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 | April 11, 2014 |
House Armed Services Talks Beneficiary Proposals
On Wednesday, the VFW provided written testimony to the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel regarding FY 2015 budget proposals that may reduce healthcare and benefits for active duty, retirees and their families. In our testimony, we reminded committee members that we are a nation still at war with obligations that put our service men and women at risk. Reducing compensation, healthcare or other benefits on the backs of those who served and their families should not be part of any proposal within DOD. The committee heard from two witnesses from The Military Coalition: Mike Hayden, Military Officers Association of America, and Rick Jones, National Association for Uniformed Services. Both discussed the long-term consequences many of the DOD proposals will have on service members and their families. Committee members all agreed that they would like to wait for recommendations from the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission before agreeing to any changes or reductions in benefits. Read the VFW's testimony. Watch the recorded hearing.
Committee Asks VA for Explanation on Healthcare Delays/DeathsThis week, the House VA Committee held its third hearing focused on patient safety and preventable deaths within VA medical facilities. The line of questioning focused on the 23 deaths that were the result of delays in treatment at VA and the unresponsiveness to requests for more information from the committee. Committee Chairman Jeff Miller (R-FL) opened the hearing with harsh words for VA, noting his frustration with the lack of information provided to the committee. Other committee members also raised serious concerns about the lack of accountability for the deaths that occurred as a result of delays in care. GAO and VA Inspector General Representatives stated that VA has responded to their recommendations and have taken steps to improve its medical appointment wait times and scheduling oversight to ensure quality healthcare is provided to veterans. To watch the recorded hearing or to read submitted testimony by witnesses, click here.
The VFW Joins Capitol Seminar on Rural VeteransOn Tuesday, the VFW was on hand at the U.S. Capitol for a seminar hosted by The Home Depot Foundation and the Housing Assistance Council (HAC) to discuss the unique challenges faced by rural veterans and present HAC's new report on housing rural veterans in America, entitled "From Service to Shelter." The Council's report qualitatively studied the unique characteristics of rural veterans and the challenges in delivering services to meet their needs. The seminar also featured two panels to discuss federal resources for rural veterans and examples of local programs that have helped satisfy the needs of the community, as well as members of the House and Senate who discussed ways they were working to better serve rural veterans. For more details about the seminar and the report on rural veterans, click here.
Veterans Crisis LineThe Department of Veterans Affairs relies on groups and individuals to spread the word about the Veterans Crisis Line, a free, confidential resource for veterans, service members and their loved ones. If someone you know shows signs of crisis, encourage him or her to call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, or chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat or text 838255 for support. There are other simple actions to take to help veterans access the care they earned and deserve. Help spread the word, because it matters. Learn more.
Congress on Two Week Recess-Time to Schedule a Visit
Congress headed home to their district offices for a two-week recess today. During the extended recess, we urge all of our advocates to attend a town hall meeting or schedule an appointment with your member of Congress. To find information on your member's schedule and how to schedule a meeting or invite them to speak at your Post, sign up for their newsletters, and see what bills they support, visit the House website and type in your zip code. When you meet with your member of Congress, be prepared to discuss critical veterans and military quality-of-life issues. Ask them what they plan to do about Sequestration. Initiate a conversation about other key issues like advance appropriations for all VA programs, in-state tuition for student-veterans, protecting military quality-of-life programs and working to expand veterans' caregiver benefits. An in-depth look at these issues can be found in our Advocacy in Action booklet and as part of our 2014 Priority Goals.
Volunteers Needed for Reading of NamesVolunteers are being sought to help with a first-ever Reading of the Names of Iraq and Afghanistan war dead over the Memorial Day weekend in Washington, D.C. Sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and supported by the VFW and many others, the names will be read aloud chronologically beginning at 9 a.m., May 24, on the east knoll of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and continue until almost 6 p.m. Those interested in volunteering can register starting at 8 a.m., Monday, April 14, at www.vvmf.org/rotn. Each volunteer will read 15 names. As VFW National Commander Bill Thien said, "The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is proud to support the Reading of the Names initiative because it remembers those who fell, and it reconfirms to their families and comrades-in-arms that service, sacrifice and patriotism will never be forgotten."
VFW Action Corps RebrandingNext week, you will see some changes to the VFW Action Corps, including a new look to this newsletter and a new look to the VFW Action Corps web page on www.vfw.org. For more than a decade, the VFW Washington Weekly has served as the centerpiece of the VFW's grassroots advocacy, bringing you consistent weekly updates on the work of the VFW Washington Office, as well as timely Action Alerts through which you could contact your legislators to support critical veterans' initiatives. In an effort to spread the word to more VFW members and inspire more advocates to join our grassroots effort, next week, we will unveil the VFW Action Corps Weekly as part of a new branding initiative for the VFW Action Corps. Over the last year, we heard confusion from some of our advocates who did not understand that receiving the Washington Weekly and joining the VFW Action Corps were one in the same. By rebranding our advocacy effort simply as the VFW Action Corps, we're eliminating that confusion and delivering more tools to our grassroots advocates to make a difference. The first outreach initiative for the new VFW Action Corps will be in next week's VFW Membership Dispatch, explaining our grassroots advocacy mission and encouraging more VFW members to join the effort. The VFW Action Corps Weekly will be in the same easy-to-read format, but you will see a new title in your inbox next week. So be on the look-out for the new look of the VFW Action Corps, including next week's VFW Action Corps Weekly!
Three MIAs RecoveredThe Defense POW/MIA Office recently announced the identification of remains belonging to three American servicemen who had been missing in action since World War II and the Korean War. Recovered are:
- Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Louis L. Longman, 26, of Clinton, Iowa, who was buried April 12, in Rock Island, Ill. On April 16, 1944, Longman was piloting a P-38J Lightning aircraft that didn't return to base after a bomber escort mission against enemy targets on New Guinea.
- Army Pfc. Arthur Richardson, 1st Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, was lost on Jan. 1, 1951, in South Korea. He will be buried with full military honors at a location yet to be determined.
- Marine Corps Cpl. William S. Blasdel, Company H, 3rd Battalion, 11th Regiment, 1st Marine Division, was lost Oct. 28, 1953, in North Korea. He will be buried with full military honors this spring in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
**Congratulations to the VFW Departments who have reached more than a 100% increase in advocates to join our Action Corps team—Alaska, Colorado, Iowa, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Wisconsin. Keep up the good work!
Sign up new veterans' advocates.
As always, we want to share your advocacy stories on the VFW Capitol Hill blog. To share your stories, fill out our online form or simply email photos and stories directly to vfwac@vfw.org.
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