A major session of the full House Committee on Veterans Affairs will consider "Mental Health: Bridging the Gap between Care and Compensation for Veterans." This hearing, coming on the heels of a U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision identifying failings in VA in its dealing with PTS veterans, is examining the entire spectrum of VA's treatment of veterans with mental health disorders. The committee also intends to examine how the goals of VBA and VHA interact.

Legislative staff members are also attending hearings concerning critical material resources. Rare earth metals and other resources have attained new prominence recently owing to their omnipresence in critical electronic components. China is the world's leading supplier of such materials. Determining our capability to harvest and produce these materials domestically is an important factor in reducing America's dependence on foreign imports.