Prepaid VA Card Worth Less After Elections

We owe veterans, not the other way around 
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
September 14, 2014

What's in your wallet? Sure you have a debit card, drivers license, maybe some credit cards but there are others with prepaid cards in their wallets.

VA New ID Card

They paid for all of it when they wrote a blank check to the country "up to and including" their lives. For far too many it is a debt that is past due. Too bad veterans don't have a collection agency working for them. Oops, that would actually be Congress with the duty of making sure they get what they are righteously owed.

When we read about the VA claim struggles they face, most Americans don't have a single clue how long it has been going on or how many decades members of Congress and various Presidents promised to fix it. The House Veterans Affairs Committee has had since 1946 to live up to the promises veterans still wait for.

Do we let this keep happening to them or do we force Congress to take action instead of just holding hearings on what they didn't fix before?

There are some solutions. Since none of this can be blamed on the veterans, let the buck end up on the lap of Congress.

For all the claims waiting in the backlog, the VA needs to make sure the DD214's are real and they can get the real ones from the DOD. With computer programs that can change fonts and erase with ease to replace what a few frauds want to put in, they have to come from the DOD records.

Once that is done, approve claims with at least 50% and get them into medical care they need. Let the VA investigators do their jobs afterwards in case the rare crook has slipped into the system. Fraud VA cases are a tiny fraction of real ones. This will free up claims processors to handle new claims. Far from being the first time this was suggested since 2008.

Why was this suggested? Because in 2007 this was going on.

The VA's current backlog is 800,000 cases. Aside from the appalling conditions in many VA hospitals, in 2004, the last year for which statistics are available, almost 6 million veterans and their families were without any healthcare at all. Most of them are working people -- too poor to afford private coverage, but not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid or means-tested VA care. Soldiers and veterans need help now, the help isn't there, and the conversations about what needs to be done are only just now beginning.

Congress held hearings back then too but as we've seen, the hearings didn't produce any long lasting results.

To train processors right it takes up to two years. They need to hire more because when troops were sent into Afghanistan and Iraq, no one thought to get the VA ready for the wounded coming home. There were less doctors and nurses working for the VA than there were after the Gulf War.

For the lack of doctors, this leaves most of us speechless. A recent report about the lack of doctors in Wasilla Alaska VA showed how bad it has been. The last doctor there left in May. "A nurse practitioner, who transferred from Anchorage last week, is now carrying the 1,000-patient caseload."

Also not a new issue. In 2008 the members of the Senate were holding hearings on the lack of mental health professionals in the Department of Defense.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., will have the opportunity to question the surgeons general at a Wednesday hearing before the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee.

Murray expressed concern that the Defense Department has not hired enough specialists to deal with mental health issues created by extended deployments, the stress of combat and other issues.

“The fact that we aren’t meeting the demand for our troops’ psychological health needs with qualified professionals is a great concern of mine,” she said in a telephone interview. “The Pentagon needs to tell us what they are doing to fill the gaps in the system, particularly when troops are being sent back into the field for their third and fourth tours.”

Everything veterans have been inflicted with and subjected to could have been avoided if the American public were ever reminded of how many promises were broken. None of what is going on right now is new and none of it will change unless the American people not only demand it, but pay attention to it all the time.

November brings another election as well as Veterans Day. How we treat our veterans depends on who we vote for but our duty does not end to veterans unless we are prepared to hold those we elect accountable for what they fail to do and praise them for what they get right.

So far, they haven't done much right but got away with what they got wrong and pretend they didn't know any of it was happening.

John McCain, Crypt Keeper of VA

There so much BS in this that it came close to making my head explode!

Senate passes bill on private veterans' care
USA TODAY
Kelly Kennedy
June 12, 2014

WASHINGTON — The Senate passed a bill Wednesday that would allow veterans to seek care from private providers if they face long wait times at Veterans Affairs facilities.

A similar bill passed the House Tuesday. Both Republicans and Democrats praised Congress's fast action on the issue.

The legislation would allow veterans to go to civilian doctors for the next two years if they live more than 40 miles from a VA treatment center or if they have been waiting more than 30 days for an appointment. It also provides funding for more health providers in the VA system.

It also allows those who do their jobs badly to be fired immediately, as well as an expedited appeals process.

Why didn't anyone ask them why they think it would do any good now since they have been doing exactly that for years?

What GAO Found

The Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) fee basis care spending increased from about $3.04 billion in fiscal year 2008 to about $4.48 billion in fiscal year 2012. The slight decrease in fiscal year 2012 spending from the fiscal year 2011 level was due to VA's adoption of Medicare rates as its primary payment method for fee basis providers.

VA's fee basis care utilization also increased from about 821,000 veterans in fiscal year 2008 to about 976,000 veterans in fiscal year 2012.

GAO found that several factors affect VA medical centers' (VAMC) utilization of fee basis care--including veteran travel distances to VAMCs and goals for the maximum amount of time veterans should wait for VAMC-based appointments. VAMCs that GAO reviewed reported that they often use fee basis care to provide veterans with treatment closer to their homes--particularly for veterans who are not eligible for travel reimbursement. In addition, VAMC officials reported that veterans are often referred to fee basis providers to ensure that VAMC-based clinics that would otherwise treat them can meet established VA wait time goals for how long veterans wait for an appointment. However, GAO found that VA has not established goals for and does not track how long veterans wait to be seen by fee basis providers.

VA's monitoring of fee basis care spending is limited because fee basis data do not currently include a claim number or other identifier that allows all charges from a single office visit with a fee basis provider or an inpatient hospital stay to be analyzed together. GAO found that without the ability to analyze spending in this way, VA is limited in its ability to assess the cost of fee basis care and verify that fee basis providers were paid appropriately.

This is just more of the same veterans have had to suffer from all this time. Are there any honest reporters out there? Any left actually caring about our veterans to tell the truth?

Senate and House Shirking Responsibility to Veterans

When it comes to what is happening to our veterans, it seems as if everyone is suddenly upset. Why? It has all been going on for years and we've been upset before. Right now all fingers are pointing at President Obama. Honestly, they always do no matter how many of them sit in the chair, they get the blame. People forget that the Senate and the House are all responsible for what goes on. Why? Easier to blame one than so many.

The Senate and House have the power over the Armed Services and the Veterans Affairs but when things happen, they forget they had let it all happen because they didn't do their jobs. Why be on a committee and not pay attention? Isn't that why we have committees in the first place? No one person can pay attention to everything.

They have jobs to do but somehow have been left off the hook for what they have allowed to happen all these years. Do reporters even know what they are supposed to be doing?

Senate Armed Services Committee
Committee History
The Senate Committees on Military Affairs; on the Militia; and Naval Affairs were established on December 10, 1816. The Committee on the Militia was merged with the Committee on Military Affairs in 1858 to form the Military Affairs and Militia Committee. However, in 1872 the Committee dropped "Militia" from its name. The Military Affairs and Naval Affairs Committees existed until 1947 when they were combined by the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 into a new standing committee, the current Committee on Armed Services.

Committee Jurisdiction
As specified in Rule XXV, 1(c)(1) of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee on Armed Services' has the following jurisdiction:

1. Aeronautical and space activities peculiar to or primarily associated with the development of weapons systems or military operations.

2. Common defense.

3. Department of Defense, the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, and the Department of the Air Force, generally.

4. Maintenance and operation of the Panama Canal, including administration, sanitation, and government of the Canal Zone.

5. Military research and development.

6. National security aspects of nuclear energy.

7. Naval petroleum reserves, except those in Alaska.

8. Pay, promotion, retirement, and other benefits and privileges of members of the Armed Forces, including overseas education of civilian and military dependents.

9. Selective service system.

10. Strategic and critical materials necessary for the common defense.

The Senate has also given the committee the authority to study and review, on a comprehensive basis, matters relating to the common defense policy of the United States, and report thereon from time to time.

Senate Armed Services Sub Committee

Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
Responsibilities: Policies and programs to counter emerging threats including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, and illegal drugs; homeland defense; technology base programs; special operations programs; and emerging operational concepts.

Special additional areas: Foreign Military Sales; technology export policies; Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Energy (DOE) nonproliferation programs, including the Nunn-Lugar program; and nontraditional military operations, including peacekeeping and peace enforcement, low-intensity conflict, strategic communications and information operations, and building partner capacity.

Oversight of budget accounts: Technology base RDT and E; operational test and evaluation; RDT and E and procurement supporting special operations; counterdrug programs; RDT and E supporting low-intensity conflict, peacekeeping operations, and information warfare; combating terrorism; chemical and biological warfare defense; chemical demilitarization; train and equip programs; and DOD and DOE nonproliferation programs.

