NORC, large majorities (74%) of all those asked responded that the federal government should play a "major" role in rebuilding communities affected by natural disasters. This consensus cuts across party lines: 79% of those who identify themselves as Democrats (or who lean Democratic) and 71% of Republicans (or who lean Republican) strongly believe the federal government must assume significant responsibility for this job.
While this consensus strongly supports President Trump's instinct to throw federal support behind lasting fire reconstruction efforts, it stands to reason that tax payers insist that financial assistance goes to those in need, and toward projects brought in on time, at budget, and with the goal of addressing the myriad failures which prevented the City from better protecting my neighbors.
To make this a reality, four things are necessary.
First, the State must establish an Independent Pacific Palisades Community Reconstruction Authority with delegated responsibility to disburse state and federal reconstruction funds and to plan, coordinate, and monitor work streams for rebuilding community infrastructure. Even without considering the City's failure to anticipate, prepare, and respond to this disaster, the federal government has no reason to believe that the City - and in particular LADWP, which is embroiled in litigation over its decision to drain the Santa Ynez Reservoir prior to wild fire season - is up to the task. The enormity of these projects, which involve three separate political subdivisions, further underscores the need for a Palisades Reconstruction Authority.
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11 See Statement of LA Council Member Katy Yaroslavsky, reprinted at https://www.torched.la/this-expansion-is-unrealistic-unaffordable-and-fiscally-irresponsible/.
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Special purpose community districts have been a fixture of state governance in California for a century. They enable local control over the financing, construction, and maintenance of public facilities and public services, whether as a permanent form of governance or for temporary or limited purposes. The CESA gives the Governor "complete authority over all agencies of the state government and the right to exercise within the area designated all police power vested in the state" to address an emergency. Cal. Gov. Code Sec. 8627./12
That means the statutory procedures under existing law for the creation or functions of such a district can be modified or suspended by executive order. Thus, the Governor can use his emergency powers to temporarily bypass the normal legislative or voter-approved process to establish the Authority./13
The CESA also gives the Governor certain temporary powers to act where he determines that local government is inadequate to address circumstances giving rise to an emergency. It would be difficult to argue that, by creating the Authority pursuant to a delegated grant of legislative power, Governor Newsom materially impairs legislative functions, especially since the Legislature retains the power to withdraw that grant of authority by concurrent resolution terminating the state of emergency. Cal. Gov. Code Sec. 8629. The California Court of Appeal recently reaffirmed the Governor's broad authority under the CESA to act through executive order where the Governor determines that local authorities lack the jurisdiction, resources, or authority to respond to the emergency. Newsom v. Superior Court (Gallagher) (2021) 63 Cal.App.5th 1099, 63 Cal.App.5th 1099. As the Court explained, the CESA charges the Governor with the responsibility to coordinate the emergency plans and programs of all local, state, and federal agencies. This purpose, while broad, provides sufficient legislative guidance to the Governor to channel his discretion and to avoid any potential separation of powers issues./14
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12 For a helpful summary by the California Legislative Analyst's Office of the extensive powers delegated to the governor under the CESA, see "Improving Legislative Oversight of Emergency Authorities," at https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5029 (April 10, 2025).
13 Governor Newsom has already exercised his emergency powers to suspend CEQA review and California Coastal Act permitting for reconstruction of properties substantially damaged or destroyed by the Palisades and Eaton Fires, and to streamline construction and occupancy of temporary housing and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on properties destroyed by the fires. See, e.g., Governor Newsom issues executive order to fast-track temporary housing for Los Angeles firestorm area | Governor of California.
14 Under California's separation of powers doctrine, nothing prohibits the three branches of state government from sharing their coordinate powers, so long as the Governor does not usurp the core powers or functions of another branch or violate another provision of the California Constitution. The purpose of the doctrine of separation of powers "is to prevent one branch of government from exercising the complete power constitutionally vested in another [citation]; it is not intended to prohibit one branch from taking action properly within its sphere that has the incidental effect of duplicating a function or procedure delegated to another branch." Younger v. Superior Court (1978) 21 Cal.3d 102, 117 (emphasis original). The manner by which Governor constitutes the board of directors or delegates the State's power to distribute federal funds in no way invades a core power of the Legislature. While the Authority would need to be empowered to issue debt or to engage in other municipal financing vehicles, any special tax assessments would be subject to the state constitutional requirement of voter approval by the affected property owners, thus providing another check against the misuse of delegated power.
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There are other practical consideration favoring the creation of an Authority. The formation of a special district through the prescribed legislative process is expensive, cumbersome, uncertain, and takes time. Absent special legislation, it will require a petition drive by residents, followed by a study process and hearings before the LA City Local Agency Formation Commission ("LAFCo"), CEQA review and protest proceedings, and a vote by a majority of registered voters or property owners. Even if this process (which could take as much as 18-24 months) is truncated, it does not address the fact that the Palisades Fire was not contained within one political subdivision. While the majority of impacted property is within the City limits, it also destroyed homes in the City of Malibu and in unincorporated portions of the County of Los Angeles. This means that no single local government can create a special district for the entire burn zone which can exercise control over the entire rebuild. While a joint powers authority is a possible alternative, the creation of a JPA would also take time, and are almost invariably based on a power sharing arrangement among the city and county member entities with a board of directors dominated by elected officials. See generally Cal. Gov. Code Sec. 6500 et seq./15
Second, the Governor must delegate to the Authority certain of his emergency powers under the CESA, including the power to make, amend or suspend any regulatory statute, rule, or regulation where strict compliance under existing law would prevent, hinder, or delay addressing the rebuilding efforts. Thus, the Governor has sweeping powers under the CESA to direct the rebuilding, including by:
* Committing state personnel, equipment, and appropriations to respond the emergency, including by making expenditures from any available state fund, Cal. Gov. Code Sec. 8645;
* Directing procurement and pre-positioning supplies, materials, and equipment, Cal. Gov. Code Sec. 8570(b);
* Using any property, services, and resources of the state to carry out the purposes of the CESA, id., Sec. 8570(c);
* Planning for, commandeering, or utilizing private facilities, services, property or personnel, id., Sec.Sec. 8570(i), 8572, subject to payment for that use.
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15 There is no state-level agency or local agency with oversight responsibility for JPAs. Because they are self-governed as separate legal entities, the only oversight is from the member agencies (i.e., the City or County) that create the JPA, thus increasing the lack of accountability over the inherently political power-sharing structure.
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The Governor may with the stroke of a pen delegate those powers to the Authority, with safeguards adequate to prevent the abuse of that delegated authority. This delegation could invest the Authority with primary responsibility over the logistics of the rebuild, including coordination and movement of equipment, supplies, and personnel, and the siting and construction of facilities for reconstruction operations, such as temporary worker housing and distribution hubs. There must be of necessity cooperation between state, county, and local governments and the newly-created Authority (and, more specifically, the construction firms it hires to supervise all day-to-day rebuild activities). Without the Governor's delegated powers to direct this collaboration, the prospects of the Authority's success will diminish substantially.
Third, the Authority must have sufficient independence and operational autonomy alongside accountability to the federal government and the community over reconstruction management and disbursement of federal infrastructure financing. There is precedent for such a governance structure.
Within months following the destruction of the Twin Towers, New York Governor Pataki formed the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation ("LMDC"), initially constituted with an eight member board of directors chosen by Pataki and Mayor Giuliani, each appointing four directors, who served at their pleasure./16
The LMDC distributed about $3 billion in federal reconstruction funds with one objective in mind: "to coordinate and encourage the infrastructure improvements that will trigger the private investment needed to sustain and enhance Lower Manhattan." It succeeded by focusing on a market-driven response to the economic and infrastructure needs of Lower Manhattan and the Port Authority, with input from community groups, business owners, and subject matter experts.
