Dear friend, 

After another busy week in Washington, I am writing with your Weekly Wrap, a recap of the week in Congress and highlights of my work. 

Last week, the House Committee on Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs convened a hearing of several pieces of legislation to improve the benefits of veterans. This hearing included my bill, the Caring for Survivors Act. On Tuesday, the House Committee on Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education held a hearing entitled Childcare and the American Workforce: Removing Barriers to Economic Growth. The full committee convened on Wednesday for a markup of seven pieces of legislation. Also, I introduced the EQIP Improvement Act, legislation designed to make the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) more equitable for small farmers. 

More from the week: Alongside New Democrat Coalition Vice Chair for Outreach Salud Carbajal (CA-24) and House Agriculture Committee Vice Ranking Member Shontel Brown (OH-11), I participated in a roundtable conversation focused on SNAP. Also, I met with representatives from AARP Connecticut. The House also passed H.R. 3944, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2026, by a vote of 218 to 206.

For my full recap, please read below.

The Caring for Survivors Act

In January, I reintroduced the bipartisan Caring for Survivors Act. This legislation would expand monthly benefits for family members and survivors of veterans who have given their lives in service to the United States. Specifically, the bill increases the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefit for survivors from 43% to 55% of a single 100% disabled veteran’s compensation. It also reduces the 10-year rule to 5 years, greatly assisting families who have had their lives put on hold by caring for a disabled family member. 
 
Last week, the House Committee on Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs held a hearing on several pieces of legislation to improve the benefits of veterans. Similar to last year, the hearing included the Caring for Survivors Act.  

I had the opportunity to discuss the importance of the bill, share the broad support the bill continues to gain, and reiterate the need to sign the bill into law. 
 
I appreciate the support of the Veterans Service Officers (VSO) community and the ongoing advocacy of surviving spouses and other family members as they work to implement essential changes to survivors' benefits. 
 
Supporting veterans and their families is an intentional choice we can all make. 

To listen to my remarks during the hearing, please click here. 

House Committee on Education and Workforce

On Tuesday, the House Committee on Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education held a hearing entitled Childcare and the American Workforce: Removing Barriers to Economic Growth.

Access to childcare is essential for parents to get an education or enter the workforce.  Unfortunately, childcare remains unaffordable for many Americans.

During the hearing, I emphasized the need to maintain Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) regulations that support quality and accessible childcare in communities all across the country. In 2024, the Biden Administration finalized a rule to update the CCDF, which improved payment practices and capped copayments at 7 percent. Repealing the 2024 rule would further exacerbate the childcare crisis.

Watch my remarks during the hearing here. 

On Wednesday, the committee reconvened for a full committee markup of seven pieces of legislation including, Empower Charter School Educators to Lead Act, Accreditation for College Excellence (ACE) Act, Accreditation Choice and Innovation Act, Association Health Plans Act, Protecting Prudent Investment of Retirement Savings Act, Self Insurance Protection Act, and Improvising Access to Workers’ Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act.

Unfortunately, as presented, many of these bills attack accreditation at institutions of higher education, undermine the Affordable Care Act, and take money away from public schools.

I voted no because access to high-quality education and affordable healthcare should be available to all.

EQIP Improvement Act

On Wednesday, I introduced the EQIP Improvement Act, legislation designed to make the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) more equitable for small farmers, prioritize federal funding for demonstrably effective conservation practices, and provide states with greater flexibility in distributing funds.

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is the premier conservation program of the USDA, designed to assist farmers in adopting conservation practices on their land. This legislation reforms the program by creating financial opportunities to ensure more small farmers can get funding, lowering the federal cost-share for practices with limited environmental benefit, and eliminating an arbitrary requirement to dedicate half of all funds to livestock operations.

Small and underserved farmers are consistently left behind when it comes to accessing vital conservation resources.

My bill is a common-sense solution to ensure that more producers, especially those with small operations, can participate in this critical program. By redirecting funds towards the most impactful conservation practices and empowering states to make decisions that best serve their unique agricultural landscapes, we can make EQIP more effective, equitable, and truly beneficial for our environment.

Learn more about the EQIP Improvement Act here.

New Democrat Coalition SNAP Roundtable

On Thursday, alongside New Democrat Coalition Vice Chair for Outreach Salud Carbajal (CA-24) and House Agriculture Committee Vice Ranking Member Shontel Brown (OH-11), I participated in a roundtable discussion on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). During the panel, we also heard from nonprofit organizations, advocacy groups, unions, and industry leaders about the need to preserve SNAP and the dire consequences of proposed cuts to the program, which would have a direct impact on 42 million Americans.

As Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture, I am working to ensure we do not rip food out of the mouths of hungry children, seniors, and veterans by slashing nutrition funding.

Meeting with AARP

Last week, representatives from AARP Connecticut visited Washington to advocate for their nearly 38 million members aged 50 and older. Our conversation encompassed a range of topics, including eldercare, SNAP, Social Security, Medicare, and the Credit for Caring Act.   

Family caregivers are the backbone of the U.S. care system. Nearly eight in ten family caregivers (78%) incur out-of-pocket caregiving costs. The Credit for Caring Act would help working family caregivers offset the cost of some caregiving expenses.

I am pleased to continue supporting the legislation this Congress to ensure caregivers in Connecticut receive critically needed benefits.

The Military Construction Veteran Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act

On Thursday, the House passed H.R. 3944, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2026, by a vote of 218 to 206.

I voted no on this legislation because it worsens the quality of life for servicemembers and their families and hurts military readiness, attempts to privatize medical care for veterans, limits access to reproductive healthcare for women veterans, and does not fulfill our commitment to our allies.

Specifically, H.R. 3944 funds military construction $904 million below the needed level, transfers billions to private hospitals and clinics – driving up costs and wait times and diminishing quality of care and provides $188 million less than what is needed to support NATO infrastructure.

And that’s a wrap. 
 
Thank you for taking the time to read this update. Please be assured I will continue to advocate for your priorities.

Jahana Hayes

Member of Congress