When she introduced the bill on the House floor in July, Rep. Keller, from Pennsylvania, said the bipartisan law came after two years of pressure from Republicans in the House who opened an investigation into the veterans records backlog and introduced a bill to force the National Archives staff to go back to work in person.
An internal watchdog at the National Archives will regularly report on the agency’s progress for two years. The archivist of the United States must ensure there is sufficient staffing to respond to 90% of records requests within 20 days or less. The National Archives gets $60 million to fix the backlog, including addressing cybersecurity and digital preservation. Pence, Biden, Trump revelations: Archives asks ex-presidents to check for classified documentsĬlassified documents in cars and sheds:: There's a sloppy system beyond Trump, Pence, Biden What has Congress done to fix the backlog of veterans records?Ĭongress passed the Access for Veterans to Records Act in December as part of a sweeping bill that funds the Department of Defense, and Biden signed it into law. People who are tracking down a deceased loved one’s service record for a dedication. Veterans who are trying to gain membership in a group like the Veterans of Foreign Wars. People who are seeking to get a mortgage through the Department of Veterans Affairs. People who are already getting medical treatment but are applying for compensation for exposure to things like burn pits or Agent Orange. Federal workers who are trying to confirm their years of service to get their government pensions. People who are applying for military pension benefits for the first time. Older veterans and their families may find themselves waiting on the National Archives backlog if they fall into the following situations: Military document at National Archives needed for pensions, mortgages, honors Veterans who most recently served get their records through the Pentagon, he said.Īdditionally, the National Archives expedites requests for those who fall into three emergency categories: homeless veterans, veterans seeking medical treatment, and loved ones seeking to bury a veteran. The National Archives backlog mostly affects older veterans, who served in operations such as the Vietnam War, Rudnick said. Hearing scheduled: Senate committee schedules hearing for National Archivist nominee Colleen Shogan The question is likely to come up at Tuesday’s confirmation hearing for Colleen Shogan, President Joe Biden’s nominee to be archivist of the United States.Ĭonfirmation delay: With National Archives under fire, senators show little urgency to confirm Biden's pick to lead agency The National Archives declined to comment on what the backlog is now.Ĭongress passed a law in December giving the National Archives $60 million to fix the backlog. Fred Keller, R-Pa., who spoke on the House floor about the issue that month. By July, the backlog had fallen to 515,000, according to then-Rep. 
The backlog peaked at 603,000 requests in March 2022.
The backlog for documents like the DD214 started during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when the National Archives and Records Administration switched to remote work, and those workers could not access veterans' records because the documents are paper-based. Veterans are waiting months to get copies of military service records that prove when they served so they can prove their eligibility for pension, mortgages and other compensation.
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