The board included CEOs of investment banks, lending institutions, public finance experts, the president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York, community leaders, and commercial real estate developers. To head the board, Governor Pataki chose John Whitehead, former co-chairman of Goldman, Sachs & Co., who was widely regarded as one of Wall Street's elder statemen. Although lacking experience in building or city planning, he had a reputation for getting things done in New York and Washington, having served as Deputy Secretary of State during the Reagan Administration. Governor Pataki also appointed Roland Betts, chairman of Chelsea Piers, a Yale classmate and close friend of President George W. Bush, who became one of the rebuilding project's strongest advocates./17
The LMDC managed the effective distribution of billions of dollars by ensuring that federal funding would not be diverted from the immediate - and only - goal of rebuilding and revitalizing Lower Manhattan. The LMDC hired its own Integrity Monitor to establish controls to safeguard against fraud, corruption, cost abuse, safety, and environmental risks; to conduct budget review and monitoring, records review and compliance, and to investigate instances of alleged construction, labor, and environmental fraud schemes, independent of the City. Over its lifetime, LMDC administered and disbursed billions in HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Disaster Recovery Assistance funds. Planned expenditures were documented in action plans, subject to public comment and approval by HUD. By statute, LMDC was required to submit to periodic review of its administration of federal funds by HUD's Office of Inspector General. Through nearly 20 separate reviews, not once did HUD find that LMDC failed to disburse funds in accordance with HUD guidelines, approved action plans, and applicable laws and regulations.
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16 Paul Goldberger, Up from Zero: Politics, Architecture, and the Rebuilding of New York. Random House Publishing Group (2004), at p. 42.
17 Id., at p. 45.
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Fourth, federal funding for long-term fire resiliency infrastructure improvements should be linked to community co-investment by residents, who stand the most to benefit by mitigating the risks of living in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. Palisadians should not be expected to pay for rebuilding or repairing roads, schools, or essential public utilities, particularly where the City failed to anticipate and prepare for known seasonal fire risks. But it will take billions of additional dollars in public investments to prepare for and mitigate against the certainty of a future wild fire. If property owners wish to incentivize commercial redevelopment, accelerate the pace of home reconstruction, and increase access to affordable home insurance - three necessary preconditions to rebuilding the community and restoring the property tax base - both the City and Palisades residents should support community reinvestment that is complementary to state and federal disaster relief. This may include tax increment financing18 or even a marginal increases in property tax assessments for resiliency improvements, such as undergrounding utilities or fiber optic cable, which over the long term will increase property values and grow the tax base.
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Conclusion
In less than 1000 days, Los Angeles will host the 2028 Summer Olympic Games to over 10,000 athletes and more than five million visitors. This should be a capstone for the President's administration. It will be a national embarrassment if the major arteries of the City (leading in, out, and through West Los Angeles and the UCLA campus where athletes will be housed) are gridlocked by food trucks, construction vehicles, cement mixers, and other heavy equipment trying to get to one of the largest and dispersed building sites in America.
To take a page from California history: The 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire leveled 80 percent of the city. In three years, San Francisco rebuilt over 2/3rds of the 28,000 buildings destroyed by the fires. By the time San Francisco hosted the Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915, the City had risen from the ashes, all due to an unprecedented rebuilding effort that mirrored the engineering feat celebrated by the Exposition - the completion of the Panama Canal.
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18 Tax increment financing, or TIF, freezes property tax revenues to flow from a designated project area at a "base level" for the current year. A portion of the additional tax revenue in future years that otherwise would go into the General Fund is diverted into a separate pool, which can be used either to pay for infrastructure improvements directly, or to pay back bonds issued against the anticipated TIF revenue. California has long used TIFs to fund infrastructure construction and maintenance.
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The Pacific Palisades can remain a cautionary tale of what happens when government fails in its most essential responsibilities to its citizens. Or it can showcase a record-time community-driven resurrection. None of this can happen without a shared vision between our community and the federal government on how to achieve this goal.
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Original text here: https://www.aging.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/4d545952-caed-cd7f-0c3d-5329bd8d5ef3/Testimony_Schwarz%2011.13.25.pdf
Hiring Our Heroes Senior VP O'Brien Testifies Before Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee
WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 -- The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee released the following testimony by Elizabeth O'Brien, senior vice president of Hiring Our Heroes, from a Nov. 5, 2025, hearing entitled "A Grateful Nation: Maximizing Veterans' Success After Service":* * *
Good afternoon, Chairman Moran, Ranking Member Blumenthal, and distinguished members of the committee. My name is Elizabeth O'Brien. I am an active-duty military spouse and senior vice president of Hiring Our Heroes (HOH), an initiative of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. The Foundation harnesses the power of business to ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 -- The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee released the following testimony by Elizabeth O'Brien, senior vice president of Hiring Our Heroes, from a Nov. 5, 2025, hearing entitled "A Grateful Nation: Maximizing Veterans' Success After Service": * * * Good afternoon, Chairman Moran, Ranking Member Blumenthal, and distinguished members of the committee. My name is Elizabeth O'Brien. I am an active-duty military spouse and senior vice president of Hiring Our Heroes (HOH), an initiative of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. The Foundation harnesses the power of business tocreate solutions for the good of America and the world-- anticipating, developing, and deploying strategies to address challenges facing communities today and tomorrow.
The covenant between our government and those who serve is sacred, but it cannot alone sustain lifelong success after transition. True success requires collective action: government, philanthropy, employers, and nonprofits working together to create clear pathways to opportunity. At HOH, our mission is to lead that collaboration, ensuring every veteran and military spouse not only transitions successfully but thrives as a civic and economic asset to our nation.
For more than a decade, HOH has delivered innovative solutions to tackle the longstanding employment challenges faced by transitioning veterans and military spouses. Working directly on military bases with a national network of employers, HOH has transformed how the military community finds jobs--and how companies recruit military talent. These efforts have made HOH the national leader in veteran and military spouse employment, now serving more than 80,000 people each year.
We believe economic opportunity is the cornerstone of a strong, sustainable allvolunteer force. Today's generation of young Americans want and need pathways into meaningful careers. Military service provides that pathway, but only if transitioning service members have the resources and skills to navigate their next steps. Just as colleges prepare graduates for careers, the military and federal agencies must ensure service members understand how to leverage their experience for civilian success. By taking care of this generation of warriors, we prepare them to be our nation's best future recruiters.
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Employment Challenges Faced by Transitioning Service Members
In 2011, veteran unemployment was a national crisis, with rates for young veterans soaring to 30%. A coordinated effort by the private and public sectors dramatically reduced unemployment, but those improved numbers mask a deeper challenge: underemployment and the struggle to find roles that match veterans' skills and experience.
Despite lower unemployment rates, research shows most transitioning service members face underemployment and career misalignment. McKinsey reports 60% earn less in their first civilian job than in the military,/1 and studies by Penn State/2 and Edelman/3 reveal over 60% cannot secure roles matching their skills or desired level.
LinkedIn adds that veterans remain half as likely to reach leadership positions, underscoring persistent gaps in translating military experience into valued civilian roles./4
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1 Blackburn, S., Kim, M., Lewis, C., Oh, H., & Parry, K. (2023, November 8). From the military to the workforce: How to leverage veterans' skills. McKinsey & Company. Retrieved Mar. 15, 2025, from https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/fromthemilitary-to-the-workforce-how-to-leverage-veterans-skills
2 Vogt, D., Perkins, D. F., Copeland, L. A., Finley, E. P., Jamieson, C. S., Booth, B., Lederer, S., & Gilman, C. L. (2018). The Veterans Metrics Initiative study of US veterans' experiences during their transition from military service. Retrieved Mar. 15, 2025, from https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020734
3 Edelman (2024). 2024 Veterans' Well-being Survey. Retrieved Mar. 15, 2025, from https://www.edelman.com/sites/g/files/aatuss191/files/2024-11/2024%20Veterans%27%20Wellbeing% 20Presentation%20FINAL.pdf
4 LinkedIn (2023). 2023 Veteran Opportunity Report. Retrieved Mar. 15, 2025, from https://socialimpact.linkedin.com/en-us/programs/veterans/veteran-opportunity-report
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Taken together, the research highlights systemic barriers: while technical skills like IT or mechanical expertise often transfer easily, soft skills such as leadership, resiliency, and teamwork are harder for employers to recognize and value, leaving many veterans underemployed and stalled in career progression.
