Technical support you can resolve your issues immediately. Under a member unable to be on the committee and subcommittee policy that members remotely remain would not recommend like turning microphone on and off during an in person hearing. Background noise interview member to speak. You unmute your microphone and pause a couple of seconds before speaking so we can hear everything you say. If you wish to be recognize, raise your hand using the race hand function unmute your microphone and asked to be recognized. In order to ensure everything is captured on the lifestream, i asked members pause for two or three beginning to speak. If you wish to have a document inserted into the record, ask for unanimous consent and have your staff email the document to Veterans Affairs during mal male. Gov. Well be putting the repository. Keep in mind you will need to refresh page as it does not automatically update members will rest in order of seniority questioning witnesses today. This will make it easier to ensure all members have an opportunity recognized. Does any member have a question hearing not, i recognized myself for an opening statement. Todays witnesses include officials and experts important knowledge and perspectives from inside the department including the acting deputy secretary pamela hours will hear from experts at the Government Accountability office disabled American Veterans lastly, the ga released a report titled Sexual Harassment inconsistent policies and information hinder the effort to protect employees. The gao findings provide insight to whether they are doing and address Sexual Harassment. Being not doing enough the ongoing pervasiveness of Sexual Harassment in his patients ability to get clear and employees of the job effectively is deeply troubling to you is report the eighth heading in the right direction here the pace must increase and more work must be done to ensure the safety of all. The Department Must make addressing Sexual Harassment, higher priority and read the written this is written testimony, a clear pattern emerged. Department of Veterans Affairs is moving too slowly in addressing shortcomings and policies and procedures to address Sexual Harassment. During todays hearing, i will ask why va will take months and years to increment what seems to me, straightforward recommendations. The department laid out basic and critical changes involving managers charge for Sexual Harassment 2024. This is an issue is a problem, at least two years ago. The panel needs to know why it will take four years to implement. The has not agreed to adhere about must be in charge of Sexual Harassment policies within the Department Leadership structure attentional conflicts of interest with guarding how va oversees sexualharassment process and this must be fixed. There are other examples. The va doesnt require reporting of all Sexual Harassment complaints resulting in underreporting and less effective oversight be a hopes to correct this by the end of 2021. This is a problem the department has known about for quite some time i joined with eight my colleagues including the chairs and Ranking Members of the house and senate Veterans Affairs committees, urging the department to implement all of the recommendations and va expedite its current timetable. The issue of Sexual Harassment is an important priority for me and many on both sides of the aisle. I hope today will see a commitment va along with actions they plan to take. It proves to us they are making prevention a top priority. I like to recognize my colleagues, delivering opening remarks you may have. Thank you. Todays hearing is entitled safety for all, ending Sexual Harassment in the department of Veterans Affairs this is our objective but admittedly, its a broad one. Employee harassment and patient harassment could, on their own, somewhat separate hearing. One thing that true for all forms of Sexual Harassment, all the mandatory training in the world will not end it completely. In order to achieve our goal, individuals employees and veterans alike to treat one another with respect and order to change the vas culture. Sexual harassment does happen, despite our best efforts, management must be committed to holding employees and veterans accountable for their actions. Lead through accountability can we bring sexualharassment at the va to an end. When sexualharassment of the va employee occurs, management is responsible for ensuring that employees have access to programs that are efficient, effective and fair. Gaos recent report on Sexual Harassment of va employees identified numerous issues that are ripe for improvement versus Harassment Prevention Program or hpp. Pp was in 2017 the intention of preventing harassment before it becomes a model. His is a lot of objective support. Gaos report found, yet failed to finalize the directives implementing guidance for the 4yearold program preventing it from bubbling at objectives completely. Additionally, its my understanding hpp is only comprised of nine fulltime employees. Nine fulltime staff seems to me, to be an adequate for the departmentwide 390,000 employees. I hope today to discuss vas commitment to this program and get assurances from the epa directives will be finalized this year in the Program Staff appropriately to serve va employees across the