The House of Representatives recently passed the VA Accountability First and Appeals Modernization Act of 2016, a bipartisan bill that would reform the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs appeals process and reduce wait time for veterans' claims. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said more than 450,000 veterans are awaiting claim appeals decisions and 80,000 veterans have appeals that are older than five years. By 2027, that will grow to more than two million if the process is not modernized. The legislation is currently awaiting a vote in the Senate.
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