These challenges make one thing clear: no single program or organization can solve them alone. RAND's recent analysis found 45 federal transition programs with significant overlap, yet less than 5% of funding supports employment assistance.5 Layered on top are hundreds of nonprofit initiatives--the veritable sea of goodwill-- creating a fragmented maze for service members and spouses. To truly move the needle, we must evolve from parallel efforts to collective impact.
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The Veteran Employment Collective
That is why today we announced that we're proud to be a part of the newly formed Veteran Employment Collective, a bold, national coalition designed to transform how veterans and military spouses navigate their career journeys. The Collective will unite veteran- and military-spouse-serving organizations, employers, and public-private partners around one mission: ensuring every member of the military community has access to meaningful career opportunities.
This initiative reflects lessons learned over the last decade: too often, service members and spouses encounter a maze of programs with no clear path to the right resource. The Collective addresses this challenge head-on through:
* A seamless referral and data-sharing system that connects service members, veterans, and spouses to the right resources at the right time.
* A coordinated approach that removes duplication, streamlines navigation, and ensures no one falls through the cracks.
* A data-driven framework that strengthens partnerships, enables transparency, and generates reliable information to measure impact and guide improvement.
* A shared outcomes model that illuminates how each partner's unique contribution builds collective impact across the ecosystem.
This is not another program; it is the next evolution of collaboration.
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5 Kleykamp, M., Wenger, J. B., Elizabeth, H. R., Kubasak, M., Hubble, T., & Skrabala, L. (2024, June 11). Federal Programs to Assist Military-to-Civilian Employment Transitions: limited scrutiny and substantial investment in education programs. RAND. Retrieved Mar. 15, 2025, from https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1363-12.html
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In the past year alone, Hiring Our Heroes facilitated more than 44,000 referrals to partner organizations, each connecting a veteran, service member, or spouse to trusted opportunities and support. This volume sends a clear signal: structured collaboration is not just beneficial; it is essential. Expanding this referral network in a deliberate, accountable way will allow for trackable outcomes and measurable success.
To achieve this, the coalition will include the most effective, data-driven nonprofits--organizations that deliver measurable impact, fill critical gaps, and step in where government programs cannot. This vision is supported by the private sector, where companies like USAA have long demonstrated leadership through targeted philanthropy and a commitment to expanding capacity across the ecosystem. Their investments exemplify how corporate partners can drive scalable solutions without reliance on government funding, ensuring sustainability, innovation, and responsiveness to real-time community needs.
The Collective's founding partners include:
* America's Warrior Partnership (AWP)
* D'Aniello Institute for Veterans & Military Families at Syracuse University
* FourBlock
* Hire Heroes USA
* Hiring Our Heroes
* NextOp Veterans
* VetJobs & MilSpouseJobs
Together, we are building a no-wrong-door system that allows transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses to access high-quality career support regardless of where they enter the network. The key outcomes of this initiative will be:
* Holistic transition support that spans the service lifecycle from active duty through post-transition careers.
* Expanded employer engagement, powered by shared data and unified outreach.
* Increased trust among funders and policymakers, driven by transparent performance reporting.
* Elevated community impact, as duplication gives way to coordination and measurable results.
We believe this approach will fundamentally shift how we collectively serve the military community--moving from competition to coordination, from fragmented effort to shared success.
The future design of the Veteran Employment Collective includes expansion to selected nonprofit partners that address critical wraparound needs, such as childcare, mentorship, and localized community support. These systems sustain long-term workforce participation, reduce barriers for military families, and improve quality of life for veterans and spouses.
By connecting the organizations that deliver where government cannot or will not, the Collective aims to create a truly holistic ecosystem--one that ensures every member of the military-connected community can not only transition successfully but thrive in the communities they call home.
By aligning resources and leveraging the ingenuity of America's nonprofit and corporate sectors, the Veteran Employment Collective will create a seamless, transparent, and equitable employment ecosystem, ensuring every service member, veteran, and military spouse can transition with purpose, dignity, and opportunity.
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The Importance of Employment Bridges
Beyond addressing systemic fragmentation, our data shows that program-level innovation is equally critical to improving individual outcomes. Employment bridges-- structured pathways that connect service members to civilian careers before separation--consistently deliver superior transition results. These bridges accelerate time to employment, improve job quality, and increase long-term career satisfaction.
One of the most impactful examples is HOH's Fellows Program, a SkillBridge initiative serving both degreed and non-degreed transitioning service members.
SkillBridge is the only federal transition program that fundamentally redefines how service members prepare for civilian careers. Administered by the Department of Defense, SkillBridge enables service members to gain hands-on civilian work experience through internships and apprenticeships during their final 180 days of active duty.
For more than a decade, HOH has operated one of the nation's largest and longest-running SkillBridge initiatives--the HOH Fellows Program. This 12-week internship embeds transitioning service members directly into civilian companies, giving employers firsthand insight into how military experience translates into workforce value. This experiential model ensures service members secure right-fit roles that fully leverage their skills and leadership.
The results speak for themselves. Over the last five years, HOH has connected more than 10,000 transitioning service member fellows with 2,500 employers nationwide. Eighty-eight percent of fellows receive a job offer within three months, with an average starting salary of $110,000--more than twice the pay of an E-6 with eight years of service and 20% higher than an O-3 with six years of service. In contrast to McKinsey's findings on post-transition salary declines, our data proves that experiential bridge programs lead to employment and compensation aligned with service members' experience.
Beyond salary, our research reveals deeper insights into career quality and satisfaction. In HOH's 2024 Strategic Insights Report, we surveyed 1,903 veterans who participated in the Fellows Program or another SkillBridge initiative, and 381 veterans who applied but did not participate. Key findings include:
* Time to employment was much faster for fellows, with 63% being employed within one month of transition versus 38% for non-participants.
* Fellows were far more likely to take a job for positive reasons (i.e., "great opportunity" or "great fit") (59% for fellows versus 41% for non-fellows).
* Conversely, non-participants were far more likely to accept a job for negative reasons (i.e., "needed a paycheck" or "no choice") (25% for nonparticipants versus 11% for fellows).
* Fellows were more likely to recommend service to future generations, with 61% saying they would recommend service versus 54% for nonparticipants.
While SkillBridge delivers exceptional outcomes before separation, many service members and spouses need flexible options that extend beyond active duty. The HOH Skilled Trades Academy meets that need, serving as an employment bridge that can be accessed before or after transition. This model pipelines military-connected talent into high-demand industries, offering stability, strong earning potential, and community-based careers.
Building America's Future: The HOH Pathway to the Skilled Trades
America is facing a critical shortage of skilled construction labor yet every year, 200,000 highly trained service members transition out of the military with unmatched discipline, leadership, and mechanical aptitude. Hiring Our Heroes (HOH) is uniquely positioned to bridge this gap with a workforce solution that benefits both industry and the military-connected community.
This summer, in partnership with Lowe's Foundation, Hiring Our Heroes launched the HOH Skilled Trades Academy, a six-week, hands-on, NCCER-aligned training program in partnership with Coastal Carolina Community College in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Designed for transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses, the program builds immediate job readiness, provides nationally recognized credentials, connects participants with employers, and introduces them to entrepreneurial pathways within the trades. The initial pilot cohort includes eight veterans, marking the program's first step in demonstrating the model's effectiveness and scalability.
This pilot is more than a training program--it is a proof of concept for a national, replicable model that leverages HOH's SkillBridge authorization, expansive employer network, and community trust to meet regional labor needs and deliver measurable career outcomes. With the right partners, this model can launch within 90 days in any region and scale rapidly nationwide.
* * *
Why Now, Why This Program
The need could not be more urgent.
* Construction demand is surging. The United States faces a historic shortage of skilled tradespeople across construction, manufacturing, and infrastructure sectors.
* Transitioning talent is untapped. Over 200,000 service members leave active duty each year, many seeking purpose, stability, and community-based career pathways.
* Veterans consistently express a strong interest in SkillBridge-style opportunities after separation, allowing them to gain civilian work experience, industry credentials, and professional networks as they establish new careers in the communities they now call home
* Military spouses face chronic unemployment--nearly 20%. The skilled trades offer flexibility, mobility, and viable careers that can move with the family.