country. Next, gao found an apparent conflict of interest in vas equal Employment Opportunity for eeo structure. Specifically, the alignment of the agency eeo director and the office of the assistant secretary for Human Resources and administration. Va cannot concur with the recommendation to realign the director and efficiency identified by the equal Climate Committee or eeoc. Removing this potential conflict of interest to me but i believe it is complicated so i would like to explore why that is. Another area of concern one not discussed in the report is the timeliness of the cases to the most recent, data reported by va, it takes an average roughly of 1100 days to process an eeo complaint when the employee requests a hearing before the eeoc. I understand some of this attributed to the eeoc but three years to process a complaint does not inspire confidence in the system working efficiently or effectively. In fact, according to gao, the 2016 merit Systems Protection Board survey found 47 of va employees felt their charges of Sexual Harassment would be resolved in a fair and just matter. I hope today to explore the ways in which we can increase trust in the system and reduce the time it takes to run a fair and just decision. I want to turn to patient harassment. Its evident from the testimony submitted in this case the patient on patient harassment occurs frequently and affects women at higher rates. No veteran deserves to suffer the indignity is described in the testimony. Moreover, we know one in four female veterans and one in 100 screen positive for military sexual trauma. After the recent tragic death of vanessa, an army soldier stationed at fort who sexually harassed and brutally murdered via member, many more servicewomen and Women Veterans have come forward about the abuse harassment they experience while serving in uniforms. Its unacceptable they might come to va, a place intended to heal and experience similar harassment and abuse by their fellow veterans and our employees. I take from the vas right testimony, the va can and must do better to create a self and welcoming environment for all. I dont have to tell you the importance of the initiative problems. When you have to take initiative. As the second most senior boy of the department, you have the power to gain the initiative and make real and meaningful change. Veterans, employees and stakeholders are listening and they are counting on you. For my time expires, i would be remiss if i did not recognize that today, colonel powers first time testifying before his committee, and i want to let you know, did you graduate from this high school . The new one on the old one. An old one. The old one was located in berkeley, the new one in seven where i grew up and we used to beat them regularly on the court but was one of the competitions that when it was over, we went all out, enjoyed ice cream together and thats how it should be to thank you for being here. With that, i yield back. I could go for some after the hearing today, im sure you all agree but we welcome you and are pleased youre here. Id like to turn things over to the womens veterans cap force for five minutes of opening comments thank you for holding this important hearing today including the womens Veterans Task force and a voice to the hearing. Yesterday stood outside the capital with my colleagues and womens demanding justice servicewomen and Women Veterans the murder of vanessa. She told her family she was being sexually harassed by a fellow soldier before she went missing in april. His story resonates with millions of Women Veterans who have experienced so much, and violence at the hands of those who are supposed to have their backs. That includes their experiences at the va Agency Responsible for providing benefits to survivors of Sexual Violence safe place for all who enter its doors. Today we will discuss the prevalence of Sexual Harassment within the va. Much of todays hearing will focus on finding Government AccountabilityOffice Report that found inconsistent and incomplete policies and information hinder the vas efforts to protect their employees. The results of the report are alarming. I was stunned to learn the policy and accountability falls regarding harassment of employees are nearly identical to those regarding Sexual Harassment of drones patients. While i welcome vas acceptance of six of gao seven information to address employee harassment, i share my colleagues concerns the timeliness stage to implement these recommendations will take far too long. Women employees and Women Veterans have shared their experiences of sexual and gender harassment within vas walls for years. We also know black women and lgbtq veterans are disproportionately impacted. One in four Women Veterans experience sexual or gender harassment at va medical facilities across the country. One in three black Women Veterans experience Sexual Harassment and medical facilities across the country. These numbers are probably far higher because va does not mandate reporting a Sexual Harassment complaint. In the statement for the record, paralyzed veterans of america share the story of one of the Women Veteran members whose physical limitations made her particularly vulnerable when she was sexually harassed by a male turn in her hospital room. This kind of