WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Chrissy Houlahan, Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel, called for the immediate rescheduling of a long-overdue oversight hearing on the Military Health System (MHS). Reps. Jacobs, Strickland, Tokuda, Cisneros, and Goodlander joined Rep. Houlahan’s request, noting that the hearing, scheduled originally for March 25, 2026, was abruptly postponed, and the most recent oversight hearing on Military Health System Reform was in 2019.
In a letter to Subcommittee Chairman Pat Fallon, the Members underscored the urgent need for accountability and transparency as the Department of Defense approaches the tenth anniversary of sweeping Military Health System reforms.
“These reforms were intended to improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of care for our service members and their families while ensuring our military medical providers remain ready for combat operations,” said Ranking Member Houlahan. “While progress has been made, ongoing dysfunction, staffing shortages, and missed benchmarks demand renewed congressional oversight.”
The Members highlighted persistent challenges that have arisen following the consolidation of military medical treatment facilities under the Defense Health Agency (DHA), including:
• Chronic understaffing and failure to meet access-to-care standards;
• Attempts to reduce or eliminate services at military treatment facilities;
• Insufficient hiring of civilian and contract personnel to sustain operations; and
• Lack of public accountability despite repeated warnings from the Department of Defense Inspector General.
The Members also expressed concern over the cancellation of a previously scheduled oversight hearing just 24 hours before it was set to begin.
“That is unacceptable,” Ranking Member Houlahan said. “Our service members and their families deserve a health care system that works and Congress has a responsibility to ensure that it does.”
Military Personnel Subcommittee Democrats are requesting that the rescheduled hearing include testimony from the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs and the Director of the Defense Health Agency. They emphasized that such a hearing is critical to informing legislative decisions as Congress prepares the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act.
“We remain committed to working in a bipartisan manner to strengthen the Military Health System,” Ranking Member Houlahan added. “But that work must begin with transparency, accountability, and a clear understanding of where reforms have fallen short.” We can’t get there if our partners in this work don’t show up.
A pdf copy of the letter can be found here.
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