Takano, Mark

Mark Takano represents California's 39th congressional district and serves as Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, the position held by the senior minority party member who leads Democratic opposition and oversight on the committee. The Veterans' Affairs Committee oversees the Department of Veterans Affairs, which administers healthcare, disability benefits, and other services to millions of veterans. As ranking member, Takano shapes the committee's investigative agenda, questions witnesses, and coordinates Democratic legislative priorities on veteran issues. Before his current role, he chaired the committee from 2019 through 2022, when Democrats held the House majority.

Takano brings deep personal and professional experience to his work on veterans' issues. Born in Riverside, California in 1960, he earned a bachelor's degree in government from Harvard College in 1983 and later a master's degree in creative writing from UC Riverside. Before entering Congress in 2013, he taught British literature in public schools for 23 years and served on the Riverside Community College Board of Trustees. His family's history includes Japanese American internment during World War II, shaping his lifelong commitment to civil rights and public service.

During his tenure as committee chairman, Takano advanced landmark legislation improving veteran care and benefits. He authored the Honoring our PACT Act, signed into law in 2022, which expanded VA benefits and care to over 3.5 million veterans exposed to toxins during military service—the largest expansion of VA benefits in decades. He also championed the Veterans' COMPACT Act to address veteran suicide prevention. As ranking member, Takano has prioritized reducing veteran suicide, addressing toxic exposure effects, and ensuring the VA welcomes all veterans. He has actively conducted oversight hearings with veteran service organizations and advocated for adequate VA funding and staffing.

Takano is recognized as an effective legislator focused on defense and veterans' policy. He has sponsored 71 bills across his tenure, with 13 enacted into law, and earned an "A" grade from the nonpartisan Lugar Center's Congressional Oversight Hearing Index for his committee work. Beyond veterans' affairs, he serves on the Education and Workforce Committee and is active in the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus and Congressional Progressive Caucus. As the first openly gay person of Asian descent in Congress, he brings a distinctive perspective to legislative debates on civil rights and social policy.