Oversight of DOD offices: Assistant Secretary of Defense (Homeland Defense); Assistant Secretary of Defense (Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict); and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.

Oversight of DOD commands and agencies: Special Operations Command; Northern Command; Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency; Defense Threat Reduction Agency; and Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

Subcommittee on Personnel
Responsibilities: Military and DOD civilian personnel policies; end strengths for military personnel; military personnel compensation and benefits; military health care; and military nominations.

Special additional areas: Professional Military Education; DOD schools; DOD child care and family assistance; Civil-military programs; POW/MIA issues; Armed Forces Retirement Home; Morale, Welfare and Recreation; and military commissaries and exchanges.

Oversight of budget accounts: Military personnel; military retirement; Defense Health Program; DOD Medicare-Eligible Retiree Health Care Fund; and operation and maintenance for certain education and civil-military programs.

Oversight of DOD offices: Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness); Assistant Secretary of Defense (Reserve Affairs); Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs); and Defense Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Office.

Oversight of DOD agencies: TRICARE Management Activity; Defense Commissary Agency; and Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.

Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
Responsibilities: Military readiness including training, logistics, and maintenance; military construction; housing construction and privatization; contracting and acquisition policy; business and financial management; base realignment and closure; and defense environmental programs.

Special additional areas: Conventional ammunition procurement; RDT and E infrastructure policies and programs; National Defense Stockpile; defense industrial and technology base policies; facility and housing maintenance and repair; land and property management; information technology management policy; and industrial operations, including depots, shipyards, arsenals, and ammunition plants.

Oversight of budget accounts: Operations and maintenance; conventional ammunition procurement; military construction and family housing; base realignment and closure; working capital funds; the National Defense Stockpile Transaction Fund; and RDT and E support programs.

Oversight of DoD offices: Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics); Department of Defense Deputy Chief Management Officer; and the Chief Management Officers of the military departments.

Oversight of DOD agencies and commands: Defense Logistics Agency; Defense Finance and Accounting Service; Defense Investigative Service; Defense Contract Audit Agency; DOD Inspector General; and Joint Forces Command joint training and doctrine activities.

Senate Veterans Affairs Committee

House Veterans Affairs Committee

Subcommittee on Veterans Oversight and Investigations (O and I)

Welcome to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, which has oversight and investigative jurisdiction over veterans’ matters generally and such other matters as may be referred to the Subcommittee by the Chairman of the full Committee. The Subcommittee provides oversight on programs and operations of the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as those of other federal agencies that pertain to veterans. In carrying out its responsibilities, the Subcommittee conducts hearings, site visits, and investigations nationwide. The Subcommittee’s legislative jurisdiction is over such bills or resolutions as may be referred to it by the Chairman of the full Committee.

UPDATE
It is astonishing to be constantly reminded of how dumb we've been. How could we be so easily deluded into thinking there is accountability in our country?

Sure, we try to raise our kids to do the right thing. We try to do the right thing on our jobs. We're even nice to drivers acting like jerks. For the most part we're all trying to be the best person we can be. Maybe that is why we assume our elected officials are doing what we elected them to do but they don't. We end up shocked over the messes they let this country get into and they try to blame everyone else but themselves.

Veterans have always had to fight for benefits and compensation. Nothing new there. They have had to wait for appointments and yes, all too often, end up having to wait far too long. They have had to endure hardships and heartaches. This is far from recent news. All of it has been going on since we started to send the troops to fight wars.

The Senate and House have been shirking their duties to the troops and veterans and we let them do it.

We didn't hold any of them accountable since WWI! Every two years we elected members of the House to represent us. Every six years we elect members of the Senate to do the same. Every four years we elect a President or put one back into office.

The President is easy to blame because we figure he appoints cabinet members to head departments like the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs. When these two mess up, we fail to notice that the Senate and the House are supposed to be checking what they do and not wait for something to go so horribly wrong lives are lost.

The House seems to care more about Benghazi with 13 hearings and over 50 briefings than they care about military and veterans suicides. Seems there have been a lot more lives lost by members of our military, current and past. The House committees are headed by Republicans and the Senate Committees are headed by Democrats, so it isn't about one doing the right thing since we've been down this road for far too long. They all play games.

Nothing will change until we decide that we can no more forget that our responsibility does not end after an election. It starts. It is up to us to make sure they do the right thing and as soon as we start to read reports on what goes wrong, we need to make sure reporters actually find out who knew what when, what they did about it and if they didn't know, hold them accountable for not doing their jobs checking up on the people they pay to do jobs.

Enough is enough! Too many died because no one did what they were elected to do!

Veterans are least desirable committee to politicians

Veterans are least desirable committee to politicians
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
December 6, 2013

It has been astonishing listening to members of congress after all these years. Often I wondered if they had a clue what they were talking about, especially when the topic was veterans. I'd read one report after another yet members of congress seem to be trapped in some kind of time warp unable or unwilling to catch up.

Listening to the Diane Rehm Show on NPR the other day while she was interviewing Peter Schweizer, the author of Extortion it was finally made clear that when it comes to veterans, politicians are really not that committed to them.

Schweizer explained why anyone would want a job that pays a lot less than it costs to get elected. Most of us think they are just getting their retirement plan put together expecting favors to be repaid. Nothing new there but the tone of the conversation changed when Schweizer said this.

"And then there are C committees. And they categorize them this way. The C committees are the ones that are considered least desirable from the standpoint of raising money. The veterans committee is a C committee."

REHM11:50:11
Wow.
SCHWEIZER11:50:12
And that sort of explains to you unfortunately what the priority is and what the currency is in D.C.
REHM11:50:18
So out of the mouths of politicians come these words of support for our men and women who fight the battles for us and yet they are relegated to a C space.
SCHWEIZER11:50:36
Yeah, yeah, that's the sad reality.

The least desirable committee. Let that sink in and then it should be easier to understand why the congress never seems very willing to fix what they hold hearings on. Military and veteran suicides go up, but they did nothing to correct the damage done after making it worse. VA claims bounced up and down for generations and they did nothing to fix the problems after all these years so it didn't keep happening over and over again. So many problems, so few solutions and most of the time they just complain about what is because they don't want to admit they were part of what was.

Time for Democrats and Republicans to stop "addressing" and start fixing

This is the site to go to and know how long things have been "addressed" for veterans. It is the archives of the House Veterans Affairs Committee

By 2006 all kinds of things were being "addressed" to help veterans but when you read the list, it is easy to see how none of it really got fixed. We are still reading reports on the same issues. Some of those years it was Bob Filner as the Chairman. He got some things done but frankly, didn't fix much.

The Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee is Jeff Miller. This is from the committee page.

In 2009, Congressman Miller was appointed to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI). The HPSCI provides policy guidance and sets classified funding levels for the sixteen agencies of the Intelligence Community funded by the National Intelligence Program and the Military Intelligence Program. Recently, the Intelligence Committee has held important hearings on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, U.S. Intelligence Operations against Al Qaeda, and Security Clearance Reform.

In 2011, Miller became the Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. The Committee on Veterans’ Affairs is responsible for authorization and oversight of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA.) VA is the second largest department in the federal government with over 300,000 employees and a budget of over $119 billion.

Congressman Miller also serves on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA), where he serves as Vice Chairman of the subcommittee on Transatlantic Defense and Security Cooperation.

Since coming to Congress, Miller has established himself as one of the staunchest conservatives in the House. He has championed numerous tax relief and veterans' measures and fought for less government, less taxes, and more personal freedom.

The truth is it really doesn't make much difference on which party is in charge because they never, ever seem to want to fix much for very long.

The rise in suicides among veterans went up during the years the congress was addressing them. The House Armed Services Committee is not much better. But again it shows how long they have been "addressing" the issues with the troops and their families but not getting very far in fixing much at all. The more money they spent, the more lives were lost to suicide.

So here we are with the whole country shutting down and on the verge of causing even more harm while politicians yell about money. Did they forget they spent it? Did they forget that no matter what party was in control they had an obligation to also watch the money being spent? Do they really expect us to think all of this happened overnight?

That's what I don't get about any of this. First they said it was over health insurance and now they don't seem to know what the "it" is they are yet again "addressing" and they don't care who has to pay for what they do to them.

The Democrats won't put the House Bills up for a vote in the Senate because they say it is all about fixing what the Republicans like. Ok, fair enough. They said they won't fix the VA so that families like mine still get compensation for what the war did to my husband. That was harder to take. Now they have sunk to a lower low when they said they will not even allow a bill to cover the men and women killed while serving in Afghanistan.

