"I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something.
The something I ought to do, I can do, and by the grace of God, I will."
Subject: VFW Action Corps Weekly, June 5, 2015
To: rserge@live.com
From: amarkel@vfw.org
Date: Fri, 5 Jun 2015 15:52:15 -0400
June 5, 2015
In This Issue:
1. New VFW Action Corps Manager
2. Pending Health Care Legislation Hearing
3. VFW Testifies before Economic Opportunity Committee
4. House Holds Hearing on Provider Payments
5. Important Bills Introduced This Week
6. VA Announces Initiative to Expand Burial Options for Urban Veterans
7. D-Day 71st Commemoration
8. National WWI Memorial Design Competition
9. Two WWII MIAs Identified
1. New VFW Action Corps Manager: The VFW Washington Office is pleased to welcome Ken Wiseman as the new Action Corps Manager. Ken is an active member of the organization having held numerous offices at multiple levels of the VFW and he brings a wealth of knowledge about grassroots activism. Ken served on active duty for 10 years in the U.S. Navy before transferring to the Navy Reserve where he has been for the past three years. Ken earned his VFW eligibility in 2009 by earning Immanent Danger/Hostile Fire Pay while conducting counter-narcotics operations in South America.
2. Pending Health Care Legislation Hearing: On Wednesday, the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs held a hearing to consider a number of veterans' health care related bills. Committee members discussed ways to improve women's health care at VA, address veteran homelessness and the importance of ensuring veterans are able to continue mental health medication treatments that work for them when they transition from DOD health care to VA. 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 Congress to ensure veterans are not taken off effective treatment regimens when they leave military service simply because their VA medical facilities do not carry the medication they need. To read the testimony or view a video of the hearing, visit: http://www.veterans.senate.gov/hearings/pending-health-care-legislation060315.
3. VFW Testifies before Economic Opportunity Committee: On Tuesday, VFW Senior Legislative Associate Brendon Gehrke presented testimony before the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity. This bill hearing addressed multiple issues that are part of the VFW's Priority Goals, including VA employee accountability, improvements to the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) and the Vocational Rehabilitation program, as well as moving the Department of Labor – VETS program under the authority of VA. To watch the full hearing, click here: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/63019258.
4. House Holds Hearing on Provider Payments: On Wednesday, the VFW was in attendance for a House Veterans' Affairs Health Subcommittee hearing entitled, "Assessing VA's Ability to Promptly Pay Non-VA Providers." Several private medical providers offered testimony, stating that VA has historically been slow to reimburse them for the care they provide to veterans in their communities. In response, VA stated that they are taking steps to address the problem, and have processed 21 percent more payment claims in 2015 than during the same time period last year. Still, members of the Committee are considering additional improvements, including the possibility of contracting out the payment system to a third party, similar to the way it is done under Medicare and TRICARE. The VFW believes that prompt payment for non-VA providers is critical, and we will continue to follow this issue.
5. Important Bills Introduced This Week: Two bills the VFW has supported in the past have been reintroduced this week. On Wednesday, Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Isakson introduced S. 1493, to make a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for veterans' benefits. The VFW has consistently supported COLA increases to ensure veterans' benefits are not eroded by inflation. On Tuesday, Congressman Tonko reintroduced H.R. 2622, the Fort McClellan Health Registry Act. This bill would establish a health registry to conduct comprehensive studies of toxic exposures at Fort McClellan. Ensuring veterans who were exposed to Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) during their service at Fort McClellan receive the care and benefits they have earned and deserve has remained a top priority for the VFW. The VFW's National Legislative Service will continue to push Congress, the Army and VA to study the health effects of toxic exposures at Fort McClellan. Stay tuned to the Action Corps Weekly for updates on these important bills as they move through the legislative process.
6. VA Announces Initiative to Expand Burial Options for Urban Veterans: The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) has launched the Urban Initiative to provide burial options for urban veterans who wish to be inurned closer to home. The Urban Initiative is the result of an independent study from 2008 that found an increased interest in cremations among veterans. NCA surveys have also found that veterans in major metropolitan cities choose not to use national cemeteries because of travel and distance barriers. Due to lack of sufficient sites large enough to accommodate casketed burials in large metropolitan cities, NCA plans to establish columbarium-only national cemeteries in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Indianapolis and the San Francisco Bay area. To learn more, visit: http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/20410/va-increases-burial-options-veterans-urban-areas/.
7. D-Day 71st Commemoration: Visitors to Washington, D.C., are invited to the National World War II Memorial at noon, tomorrow, to commemorate the 71 years since 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany. Joining in the commemoration will be hundreds of WWII veterans from Honor Flight Austin (Texas), Lake County Honor Flight (Illinois), and North Coast Honor Flight (California), as well as the great-grandson of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, former Air Force fighter pilot Elliott "Toby" Roosevelt III, who will offer remarks on behalf of the family. For a listing of this and other events at the WWII Memorial, go to: http://www.wwiimemorialfriends.org/.
8. 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/.
9. Two WWII MIAs Identified: The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced the identification of remains belonging to two Americans missing and unaccounted for since World War II. Returned are:
To sign up new veterans' advocates, click here: http://capwiz.com/vfw/mlm/signup.htm.
As always, we want to share your advocacy stories on the VFW Capitol Hill blog. To share your stories, either fill out our online form by clicking here: http://www.vfw.org/Forms/Capitol-Hill-Blog-Submissions/, or simply email photos and stories directly to vfwac@vfw.org.
|
If you no longer wish to receive e-mail from us, please click here.  |
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.