Baldwin, Sullivan Urge Trump Admin to Implement Law They Wrote to Increase Support for Veterans
Baldwin and Sullivan bipartisan legislation that was signed into law supports County Veteran Service Officers, key link between veterans and their earned benefits
WATCH: Baldwin secures commitments from VA Secretary on roll out of bipartisan bill to support CVSOs
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) urged the Trump Administration to quickly implement their Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act, bipartisan legislation that was signed into law in 2025 to support County Veterans Service Officers (CVSOs). CVSOs are the community-based employees who work directly with veterans to inform them of eligibility for Veterans Affairs (VA) programs and services, file pension and compensation claims, and help them enroll in job, housing, disability, and education benefits. On Thursday, Senator Baldwin also questioned VA Secretary Doug Collins during a Senate hearing, securing commitments on funding for this program and VA’s timeline for implementation.
“The clear intent of the law is to empower local agencies with the funding and training necessary to meet rising demand, as well as increase the number of CVSOs to meet the needs of our veterans and ensure they have access to all of their earned benefits,” wrote Baldwin and Sullivan in a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins. “At the same time, $2 million has been made available for Fiscal Year 2026. It is imperative that the Department of Veterans Affairs move this process forward quickly and make funding available as soon as possible.”
Out of the estimated 19 million veterans in the United States, only a small fraction are aware of and utilize the care and benefits they have earned from the VA. CVSOs are local county employees who are nationally accredited by the VA and are often the first to inform veterans about their eligibility for VA programs and services. They also help enroll veterans into the Veterans Health Administration and provide assistance on a range of benefits, including service-connected disability compensation, VA home loans, education benefits, and job placement assistance.
Baldwin and Sullivan’s Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act authorized $10 million each for Fiscal Year 2026 and Fiscal Year 2027 to expand and support CVSOs or similar local entities. The VA will award competitive grants to states in order to improve outreach to veterans and enhance the ability of states to develop and submit claims on behalf of veterans, and increase the number of county and tribal service officers serving in the state by hiring new officers.
By increasing the number of CVSOs, states will be better able to leverage their local and federal resources to serve our veterans.
“Timely action will not only honor our commitment to those who wore the uniform but also help advance the broader goals of improving access and ensuring that every veteran, regardless of ZIP code, can get the care and benefits they deserve,” wrote Baldwin and Sullivan.
A full version of this letter is available here and below.
Dear Secretary Collins,
We write to urge the Department of Veterans Affairs to act without delay to fully implement the County Veterans Service Officer (CVSO) grant program, carried out through the Dole State and Tribal Outreach Grant Program as authorized by the Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act and Section 302 of the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act.
CVSOs are often the first point of contact for veterans and their families seeking assistance with accessing benefits, health care, and other critical services. They play an essential role in ensuring that no veteran is left behind simply because they live in an underserved county or rural community.
Congress passed our bipartisan Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act as part of the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act (P.L. 118-210) to provide targeted resources to states and tribes to strengthen this network of CVSOs and address shortcomings that too often prevent veterans from securing the support they have earned through their service. The clear intent of the law is to empower local agencies with the funding and training necessary to meet rising demand, as well as increase the number of CVSOs to meet the needs of our veterans and ensure they have access to all of their earned benefits.
At the same time, $2 million has been made available for Fiscal Year 2026. It is imperative that the Department of Veterans Affairs move this process forward quickly and make funding available as soon as possible.
Timely action will not only honor our commitment to those who wore the uniform but also help advance the broader goals of improving access and ensuring that every veteran, regardless of ZIP code, can get the care and benefits they deserve.
Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. We look forward to working together to fulfill our shared responsibility to those who have sacrificed so much in service to our nation.
Sincerely,
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
Recent Press Releases by U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin
Baldwin Leads Colleagues Urging Trump Admin to Keep American Workers at Center of U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Negotiations
May 20th, 2026 by U.S. Sen. Tammy BaldwinBaldwin laid out a comprehensive framework that addresses offshoring, stops China from undermining U.S. companies and workers, and holds allies accountable
Baldwin Brings Home More Than $12.5 Million for Airports Across Wisconsin
May 19th, 2026 by U.S. Sen. Tammy BaldwinFunding from Baldwin-backed Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will modernize and improve airports, increase efficiency and safety
Watch: Baldwin Pushes Army Secretary on New Report That Soldiers in Kuwait Were Denied Medical Supplies Before Deadly Iranian Attack
May 19th, 2026 by U.S. Sen. Tammy BaldwinSurviving soldiers say one of the soldiers killed could have been saved if they had the medical supplies
I wish that Senator Baldwin would do more to hold those accountable who fail the US Military. Nice – I support the troops. But then nothing?
“Tuesday, July 23, 2025, Immediate Press Release, US Attorney’s Office, Western District of Texas, “Former Army Civilian employee sentenced to 15 Years. . .” Janet Yamanaka Mello, the civilian Army employee who stole over $108 million from a grant program designed to provide services to military . . . and their families. . . ” Great, she’s going to jail. But where is the court-martial of the officer she worked for, and what about the court-martial for dereliction of duty for the officer above that officer? $108 million and the boss didn’t notice, and he’s promoted, retired at the same rank, what…
Google Fat Leonard Scandal
Robert L. Hill
1100 Hawthorne Lane
Brookfield, WI 53005
2 November 2025
Honorable John Phelan Secretary of the Navy
1000 Navy Pentagon, Room 4D652, Washington, DC 20350
Honorable John Phelan,
In June of 2023, I wrote a letter to the then Secretary of the Navy requesting that he review the leadership failures of senior officers that were issued Secretarial Letters of Censure by the former Secretary of the Navy, Richard V. Spencer. The Letters of Censure documented behavior that was a discredit to the proud history of the United States Navy and fell short of what is expected by citizens of the United States and those serving in the military.