Why? Why can't they even let this pass? Do they understand that no matter what political party is in charge the men and women in the military are risking their lives while politicians are only risking their ass in the seat they were elected to serve from?

Veterans' suicide deaths blamed on VA mismanagement

Veterans' deaths blamed on VA mismanagement
My FOX Atlanta
Posted: May 06, 2013
By Trey Thomas
ATLANTA

Charges of mismanagement at the Veterans Administration Medical center in Decatur brought a key lawmaker to town on Monday.

Florida Rep. Jeff Miller, the chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, talked to managers at the Atlanta VA Medical Center after a VA audit blamed mismanagement for the deaths of three veterans.

"I think the words that I used were, 'If I find out after I leave here that you have lied and not told me the truth, I will make the very ground that you walk on shake,'" Miller said.

The VA Office of Inspector General report says a lack of effective patient care management and program oversight caused problems with mental health care access for vets.

Georgia Rep. David Scott says it's unacceptable.

"Lack of tracking that have caused three of our veterans to commit suicide. We are determined to do everything we can to cut down on the high rate of suicide among our veterans," Scott said.
read more here

Congress complaining about the VA is not new news

I was reading "Watchdog: Skeptical House panel quizzes VA head on budget" on Washington Examiner written by Mark Flatten when this part jumped out at me.

"I'm concerned that we're not really seeing the results for the money Congress has provided to VA over the last years," Miller said. "VA has missed its own performance goal every single year and I think most committee members here are really very tired of the excuses that we keep hearing."

Toward the bottom there was this.

In 2009, it took an average of 161 days to rate a disability claim. Today, it takes about 286 days, according to the VA's most recent figures.

Considering the Congress has not even passed a budget in years, they are really in no position to complain that much.

This is from THE WARRIOR SAW, SUICIDES AFTER WAR, my new book being published on Amazon appropriately enough, on April 15, tax day. Notice what was happening and then notice the date.

Senator Obama went on to say, "When we learn that the VA health care budget is more than $1 billion short, we shouldn't tell our veterans that there isn't a crisis, we should tell them that we will do what it takes to make sure that they get the health care services they earned" said Obama. "That is why I once again am joining my colleagues in an effort to provide the VA with the funding it needs to fully meet the health needs of our veterans. Senator Murray's emergency supplemental funding bill is necessary to avoid what is clearly an on-coming crisis in the VA health system." (Obama Says $1 Billion Shortfall in VA Health Care Budget Requires Emergency Funding By: Barack Obama II Date: June 28, 2005 Location: Washington, DC)

This does not even address the fact Vietnam veterans are over 40% of the backlog of claims now because no one paid attention to them before when they had their claims turned down. Does not address how two wars were started but Congress didn't seem to care they had not planned for the wounded by body or mind.

Am I happy about what is going on? Absolutely not! But I haven't been happy about any of this for a very, very long time.

UPDATE
I knew something didn't seem right on the article from "Watchdog" so I searched my achieves.
VA Claim backlog hit 915,000 on May 4, 2009

Crisis at the VA as Benefits Claims Backlog Nearly Tops One Million
Monday, 01 June 2009
By Jason Leopold

During the past four months, the Department of Veterans Affairs backlog of unfinished disability claims from grew by more than 100,000, adding to an already mountainous backlog that is now close to topping one million.

The VA's claims backlog, which includes all benefits claims and all appeals at the Veterans Benefits Administration and the Board of Veterans Appeals at VA, was 803,000 on Jan. 5, 2009. The backlog hit 915,000 on May 4, 2009, a staggering 14 percent increase in four months.

The issue has become so dire that veterans now wait an average of six months to receive disability benefits and as long as four years for their appeals to be heard in cases where their benefits were denied.

Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said during a hearing in March that the VA is “almost criminally behind in processing claims.”

This was on Morning Joe and you need to hear what they are claiming now as if any of this is new!

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

VA Claims backlog of 915,000

Amazing when you actually discover the year this happened.

Bill: Have VA pay old claims automatically
Marine Corps Times
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jun 30, 2009

A North Carolina lawmaker proposes tackling the backlog of veterans’ disability claims by awarding benefits to veterans after 18 months if their claim hasn’t been processed.

Veterans Affairs Department officials have told Congress they are, on average, processing disability compensation claims within 162 days and have a goal of cutting the average to 120 days. But Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., is one of many lawmakers who think there is a limit to how patient veterans could be in waiting for money they are due.

“Backlogs are at the point where veterans must wait an average of six months for a decision on benefits claims and some veterans are waiting as long as four years,” Butterfield said in a statement. “Veterans deserve better than this.”

Butterfield introduced a bill on Friday, HR 3087, that would automatically approve a veteran’s claim if no decision is made by the VA within 18 months. The bill doesn’t say exactly how the VA would do this, but creates a task force to monitor VA to make sure the 18-month deadline isn’t met with an arbitrary denial just before the claim must be paid.

The bill comes as the number of unprocessed veterans claims exceeds 915,000 — a 100,000 jump since the beginning of the year. In testimony two weeks ago before a House committee, VA officials said the current 162 days is 17 days less than one year ago, a sign that they are beginning to make process. click link for the rest

American Legion defends VA chief against columnist's charges

American Legion defends VA chief against columnist's charges
Herald Online
Published: March 15, 2013
By American Legion

WASHINGTON, MARCH 15, 2013 — /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The leader of The American Legion has come out swinging in defense of Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki. Shinseki, a retired four-star Army general and decorated Vietnam War combat veteran, is the primary target of a scathing, yet-to-be-published TIME Magazine piece penned by prominent columnist Joe Klein. The article, titled "Ten Years After: a National Disgrace" lambastes Shinseki for maintaining a low public profile while veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan suffer mass unemployment and stigma related to widespread and misleadingly alarming media reports of emotional distress among the young former service members.

Klein also pins responsibility, at least in part, on Shinseki for the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) large and continuing benefits claims backlog and the failure of VA and the Department of Defense to institute an integrated electronic medical records system. Of Shinseki, Klein says, "It is time for him to step down."

"While we do not deny that problems and inefficiencies exist within VA and VA-related activities and programs," said James E, Koutz, national commander of The American Legion, "placing the blame on Secretary Shinseki is wholly unwarranted and disingenuous. As anyone familiar with our organization knows, we of the Legion have never been shy about identifying deficiencies in VA's operations, facilities and care, but we have found nothing lacking in Shinseki's leadership.

"In truth," continued Koutz, "General Shinseki has been one of the veterans' community's most effective and forceful advocates in recent years. He has spearheaded a bold and winning effort to combat homelessness among young veterans and fought alongside his colleagues in government to increase employment opportunities for former service members and their families.
Read more here

Congressman Miller starting at wrong end of VA firing

Miller: VA can fire bad workers right now
By LEO SHANE III
Published: March 8, 2013
C.J. LIN
STARS AND STRIPES

WASHINGTON -- In an address before the American Legion last week, House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., blamed at least part of the benefits backlog problem on “problematic employees” within the Department of Veterans Affairs.

He said he wants more accountability -- and firings -- of claims specialists and supervisors failing at their jobs, saying he believes those workers are often simply reassigned to other offices.
read more here

Feb 13, 2013 Chairman Jeff Miller (R-FL) delivers remarks during a House Veterans Affairs Committee meeting "Honoring the Commitment: Overcoming Barriers to Quality Mental Health Care for Veterans."

In the 112th Congress, Florida was represented by Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller, along with others from Florida, Gus Bilirakis, Cliff Stevens and Corrine Brown. In the 113th Miller resumed the position along with Gus Bilirakis and Corrine Brown. Ronald DeSantis replaced Cliff Stevens.

In 2007, Lt. DeSantis reported to the Naval Special Warfare Command Group in Coronado, California, where he was assigned to SEAL Team One and deployed to Iraq with the troop surge as the Legal Advisor to the SEAL Commander, Special Operations Task Force-West in Fallujah.

There you have some background on what I am about to say. For all of these people in position to do something about everything going on we ended up with Jeff Miller finally talking about accountability by going after the VA workers. Amazing!

The issue here is, yes, things have to change and while it is a good thing to look at people not doing their jobs it would have been smarter to figure out what jobs they were given, how they were told to do them and above all, getting accountability from the top down, not starting at the bottom.

They don't make the rules. They don't establish programs. They don't control research or publications or even have the ability to talk to the media. Members of Congress do.

