Hawkeye Reporter

A senior member of the U.S. Senate has urged the Trump administration to address a backlog and management issues within a federal program responsible for providing benefits to families of police officers and firefighters who have died or become disabled in the line of duty.

Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, stated that the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits program is not adequately serving the spouses and children of deceased or disabled first responders. He pointed out that mismanagement within the program has led to significant difficulties for affected families, including extended delays in processing claims.

“This is absolutely unacceptable,” Grassley wrote in a letter addressed to Attorney General Pam Bondi. In his correspondence, he recommended that Bondi consider replacing Hope Janke, who has been leading the program for several years.

Grassley referenced a Government Accountability Office report released last year, which highlighted persistent management problems with the program since 2009. According to Grassley, recommended changes by external reviewers have not been implemented and those overseeing the program have not faced consequences for ongoing issues.

The senator has requested that the Department of Justice provide updates and relevant documents regarding these matters within two weeks.

Lisa Afolayan, a widow from Texas whose claim has remained unresolved for 16 years after her husband’s death during Border Patrol training, expressed support for Grassley's involvement. “We need movement. We need change and not only for my family,” she said. “They’ve lost sight of why the program was started.”

The Associated Press covered these developments on June 24, 2025 (https://apnews.com/article/grassley-benefits-program-backlog-45f2e7b94c1d4b47a6ad5d77ebbb8ac7). The full article can be accessed online.

Grassley’s letter to DOJ is also available (https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/icymi-grassley-pushes-improvements-doj-program-servicing-fallen-or-disabled-officers).