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This week on the Hill: Back in D.C. for important conversations

The Hill Capitol Building in Shadows

By Concerned Veterans for America

Congress is back in Washington after two weeks of district work.

Many made the most of their time by hosting town halls to discuss what they’re working on back in Washington. In Texas, Reps. Dan Crenshaw and Chip Roy spoke with Concerned Veterans for America at our Defend and Reform town hall series.

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The congressmen discussed everything from veterans’ health care to foreign policy to combating the national debt.

But now it’s back to work in the capital with plenty of budgeting and oversight to work on.

Here’s what you can expect to see on the Hill this week.

Veterans

The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee is running the gauntlet with five hearings scheduled this week. Suicide prevention will be the most notable issue as the full committee meets to discuss suicide prevention measures at a rare evening hearing on Monday at 7 p.m. The Subcommittee on Health will follow up the next day at 10 a.m. to review draft legislation on better data collection and suicide prevention.

Veteran suicide has become a larger concern this month as three veterans killed themselves on VA campuses in just six days. In the last 18 months, there have been 24 suicides on VA campuses.

The Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs will meet Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. to mark up the Fiscal Year 2020 budget bill for Veterans Affairs.

Defense

The Armed Services committees will be quieter than Veterans’ Affairs, but still busy. The Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a confirmation hearing on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. for Lt. Gen. David H. Berger, who’s been nominated for Commandant of the Marine Corps. On Wednesday at 2:30 p.m., the committee will hear from experts on U.S. nuclear weapons policy as part of the Defense authorization bill for fiscal 2020.

Foreign policy

Both foreign policy committees are focused on the other side of the world this week. The House Foreign Affairs Committee will meet Wednesday at 10 a.m. to discuss countering the resurgence of Russia. At the same time, Senate Foreign Relations will hear testimony on the humanitarian crisis in Syria after nearly a decade of war.

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