Training military-connected Americans for skilled trades fills critical industry gaps while strengthening America's economic foundation. Today, there are 2.5 million more job vacancies than available workers, costing companies $5 billion annually in lost productivity.
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Decreasing Friction, Increasing Opportunity
Unlike SkillBridge, the HOH Skilled Trades Academy can be accessed before or after transition, making it a flexible solution for service members, veterans, and spouses. This community-based, employer-driven, non-government-funded program improves financial wellness and stability while easing long-term pressure on the Department of Veterans Affairs to address challenges like homelessness and underemployment.
Our goal is simple: ensure that any military-connected individual who wants to work in the skilled trades can do so, with the right training, credentials, and employer connections.
This initiative exemplifies the power of partnership: Lowe's Foundation, HOH, local chambers, community colleges, and employers across the trades industry coming together to build America's future workforce--one veteran and one family at a time.
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Expanding the HOH Skilled Trades Academy
America's workforce needs to extend beyond construction. The same resolve and discipline that service members bring can fill critical gaps in manufacturing, electrical/HVAC trades, and shipbuilding/maritime industries. For example, the manufacturing sector currently reports 409,000 job openings nationwide,/6 coupled with federal policy under Public Law 119-21, which commits to strengthening American manufacturing and aligning jobs with U.S. workers./7
In response, the next version of the HOH Skilled Trades Academy will expand to include manufacturing and electrical/HVAC tracks, aligning with federal workforce priorities and meeting urgent employer demand in high-growth sectors.
By expanding in this way, the HOH Skilled Trades Academy will:
* Provide transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses with credentials and pathways in manufacturing and trades beyond construction.
* * *
6 Na$onal Associa$on of Manufacturers (2025). Facts About Manufacturing. Retrieved October 31, 2025, from hEps://nam.org/mfgdata/facts-about-manufacturing-expanded
7 139 U.S.C. Sec. 72 (2025). Public Law 119-21. Retrieved October 31, 2025 from hEps://www.congress.gov/119/plaws/publ21/PLAW-119publ21.pdf
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* Leverage our existing SkillBridge authorization and employer network to meet regional labor supply needs, especially in high-growth sectors.
* Align with federal workforce and industrial policy by helping fulfill the promise of Executive Order 14005 and related manufacturing/industrial initiatives.
* Offer community-based, no-cost programs that increase financial wellness, career stability, and long-term readiness of the military-connected population.
This broadened scope underscores our belief that training and credentialing must follow labor market demand--and must be built with military-connected talent as the ready and willing workforce to fill those roles.
* * *
Poor Transition Outcomes and Military Spouse Unemployment
As we strengthen pathways for transitioning service members, we must also address a critical factor influencing veteran outcomes: military spouse employment.
Research--including a 2019 report from the University of Texas' Institute for Military and Veteran Family Wellness--shows that an employed spouse significantly buffers the financial and emotional stress of transition, giving veterans the time and flexibility to pursue right-fit careers or additional training./8
In short, spouse employment is not just a family issue; it is a readiness and retention issue for the all-volunteer force. Yet military spouses continue to face unemployment rates six times higher than their civilian peers, a challenge that demands urgent attention and innovative solutions.
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The Military Spouse Career Accelerator Pilot: Promising Results, Temporary Pause
One of the most promising solutions is the Military Spouse Career Accelerator Pilot (MSCAP), facilitated by Hiring Our Heroes in collaboration with the Department of War and Deloitte. This pioneering three-year initiative connects military spouses with employers through 12-week paid fellowships, creating direct pathways to longterm employment.
Since its launch in December 2022, MSCAP has placed over 1,730 military spouses into internships, with a job offer rate exceeding 86%. More than 50% of these roles have been remote, addressing one of the greatest barriers to spouse employment: geographic mobility. These outcomes demonstrate that structured, employer-connected programs can deliver scalable solutions for a population that has faced chronic underemployment for decades.
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8 Keeling, M., Borah, E. V., Kintzle, S., Kleykamp, M., & Robertson, H. C. (2019). Military spouses transi$on too! A call to ac$on to address spouses' military to civilian transi$on. Journal of Family Social Work, 23(1), 3- 19. hEps://imvfw.utexas.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2020-Military-spouses-transi$on-too.pdf
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This summer, the Department of War announced a strategic pause on MSCAP placements beginning October 6, with plans to resume in early 2026 as the program transitions from pilot to program status as Career Accelerator. While we respect the Department's commitment to a thoughtful, data-driven transition, the timing could not be more challenging for military families. The pause coincides with uncertainty surrounding federal funding and the potential for government shutdowns and furloughs, conditions that add financial stress for spouses already experiencing unemployment rates six times higher than their civilian peers. During this time, we have continued to prioritize programming for military spouses, increasing the number of our own professional development programming, Amplify, and have proactively continued to connect military spouses to employers.
As we look to 2026 and beyond, Hiring Our Heroes continues to develop innovative solutions to connect military spouses with meaningful career opportunities, and stands ready to support DoW's launch of Career Accelerator as it moves from pilot to program. Our priority remains unchanged: to ensure that military spouses have pathways to purposeful careers that strengthen both their families and the all-volunteer force.
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Looking Forward
As we reflect on the theme of this hearing, A Grateful Nation: Maximizing Veterans' Success after Service, gratitude must be expressed through action. Veterans are one of our nation's greatest civic assets, and their continued success depends on how effectively government, employers, philanthropy, and civil society work together to create pathways of opportunity. At Hiring Our Heroes, we see firsthand that while federal programs are foundational, it is the broader ecosystem--businesses, nonprofits, and local communities--that transforms transition into lifelong success.
Our charge is to strengthen that ecosystem, ensuring that every veteran and military spouse can navigate it with clarity, trust, and purpose.
Through the Veteran Employment Collective, this group of best-in-class nonprofits is building the next evolution of collaboration--one rooted in shared data, coordinated referrals, and measurable outcomes that connect service members, veterans, and spouses to sustainable careers and stronger communities.
Through the HOH Skilled Trades Academy, we are demonstrating what transformation looks like on the ground: a scalable, hands-on model that addresses America's skilled labor shortage while creating new pathways for military-connected talent. This program proves that with the right partnerships, we can train the next generation of builders, manufacturers, and technicians, meeting national workforce demand while strengthening local economies and family financial wellness.
And through the Military Spouse Career Accelerator Pilot, we have seen what excellence looks like in spouse employment: structured, employer-connected fellowships that deliver real results. As the program transitions from pilot to permanent, continuity must be prioritized, so this lifeline remains open, especially during times of uncertainty.
Collectively, these efforts represent a whole-of-nation approach. They show what is possible when government, employers, philanthropy, and nonprofits come together with a shared purpose: to ensure that those who serve our nation are never left navigating their futures alone.
As we look to the years ahead, Hiring Our Heroes remains committed to working alongside this Committee and our partners across sectors to drive forward transformation--one that ensures every veteran, service member, and military spouse can transition with confidence, contribute with purpose, and thrive with dignity.
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Conclusion
Over the last fourteen years, Hiring Our Heroes has been proud to serve over 1 million veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses in communities across the United States and abroad--always in partnership with the private and public sectors. And with more than 200,000 service members transitioning annually, there is always more work to be done.
Hiring Our Heroes remains wholly committed to connecting veterans and military spouses with meaningful career opportunities and honored to serve on the front line of this movement. We will continue to unite our partners in a common mission to achieve fundamental change in the veteran and military spouse employment landscape.
Chairman Moran, Ranking Member Blumenthal, and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify. I look forward to answering your questions.