Accountability has to start with Congress, the groups receiving the grants yet providing deplorable results and everyone else at the top of the chain. Figure out what does not and has not worked because if they don't we will see more and more suffer after they come home.

Care for him who shall have borne the battle

Care for him who shall have borne the battle
by Kathie Costos
Wounded Times Blog
February 2, 2013

This morning I opened an email about the number of military suicides and in the email a friend named Les added the thoughts that it is our job to "care for him who shall have borne the battle" and I responded adding in that while we talk about those numbers, we never seem to talk about the families left behind.

Did you know that a lot of family members end up with PTSD because of veterans coming home from combat? Did you know that family members suffer from the trauma, not from war, but from what the war did? Don't feel ashamed you didn't know. As bad as it is that we don't talk about our veterans or the troops, we talk about the families even less. Veterans are committing suicide with an average of almost one every hour.

Why? Because politicians and political zealots have taken sides and neither side is standing by the side of those who risk their lives.

Some want to blame President Obama while some still blame President Bush. The truth is, while the person in the Oval Office sets the agenda, it is members of congress writing and funding the bills including the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs.

The other ugly truth is, while Republicans claim to be pro-military, they are pro-military-contrators and have done a lousy job of taking care of the men and women serving in the military. The Democrats have been more pro-servicemen and women and less pro-contractos, but even with that, they have not been much better at doing things that will come close to getting this right for the sake of those who serve.

VA won't say how many veterans die waiting for disability benefits

President Lincoln said on March 4, 1865

“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”

In 2007 I put up this video onto YouTube. In 2009, I moved it onto Great Americans. I want you to watch it for a very important reason. The numbers. What we knew they were dealing with and then compare those numbers to what has been released recently as if any of his was new.

The truth is, many want to pretend this is all new. That way they can think something will actually be done to help all our veterans. The ugly truth is, nothing will really change until the Congress stops pretending they are doing something about all of this.

What did the news report on last month as if it was really "news" and new?

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder cases overwhelm Veteran Affairs

There is yet another ugly truth no one seems to be tracking. When PTSD veterans are shot and killed by police. These are just some of the reports from January on Wounded Times.

Navy Medic Iraq veteran with PTSD shot by police in Arizona

Police shooting of PTSD soldier captured on video in Honolulu

While some get reported in newspapers around the country, some are kept quiet. That is the biggest thing we need to remember. For all the stories you read on Wounded Times, there are many, many more we do not read about. More suffering than you will ever know. Congress however knows more than any of us will know. After all, it is their job to know. The committees in the House and Senate cannot use the excuse they didn't know because it is their jobs to find out what is going on and figure out what to do about it.

These are the members of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee right now.

Independent
Bernard Sanders, VT
Chairman

Democrat
John D. Rockefeller IV, WV
Patty Murray, WA
Sherrod Brown, OH
Jon Tester, MT
Mark Begich, AK
Richard Blumenthal, CT
Mazie Hirono, HI

Republican
Richard Burr, NC
Ranking Member

Johnny Isakson, GA
Mike Johanns, NE
Jerry Moran, KS
John Boozman, AR
Dean Heller, NV

House Veterans Affairs Committee

Republicans
Jeff Miller (FL), Chairman
Doug Lamborn (CO)
Gus M. Bilirakis (FL), Vice Chairman
David P. Roe (TN)
Bill Flores (TX)
Jeff Denham (CA)
Jon Runyan (NJ)
Dan Benishek (MI)
Tim Huelskamp (KS)
Mike Coffman (CO)
Mark E. Amodei (NV)
Brad Wenstrup (OH)
Paul Cook (CA)
Jackie Walorski (IN)

Democrats
Michael H. Michaud (ME), Democratic Ranking Member
Corrine Brown ( FL)
Mark Takano (CA)
Julia Brownley (CA)
Dina Titus (NV)
Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ)
Raul Ruiz (CA)
Gloria Negrete McLeod (CA)
Ann McLane Kuster (NH)
Beto O'Rourke (TX)
Tim Walz (MN)

They are the people in charge during the 113th Congress and we need to hold them accountable because we didn't hold anyone accountable before this and that is how we ended up where we are when it comes to taking "care of of him who shall have borne the battle."

Suicide Prevention? No amount of money can fix what failed already

With the posting of Senator Baucus Sponsored another Suicide Prevention Bill it is a good time to look back at other things our elected officials tried to do over the years. When you think of the millions of dollars spent repeating the same things over and over again yet discovering such deplorable results as increased military suicides along with attempted suicides, you should really be wondering when they will get a clue no amount of money can fix what has already failed.

The Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act

H.R. 327 would direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop and implement a comprehensive program designed to reduce the incidence of suicide among veterans. Detailed Summary

(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the Senate on September 27, 2007. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) suicide among veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious problem; and (2) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in developing and implementing the comprehensive program outlined in this Act, should take into consideration the special needs of such veterans and of elderly veterans who are at high risk for depression and experience high rates of suicide.

Directs the Secretary to develop and carry out a comprehensive program designed to reduce the incidence of suicide among veterans. Requires the program to include: (1) mandatory training for appropriate staff and contractors of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) who interact with veterans; (2) mental health assessments of veterans; (3) designation of a suicide prevention counselor at each Department medical facility; (4) research on best practices for suicide prevention; (5) mental health care for veterans who have experienced sexual trauma while in military service; (6) 24-hour veterans' mental health care availability; (7) a toll-free hotline; and (8) outreach and education for veterans and their families.

Authorizes the Secretary to develop and carry a peer support counseling program as part of such program.

Requires the Secretary to report to Congress on the program.

Status of the Legislation

Latest Major Action: 10/24/2007: Presented to President.

Omission of Bean bill described as baffling
Holt and East Brunswick family vow to continue fight for improved veterans’ services
BY LAUREN CIRAULO Staff Writer

EAST BRUNSWICK — A bill named for a Middlesex County veteran and intended to strengthen treatment resources for returning soldiers will not be funded this year.

The bill’s sudden removal from the federal Defense Authorization Act of 2011 has angered a local family as well as Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ), who introduced the legislation in honor of East Brunswick native, U.S. Army Sgt. Coleman Bean.

According to Holt, it was Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Ranking Member U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) who yanked the measure, believing it to be unnecessary.

A call to McCain’s office requesting comment was not immediately returned.

“When I learned that Sen. McCain removed this provision at the last minute, I was furious,” Holt said. “A serious gap exists in military suicide prevention efforts — a gap that needlessly cost the life of one young central New Jersey resident.”

Coleman Bean took his life on Sept. 6, 2008, at the age of 25, a few months after returning from his second tour in Iraq. He had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after his first tour, but Bean had limited access to veterans services as a member of the U.S. Army’s Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) and was called back to duty without receiving treatment.

Armed Forces Suicide Prevention Act of 2011

For Immediate Release August 31, 2012
Fact Sheet: President Obama Signs Executive Order to Improve Access to Mental Health Services for Veterans, Service Members, and Military Families

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama will sign an Executive Order directing key federal departments to expand suicide prevention strategies and take steps to meet the current and future demand for mental health and substance abuse treatment services for veterans, service members, and their families.

Ensuring that all veterans, Active, Guard, and Reserve service members and their families receive the support they deserve is a top priority for the Obama Administration. Since September 11, 2001, more than two million service members have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan with unprecedented duration and frequency. Long deployments and intense combat conditions require optimal support for the emotional and mental health needs of our service members and their families. The Obama Administration has consistently expanded efforts to ensure our troops, veterans and their families receive the benefits they have earned and deserve, including providing timely mental health service. The Executive Order signed today builds on these efforts.

President Obama’s Executive Order

The Executive Order signed by President Obama:

Strengthens suicide prevention efforts across the Force and in the veteran community: The Executive Order directs the VA to increase the VA veteran crisis line capacity by 50% by the end of the year.

Under the Executive Order, VA will ensure that any veteran identifying him or herself as being in crisis connects with a mental health professional or trained mental health worker within 24 hours or less.

VA will work with the Department of Defense to develop and implement a national 12 month suicide prevention campaign focused on connecting veterans to mental health services.

Enhances access to mental health care by building partnerships between VA and community providers:

In service areas where VA has faced challenges in hiring and placing mental health service providers and continues to have unfilled vacancies or long wait times, the Executive Order Directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to work with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish at least 15 pilot sites. In pilot sites, VA will contract with community health centers, community mental health clinics, community substance abuse treatment facilities and other HHS grantees and community resources to help reduce VA mental health waiting lists. Under the Executive Order, HHS and VA will develop a plan for a rural mental health recruitment initiative to promote opportunities for VA and rural communities to share mental health providers when demand is insufficient for either to support a full-time provider.

