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 | June 13, 2014 |
Congress Clears VA Bills
Congress overwhelmingly passed two veterans' bills this week that will begin to fix the crisis in care and access within VA healthcare facilities. On Tuesday, the House passed (426-0), H.R. 4810, the Veteran Access to Care Act of 2014, and the Senate passed S. 2450, the Veterans' Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014, by a vote of 93-3 on Wednesday. Both bills now move to a conference committee to iron out their differences. Both bills would allow VA to enter into contracts with non-VA facilities to provide hospital care and medical services for veterans who have waited too long for an appointment or live more than 40 miles away from a VA facility. They also require an independent assessment of VHA which is responsible for running VA medical facilities. Where the bills differ is in how best to address holding VA employees accountable and giving VA authority to expedite the hiring of new medical care staff. VFW National Commander William A. Thien now calls on Congress for a quick resolution of the bills, so one bill can be passed and sent to the President for his signature.To check out how your House member voted, click here. For the Senate vote, click here. For the VFW press release and more information on both bills, visit our website.
The VFW Holds Veteran Town Hall MeetingsIn response to the VA's nationwide crisis in care and confidence, the VFW held two town hall meetings Monday evening to hear directly from veterans about what's wrong or right about their local VA. Several hundred veterans and family members attended the meetings at a downtown theater in Kansas City, Mo., and at VFW Post 6506 in a northeast Baltimore suburb. Many veterans cited the great care and treatment the VA provided once they got access, while the majority of complaints centered on poor customer service and response, over-medication and misdiagnoses. VFW local and national service officers were present at both venues to take information and assist accordingly, and attending VFW national leadership promised to carry their issues and concerns directly to Congress and the administration.
The VFW Participates in House Leadership Veterans RoundtableHouse Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi hosted the quarterly Democratic Leadership Veterans Roundtable on Tuesday, June 10, 2014. VFW National Legislative Director Ray Kelley attended and spoke of the need for Congress to come together to quickly solve the VA healthcare access crisis. Kelley pointed out that veterans, who are waiting for care, must be provided care immediately, and those who orchestrated the secret waiting lists and covered up wrong-doing must be held accountable. To date, both the House and Senate have passed their own versions of bills that will provide increased access and accountability within VA. Now both chambers must come together to take the best parts of both bills and quickly pass it. The VFW will work to keep you up-to-date on this as it develops.
Florida Congressional Delegation Holds HearingOn Thursday, June 12, 2014, VFW Department of Florida Service Officer Jason Smith presented testimony before the Florida Congressional delegation, chaired by Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL). The topic of the hearing was VA healthcare delivery. Jason highlighted the work the VFW has done through our national helpline—1-800-VFW-1899—and the town hall meetings that were held to hear firsthand of veterans' experiences and to assist those in immediate need of care. He also pointed out that VA capacity is not meeting demand and that every tool must be used to ensure timely, high-quality care is provide for our veterans. Read Jason's full testimony.
House VA Committee Discusses Barriers to VA Care
This week, the House VA Committee held a hearing to examine "Bureaucratic Barriers to Healthcare for Veterans." The hearing was scheduled in the aftermath of ongoing investigations regarding scheduling and appointment delays and in some cases denial of care to veterans. Witnesses at the hearing included Tim McClain, President, Humana Government Relations; Dan Collard, Chief Operating Officer, The Studer Group; Dr. Betsy McCaughey, Chairman, Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths and VHA Acting Under Secretary Dr. Robert L. Jesse. Testimony centered on the need for an organizational cultural assessment, strong leadership and a standardization of care throughout the VA system. Mr. McClain and Mr. Collard both spoke strongly about that need to build cultures of accountability, alignment, consistency and sustainability—factors that are present in many private sector healthcare delivery models. Committee members spoke about their opportunity to revamp the system and the responsibility to get it right for the thousands of veterans using VA. Chairman Miller reminded committee members that "correcting those failures is going to take a lot more than the band-aid fixes—it is going to take wholesale systematic reform of the entire Department, starting with holding senior staff accountable." For complete coverage of the hearing, click here.
Congressional Gold Medals ApprovedThe President has signed legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the Doolittle Raiders, American Fighter Aces, the Allied Armies' Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives unit—better known as the "Monuments Men"—and to Puerto Rico's 65th Infantry Regiment. The Congressional Gold Medal is the nation's highest civilian honor, and is often awarded long after the recipient's mission was accomplished.
- Doolittle Raiders – Named after their leader, Col. Jimmy Doolittle, their bombing raid over Tokyo four months after Pearl Harbor provided a critical morale boost for the American public, proved to the Japanese they weren't invulnerable to American attack, and forced their military to shift vital resources to homeland defense. Only four of the original 80 raiders are still alive.
- American Fighter Aces – More than 60,000 U.S. military fighter pilots have taken to the air since World War I, yet less than 1,500 earned the coveted title of fighter ace for shooting down five or more enemy aircraft. The last American air aces were during Vietnam, and due to the evolving nature of warfare, there may not be another.
- The Monuments Men (and women) were artistic and architectural experts charged with the task of protecting Europe's cultural treasures in the midst of World War II. They followed soldiers into battle to preserve churches from the devastation of war, and to track down art stolen by the Nazis and return them to rightful owners. Six members of the Monuments Men are still living.
- 65th Infantry Regiment – Puerto Rico's 65th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed the Borinqueneers, were formed and served courageously during the time of a segregated military during World War I and World War II, and they later served with distinction in Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Clark Cemetery Transfer CompleteThe upkeep, responsibility and care of a veterans cemetery on the former Clark Air Base in the Philippines has now been officially transferred from VFW Post 2485 to the American Battle Monument Commission. The transfer of Clark Veterans Cemetery, now renamed Clark American Cemetery, fulfils VFW National Resolution 431, which was submitted by the VFW Department of the Pacific and approved by delegates attending the 113th National Convention in Reno, Nev. The American Battle Monument Commission, established by Congress in 1923, is the executive agent of American cemeteries and memorials outside the U.S.
Korean War MIA IdentifiedThe Defense POW/MIA Office announced the identification of remains belonging to Army Sgt. Delbert D. Kovalcheck, 20, of E. Millsboro, Pa. In late 1950, Kovalcheck was assigned to Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 31st Regimental Combat Team, and deployed east of the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. On Nov. 29, 1950, the 31st RCT, known historically as Task Force Faith, began a fighting withdrawal to a more defensible position. Kovalcheck was reported missing in action after the battle. Read more.
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