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Original text here: https://www.veterans.senate.gov/services/files/7B8CE41F-C17E-40D0-981C-FF591B75B525
George W. Bush Institute Director Galui Testifies Before Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee
WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 -- The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee released the following written testimony by Jason J. Galui, director of veterans and military families at the George W. Bush Institute, from a Nov. 5, 2025, hearing entitled "A Grateful Nation: Maximizing Veterans' Success After Service":* * *
Chairman Moran, Ranking Member Blumenthal, and Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify on behalf of the George W. Bush Institute, where we combine ideas and action to ensure opportunity for all, strengthen democracy, and advance free societies while remaining grounded ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 -- The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee released the following written testimony by Jason J. Galui, director of veterans and military families at the George W. Bush Institute, from a Nov. 5, 2025, hearing entitled "A Grateful Nation: Maximizing Veterans' Success After Service": * * * Chairman Moran, Ranking Member Blumenthal, and Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify on behalf of the George W. Bush Institute, where we combine ideas and action to ensure opportunity for all, strengthen democracy, and advance free societies while remaining groundedin the timeless values of freedom, opportunity, accountability, and compassion.
We believe that the nation has a duty to help make the military-to-civilian transition as successful as possible for veterans and their families. Our Veterans and Military Families (VMF) team's main objective is to empower veterans and their families to thrive in their civilian lives, so that - in the words of President George W. Bush - "we can unleash the potential of a generation of resourceful, determined, and experienced leaders." General Dwight D. Eisenhower, as he approached retirement from the United States Army, wrote that he "faced a monumental career choice with absolutely no experience in making career choices." If soon-to-be President Eisenhower was concerned about his transition, then we must expect that many transitioning service members will be anxious about theirs. General Eisenhower certainly achieved sustained success post-transition by discovering ways to continue his service beyond the uniform.
Many service members find great meaning in a purpose higher than self as they serve the country through the U.S. Armed Forces. Upon transition from the military, it can feel as if such purpose is lost or stripped away, though a veteran's service to country need not end after the military. Their service simply transforms. Recognizing such transformation is key to successful transition.
Many of America's veterans are leaders people trust, and many more have tremendous potential to lead in their civilian lives. A willingness to sacrifice personal comfort for others is strong evidence of leadership potential. For more than 50 years, individuals of varying beliefs and backgrounds from all states and territories have joined an all-volunteer force to provide for the common defense. When we combine the attributes of a veteran with those of a leader, we usually get character, competence, and commitment in our communities.
Opportunities to serve beyond the uniform, to form genuine connections, and to make meaningful contributions to one's community are necessary components to ensure sustained success. Discovering such opportunities is less clear in civilian life than it is during military service, which can make the military-to-civilian transition challenging for many. The sooner a veteran can rediscover their purpose, connections, and contributions, the more likely it is that they and their family will thrive in civilian life.
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Rediscovering Purpose, Connections, and Contributions
A successful military-to-civilian transition is hard to define because "success" can mean many things to many people. One might define success as landing a job immediately upon transition. Another might define success as retreating to a faraway place where peace and quiet dominate. Others still may define their successful transition as one in which they focus on their family members. To think about a successful military-to-civilian transition, we need to return to the beginning of one's military career. In fact, the Bush Institute believes transition begins at accession, for transition is an ongoing process throughout a human's life.
If anyone were to ask a military service member why they volunteered for the U.S. Armed Forces, the general response from each service member likely would contain a unique combination of four common themes: purpose, opportunity, variety, and stability. Life in the U.S. military consistently delivers high degrees of satisfaction across each of these themes and millions of Americans have thrived during their military service only to struggle as civilians.
When service members and their families return to civilian life - whether after three or 33 years - it can feel as if those raisons d'etre were pulled out from under them. Such an immediate sense of loss can prove difficult to recover in civilian life, which can lead to retreat and isolation, and thus hinder sustained success post-transition.
Veterans and their families, like everyone else in society, thrive when they are mentally and physically healthy, are well-informed and prepared for navigating civilian opportunities, and can make meaningful contributions to their communities. Therefore, our Bush Institute veteran and military family work focuses on health and well-being, education, and employment.
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Health and Well-Being: The Veteran Wellness Alliance and Check-In
Through public and private efforts, the American people have provided tremendous resources to care for and support veterans and their families. Unfortunately, bureaucratic fragmentation and complex navigation can cloud learning about and accessing these resources. Fortunately, the unique entrepreneurial spirit of the American people complements federal efforts to reintegrate veterans and their families back into American civilian society.
The Veteran Wellness Alliance (VWA) is an example of how good faith public and private sector actors can partner to achieve the best outcomes for veterans and their families./i
Inspired by President George W. Bush and led by the Bush Institute, the VWA is a collaborative network of mental and brain health care clinical providers and veteran peer networks that tackles the effects of the invisible wounds of war./ii
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has been a key member of the VWA since the creation of the alliance, and its representatives have consistently provided the alliance invaluable perspectives and insights across the range of veteran wellness issues. Many of the VWA's clinical providers and veteran peer networks work closely with public partners through their various state-level and medical research university relationships.
In 2021, the VWA launched Check-In (www.veterancheckin.org), an innovative solution that connects veterans, service members, and their families, caregivers, and survivors to high-quality mental and brain health care./iii
Regardless of service era and regardless of characterization of service discharge, Check-In connects those needing or wanting support for post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and mild traumatic brain injury to the nation's best clinical providers of that care.
The novelty of Check-In was its creation of a trusted online "easy button" that the VWA veteran peer networks could provide to their members who were wanting or needing mental or brain health care. Leveraging the power of innovation and technology, Check-In solved the navigational and bureaucratic challenges associated with searching for and connecting with the right type of care.
Within 72 hours of connecting through Check-In, an individual seeking care will talk with one of two women who are licensed clinical social workers, one of whom is the spouse of a veteran and the other a veteran herself and married to a veteran. Following their noninvasive conversation, the Check-In Care Coordinators will then provide a warm handoff to the most appropriate VWA Clinical Provider. The Care Coordinators will also provide information on any VWA Peer Network that the individual may find of interest.
Across a four-year pilot, thanks to the generosity of the Rees-Jones Foundation, Check-In has proven not only efficient at connecting veterans,iv service members, and their families, caregivers, and survivors to mental and brain health care, but Check-In has also proven effective. To assess the effectiveness of care through Check-In, the VWA launched an Outcomes Working Group through which the VWA's Clinical Providers shared nonidentifiable data and collaborated in unprecedented ways to show that individuals within their care are, in fact, experiencing reduced symptoms and are satisfied with the care they receive.
The Bush Institute, in a close operational partnership with Combined Arms and Wounded Warrior Project, leads Check-In while Syracuse University's D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families evaluates Check-In. All VWA members play key roles in advancing the awareness of Check-In through their respective networks and communications efforts.
There are so many resources available to veterans and their families that it can be paralyzing to know which resource is most appropriate to address the challenge at hand. Check-In eliminates or at least reduces the possibility of such paralysis with respect to mental and brain health care. The collaborative and innovative VWA stands as a strong model for how public and private actors can partner to achieve sustained success after service for veterans and their families.
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Education: Accessing Higher Education Resources
For many veterans and military-connected students, postsecondary education is a critical initial step toward thriving beyond the uniform. The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (the "GI Bill"), along with subsequent refinements to it, enabled millions of veterans to transform their lives and put the United States on a path to building the world's best-educated workforce to boost American prosperity. The 21st century Post-9/11 GI Bill expanded access to higher education, leading to greater employment opportunities for veterans.
College serves not only as a place for formal learning and skill development but also serves as a low-stakes environment where veterans can readjust to civilian life while rediscovering purpose, connections, and contributions. This process of reintegration helps address some of the core reasons veterans struggle to find work that matches their skills, interests, and education. Veteran service organizations like Student Veterans of America and the National Veterans Leadership Foundation help veterans and their families thrive on college campuses.
For many veterans and military-connected students, postsecondary education is a critical bridge between military service and civilian success. Yet that bridge can be difficult to cross. Veterans face unique challenges as they adjust to new academic and social cultures, manage the psychological impacts of service, and navigate health and wellness resources.
While federal programs exist to support these needs, they are often underutilized due to limited awareness and fragmented coordination. More than 862,000 veterans used their Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits in 2023, yet many encountered barriers that made their transition harder than it needed to be. Improving coordination between federal agencies and higher education institutions would help to reduce those barriers. Veterans deserve a system that helps them not only access education benefits but also thrive once they are enrolled.