Increases the number of VA mental health providers serving our veterans:

Under the Executive Order, VA will hire 800 peer-to-peer support counselors to empower veterans to support other veterans and help ensure that their mental health care and overall service needs are met. VA has launched an effort to hire 1,600 new mental health professionals to serve veterans. The Executive Order directs VA to use its pay-setting authorities, loan repayment and scholarships, partnerships with health care workforce training programs, and collaborative arrangements with community-based providers to recruit, hire, and place 1,600 mental health professionals by June, 2013. Since, 2009, the VA has expanded its mental health programs, hiring more than 3,500 mental health professionals since 2009.

Promotes mental health research and development of more effective treatment methodologies:

The Executive Order directs the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education to develop a National Research Action Plan that will include strategies to improve early diagnosis and treatment effectiveness for TBI and PTSD.

The Executive Order further directs the Department of Defense and Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a comprehensive mental health study with an emphasis on PTSD, TBI, and related injuries to develop better prevention, diagnosis, and treatment options.

Launch a government-wide collaborative effort to address these issues through a Military and Veterans Mental Health Interagency Task Force:

The Executive Order establishes an Interagency Task Force, including the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education, the Domestic Policy Council, National Security Staff, the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which will make recommendations to the President on additional strategies to improve mental health and substance abuse treatment services for veterans, service members, and their families.

Supporting our Military, Veterans, and their Families
The President has taken key steps to protect and strengthen the health of our military, veterans and their families here at home. Many of these initiatives are supported by agencies across the federal government and collaborative partnerships with states and communities.

Health Care
For the first time ever, 135 medical schools have committed to exchanging leading research on PTSD and TBI and will also train future physicians to better understand veteran health needs. More than 150 state and national nursing organizations and over 650 nursing schools have committed to ensure our nation’s 3 million nurses are prepared to meet the unique health needs of veterans and their families by educating the current and future nurses of America to have a better understanding of PTSD and TBI.

President Obama signed the “caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010”, into law which helps our most seriously injured post-9/11 veterans and their family caregivers with a monthly stipend; access to health insurance; mental health services and counseling; and comprehensive VA caregiver training and respite care. The Department of Labor has proposed new regulations for the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to support military families and caregivers. This rule would implement statutory changes to the FMLA, expanding leave to family members caring for veterans who have suffered a serious injury or illness.

In July 2010, the VA published a historic change to its rules, streamlining the process and paperwork needed by combat veterans to pursue a claim for disability pay for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The VA expanded its workforce by over 2,600 people to handle applications for disability pay. The VA is also using technology and new approaches to help veterans get their benefits by accepting online applications for initial disability benefits, initiating an innovation competition, launching pilot initiatives, and investing over $128 million in a paperless Veterans Benefits Management System.

The administration is utilizing partnerships to reduce the stigma associated with seeking treatment for behavioral health issues. Make the Connection, a campaign launched by the Department of Veterans Affairs, is creating ways for veterans and their family members to connect with the experiences of other veterans and access the information and resources to help these families confront the challenges of transitioning from service to daily civilian life.

Licensing and Credentials
Nearly 35 percent of military spouses in the labor force require licenses or certification for their profession. Many military spouses hold occupational licenses and routinely move across state lines, causing licensing requirements to disproportionately affect the military spouse population. The First Lady and Dr. Biden encouraged all 50 governors to pass legislation by 2014 to reduce the financial and administrative strains that 100,000 military spouses incur from trying to get their state licenses or certification credentials to transfer from state to state as they move. Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden encouraged governors to take Action in February 2012 when only 11 states had legislation on the books. 26 states now have measures in place to support military spouses and the initiative is on-track to meet the 2014 goal.

Education
The Department of Defense has awarded $180 million in grants to support military-connected public school districts. These grants support improved academic programs for military children. More than 400,000 students from military families across all grade levels are impacted by these grant projects.

The Department of Defense has awarded approximately $25 million to military-connected Local Education Agencies (LEAs) this summer to focus on increasing student achievement and easing transitions through research-based academic and support programs.

The Department of Defense, in collaboration with the Council of State Governments' (CSG) National Center for Interstate Compacts developed the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children (the Compact) to address the educational transition issues of children of military families. The Compact covers transition issues including class placement, records transfer, immunization requirements, course placement, graduation requirements, exit testing, and extra-curricular opportunities. States adopt the Compact through legislation, and as a result, join the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3). To date, 39 states have approved the Compact and these states are home to 89 percent of school age children whose active duty parents are assigned to military installations in the United States. We will continue to work with leaders to encourage the 11 remaining states approve the Compact and become members of MIC3.

VA eased the Post-9/11 GI Bill application process within the eBenefits portal, including transferability to spouses or children for service members with over six years of service. Servicemembers can now apply on-line to transfer the benefits of their Post-9/11 GI Bill to eligible beneficiaries.

Housing
On top of the historic settlements completed by the Federal government and 49 state Attorneys General, major mortgage servicers will be providing relief to thousands of service member and veteran households. A review will be conducted of every service member household foreclosed upon since 2006. Those wrongly foreclosed upon will be compensated equal to a minimum of lost equity, plus interest and a refund for money lost because they were wrongfully denied the opportunity to reduce their mortgage payments. Additionally, these organizations will pay $10 million into a VA fund that guarantees loans on favorable terms for veterans.

The Administration is working to end veteran homelessness through leveraging broad support at Federal, State, and local levels in both the public and private sectors. Working with over 4,000 community agencies, the VA and HUD have successfully placed more than 37,000 veterans in permanent housing with dedicated case managers and access to high-quality VA health care since 2009. To ensure we reach out to our homeless veterans, the VA created a National Registry for Homeless Veterans and established a National Homeless Hotline. Veteran homelessness was reduced by nearly 12 percent between January 2010 and January 2011.

In 2011, VA helped save 72,391 Veteran and military borrowers with VA-guaranteed loans from foreclosure, a 10% increase from the prior year. VA has helped nearly 59,000 borrowers avoid foreclosure so far in 2012. The home loan guaranty program helps Veterans and their families purchase homes, often with no down payment required. The program expects to guaranty the 20 millionth loan in early November 2012.

Using their Interest Rate Reduction Refinancing Loan, also known as the Streamline Refinance, VA refinances existing VA loans into new loans with lower interest rates, or adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) into fixed rate mortgages. In 2011, this program saved an average of $202 per month in individual payment reductions and 1.42% in interest rates. This equates to saving military and veterans $24 million a month and $293 million per year.

Financial Readiness
The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Financial Education and Financial Access has helped military families identify predatory lending practices. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) established an office of service member affairs to ensure that the CFPB addresses the financial challenges that confront military families and strengthens protections against abusive financial practices.

Congressman Jeff Miller taking lead on House Veterans Affairs Committee

Congressman Filner did a great job for our veterans and now in January Rep. Jeff Miller, from Florida, will take leadership of the Veterans Affairs Committee. His voting record seems pretty good on veterans.

Two Florida Republicans Chosen to Lead Congressional Committees
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen to chair Foreign Affairs Committee, Jeff Miller will head up Veterans Affairs Committee
BY: KEVIN DERBY | POSTED: DECEMBER 9, 2010


Two Florida Republicans were selected to lead committees in the U.S. House Wednesday, as U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen was chosen to chair the House Foreign Affairs Committee and U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller was named to lead the House Veterans Affairs Committee.

First elected to Congress in 2001, Miller represents the Panhandle -- Escambia, Holmes, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton and Washington counties. He was chosen to chair the Veterans Affairs Committee.

“It is certainly a great honor to have the opportunity to serve as chairman of an important committee that is so critical to our country,” said Miller. “I’m eager to work hard in this new capacity for our veterans and retirees.”

“I can’t think of anyone in the House more capable to serve as the chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs than Jeff Miller,” said incoming U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. “Jeff’s efforts for veterans are well-documented and his credentials as a conservative leader are without question. Jeff will continue to work to ensure that all of our nation’s heroes receive the proper respect and care that they earned.”

“I am humbled by the opportunity to serve the more than 22 million veterans who have so proudly served this great nation,” added Miller. “I will work to ensure that we meet our veterans’ needs.”

read more here
Two Florida Republicans Chosen to Lead Congressional Committees

He has courage and stood up for what he believed so there is hope for veterans as well.

