were responsive to funeral directors. additionally almost 74% felt that the va and the dod were very or extremely responsive to fit in families. however, monica torres, a nfda member, science student at the college and military spouse, commented that gathering information may be an avenue of interest. if there is no process to collect this important information, nfda will be happy to assist in developing a questionnaire funeral directors can give the families after the funeral and burial are completed. regarding funeral and burial benefits, less than one-third of funeral directors responded the experienced problems obtaining veteran burial benefits.

however, over 66% of respondents felt the current federal and funeral benefits are insufficient. several nfda members commented that the funeral benefit has not changed with inflation and that it does not cover the ever-increasing cost of a funeral. as a result, almost to a third of funeral directors stated that they have to absorb the extra cost associated with better in funerals. the average dollar amount absorbed by funeral directors per veteran funeral was $652. in addition, nfda member of a funeral home in milwaukee, wisconsin, and he believes the va is disregarding those veterans and their families who have chosen cremation as their final form of disposition by offering the burial benefit to these veterans. he indicated the better and families do not understand why

if they bury their loved one thing would get a benefit but if they choose cremation they may not receive the terri hail allowance unless the cremated remains are buried. mr. chairman, i would like to take this opportunity to express' nfda's strong support for h.r. 2642, tiberi of ohio that directs the secretary of veterans affairs to assist in the identification of on plant and abandoned him remains to determine if any of these remains are eligible for burial in the national cemetery. nfda members are acutely aware of the sad story of on plame remains many of whom are veterans throughout this nation. nfda members will be happy to work with the va to identify veterans remains that have gone unclaimed and ensure that these heroes receive the funeral and burial honors they deserve. mr. chairman, distinguished members of the committee, on behalf of the members of the

national funeral directors association, i want to ensure you fugal directors threw up the country remain dedicated to do their part to honor the nation's veterans and their families and want to conclude my testimony by thanking you for the opportunity to testify on behalf of va nfda. i hope my testimony has been helpful and i am ready to answer any questions you may have. >> thank you, miss witter. mr. speaker, you are recognized. -- before, mr. chairman and members. for letting me testify about the harmful practice of outsourcing cemetery caretaker jobs up a national cemeteries. i am proud to be a fee on veteran and served the country in the air force. six years ago after many years in the corporate world i was tired of the national cemetery in denver colorado. it is an honor to work cemeteries in the network in my opinion. that is at least until recently when some of the caretaker work

was contracted out. i started out at fort lincoln as a cemetery caretaker maintaining cemetery grounds and turning headstones and helping the crew. i currently work as a cemetery representative. the last donner we still on the veterans and their families is to give them a decent fare well continues with perpetual care of the resting place. the weather could be filled with such dignity and dedication without the cemetery caretakers. almost all of whom are veterans themselves. caretaker's take great pride in their job keeping the cemetery up to national status but their jobs are not just about meticulously maintaining the ground. oftentimes, the cemetery caretaker is the first person the family talks to when they are looking for a loved one's gravesite or have questions about the national cemetery. there are family members who visit their loved ones great almost every day.

they are increasing. the caretakers get to know some of them by name and are a source of comfort. at fort logan almost all of the caretakers have been veterans and those who are not veterans are mentored by those who fill the unique rules of the cemeteries. sadly and c.a. contacted the caretaker and trimming work to years ago. that resulted in the loss of three full-time caretaker positions for the next wave of the veterans coming home from combat in need of a job. the remaining caretakers often have to redo the contractor's work to make it look good for memorial day or business by senior management from washington. next month another contract will be at fort luke in this time for headstone setting and our caretakers currently perform that job. as to more caretaker positions lost for future veterans. our caretaker's take pride in their ability to set headstones and they do a magnificent job.

it's very personal to them. most of the time the caretaker headstones in a burial section will be assigned that section until it is completely filled. they consider it a privilege to complete this honorable task. now this job will be turned over to a subcontractor and will no longer be caretaking, it will be just a contract laborer with no connection to veterans or their family is doing the mowing or headstone setting. these recent contracts don't seem legal. we never saw a formal solicitation, we never saw any evidence of cost savings. management never gave us a chance to compete for that work either in order for us to show that we could do it better and cheaper even though the law gives us that right. nca are due to the cemetery caretaker positions are too hard to fill. but that in my mind is disingenuous. there's no evidence of that. nca has not gone out of its way to recruit veterans looking for work.

there are so many veterans who could fill these positions with honor and dignity that the fix them. two years ago nca sent me to west palm beach to help open a new national cemetery. the nca hired a director reps' but no caretaker's workroom. instead they gave all this work to contractors. that is a lot of lost opportunities for today's unemployed veterans. so i am asking you first to please stop nca for taking more caretaker jobs from veterans and please require nca to work with va's job training programs and veteran's groups to fight on and place it turns to do this honorable work. and finally, nca should start complying with the new omb guidance that tracks agencies to start bringing contractor work back inside the government. it is a bill law, it is the fair thing to do for the jobless veterans and it is the honorable thing for all fallen veterans and their families.

thank you very much. >> thank you, mr. nicolai. and i will, with the consent of ms. halvorson and mr. lamborn, thank you for your testimony and tell you we are going to submit questions. we do have questions for you but if we ask them now and then you give the answers and multiply it by five we will not get to the next panel before the votes are called. sallai the -- don't take our underestimating your importance and the importance of your testimony, but we will send you questions and writing and some of the questions frankly that you have raised and that we have for you are questions we want to ask of the next panel. so, thank you very much for your patience and for your testimony, in your service to our veterans and to our country. mr. lamborn, would you like to

comment? >> i agree. i would like to say to the gentleman from fort logan i've been there. it's just north of the part of colorado i represent and is beautifully kept and i appreciate your work. >> once again, thank all of you for your service to the country and our, the staff will send you a simple questions and in the interest of getting through the agenda before the next votes are called and we disappear for who knows how long we will thank you and excuse you and wish you a good day and ask arthur panel to join us consisting of steve muro acting for memorial affairs at the national cemetery at patrician at the u.s. to part one of veterans affairs accompanied by ron walters director of planning and budget and planning services of the national cemeterdm