Maximizing their success does more than serve individual veterans. It strengthens the national workforce and secures our shared economic future. Every veteran who completes their education and secures meaningful work is not just fulfilling personal potential, they are actively advancing U.S. economic growth, innovation, and American global competitiveness. To fully realize this promise, we must join together - across government, academia, and industry - to ensure veterans and their families have access to the opportunities they have earned. Our commitment today determines not only their future, but also the continued strength of our nation.
In January 2025, the Bush Institute published a set of policy recommendations for the VA to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of Veterans Integration to Academic Leadership and VetSuccess on Campus, which offer resources for veterans' health and wellness that complement federal financial benefits.
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Employment: Reframing the Transition Question
It is not unreasonable to ask a transitioning service member, "What do you want to do when you get out of the military?" But that question is incomplete. What a veteran wants to do after the military might not match what the civilian world needs from the veteran.
The more complete question a veteran should ask themselves is: "What do I have that the outside world - the market - needs?" That is, what does the veteran have in their talent set - their skills, knowledge, attributes, experiences, and education - that the labor market wants. Embedded in that more complete question is the fundamental labor supply-labor demand match.
Furthermore, this question should not be posed at the end of a military career, but at the beginning. Every service member will transition back into civilian life, and the sooner one begins taking stock of how their talent set evolves during military service, the more likely a veteran and their family will enjoy sustained success after service.
About 15 years ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the veteran unemployment rate had risen to around 12%, and for younger veterans between 18 and 24, it was nearly 29%. In response, public and private partners collaborated through a series of compacts to prioritize hiring and supporting the veteran community. Corporate America recognized an opportunity to step up and support veterans transitioning to civilian life during wartime. Those efforts worked.
Today, the veteran unemployment rate generally mirrors, and often falls below, the civilian unemployment rate. That's a success story. A low unemployment rate, however, does not tell the full story. Nearly half of veterans leave their first job after the military within a year. While that figure is not far from that of recent college graduates, the reasons for veterans' departures are distinct: transition difficulties, skills mismatches, and workplace culture, among others.
Adding to these challenges are rising living costs, single-income households frequently at or below the poverty line, and persistent military spouse unemployment averaging 20% over the past decade. These factors reveal that many transitioning service members, while employed, are underemployed, which the Bush Institute defines as "the condition in which a veteran's education, leadership skills, compensation, or available time exceed what their current role requires or provides." In other words, veterans can contribute more to our economy.
The U.S. economy does not fully employ veterans. While unemployment rates look healthy on paper, the data suggest a mismatch between veteran labor supply and civilian labor demand. Veterans are getting jobs, but not necessarily the right jobs. The result is productivity loss for the nation, increased dependence on public programs, and unnecessary strain on veterans and their families. Recognizing the intangible attributes veterans and their families bring to their communities and companies - such as integrity, respect, perseverance, loyalty, and leadership - will not only more accurately compensate veterans for their added value to the economy but will contribute to making the United States more prosperous and secure.
To confront these challenges and to identify opportunities, the Bush Institute has convened a Veteran Employment Policy Working Group of subject-matter experts from industry, academia, and former government. This group will develop actionable recommendations for federal, state, local, and private sector levels to improve the quality of employment for veterans and their families and realize their full economic potential.
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Conclusion
General George Washington was clear when he said, "The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation." Maximizing sustained success for veterans and their families post-military transition is, simply put, a matter of U.S. national security.
The sustained success post-transition of our veterans and military families directly affects military readiness. When a service member's final experience in uniform - their transition from it - is positive and enduring, then a new veteran and their family will be great ambassadors for military service and will be more likely to encourage others to serve.
While our federal and state governments have vastly improved how we care, treat, and appreciate those who choose to defend the U.S. Constitution and our way of life, significant gaps remain for a variety of reasons. Fortunately, the American people - through civil society, their entrepreneurial spirit, and a wide range of nonprofit entities - complement government efforts to increase the likelihood of sustained post-transition success for veterans and their families.
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i VWA Clinical Providers are Avalon Action Alliance, Centerstone's Military Services, Cohen Veterans Network, the Department of Veterans Affairs, The Headstrong Project, Marcus Institute for Brain Health, ROGER Wellness Service, SHARE Military Initiative at Shepard Center, and Wounded Warrior Project's Warrior Care Network, which includes Emory Healthcare Veterans Program, Home Base Program, Rush Road Home Program, and Operation Mend.
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* VWA Peer Networks are Blue Star Families, Elizabeth Dole Foundation, Team 43, Student Veterans of America, Team Red, White, & Blue, Team Rubicon, Travis Manion Foundation, and Wounded Warrior Project.
* Combined Arms and Syracuse University's D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families are the VWA's technology and data partners, respectively.
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ii VWA Clinical Providers are: Avalon Action Alliance, Centerstone's Military Services, Cohen Veterans Network, the Department of Veterans Affairs, The Headstrong Project, Marcus Institute for Brain Health, ROGER Wellness Service, SHARE Military Initiative at Shepard Center, and Wounded Warrior Project's Warrior Care Network, which includes Emory Healthcare Veterans Program, Home Base Program, Rush Road Home Program, and Operation Mend.
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* VWA Peer Networks are: Blue Star Families, Elizabeth Dole Foundation, Team 43, Student Veterans of America, Team Red, White, & Blue, Team Rubicon, Travis Manion Foundation, and Wounded Warrior Project.
* Combined Arms and Syracuse University's D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families are the VWA's technology and data partners, respectively.
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iii The VWA collaborated with RAND Corporation to develop a shared definition of "high-quality care." The four components of this shared definition are veteran-centered; accessible; evidence-based; and outcome monitoring. The RAND research summary is available at Setting Standards for Delivering High-Quality Care to Veterans with Invisible Wounds | RAND.
iv To date, Check-In has connected with more than 3,800 individuals and provided a personal care journey to more than 1,700 of those connections.
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Original text here: https://www.veterans.senate.gov/services/files/936B267C-7AB7-4A92-9238-23CD187200C0
Ex-Pacific Palisades Honorary Fire Chief Schwartz Testifies Before Senate Special Committee on Aging
LOS ANGELES, California, Nov. 19 -- The Senate Special Committee on Aging released the following testimony by former Honorary Fire Chief Bruce Schwartz from a Nov. 13, 2025, field hearing entitled "Forgotten After the Flames: Stories From the Palisades Fire":* * *
My name is Bruce Schwartz. Rachel is my mom. I've been a resident of Pacific Palisades for 25 years, and during that time, I've had the honor of serving as the Honorary Fire Chief and being recognized as Citizen of the Year for my efforts to promote fire safety in our community.
On October 23, 2024, our Homeowners Association's insurance ... Show Full Article LOS ANGELES, California, Nov. 19 -- The Senate Special Committee on Aging released the following testimony by former Honorary Fire Chief Bruce Schwartz from a Nov. 13, 2025, field hearing entitled "Forgotten After the Flames: Stories From the Palisades Fire": * * * My name is Bruce Schwartz. Rachel is my mom. I've been a resident of Pacific Palisades for 25 years, and during that time, I've had the honor of serving as the Honorary Fire Chief and being recognized as Citizen of the Year for my efforts to promote fire safety in our community. On October 23, 2024, our Homeowners Association's insurancepolicy was dropped by State Farm. The only coverage we could obtain was through the California FAIR Plan--at twice the cost and for less than half the coverage.
Just 76 days later, tragedy struck. Seventeen of the 25 homes in our townhome community burned to the ground. We were so severely underinsured that rebuilding required an affirmative vote of 75% of our homeowners. That vote failed--because some owners whose homes did not burn refused to approve an assessment to help those of us who lost everything.
So now, we have no home, and no right even to rebuild one.
To make matters worse, some of my neighbors will be forced to surrender their homes to their lenders. And they will face devastating tax consequences on the cancellation of debt, because the federal $750,000 exemption for forgiven mortgage debt has not been extended into 2026. Imagine losing your home--and then being taxed on the loss.
How can our government allow this to happen to its most vulnerable citizens?
