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Derrick Van Orden: “We're spending $900,000 for an individual to get 72 months…”

Featuring: Derrick Van Orden, Republican | U.S. House, Wisconsin, District 3

Van Orden Questions VBA on Restoring VR&E Program in Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing

Published July 16, 2025 | Video Starts at 08:11

I mean, imagine how much medical benefits we could give to folks or how many more of these people we could hire if we weren't We're spending $900,000 for an individual to get 72 months of training. doing I don't know what. So to your knowledge, has anyone been held accountable for this? (08:11–08:27)

CLAIM

Asserts that $900,000 is spent on an individual for 72 months of training.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Derrick Van Orden

“Another veteran in Los Angeles has spent $895,000 in six years and is still in rehab to employment phase of the program.”
Van Orden Questions VBA on Restoring VR&E Program in Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing | Uploaded July 16, 2025 | 02:17-02:27
“Since fiscal year 2024, 62,355 extensions were approved while just 59 requests for extensions were denied.”
Van Orden Questions VBA on Restoring VR&E Program in Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing | Uploaded July 16, 2025 | 02:49-03:02
“The current wait time for a veteran to be seen by a counselor in San Diego, Oakland and Albuquerque is over 100 days.”
Van Orden Questions VBA on Restoring VR&E Program in Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing | Uploaded July 16, 2025 | 03:24-03:30
“40% of regional offices take over 60 days for a veteran to meet a counselor for an initial evaluation.”
Van Orden Questions VBA on Restoring VR&E Program in Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing | Uploaded July 16, 2025 | 03:30-03:36
“45% of participants within the VR and E program have successfully completed the program and subsequently re-entered it.”
Van Orden Questions VBA on Restoring VR&E Program in Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing | Uploaded July 16, 2025 | 03:50-03:59
“The purpose of [the Veterans Readiness and Employment Program] is to assist veterans and service members who have service-connected…”
Van Orden Questions VBA on Restoring VR&E Program in Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing | Uploaded July 16, 2025 | 00:11-00:26
“VRNE has been at a crossroads for several years and unfortunately it's been abused by a lot of folks.”
Van Orden Questions VBA on Restoring VR&E Program in Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing | Uploaded July 16, 2025 | 01:01-01:08
“We're now seeing an unprecedented increase in wait times and an increased burden on counselors with higher caseloads.”
Van Orden Questions VBA on Restoring VR&E Program in Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing | Uploaded July 16, 2025 | 01:26-01:33
“VA has a profound and constant inability to perform the oversight function.”
Van Orden Questions VBA on Restoring VR&E Program in Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing | Uploaded July 16, 2025 | 01:45-01:52
“Veterans have been in this program for over 20 years and many veterans are using more than $250,000 in benefit payments.”
Van Orden Questions VBA on Restoring VR&E Program in Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing | Uploaded July 16, 2025 | 02:04-02:12
“One veteran in Boston spent over $350,000 in 18 months.”
Van Orden Questions VBA on Restoring VR&E Program in Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing | Uploaded July 16, 2025 | 02:12-02:18
“Many veterans are retiring from their jobs and applying for VRE to receive a substance allowance to supplement their income until they're…”
Van Orden Questions VBA on Restoring VR&E Program in Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing | Uploaded July 16, 2025 | 04:23-04:33
“VA knows that there's abuse in this program yet again.”
Van Orden Questions VBA on Restoring VR&E Program in Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing | Uploaded July 16, 2025 | 04:49-04:52
“You said you need 387 additional counselors on top of what's in the president's budget?”
Van Orden Questions VBA on Restoring VR&E Program in Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing | Uploaded July 16, 2025 | 07:01-07:07
“So you need, you need 1400 or 1500 total.”
Van Orden Questions VBA on Restoring VR&E Program in Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing | Uploaded July 16, 2025 | 07:19-07:24
“We got some people here that have been receiving these benefits for like 82 months in a row. 461,000 bucks.”
Van Orden Questions VBA on Restoring VR&E Program in Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing | Uploaded July 16, 2025 | 07:49-07:59
“If a person's home of records in Michigan and they fly to San Diego to take a single class, they get San Diego per diem.”
Van Orden Questions VBA on Restoring VR&E Program in Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing | Uploaded July 16, 2025 | 09:48-10:00
“That's $4,000 and bah. And you know, having been in the military for a long time is based on where you live or your duty station.”
Van Orden Questions VBA on Restoring VR&E Program in Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing | Uploaded July 16, 2025 | 10:08-10:18
“If you have a 45% recidivism rate, that's the wrong term, because they're not going to jail. But if 45% of our veterans are returning, I…”
Van Orden Questions VBA on Restoring VR&E Program in Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing | Uploaded July 16, 2025 | 12:55-13:07
“The Secretary of Defense and some other folks have removed these requirements for GS levels.”
Van Orden Questions VBA on Restoring VR&E Program in Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing | Uploaded July 16, 2025 | 14:06-14:14
“I accept full responsibility for my lack of oversight. Being the chairman of the subcommittee in the last Congress, that is on me.”
Van Orden Questions VBA on Restoring VR&E Program in Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing | Uploaded July 16, 2025 | 14:56-15:04
“This is a fantastic program, but it is rife for abuse and it is too easy to defraud this program.”
Van Orden Questions VBA on Restoring VR&E Program in Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing | Uploaded July 16, 2025 | 15:15-15:25
“We could essentially fund everybody you need if we got rid of what is clearly fraud.”
Van Orden Questions VBA on Restoring VR&E Program in Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing | Uploaded July 16, 2025 | 15:35-15:42
“You don't spend $900,000 to not have a bachelor's degree.”
Van Orden Questions VBA on Restoring VR&E Program in Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing | Uploaded July 16, 2025 | 15:44-15:48
“I just want to be able to clean up our funding lines so we know exactly what we're spending on.”
Van Orden Questions VBA on Restoring VR&E Program in Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing | Uploaded July 16, 2025 | 16:06-16:11