trauma causes at least 20 of Women Veterans to delay or skip it entirely seeking lifesaving healthcare. We are out of time and we need corrective action now. Its a resource issue i expect the va will share with us and with the appropriators what they need to meet a more accelerated timeline. While i want to recognize the efforts of any in the va, i must also highlight a contradiction vas testimony which says, secretary wilkie emphasized during his first few weeks of secretary and again in december and his annual message, va will not tolerate behaviors that create intimidating, offensive or hostile environments. Yet, we still have a culture of misogyny which continues to create an environment of intimidation and hostility for too many Women Veterans and women employees. Statements for the records for todays hearing, multiple veteran organizations highlighted the case of a woman veteran who happens to be on my staff. While on her way to an appointment, she was sexually harassed and assaulted at the washington d. C. Va even though the incident took place in a public space, she had to report for different va employees before the police were called. Survivors of military Sexual Harassment feel its an attack on all survivors because they dont feel heard, they feel disrespected and they feel lack of recognition that Sexual Harassment still occurred in an unacceptable rate within the va and the Old Boys Club culture that devalues women persists. Additionally, women va employees are still experiencing high levels of sexual and gender harassment. In 2016, the system protection board survey found the va had the second highest rate Sexual Harassment of women employees in the entire executive branch at 26 . Yet, between 2016 18, the va only results 15 cases of Sexual Harassment. The house acted on this issue in november when we passed my bill, a sampson, the house version include a provision that would address Sexual Harassment and assault at ba. We Still Need Senate Action on this bill. Gao report makes it clear what needs to be done. Inconsistent and incomplete policies are putting employees, patients, caregivers and anyone else on vas property at risk. Without an honest, clear and genuine recognition of a problem the top, a successful field system with security measures built into every step along the way, it will never happen. We need a system in place now, not years from now and the va must begin today to approach this issue with a real sense of urgency. I look forward to todays testimony from the va, gao and disabled American Veterans and a productive discussion on this critically important issue and with that, thank you again and i yelled back the rest of my time. I would now like to recognize chairman of the full committee for five minutes. Thank you. I want to note the importance of this hearing. The subcommittee and focused much needed attention on the ongoing and widespread problem of Sexual Harassment via facilities. I recognize the department has made progress. I must echo what others have stated though. We need to see va leadership take many more steps, in a timely manner for an effective policies and procedures. As shown by the gao in its report on vas Sexual Harassment released last week, and effective policies not only mean fewer employees have the protection they need for the very mission of vas center. Gao and its report released last week, many failings by va in the efforts to address Sexual Harassment putting all allegations by employees are being reported through any sort of centralized system. In other words, is a severe undercounting of allegations reported else in an action by the department. This is not the first time gao raised similar concerns. There was a 1990 gao report titled inquiry into Sexual Harassment issues selected va medical centers. Let me say that again, a 1993 gao report. That report specifically pointed out the importance of full reporting of allegations through a central system as well as mandatory Sexual Harassment training and other steps, so much of what we are hearing about today. The va employees simply cannot wait for years or even months before the gao recommendations are implemented in other are taken. I also know the department is not working effectively with organized labor in order to address Sexual Harassment. Labor unions can be an asset in working with in communicating with employees. There are also a viable form of protection and support. I urge va to engage with organized labor on this issue. So i look forward to your testimony and i appreciate your participation in this proceeding today. I look forward to hearing from todays witnesses and i yield back the balance of my time. Thank you. Will introduce the witnesses we have on our first panel. We have pamela powers, deputy secretary of the department of Veterans Affairs and shes accompanied by mr. Dan, assistant secretary of Human Resources and administration and Operations Security and preparedness. Doctor patricia haze, chief consultant of Womens Health services at the office of Patient Care Services the Veterans Health administration. In ms. We left jackson, senior starters for the office chief of staff of the Veterans Health administration. His powers will provide testimony for va witnesses. Please pause two to three seconds before you begin speaking so