Officials say veterans issues must retain nonpartisan focus as Washington reshapes after elections

Lawmakers, government officials and advocacy groups said Wednesday that veterans issues must continue down a nonpartisan track in January, when a new Washington emerges following the 2024 elections that delivered a Republican trifecta in federal government.

Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), ranking member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, told The Hill's Bob Cusack at the "Veterans Voices" event in Washington, D.C., that his committee would continue a focus on bipartisanship.

"Of all places that we should be bipartisan, it would be the Veterans' Affairs Committee. And there are very few issues that really should divide us on partisan lines," he said.

Moran said he was focused on several veterans issues, including expanding the access of care for those who live in rural areas, increasing mental health professionals and fixing budgetary issues at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee and a Marine veteran, said he had some concerns about President-elect Trump's pick for secretary of Defense, Fox News personality Pete Hegseth, but they are not related to veterans issues.

"He does care about veterans," Moulton said at the event. "Clearly, Pete is someone who cares about veterans."

Hegseth previously served as an infantry officer in the Army National Guard and deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo Bay.

Moulton also said he had concerns about Trump's treatment of veterans.

Trump "clearly doesn't respect veterans, as his senior military advisers have told us unequivocally, and some Republicans like to dismiss that," he said. "No, that's just the fact, he doesn't respect veterans. He doesn't respect, especially, wounded veterans.

"So at a fundamental level, the commander in chief does not respect veterans, but he is surrounded by some advisors who do," Moulton added.

Moulton, who struggled with mental health himself after his years of service, pointed to several longstanding issues affecting veterans that still need to be addressed, including high suicide and homelessness rates among the group compared to the rest of the U.S. population.

The VA is also looking toward bipartisanship. VA press secretary Terrence Hayes said the "one thing that we can agree to in this town is that veterans issues should be nonpartisan."

"Whoever does assume that [next VA] post, my prayer is that they continue that mantra, and that everything they do focuses on that veteran and that surviving family," Hayes said at the event.

Hispanic voters helped propel Trump to victory on Election Day. But Raul Vargas, chair, CEO & founder of the American Latino Veterans Association, said it was critical for both parties to conduct "year-round engagement" of the voter base.

"It's important that we find ways to be able to address the issues that are of concern, not just during the upcoming election but year-round," he said.

For Vargas, one of his top issues is ensuring that veterans outside of the VA can get help.

"The challenge are the folks that are sort of untethered to the system, which is the portion of my population," he said. "Once they get out, to try to get back in and access those benefits, is more challenging. It's incredibly cumbersome. So there's got to be a better way of being able to make it easier."