Effective 1 January 2021, Subsection (f) of§ 13720 provides the Secretary of the Navy with authority to reopen a retirement grade determination “if substantial evidence comes to light after the retirement that could have led to the determination of a different retired grade if known by competent authority at the time of retirement.”
I believed that with the authority granted by Congress, effective 1 January 2021, the Secretary would determine that the last years of service were unsatisfactory, resulting in retirement at a lower grade. The behavior of the type highlight in the Letters of Censure could not be considered satisfactory.
In response to my letter, Robert D. Hogue, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, stated that the Secretary of the Navy at the time had the authority to reopen the retirements based on Secretary of the Navy Instruction 1920.GC with Change 5.
The Navy Instruction specifies that “within 2 years following separation … Secretarial Letter of Censure, …” “Notwithstanding the 2-year period, SECNAV may reopen a retirement grade determination up to 5 years after retirement in extraordinary circumstances.” The authority granted by Congress on 1 January 2021 allows for the reopening of a retirement grade determination at any time after retirement.
I do not know the reasoning of Secretary of the Navy Spencer when he issued the Letters of Censure. However, with one exception, all of the officers listed in my letter had been retired for over 2 years before their Letters of Censure. Captain Martinez’s Letter of Censure was dated 29 April 2019, and I understand he retired in 2006.
Secretary of the Navy Spencer did not have the authority to reopen the retirement grade determinations of all the officers who were issued Letters of Censure. It is possible that this lack of authority to treat all officers equally led to the decision to issue Letters of Censure.
You have the authority to reopen the retirement determinations and, if the facts presented in the Letters of Censure are accurate, reduce the retiree to the last grade honorably held. The effect will be a relatively small reduction in retirement pay for these officers and, more importantly, a statement that the US Navy and the people of the United States expect our military leaders to lead and be good stewards of people, money, and other resources. The small reduction in retirement pay will not balance the loss to the United States of more than
$34,800,000. The reductions will send a message of accountability and consequences.
Robert L. Hill
2 Enclosures
Navy M&RA, 24 Aug 23 Ltr
My, 29 Jun 23 Ltr
CF: Senator Tammy Baldwin
@robertm60a3:
This press release is about legislation supporting County Veteran Service Officers, to assist veterans in obtaining their earned benefits. Your comment does not seem relevant to this article. Senator Baldwin has been a leader in assisting veterans during her tenure.
That being said, I don’t understand how Senator Baldwin would have had responsibility to identify, investigate, etc. the situation regarding the Fat Leonard Scandal. The backstory is terrible with way too many Navy officers involved, where this kept being swept under the rug and the Inspectors reporting on it were being fired.
Do you know if there were communications / reports about this scandal provided to the Senate, the House, or the Administration, at that time, identifying this fraud and the people involved? Was Senator Baldwin a chair or member of Senate committees that would have been responsible for investigating these types of allegations when they arose?
What is Senator Baldwin doing today?
Really, the press report is from Senator Baldwin about efforts to assist veterans.
Don’t you think it would assist veterans if those responsible for oversight actually took that responsibility seriously? What is the cost of not holding those responsible for this and other failures?
One of the mechanisms of congressional oversight is public inquiries and information requests.
What is the cost to Soldiers and their families of not holding those in leadership responsible when over $108 million is stolen?
Tuesday, July 23, 2025, Immediate Press Release, US Attorney’s Office, Western District of Texas, “Former Army Civilian employee sentenced to 15 Years. . .” Janet Yamanaka Mello, the civilian Army employee who stole over $108 million from a grant program designed to provide services to military . . . and their families. . . ” Great, she’s going to jail. But where is the court-martial of the officer she worked for, and what about the court-martial for dereliction of duty for the officer above that officer? $108 million and the boss didn’t notice, and he’s promoted, retired at the same rank, what…
What is the cost to members of the military when the likes of Admiral Burke serve?
WASHINGTON – Admiral Robert P. Burke (USN-Ret.), 62, of Coconut Creek, Florida, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 72 months in prison in connection with accepting future employment at a government vendor in exchange for awarding that company a government contract, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Following a five-day trial, a federal jury found Burke guilty on May 19 of conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, performing acts affecting a personal financial interest, and concealing material facts from the United States. In addition to the six-year prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden ordered Burke to serve three years of supervised release, to pay $322,850 in restitution, and to pay $86,748.08 in forfeiture.
Joining in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Stanley A. Newell of the DoD Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Transnational Operations Field Office, and Assistant Director in Charge Reid Davis of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division.
“Integrity — not cash — is the currency of public service. Admiral Burke rose to the pinnacle of the U.S. Navy, entrusted with leadership and honor. But instead of leading by example, he cashed in that trust — turning four stars into dollar signs and trading duty for a corporate payday,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message: if you sell your honor and trade your influence, you’ll pay the price — in prison time.”
There is a failure in Afghanistan. Look up Brigadier General Reheiser and Colonel Vergez. How much of a role did they play in the Afghanistan failure, and why are they receiving full retirement pay? (When you look up Reheiser, ask about sole source justification and why the USAF retired the C-27A. Look into his employment as a Vice President in an Italian Company.)
Nice press release – there is also the “burn pits” and who was held accountable? Nice press release.
But why reward or fail to hold those accountable for failures?
Look at voting records and ask yourself about Mr. Lowman. . .
Information requests and public inquiries.
What are you asking me to believe?
Could Senator Baldwin follow up on an inquiry from one of her constituents?