California's policies have created a broken insurance market. The State allowed this fire to smolder for six days on State land--fully aware that Santa Ana winds were approaching. When the winds came, the fire reignited with catastrophic force. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Fire Department had no water pressure because the reservoir was down for maintenance. Firefighters were forced to abandon our community and tell residents to "run for their lives." Now, we are left with nothing. Eventually, we will receive insurance checks covering less than 20% of losses. And many of my neighbors--already traumatized--will face hundreds of thousands of dollars in new tax liabilities.
Again, I ask: how is any of this fair? How is this justice for the hardworking citizens who did everything right, only to be left with nothing?
We deeply appreciate your presence today and your willingness to investigate this matter. Our community needs help, accountability, and real reform.
Thank you.
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Original text here: https://www.aging.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/4d545952-caed-cd7f-0c3d-5329bd8d5ef3/Testimony_Schwartz%2011.13.251.pdf
D'Aniello Institute for Veterans & Military Families Managing Director Carson Testifies Before Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee
WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 -- The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee released the following testimony by Barbara E. Carson, managing director of programs and services at D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University, from a Nov. 5, 2025, hearing entitled "A Grateful Nation: Maximizing Veterans' Success After Service":* * *
Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member, and distinguished Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony today about how we may collectively better support the military-to-civilian transition process, so our nation's veterans and ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 -- The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee released the following testimony by Barbara E. Carson, managing director of programs and services at D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University, from a Nov. 5, 2025, hearing entitled "A Grateful Nation: Maximizing Veterans' Success After Service": * * * Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member, and distinguished Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony today about how we may collectively better support the military-to-civilian transition process, so our nation's veterans andtheir families thrive after service.
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About the IVMF
The D'Aniello Institute for Veterans & Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University was founded in 2011, as higher-education's first interdisciplinary academic institute singularly focused on advancing economic, social, and wellness outcomes on behalf of the nation's military, veterans, and their families. Each year, more than 20,000 individuals participate in IVMF programs and services, from entrepreneurship and career training to connecting individuals with local resources in their communities. Since its founding, the IVMF has served over 230,000 service members, veterans, and their families, all underpinned by the Institute's research, evaluation, and community insights team.
Our policy priorities are shaped not only by the data we collect, but also by the lived experiences surfaced through our programs and partnerships. Many of the challenges facing the military and veteran community--such as employment and health--require coordinated efforts across government, nonprofit, philanthropic, and private sectors, our work positions us to identify where policy can better enable collaboration and drive systemic impact. We remain committed to bridging gaps across sectors to strengthen the continuum of support for those transitioning from military to civilian life.
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Getting Transition Right
Each year, approximately 200,000 individuals leave active military service. The number grows significantly when we account for military spouses, members of the National Guard, and Reservists. The transition period--especially the first three years--can be fraught with challenges. In fact, more than half of veterans report difficulty adjusting to civilian life. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has even labeled the first year post-separation as "the deadly gap," highlighting the heightened risk of suicide during this vulnerable time. Factors like finding purpose and connection, securing employment and financial stability, and receiving the right support at the right time can help mitigate serious personal, social, and economic consequences.
These consequences extend beyond individual well-being to the strength of our society and national security. There is growing concern that not only are younger generations increasingly hesitant to consider military service, those currently serving are also becoming reluctant to recommend military service.
Research from Ipsos, conducted in partnership with the Call of Duty Endowment and Mission Roll Call, found that 55% of adults are unlikely to suggest military careers to teens, and 80% of teens themselves are not interested in pursuing military service--despite generally favorable views of veterans. Nearly half of the adults surveyed believe that recruitment challenges pose a serious threat to national security.
Additional data from our collaboration on the Blue Star Families Military Family Lifestyle Survey (MFLS) shows despite nearly 70% of active-duty family respondents reporting the positive impact of military service on their families, only about one-third would encourage a young relative to enlist. More concerning, forthcoming research, also from the MFLS, found that less than half of veteran family respondents are confident that veterans and their families will obtain the long-term support that they need. In fact, 23% believe that "veterans and their families will be increasingly overlooked." Our nation's commitment to those who serve must be unwavering, but also adaptive. The support we offer must reflect the evolving needs, experiences, and aspirations of each individual transitioning from military to civilian life. Achieving that goal begins with an honest assessment of today's transition landscape including what's working, what isn't, and where innovation is most needed.
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Current Transition Landscape
While each experience separating from the military is unique, one of the most pressing challenges veterans and their families report during transition is navigating the benefits and resources available to them. Data from our community partners repeatedly shows that veterans and their families experience multiple needs concurrently. For example, in a recent analysis of NCServes, a navigation network coordinating referrals across health and nonprofit organizations in North Carolina, across the last ten years there was a strong correlation between housing and other needs like employment, benefits navigation, and food.
Yet, when looking for help, veterans and their families confront an overwhelming number of options for obtaining assistance during transition--whether from the federal government, state and local government, nonprofit organizations, or the private sector. It is taxing to move between systems of care due to the lack of data sharing and warm handoffs, in turn compounding the burdens on both the individual and these systems. Even within the VA there are obstacles to sharing data between the Health Administration (VHA) and the Benefits Administration (VBA), let alone between federal agencies or from federal agencies to states. More work needs to be done to reduce barriers that would make navigating our maze of support easier, and the results more effective. Solutions like NCServes and similar initiatives prove this approach is possible, but we have a long way to go to scale these models in a way that preserves their efficacy.
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Navigation: Everyone Has a Role to Play
Each high-quality program, service, or resource has a place in the system of transition supports; it is more a matter of determining which individuals should be directed to which resources at which intervention point.
There is a growing body of evidence governing how to implement effective navigation and referral models. Research shows providing even a customized list of resources only results in success about one-third of the time, compared to approaches that include guidance from a human navigator. For example, referrals made by trained "care coordinators" in NCServes resulted in success 75% of the time, and we see similar data with our partners across the nation, such as in Pennsylvania and the National Capitol Region. Moreover, these coordinators are able to track when and why help is unable to be provided, which helps communities improve how they serve veterans and their families over time.
Importantly, networks like NCServes, PAServes, and ServingTogether include the ability to make and measure referrals to county and state agencies, VBA, and VHA. Our research conducted with the VA found that veterans enrolled in VA healthcare who also sought services from community organizations had better non-clinical outcomes when collaboration with local VA Medical Centers was strong.
Relatedly, The Veteran Metrics Initiative (TVMI), a national longitudinal study of post-9/11 veterans managed by the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Pennsylvania State University, found that during the first three months after transition, 66% of veterans used at least one program aside from TAP and 33% of veterans used multiple programs and services. These additional programs include both public and private offerings, and veterans who utilized more programs experienced better outcomes.
Looking forward, we continue to see promising efforts around the country to replicate these models to address different transition needs. For example, a collective of veteran-serving organizations (VSOs) are formally coming together to refine the referral process for employment services and to report the collective impact of those efforts. This work is about reducing navigation friction for veterans and partnering with organizations that have validated outcomes to deliver the multiple meaningful interventions needed to successfully transition.
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The Need vs. Our System: The Example of Employment
Why is resource navigation so central to a successful military transition and post-service life for veterans? Data shows that most veterans are seeking employment after service, even those also interested in school or starting a business--all while they adjust to civilian life. Moreover, recent research from the 2023 MFLS showed that there may be a continuous need for "employment and career development" resources and yet 29% of non-retired, post-9/11 veterans respondents said that they needed but did not get these resources.
Ultimately, the landscape of veteran employment need is complex--veteran unemployment has generally been low; however, veteran underemployment remains high even after more than six years post-service, based on self-reported educational attainment and the veteran's current job compared with education required for the job per Department of Labor (DOL) classifications. And yet, the "complexity" in this key aspect of military transition and post-service life and the needs gap that exists is emblematic of the larger systemic issues in the transition process.
First, while many programs exist in regard to military transition, misalignment between needs and services remains. According to RAND's comprehensive report on this topic, in the federal government alone, there are 46 separate programs administered by 12 government agencies supporting military to civilian transition. However, RAND also found that 95% of the federal expenditures--over $13 billion per year--is focused on general education services and that there is overlap among these programs while noted gaps remain.