GOP Rep. Jeff Miller calls for Barton to step down from top committee spot over BP comments.
Earlier this morning, Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) called the $20 billion escrow fund BP agreed to set up yesterday to pay for oil spill damages a “slush fund” resulting from a “shakedown” by the White House. Though many conservatives agree with Barton, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) refused to endorse Barton’s position. Now, Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL) has called for Barton to step down as the ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee because of his comments:

Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.), whose Pensacola district is among the most-impacted areas in the Gulf by the oil spill, condemned Barton for apologizing to BP CEO Tony Hayward during a committee meeting on Thursday.

“I condemn Mr. Barton’s statement. Mr. Barton’s remarks are out of touch with this tragedy and I feel his comments call into question his judgment and ability to serve in a leadership on the Energy and Commerce Committee,” Miller said in a statement. “He should step down as Ranking Member of the Committee.”
read more here
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/06/17/miller-barton-step-down/

Thank you Congressman Filner and Congresswoman Pelosi for what you did for veterans

There are a lot of people really happy this morning. I can see the people wanting to not pay taxes anymore happy but when I think about the people who will suffer because of this, it makes me heartsick. I only pray the Republicans who voted for the reversal of the leadership in the House will pay attention to what their politicans are doing and not doing for our veterans. You have to hold them accountable!

For now I want to thank Congressman Filner and Congresswoman Pelosi for what their leadership did for the sake of our veterans.

110th "Liberal" House did these for veterans under Congressman Filner and Congresswoman Pelosi. But some voters still wanted to hate the "Dems" in congress no matter what they did that was right, just, long overdue and taking care of the veterans they claim to love.

December 2008
12/17/2008 Filner Discusses Veterans Issues on Dr. Phil Show

12/8/2008 Filner Pleased With Obama Pick of General Shinseki to Run Troubled VA
November 2008
11/20/2008 Filner Re-elected Chair of House Vets Committee

11/19/2008 Filner to VA: Confidence in VA Completely Shattered by Recent Document Shredding

11/18/2008 Herseth Sandlin Continues to Monitor Progress of New G.I. Bill
October 2008
10/14/2008 Filner Victorious in Fight for Expansion of Veterans’ Health Care and Benefits

10/14/2008 Congressman Filner’s Bill Extends Purple Heart to All Deceased Prisoners of War!

10/1/2008 Filner Applauds Enactment of Veterans’ Spending Bill
September 2008
9/24/2008 Filner Leads House in Passage of Comprehensive Bills to Help Veterans Prevent Foreclosure, Access the Health Care They Need and Receive Earned Disability Benefits in a Timely Fashion

9/19/2008 Veterans Benefit Administration in Need of Improved Training, Performance Management and Accountability

9/18/2008 Chairman Filner Introduces Legislation to End Delays and Stop Budget Shortfalls for Veterans Health Care Funding

9/18/2008 House Passes Legislation to Honor Nation’s Veterans

9/16/2008 House Veterans’ Subcommittee Raises Concerns about VA Approach to Implementing New G.I. Bill Benefits

9/16/2008 House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee Assesses Suicide Prevention Efforts at the VA

9/15/2008 The Veterans’ Affairs Committees of the House and Senate Hold a Joint Hearing for The American Legion to Present Legislative Priorities

9/11/2008 House Passes Bill to Improve VA Home Loan Program and Sends COLA Bill to President’s Desk
July 2008
7/31/2008 House Passes Comprehensive Legislative Package to Improve Veterans Care and Augment Needed Services

7/25/2008 REPRESENTATIVES BRADY AND FILNER CRITICAL OF VA LIMITATIONS ON VOTER REGISTRATION

7/24/2008 Important Veterans Provisions Included in Comprehensive Housing Bill

7/23/2008 Congress Must Act to Restore Earned Benefits to All Vietnam Veterans – Including “Blue Water” Vets!

7/18/2008 Agent Orange Equity Act Press Conference, Wednesday, July 23

7/16/2008 House Veterans Committee Approves Comprehensive Legislative Package to Improve Veterans Care and Augment Needed Services

7/15/2008 Understanding the Journey of War Veterans:

7/15/2008 VA Details New Suicide Awareness Campaign at House Veterans Oversight Hearing

7/10/2008 Subcommittee Approves Legislation to Increase Access for Mental Health Care for Veterans’ Families
7/10/2008 Improvement Needed for Rehab Program at VA

7/9/2008 First – DO NO HARM!!
June 2008
6/30/2008 New G.I. Bill for Nation’s Veterans Becomes Law

6/26/2008 House of Representatives Votes to Name VA Facilities after Heroic Veterans

6/26/2008 Subcommittee Approves Legislation to Help Veterans Readjust After Military Deployments

6/26/2008 Health Subcommittee Reviews Legislation to Provide Mental Health Treatment for Family Members of Veterans

6/24/2008 Beyond the Yellow Ribbon: When the National Guard and Reserves Come Home

6/23/2008 Subcommittee Reviews Bills to Improve Quality of Life for Returning Veterans

6/17/2008 Filner to the VA: Suspend drug study IMMEDIATELY! IT MAY CAUSE SUICIDE!

6/12/2008 Veterans’ Subcommittee Reviews Legislation to Bolster Disability Benefits for Veterans

6/11/2008 House of Representatives Passes Veterans Legislation

6/11/2008 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Approves Legislation to Establish Epilepsy Centers of Excellence

6/11/2008 Improving Care for America’s Wounded Warriors

6/5/2008 Health Subcommittee Reviews Legislation to Bolster Health Care for Veterans
May 2008
5/23/2008 Filner Releases Statement on VA Blue Ribbon Commissions

5/22/2008 Veterans in Need of Clear and Simple Outreach to Access VA Benefits & Services

5/22/2008 House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee Hearing: Need for Health Care Providers at VA Continues

5/21/2008 House of Representatives Passes Veterans Legislation

5/8/2008 Chairman Filner Statement on Veterans Provisions in Housing Legislation

5/6/2008 The Truth About Veterans’ Suicides

5/1/2008 Chairman Filner Statement on the G.I. Bill
April 2008
4/16/2008 Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Reviews Legislation to Improve Transition for Returning Service Members and Veterans

4/10/2008 House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee Reviews Historic Legislation to Reform the VA Benefits Claims Processing System

4/9/2008 Our Homeless Heroes: A Moral Disgrace for Our Nation

4/3/2008 House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees Hold Joint Hearing
4/2/2008 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Holds Oversight Hearing to Address Vision Needs of Veterans with TBI

4/1/2008 House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee Hearing: More Research Needed on Effective and Comprehensive PTSD Treatment
March 2008
3/13/2008 Chairman Filner Lauds Passage of Budget

3/13/2008 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Holds Oversight Hearing to Examine Care of Seriously Wounded Veterans

3/13/2008 The U.S. Paralympic Military Program: A Dynamic Rehabilitative Therapy for Our Injured Heroes

3/11/2008 House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee Examines Treatment of Substance Use Disorders and Associated Mental Health Conditions at the VA

3/6/2008 House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees Hold Joint Hearing

3/4/2008 House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees Hold Joint Hearing

3/4/2008 House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees Hold Joint Hearing
February 2008
2/28/2008 House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee Explores Expanding Mental Health Services for Families of Veterans

2/28/2008 Will Our Veterans Survive the Housing Crisis?

2/27/2008 House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee Holds Hearing on VA Construction for 2009

2/26/2008 VA Disability Rating System in Need of Comprehensive and Immediate Repair

2/14/2008 House of Representatives Offers National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans

2/14/2008 “VA’s Claims Processing System is in Need of 21st Century Reform”

2/13/2008 House Veterans’ Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Reviews Expiring Programs at the VA

2/13/2008 Bush Budget 2009: Misplaced Priorities for America’s Veterans

2/7/2008 Bush Budget 2009: Failing to Respond to the Needs of Our Veterans

2/6/2008 Veterans Group Recognizes Filner as “Legislator of the Year”

2/5/2008 No New Taxes for America’s Veterans!
January 2008
1/29/2008 Veteran Laments VA Claims Process: “We Are Not Alone”

1/29/2008 VA Inspector General: Marion VA Was In Disarray

1/28/2008 New Law Improves VA Health Care for America’s Returning Service Members and Veterans

1/17/2008 House Veterans’ Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Reviews Legislation to Update the Montgomery G.I. Bill
December 2007
12/19/2007 House of Representatives Passes Legislation to Modernize the VA Medical Center in Atlanta
12/19/2007 Filner Introduces Legislative Package to Help Veterans Survive the Subprime Mortgage Crisis

12/12/2007 Stopping Veteran Suicides: VA Not Reaching the Veterans that Need the Help

12/12/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Holds Joint Subcommittee Hearing to Examine VA Outpatient Waiting Times

12/11/2007 House of Representatives Passes Veterans Legislation

12/6/2007 Chairman Filner Names Kimberly Ross Staff Director of DAMA Subcommitte

12/6/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Hosts Presidential Management Fellow

12/5/2007 Congressman Filner Introduces Bill to Provide Paralympics Programs to Disabled Veterans
November 2007
11/16/2007 Our Nation’s Veterans: Stopping Suicides and Ending Homelessness!

