June 26, 2015
In This Issue:
1. House Hearing on VA's Budget Shortfalls
2. VFW Testifies on Benefits and Cemetery Bills
3. Senate Hearing on Pending Health and Benefits Legislation
4. VFW Endorses Opioid Safety Bill
5. VA Nominations Confirmed
6. VFW Continues COLA Penalty Fight
7. VFW Praised at MIA Family Conference
8. New Military Health Care Survey
9. National WWI Memorial Design Competition
10. Recovered Airman Burial Update
1. House Hearing on VA's Budget Shortfalls: On Thursday, the House Veterans' Affairs Committee held a hearing to discuss VA's Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 budget. Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson testified that VA faces a $2.6 billion dollar shortfall in its FY 2015 budget that may force the Department to shut down its medical facilities by mid-September. Gibson testified that the shortfalls were due to higher than expected demand for health care at VA medical facilities and through non-VA community providers. Committee members discussed VA's use of the Choice Program and how VA plans to address shortfalls. Chairman Miller committed to working with the House Appropriations Committee to authorize VA to use funds from the Choice Program to address budget shortfalls. Before the hearing, the VFW joined its Independent Budget partners to call on Congress and VA to work together in good faith and swiftly find a solution that provides VA additional funding this fiscal year to meet the needs of veterans seeking care both from VA and through VA's purchased care programs. To view a video of the hearing, visit: http://veterans.house.gov/hearing/the-state-of-va-s-fiscal-year-2015-budget.
2. VFW Testifies on Benefits and Cemetery Bills: On Wednesday, the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs held a hearing to discuss pending legislation. VFW Deputy Legislative Director Aleks Morosky testified, offering the VFW's strong endorsement of bills that would grant concurrent receipt to all military retirees, extend veteran status to retirees of the reserve component, and allow VA to furnish medallions to mark the private gravestones of all veterans, regardless of their date of death. Additional bills supported by the VFW include legislation to extend VA's authority to contract with private doctors to conduct compensation and pension exams, require a study on the interment process of veterans' unclaimed remains, and allow VA to grant survivor benefits without a formal claim when the veterans' record already contains sufficient information. We will provide updates on these important bills as they continue to move through the House. To read the full transcript and watch a webcast of the hearing, visit: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/64752558.
3. Senate Hearing on Pending Health and Benefits Legislation: On Wednesday, the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee held a hearing to consider a number of important bills pending before the committee. Committee members discussed the importance of curbing VA's reliance on high dose prescription drugs to treat mental health and manage chronic pain, and ensure VA employees are held accountable for poor performance and wrongdoing. Senior Legislative Associate Carlos Fuentes offered the VFW's support for most of the bills and recommendations to strengthen others. In his testimony, Fuentes urged the committee to consider improving VA's hiring authorities to ensure VA is able to quickly fill vacancies when it fires bad employees. To read the testimony or view a video of the hearing, visit: http://www.veterans.senate.gov/hearings/pending-health-care-and-benefits-legislation062415.
4. VFW Endorses Opioid Safety Bill: On Wednesday, the VFW participated in a press conference to announce the introduction of the Jason Simcakoski Memorial Opioid Safety Act. This bipartisan bill, would improve VA's use of high dose opioids, make important changes to VA's patient advocate program, and expand access to complementary and alternative medicine. The bill is named in honor of Marine Corps veteran Jason Simcakoski, who died in August 2014 after a toxic reaction to the 14 different medications he was prescribed by a doctor at the Tomah VA Medical Center. At the event, VFW Senior Legislative Associate Carlos Fuentes stood alongside the bill's sponsor, Senator Tammy Baldwin, and Jason's family to offer the VFW's strong support for this important legislation. Stay tuned to the Action Corps Weekly for updates as this bill moves through Congress. To see a video of the press conference, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOXRdjD_YD8.
5. VA Nominations Confirmed: On Monday, the Senate confirmed the nominations of Dr. David J. Shulkin to be the VA Under Secretary for Health and Ms. LaVerne H. Council to be the VA Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology. Shulkin will replace Dr. Carolyn Clancy who has served as the Interim Under Secretary for Health since Dr. Petzel's retirement following last year's access crisis. Council will occupy an executive position that has been vacant since 2013.
6. VFW Continues COLA Penalty Fight: The VFW pounded Congress last year into eliminating legislation that penalized military retirees with a one-percent reduction to annual cost-of-living adjustments. In a compromise, Congress grandfathered all military retirees and those currently serving in uniform, but Congress still imposed the one-percent penalty on all new enlistees, should they reach retirement eligibility. In an opinion editorial entitled "A battle the troops can't win alone," VFW National Commander John Stroud wrote that "the world will remain a very dangerous and unpredictable place even after America ends its current involvements, and future military retirees may be required to serve just as long and perhaps sacrifice even more than their predecessors." He said the VFW will ask members and veterans' advocates everywhere to urge their elected officials to repeal the COLA penalty. Read his editorial at: http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/homeland-security/245481-a-battle-the-troops-cant-win-alone.
7. VFW Praised at MIA Family Conference: "No One Does More for Veterans" was more than just a slogan at yesterday's opening of the 46th annual meeting of the National League of POW/MIA Families here. The VFW was consistently lauded by both League and government officials for the unwavering support we bring to the Full Accounting Mission at home and aboard. In his remarks, VFW Washington Office Executive Director Bob Wallace reiterated the VFW's real and sincere commitment to MIA family members everywhere, as well as said the VFW will continue to help the new Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency succeed by pushing the humanitarian aspect of the full accounting mission directly to foreign governments who may still have information pertaining to the fates of many of our 83,000 missing servicemen going back to World War II.
8. New Military Health Care Survey: In an effort to better understand what's important to patients, the Military Health System has asked the VFW to distribute a new patient survey for all military members, their families and retirees to take. The survey is anonymous, unless you want to have someone contact you, and takes only a couple of minutes to complete. To take the survey, go to: https://ice.disa.mil/index.cfm?fa=card&sp=135040&s=1063&dep=*DoD&sc=11.
9. National WWI Memorial Design Competition: A design competition is underway for a new National World War I Memorial that will be built a block away from the White House in Pershing Park. Centennial Commission officials set up a two-stage competition that is open to all. Participants are asked to submit narrative and graphic descriptions that respond to the competition's design goals. Judges will then select those entries for further development. The commission will have final decision on the selected design, based on the recommendation of a jury. The submission deadline is July 21, with the finalists to be announced on Aug. 4. For more information, go to: http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/.
