ROA announced on April 30, 2026, the launch of an urgent two-week member survey responding to a formal Request for Information (RFI) from Congressman Timothy Kennedy regarding veterans’ access to timely and quality care through the Department of Veterans Affairs. The RFI was issued as a follow-up to a Veterans Service Organization (VSO) roundtable hosted earlier this month by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
On Monday, April 20, 2026, Steve Minyard, Director of Programs for ROA, participated in the VSO roundtable alongside House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano, House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Ranking Member Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and other members of Congress. Leader Jeffries opened the meeting with a moment of silence for those fallen in the Iran conflict, the majority of whom were members of America’s Reserve Components.
The roundtable discussion focused on several lines of advocacy long championed by ROA, including passage of the Major Richard Star Act — which would provide concurrent receipt of disability compensation and military retirement pay for combat-injured veterans — timely access to care within the Veterans Administration’s health care system, and ensuring that servicemembers returning from combat to rural and underserved areas receive the care and benefits earned through their service to the nation.
“ROA is deeply grateful to Leader Jeffries and Ranking Member Takano for convening this critical conversation and for their continued leadership on behalf of America’s veterans,” said Minyard. “The issues raised at the roundtable go to the heart of the promises this nation has made to those who serve. We thank them for hosting this roundtable and for inviting ROA to bring the voice of the Reserve Component to the table.”
Following the roundtable, Congressman Timothy Kennedy submitted a formal RFI to ROA seeking direct input from veterans on their experiences accessing VA care, with particular focus on mental health access, wait times, community care referrals, and the impact of recent federal workforce policies on care delivery. To respond meaningfully to the Congressman’s inquiry, ROA is calling on its membership to share their experiences through a targeted survey now live on the organization’s communications channels.
The survey will remain open for two weeks before closing to meet the timeline of the congressional inquiry. ROA is urging members to respond quickly so that the organization can deliver a comprehensive, member-informed response to Capitol Hill that accurately reflects the lived experience of Reserve Component veterans navigating the VA system.
“Our members’ voices are the most powerful evidence we can bring to Congress,” said Matthew Schwartzman, ROA’s Director of Legislation and Military Policy. “When a Member of Congress asks ROA what veterans are experiencing on the ground, our answer needs to reflect what our members are actually living through — not what we assume. I urge every ROA member who has interacted with the VA health care system in the past year to take a few minutes to respond. Your experience will directly shape what Congress hears.”
The survey covers veterans’ direct experiences with timely access to care, wait times for primary care, specialty care, and mental health services, the timeliness and coordination of community care referrals, and whether veterans believe they are receiving the right care or simply being processed more quickly through the system.
ROA encourages all members to participate before the two-week response window closes.
Click here to participate.