11/7/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Passes the Fair Benefits for Guard and Reserve Act

11/6/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA) released the following statement on the Marion Veterans Affairs Medical Center:

11/5/2007 House of Representatives Passes Legislation Honoring America’s Veterans in Preparation for Veterans Day

11/1/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee Holds Hearing on the VA Construction Process
October 2007
10/31/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Hosts Army Congressional Associate

10/30/2007 Filner Statement on Nomination of James B. Peake

10/25/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Holds Hearing on the Department of Labor VETS Program

10/24/2007 House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee Holds Hearing on the Sharing of Electronic Medical Records between DoD and VA

10/23/2007 House of Representatives Passes Veterans Legislation

10/18/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Holds Hearing on the Montgomery G.I. Bill

10/17/2007 Filner praises Dole/Shalala recommendations – but urges a more radical shake-up of the bureaucracy!

10/17/2007 House Veterans Affairs’ Committee Hearing Examines the Long-Term Costs of the Current Conflicts

10/16/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Hearing Examines Benefits Disparities within the Veterans Benefits Administration

10/10/2007 House Veterans Affairs’ Committee Reviews Findings of the Veterans’ Disability Benefits Commission

10/4/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee Holds Hearing on VA Research Programs

10/3/2007 House Veterans Affairs’ Committee Hearing Examines Funding the VA of the Future
September 2007
9/27/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Improving Services for Homeless Veterans
9/26/2007 House VA Committee Continues Oversight of VA Information Technology Security

9/25/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Holds Hearing on VA’s Polytrauma Centers

9/25/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Holds Hearing on VA Appeals Process

9/20/2007 The American Legion Presents Legislative Agenda to Joint Hearing of House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees

9/20/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Jobs for Returning Veterans

9/19/2007 Shalala and Dole Provide Details on Commission Recommendations to House VA Committee

9/18/2007 VA Secretary Jim Nicholson to Report on Current Issues – and to Say “Goodbye”!

9/6/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Jobs for Returning Veterans


July 2007
7/30/2007 House of Representatives Passes Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2007

7/30/2007 House of Representatives Passes Legislation to Address the Immediate Needs of Returning Veterans and Expand Benefits for WWII Merchant Mariners

7/25/2007 “Personality Disorder”: A Deliberate Misdiagnosis To Avoid Veterans’ Health Care Costs!

7/18/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Holds Symposium on Traumatic Brain Injury

7/17/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Passes Five Bills

7/17/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Passes Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2007
June 2007
6/25/2007 House of Representatives Votes to Name Four VA Facilities after Medal of Honor Recipients

6/20/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Holds Hearing on Health Care Equity for All Veterans

6/18/2007 Chairman Filner Names David M. Tucker Chief Counsel for the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

6/15/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Applauds House Passage of Veterans Spending Bill
May 2007
5/23/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Holds VA Disability Claims Roundtable

5/23/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Filner Pleased at House Passage of Bills Honoring America’s Veterans

5/22/2007 Congress Passes Resolution to Recognize the Service of United States Merchant Marine Veterans on National Maritime Day

5/17/2007 House Passes Budget Resolution

5/16/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Holds Symposium on PTSD

5/3/2007 VA Officials that Miscalculated the Needs of our Veterans Awarded Significant Bonuses
April 2007
4/19/2007 Progress for America’s Veterans


April 2007
4/16/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Holds Hearing on Past-due “Thank You” to Members of the United States Merchant Marines
March 2007
3/30/2007 VA Treatment Centers Lack Access to Troop Medical Records

3/29/2007 Budget Resolution Passes House

3/28/2007 Wounded Warrior Assistance Act Passes House

3/27/2007 Veterans Groups Join Democrats in Support of Budget Resolution

3/23/2007 Chairman Filner Supports Proposed Budget Increase for Veterans

3/22/2007 House Passes Three Bills to Improve Veterans’ Benefits

3/16/2007 Skelton-Hunter-Snyder-Mchugh-Filner Introduce the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act of 2007

3/15/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Reports Three Bills

3/6/2007 House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees Hold Joint Hearing

3/2/2007 Filner Statement on Walter Reed Army Medical Center
February 2007
2/27/2007 House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees Hold Joint Hearing

2/15/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Holds Hearing on Equity for Filipino Veterans

2/13/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Holds Stakeholders Summit to Identify Legislative Priorities


111th Congress under the same leadership

1/22/2010 Improvements Ahead for Post 9/11-G.I. Bill Claims System

1/21/2010 House Veterans' Affairs Committee Meets with VSO Leaders

12/16/2009 Clear Need for Procurement Reform at VA:

12/7/2009 Herseth Sandlin Leads Discussion on Educational Options for Veterans

12/7/2009 House Committee Examines How Federal Dollars Get to Local Veterans for Health Care

12/7/2009 More than 200 Members of Congress Agree: Agent Orange Veterans Deserve Compensation for Their Sacrifice!!

11/4/2009 House of Representatives Votes to Enhance Veteran Protections: A Congressional “Thank You” for Veterans Day

10/28/2009 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Advances Bills to Enhance Veteran Protections

10/23/2009 Landmark Legislative Victory for Veterans!

10/22/2009 Chairman Filner Supports Veteran Athletes and Military Paralympic Program

10/22/2009 Landmark Legislative Victory for America’s Veterans!!

10/21/2009 Emergency Stipends Successfully Reach Veteran Students

10/16/2009 Secretary Shinseki Provides Update on the State of the VA to Congressional Panel

10/14/2009 Chairman Bob Filner Releases Statement on Agent Orange Decision

10/14/2009 Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee Advances Bills to Enhance Veteran Protections

10/14/2009 Hall Leads Discussion on Proposed Regulation Change Regarding PTSD Determinations for Veterans

10/8/2009 House Passes Historic Bill to Secure Timely Funding for Veterans’ Health Care

10/2/2009 VA Provides Encouraging Progress Report on Going Green

9/29/2009 Congressional Panel Spotlights Waste, Inappropriate Use of VA Resources

9/25/2009 Most – Not All – Veterans Getting Prescription Drugs They Need

9/25/2009 Congressional Panel Calls on VA to Do More to Honor Sacrifice of America’s Veterans

9/17/2009 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Holds Roundtable on Veterans’ Treatment Courts

9/15/2009 Filner Applauds VA Decision to Restart National Vietnam Veterans Longitudinal Study

9/14/2009 The American Legion Presents Legislative Agenda to Joint Hearing of House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees

9/14/2009 Herseth Sandlin Urges Stronger Management Oversight of VA Projects


September 2009
9/25/2009 Congressional Panel Calls on VA to Do More to Honor Sacrifice of America’s Veterans

9/17/2009 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Holds Roundtable on Veterans’ Treatment Courts

9/15/2009 Filner Applauds VA Decision to Restart National Vietnam Veterans Longitudinal Study

9/14/2009 The American Legion Presents Legislative Agenda to Joint Hearing of House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees

9/14/2009 Herseth Sandlin Urges Stronger Management Oversight of VA Projects
August 2009
8/5/2009 Filner Bill Allows Elderly Veterans to Use Their Earned Medicare Dollars for VA Health Care

8/5/2009 California Veterans to Get Full GI Bill Benefit: Agreement between State of California and VA Will Result in Dramatic Increase in Benefits for Yellow Ribbon Program
July 2009
7/31/2009 VA’s Limited Scope of Research Prevents Gulf War Vets From Getting the Benefit of the Doubt

7/31/2009 VA Stumbles in Providing Vocational Rehab to Veterans

7/30/2009 Paralympians Inspire Others to Be Better and Do More

7/30/2009 VA’s Limited Scope of Research Prevents Gulf War Vets From Getting the Benefit of the Doubt

7/27/2009 House Passes Bill to Provide Unprecedented Support to Veteran Caregivers

7/23/2009 Critical Warning Signs Missed at Philly VA Weak Oversight Efforts Fail to Protect Veterans

