Share Your Stories of Advocacy from Memorial Day and the Congressional Recess

This weekend, legislators are once again home in their districts to observe the Memorial Day holiday alongside the men and women they represent. Many legislators will join VFW members and advocates who will gather to honor the brave American men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation, hoping to hear our concerns on the issues facing service members, veterans, and military families. If you seize the opportunity to advocate this week on behalf of our nation's veterans and want to share your story, we want to help spread the word on the VFW Capitol Hill blog.

For more than a century, VFW has helped to get passed into law virtually every significant quality-of-life legislation for service members, veterans and their families. VFW has also helped to defeat bad legislation that would reduce or eliminate those hard earned programs, which is why our sustained voice in Washington is only as strong as the voice of VFW members and all of our veterans’ advocates around the country.

Without your help and your grassroots action in communities from coast to coast, accomplishments like the Post-9/11 GI Bill, Agent Orange presumptions, veterans’ hiring preference, survivor benefits, advance health care appropriations and Family Caregiver benefits would not have been possible.

If you don't know where to begin, the VFW offers a variety of tools to help you reach out to your elected officials and discuss many of the most pressing national issues facing our service members, veterans, and their loved ones.

To army yourself with the latest VFW Legislative Priority Goals, click here.

To learn about key bills VFW is working to pass in Congress, click here.

To find contact information for your congressmen and senators, click here.

The VFW Capitol Hill blog brings together the efforts of the VFW Action Corps and the VFW National Legislative Service to provide updates in real time on veterans and military issues as they develop in Washington and around the nation. We hope that you will send us your stories and help us inspire members to reach out to their representatives and take action!

To send us your news, use the Blog Submission Form posted here, or simply email photos and stories directly to vfwac@vfw.org.

VFW Commander To Join in National Memorial Day Observances

This afternoon VFW Commander-in-Chief Richard L. DeNoyer will touch down in Washington, D.C., for Memorial Day weekend events.

Every year, VFW leaders converge on the Nation's Capitol for a series of events across the region to honor the brave American men and women who gave their lives on the battlefield to defend our great nation. This year, DeNoyer, VFW National Chief of Staff Walter Gansenberg, and VFW Washington staff are scheduled to participate in nearly a dozen events around Washington to honor America's fallen heroes.

The VFW national commander's weekend starts tonight, when he joins fellow Marines at the Eighth and I Marine Corps Barracks for the evening parade.

On Saturday, VFW National Veterans Service staff begin manning a tent near the Vietnam War Memorial so that visiting veterans can learn about their earned VA benefits and speak with trained VFW service officers on how to navigate the complex VA claims process. VFW staff will man the tent on Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.

On Sunday night, DeNoyer and other key VFW leaders will join members of Congress and their professional staff at the U.S. Capitol for the National Memorial Day Concert.

On Monday morning, DeNoyer will begin observing Memorial Day by joining the president and the first lady at the White House for a breakfast to honor America's Gold Star Families.

Afterwards, DeNoyer and other VFW officials will gather at Arlington National Cemetery for the 114th National Memorial Day Observance, immediately followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

The VFW national commander will close out Memorial Day alongside his fellow Vietnam veterans at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial for the 30th Annual Memorial Day Wall Ceremony, which this year includes the National Commemoration of the Vietnam War's 50th Anniversary.

In addition to the national Memorial Day events hosted in Washington, VFW members and advocates will gather from coast to coast to honor the sacrifices of America's fallen war heroes. Next week we will bring you highlights from DeNoyer's Memorial Day observances, but we also want to share you stories on this blog. To learn how, click here, or simply email photos and stories directly to vfwac@vfw.org.

(Images: Top: VFW Commander-in-Chief Richard L. DeNoyer lays a memorial wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery during last fall's Veterans Day observances in Washington, D.C. Bottom: DeNoyer, center, visits with VFW National Veterans Service staff manning an informational booth near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial over Veterans Day weekend last fall. Photos by Joe Davis.)

VFW Supports Expanding Service Members’ Housing Protections

Yesterday afternoon the VFW joined Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., at the U.S. Capitol, where Reed formally introduced the Servicemember Housing Protection Act, S. 3179, alongside Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Mark Begich, D-Alaska, and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., as well as Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden and leading veterans’ advocates.

The bill seeks to strengthen protections under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, or SCRA, affording members of the military and their family members flexibility as a result of the turbulent nature of military service.

“Giving our troops time to prepare for deployment and get their financial affairs in order is central to mission readiness. Soldiers who are fighting on the frontlines to protect our country shouldn’t have to needlessly fight with creditors and landlords back home. We must ensure the laws that protect our troops keep pace with the challenges they face,” said Reed in a prepared statement. “The Servicemember Housing Protection Act will make it easier for servicemen and women to get their affairs in order with creditors prior to deployment, extend foreclosure protection to surviving spouses, and ensure they have the opportunity to move into on-base housing when it is available.”

The bill address three specific SCRA protections designed to make it easier for active-duty personnel to claim deployment-related financial and credit protections by expanding what could be submitted to constitute “military orders;” extend foreclosure protections to surviving spouses; and facilitate the transition from off-base to on-base housing by making it easier to terminate residential leases early and without penalty if on-base housing becomes available.