Second, the report found that these programs lack transparency and oversight, with almost no rigorous evaluation to date. However, a second report illustrated the important role the nonprofit sector plays in the transition system, propped up in large part by philanthropy. RAND further noted that some nonprofits are tracking their performance and spending, albeit with minimal common standards, and were able to compile some of their publicly available data.
On the ground, many nonprofits are stepping up to fill the gap, particularly around employment and navigation. For example, Onward to Opportunity (O2O), the IVMF's flagship career preparation and employment initiative, fills a need and provides career exploration and employability skills training, along with access to industry-recognized certifications to over 10,000 transitioning service members, veterans, and spouses every year. More importantly, O2O committed to third-party evaluation and demonstrated its efficacy at helping transitioning service members--especially those leaving the military from junior enlisted ranks--secure better salaries.
Additionally, as the nature of work becomes more dynamic, employers will increasingly depend on soft skills such as problem-solving, adaptability, and motivation. Veterans possess many of these in-demand traits, as well as technical and learning capabilities cultivated throughout their service. VSOs augment federal transition programs in supporting veterans. VSOs such as Hiring Our Heroes and VetJobs appoint advisors that help veterans and their spouses identify which career path they prefer, how their expertise and soft skills align with that career path, and can even upskill veterans so that they are sufficiently qualified. VSOs also provide a vital networking connection between employees and veterans that increases the likelihood of successful employment outcomes.
More broadly, veterans also bring valuable skills to our economy, including in key industries like energy and semiconductor manufacturing. Through O2O, we've built a national infrastructure that connects transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses to high-demand careers. Leveraging that foundation, and with support from Micron Technology, we have established a semiconductor hub for the military-connected community. This initiative provides industry-aligned upskilling, technical training, and direct pathways to employment in one of America's most strategically important and fastest-growing sectors.
For example, the semiconductor industry is projected to nearly double in global revenue over the next decade, driven by rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, defense systems, and clean energy technologies. Yet, meeting this growth will require hundreds of thousands of new skilled workers across engineering, manufacturing, and supply-chain roles. By aligning O2O's proven training model with Micron's leadership and industry demand, the IVMF is helping ensure that veterans and military families are not only part of this growth--but are positioned at its forefront.
Lastly, as we seek to fill the gaps in the military to civilian transition process, the needs of military families, particularly related to the employment of military spouses also require additional work and support. Many military spouses find themselves with employment-related needs during a time of transition; however, the constraints they face often begin well before their families go through the transition process. Reinforcing longstanding research on military spouse employment challenges, a recent
IVMF publication utilizing the American Community Survey (ACS) data found that military spouses have an unemployment rate four times higher than civilian peers. Moreover, they often earn 42 percent less and endure loss of income after each military relocation. These employment-related challenges have long-term implications for the financial health and well-being of military families from time in service, the moment of military transition, and beyond.
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Accountability: Better Outcomes, Smarter Spending
As suggested by the comprehensive RAND report, measurement and accountability of transition related programs will be key to understanding what makes impactful outcomes in the long term. Given their unique circumstances and varying levels of need, veterans will accordingly rely on different programs at different times. TVMI data shows prevalent utilization of supports from approximately one year prior to separation through three years after separation. Therefore, methods of evaluation must be more holistic, balancing program level outcomes with measures of individual well-being. We should also take into consideration each service member's assessment data at the beginning of the transition process--so that success is weighed against a baseline.
At the program level, everyone must be held equally accountable, whether government, private, or nonprofit. When determining effectiveness, organizations must track outputs but move beyond outputs to outcomes to demonstrate efficacy. These outcomes should reflect evidence-based aspects of how well an individual is doing. For instance, a veteran obtaining a job is not necessarily a success. Other factors that must be considered are underemployment, whether the veteran has a living wage for their family, and veteran spouse careers.
At the individual level, well-being can be measured across key domains like health, education, employment, and social connectedness. It is essential that these elements are monitored over time, given that 19% of veterans in TVMI reported not feeling fully transitioned after as many as six and a half years.
Ultimately, without clearly defined outcomes that are universally measured, we will not know what actually works, for whom, and under what conditions.
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Recommendations
A process as complex as military-to-civilian transition, and with as many well-intentioned stakeholders spanning agencies and sectors, requires a comprehensive and collaborative solution. The IVMF has long advocated for a National Veterans Strategy--a whole of government approach to ensuring veterans and their families thrive after service.
This type of approach has the potential to align agencies and non-governmental programs, rather than exist as a stand-alone proposal within one area of jurisdiction. It would also create more collective accountability and should include a process to revisit the strategy over time to course correct and meet new demands.
Specifically with respect to transition, we suggest a National Veterans Strategy should:
* Create national standards for transition program outcomes;
* Design and implement a holistic evaluation of both transition programs and individual well-being;
* Support cross-sector pilots that improve navigation and coordination.
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Outcome Standards
To even understand how well a program or person is doing, collectively we must agree on a set of outcome definitions and benchmarks. Many research and evaluation organizations have established bodies of evidence for different types of programs, as well as the outcomes appropriate for each type. For example, as part of TVMI, PSU has classified key measures by domain, or area of need. The data also suggests correlations between certain types of program elements and better outcomes. Recently, RAND initiated a study funded by The Heinz Endowments to create a standard underemployment definition and metric.
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Holistic Evaluation
With standards, we will have the ability to address RAND's recommendation about oversight and rigorous evaluation of federal programs. In turn, this will enable us to streamline duplicative programs, redirect funding to promising initiatives, and make improvements overall. This type of assessment should be ongoing and funded as part of a program's budget. Additionally, we should establish a national longitudinal outcomes study modeled after TVMI. While TVMI is the most representative data we have tracking veterans over time, the current sample includes service members who separated in 2016. This type of information needs to be refreshed to reflect our changing population and national landscape. It should be collected routinely by VA, in partnership with other agencies. Critically, all data should be transparently shared.
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Navigation
To achieve this quality oversight and evaluation, we must make warm handoffs easier between federal agencies, as well as between the federal government to states, counties, communities, healthcare, and employers. We need to better support data sharing and enrollment in benefits and services at the VA, DOL, state, and local levels for those that choose to do so once they officially separate from the military. We must decrease barriers for individuals to move between the military and new systems of care. Programs like the VA's Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program have acknowledged the importance of addressing clinical and non-clinical needs concurrently to meet veterans where they are, upstream from crisis. However, challenges persist for grantees when trying to collaborate with the VA; states and VSOs face similar challenges with federal agencies. A stronger commitment should be made to the models following leading practices, with more investment to empower them to scale.
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Conclusion
At a time when those who serve represent a decreasing share of our population, there is an increasing share of civilians who may not understand the barriers veterans and their families face after they separate from the military. While government programs attempt to facilitate the process of military to civilian transition, adjustments are still needed to align the resources available along this complicated journey for veterans and their families. Fortunately, many veteran and military serving nonprofits have stepped up to fill the unmet needs, but more work remains to confirm that programs are indeed addressing the needs of transition in the short and long term.
This work is important not only because our veterans and families deserve a chance at successful integration into civilian life, but it is also an investment that we are making on behalf of our country. Our military veterans and their families are assets in our society. Civically, many care deeply about their communities, and they want to continue to serve beyond wearing the uniform, whether it is through volunteering or participating politically. Economically, in many cases, veterans leave military service with decades long experience leading complex organizations and missions. Some have unique skills that can further benefit industries seeking specialized technical know-how. Many transitioning veterans are also eager to learn new skills or seek a bridge that can help harness their existing expertise for further contributions in a new industry. Our nation should harness the skills and the enthusiasm that veterans have to offer--both civically and economically.
Fundamentally, we believe that when we get transition "right," our country is stronger. At the D'Aniello IVMF, we are convinced that achieving a National Veterans Strategy is possible--finding measures we all agree upon, holding ourselves accountable, and making the necessary adjustments along the way.
We are deeply appreciative of the Committee's steadfast interest and commitment to serving those who have served our nation. In return, we reaffirm our commitment to providing timely insights, implementing evidence-based practice in programs, and advocating for what works. Together, we can guarantee that every veteran receives the support they deserve.
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Original text here: https://www.veterans.senate.gov/services/files/0FE18212-4878-4A3B-A947-AFC2BCEEB0A8