WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs' motto was written by Abraham Lincoln. It says: "To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan."
Now, these many years later, lawmakers are questioning how good of a job the VA is doing living up to that promise.
After they served their country, the very least military veterans should expect would be that their loved ones are taken care of after they're gone.
But members of the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs on Tuesday said that's not always the case.
They said they've heard from numerous constituents that benefits are confusing, difficult to access, and, the VA helpline is often not very helpful.
They cited a survey conducted by the committee.
"And overwhelmingly. the response was confusion about who's eligible, what's available, uncertainty on where to go for answers," said Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Virginia, 2nd District). "Some survivors even told us that they feel like second-class citizens when interacting with the VA."
Luria continued: "It is of utmost importance to this committee that the VA is doing everything in their power to ensure that survivors can easily access benefits, provide the necessary support to survivors, and deliver benefits in a manner that recognizes the great loss that has been suffered."
Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) also weighed in. He said: "It is unacceptable that spouses are not getting the help they need from resources such as the call center."
One area of concern is a VA policy that's forcing some grieving families to pay back government benefits.
The Survivors Pension offers monthly payments to qualified surviving spouses and unmarried dependent children of wartime Veterans who meet certain income and net worth limits set by Congress.
Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wisconsin) has sponsored the Survivor Benefits Fairness Act. It would end the VA policy that requires those families to repay survivor benefits paid to a widowed spouse in the same month the spouse died.
In the case of one Wisconsin widow's family, the amount was $1,200. For its part, the VA insists it's doing the best it can.
"VA continues to work to achieve our common goal of improving benefits delivery to survivors of deceased veterans and members of the armed forces," said Cheryl Rawls, VA Veterans Benefits Administration Assistant Deputy Under Secretary, Office of Field Operations, Outreach and Engagement.
This was the first hearing on this subject on Capitol Hill in more than ten years.