The VFW supported a recent amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, in the House, proposed by Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., which was why the VFW was eager to lend similar support to Reed’s legislation. As the bill moves through the Senate, check back regularly with this blog for updates.

(Image: Sen. Jack Reed introduces the Servicemembers Housing Protection Act yesterday at the U.S. Capitol. Photo by Ryan Gallucci.)

VFW Discusses Veterans Issues With House Democrats

Yesterday VFW Legislative Director Ray Kelley joined leaders from many of the nation’s top veterans’ organizations at the U.S. Capitol for a roundtable discussion on military and veterans’ issues with House Democratic leadership.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., hosts the discussions each quarter to hear first-hand from veterans’ organizations about issues affecting service members, veterans and their loved ones. More than 30 organizations representing diverse interests across the military and veterans’ community were invited to join in the discussion on topics ranging from mental health care and surviving spouse benefits to Agent Orange exposure, the Post-9/11 GI Bill and federal budget constraints.

In his remarks, Kelley called attention to the recent VA Inspector General report on VA’s failure to deliver timely mental health care to veterans suffering from invisible wounds like post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Kelley recognized that VA planned to hire 1,900 additional staff in an effort to overcome shortfalls, but asked Democrats and fellow veterans’ advocates what more could be done to ensure that veterans who need care can receive it in a timely and efficient manner.

In response to Kelley’s comments, Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., said he remains VA’s biggest advocate, but also its harshest critic. As a retired Army National Guard sergeant major and vocal advocate on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Walz said he and his fellow committee members will continue to hold VA accountable for their obligation to meet the mental health needs of the veterans’ community, and that if the agency needed more resources to accomplish its mission, his committee would continue to fight for them.

The VFW always welcomes dialogue over veterans’ issues with leaders on both sides of the aisle, which is why Kelley thanked each of the members in attendance for their attention to the issues facing the American veterans’ community. As the current conflicts draw down and Americans ask Congress to make difficult decisions on the national budget, your VFW will continue to advocate to continually improve and preserve the quality-of-life programs and benefits earned through the sacrifices of American military men and women. Check back regularly with this blog for updates.

(Images: Top: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, center, welcomes veterans' advocates and House Democratic leaders to the quarterly roundtable discussion on veterans' issues. Middle: VFW Legislative Director Ray Kelley discusses PTSD during yesterday's roundtable. Bottom: Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., shares his thoughts on PTSD treatment issues at yesterday's roundtable. Photos by Ryan Gallucci.)

WATCH: VFW Testifies on Protecting Student-Veterans

UPDATE: The archived webcast from Wednesday's hearing is now available. to view the webcast, click here. VFW testimony starts at the 15-minute mark. To read VFW's prepared remarks in full, click here. 

The VFW testified on Wednesday at a House VA Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity hearing on the implementation of the recent executive order to better protect student-veterans. The hearing took place at 2 p.m. in the committee's chambers, room 334 of the Cannon House Office Building.

To view a full list of witnesses and to read their prepared remarks, click here.

The executive order, entitled “Establishing Principles of Excellence for Educational Institutions Serving Service Members, Veterans, Spouses and Other Family Members,” comes after VFW legislative efforts called on the House, Senate and White House to improve consumer protections for veterans who seek to use their earned GI Bill benefits. VFW Commander-in-Chief Richard L. DeNoyer applauded the executive order in an official statement two weeks ago.

“The VFW has worked very hard to get these protections created, and the president’s executive order will go far to crack down on the predatory recruiting practices and poor performance of all schools who participate in the Post-9/11 GI Bill, but our fight isn’t over,” he said.

Over the past eight months, reports from the Senate and GAO have indicated that student-veterans may be victimized by schools that fail to deliver on their educational promises, creating a perception in Washington that military and veterans’ education dollars are being wasted, because student-veterans are not receiving the education they were promised.

“Veterans make responsible life and death decisions on the battlefield every day, but reports indicate that they aren’t making the same quality decisions about the schools they choose to attend on the G.I. Bill,” said VFW Deputy Legislative Director Ryan Gallucci, who is scheduled to testify on behalf of the VFW. “The difference is preparation and information. We prepare our battlefield leaders to make these tough choices and we provide them with quality, accurate information. We fail to prepare our student-veterans for the life-changing decisions they’re about to make, and the information we make available is incomplete, inaccurate and sometimes downright misleading.”

At the hearing, Gallucci discussed why the VFW believes the executive order will serve as an important first step in ensuring student-veterans have all the information they need to make a responsible educational choice, and have proper recourse should they become victims of fraud, waste or abuse.

In January and February, the VFW worked to build consensus among veterans’ advocates and higher education, calling for improved consumer protections. Today, both the House and Senate have introduced bills to improve the landscape for student-veterans. The VFW believes the president’s executive order should serve as the impetus for Congress to quickly move legislation, ensuring consumer protections are written into law.

In his prepared remarks, Gallucci goes on to say that executive action is limited to current law and available resources, which is why the VFW believes legislative solutions remain the best option.

(Image: Screen grab from Wednesday's webcast of the House VA Subcommittee hearing on the president's recent G.I. Bill executive order.)