7/21/2009 State Approving Agencies See Expanded Role Under Post-9/11 G.I. Bill

7/21/2009 Hearing Spotlights Immediate Needs of Nation’s Women Veterans

7/15/2009 Veterans’ Affairs Committee Passes Bill to Provide Training and Support for Veteran Caregivers

7/14/2009 Deadline Looms for VA-DOD Interagency Office on Military Electronic Health Records

7/13/2009 House Votes to Strengthen Work Study Program for Returning Veterans

7/10/2009 House Passes Advance Appropriations for Veterans Health Care in Veterans Funding Bill

7/10/2009 House Approves Filner Amendment to Support Paralympic Program for Injured Vets
June 2009
6/26/2009 VA Set for Start of Post-9/11 GI Bill on August 1

6/25/2009 House Subcommittee Reviews Legislation to Provide Greater Support to Veterans and Survivors

6/24/2009 House Passes Historic Bill to Secure Timely Funding for Veterans’ Health Care

6/24/2009 House Votes to Improve Care for Women Veterans

6/23/2009 House Subcommittee Reviews Claims Process for Veterans
6/19/2009 VA Addresses Failures of Contaminated Equipment Use

6/19/2009 House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health Reviews Legislation

6/12/2009 CARES Process Lacks Transparency, Performance Measures

6/10/2009 Veterans’ Affairs Committee Passes Historic Bill to Secure Timely Funding for Veterans’ Health Care

6/8/2009 House Affirms Commitment to Nation’s Veterans, Men and Women in Uniform

6/8/2009 More Support for Caregivers of Veterans Needed

6/3/2009 Too Many Unmet Needs for America’s Veterans: Losing Veterans to our Streets
May 2009
5/21/2009 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Holds Roundtable to Address Issues Confronting Women Veterans

5/20/2009 VA Unresponsive to Questions, Needs of Gulf War Veterans

5/20/2009 As VA Reaches Out to Veterans, Health Care Access Issues Magnify

5/19/2009 House Passes Bills to Honor America’s Veterans: A Congressional Thank You for Memorial Day

5/14/2009 House Subcommittee Reviews Appellate Process for Veterans

5/14/2009 House Subcommittee Reviews Appellate Process for Veterans

5/14/2009 Federal Contractors Not Taking Necessary Steps to Employ Veterans, Say Veterans Groups

5/13/2009 Private Sector Groups Present Cutting Edge Technology and Treatment Options for Veterans at Hearing

5/12/2009 House Votes to Thank WWII Service of Merchant Mariners

5/8/2009 Congress Must Act to Restore Earned Benefits to All Vietnam Veterans – Including “Blue Water” Vets!

5/6/2009 Veterans’ Affairs Committee Advances Legislation
April 2009
4/30/2009 Chairman Hall Holds Hearing to Discuss the COMBAT PTSD Act, H.R. 952

4/30/2009 Filner Applauds Passage of Budget Resolution that Increases Veterans’ Funding

4/30/2009 Care Coordination for Seriously Injured Veterans Improving

4/30/2009 Filner Holds Hearing on Advance Appropriations for Veterans’ Health Care

4/6/2009 Chairman Filner Names Martin L. Herbert Majority Staff Director of Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee

4/2/2009 Filner Applauds Passage of House Budget Resolution that Increases Veterans’ Funding
March 2009
3/30/2009 House Subcommittee Reviews Combat PTSD
3/30/2009 House Advances Important Veterans Bills

3/25/2009 Veterans’ Affairs Committee Advances Legislation

3/23/2009 Filner Reintroduces Bill to Help Vietnam Veterans Suffering from Parkinson’s Disease

3/19/2009 Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittees Advance Legislation to Improve Care and Benefits for Veterans

3/19/2009 Health Subcommittee Reviews New and Existing Health Care Programs for Rural Veterans

3/18/2009 VFW Presents Legislative Goals at Joint Hearing of House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees

3/17/2009 Veterans Groups Present Legislative Goals at Joint Hearing of House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees

3/17/2009 Billing Our Heroes: It’s DOA!

3/17/2009 DOD and VA Let Veterans with Eye Injuries Down

3/13/2009 Filner Releases Views on VA Budget Request

3/10/2009 Obama Budget 2010: Responding to the Needs of Our Veterans

3/6/2009 Veterans Groups Present Legislative Goals at Joint Hearing of House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees

3/3/2009 Health Subcommittee Reviews Legislation

3/3/2009 House Subcommittees Probe Mishandling of Veterans Disability Claims
February 2009
2/26/2009 DAV Presents Legislative Agenda at Joint Hearing of House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees

2/26/2009 Filner Honored for Protecting Veterans’ Education Benefits

2/26/2009 Obama Budget 2010: Responding to the Needs of Our Veterans

2/26/2009 New G.I. Bill On Track for August

2/14/2009 Finally, Equity for Filipino WWII Veterans!!

2/14/2009 Filner Pledges to Fight for Budgets Worthy of Our Veterans

2/13/2009 Filner and Akaka Reintroduce Legislation to Secure Timely Funding for Veterans’ Health Care through Advance Appropriations

2/13/2009 Filner Introduces Bill to Ensure Parity for Veterans Taking On-Line Courses

2/11/2009 Congressional Leaders, Veterans Orgs and Former VA Official to Hold Press Conference Supporting Advanced Funding of Veteran's Health Care

2/9/2009 Filner Reintroduces Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act

2/5/2009 “Shinseki Off to Great Start,” says Filner
2/2/2009 Keeping the Promise: A Veterans Agenda for the 111th Congress

2/2/2009 Filner Urges More Veterans Spending in Stimulus Package
January 2009
1/22/2009 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Adopts Oversight Plan for the 111th Congress and Officially Names Members

1/21/2009 FILNER APPLAUDS CONFIRMATION OF VA SECRETARY SHINSEKI

1/15/2009 FILNER APPALLED BY LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY, LEADERSHIP AT VA

House Veterans Work

It is terrible that we're going to head backwards because no one on the news bothered to tell veterans and their families how much was done for them and who did it. I talk to Republican voters all the time and none of them had a clue. Too bad the media never told them what was going on and who was lying about what.

Don't let veterans be betrayed again

For the last 4 years there has been so much hope in this country for veterans because of Congressman Filner's leadership in the House Veterans Affairs Committee. He's a Democrat so they controlled the committees for the last 4 years. Reading what has been wrong with the way we treat veterans was no longer just a matter of what was wrong but what they were doing about it. The Dems in the House wrote some outstanding bills and most of them were brought to a passing vote in the Senate but even more were blocked by GOP filibusters. (You've read about them on this blog for a long time.) Veterans were no longer treated like second class citizens far below funding for defense contractors. They were not considered to be seeking "welfare" from the VA instead of what was owed to them. All in all, there were many years of neglect committed against them the Democrats tried to make right. They managed to do that with the GI Bill (the GOP were against) along with just about everything else concerning the men and women in the military and veterans.

The hope of finally getting it right for them is now gone. We're about to head right back into the hands of a GOP House wanting to cut the budget off their backs. Kiss all the advances that could have happened because you won't see them for a very long time now.

The GOP blocked the COLA (Cost of Living) last year and they did it again this year, but maybe the list of wrongs committed by them will matter enough for the Republicans in this country to force them to do the right thing for the sake of our veterans. This is unlikely considering the people we just elected were part of the problem to begin with, but were elected anyway. The people in this country do still have power to make them do the right thing for our veterans and we need to make sure the media reports on it instead of ignoring it. Veterans Day will be bitter sweet in this nation this year and by all accounts, for the next two years at least.

Republicans take more than 60 House seats, CNN projects
By Mariano Castillo, CNN
November 3, 2010 5:34 a.m. EDT

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: The GOP picks up more than 60 seats, CNN projects
Republicans gain a majority in the House
About 100 of 435 House seats were competitive
Pelosi urges "common ground"
Watch CNN live on TV, online and on your iPhone tonight from 7 p.m. ET to get all the news and results from the hotly contested 2010 midterm elections. And share your election experiences with CNN iReport.
(CNN) -- There is a new speaker in town.
Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, will be the new Speaker of the House, replacing Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-California, as the GOP rolled in Tuesday's midterm elections, gaining a majority for the first time in four years.
The Republican Party will pick up more than 60 seats in the legislature, a statistical analysis of exit polls by CNN projects. That's a comfortable margin over the 39 seats needed to wrest control from the Democrats.
read more here

Republicans take more than 60 House seats