Dear VFW, Ladies Auxiliary and Supporters:
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is attending a White House meeting this afternoon to hear an Administration update on debt negotiations as they relate to veterans and military families. This letter is to share with you what the VFW knows to date.
First and foremost, the VFW has not and will not acquiesce to any Administration or Congressional proposal to deny or limit healthcare programs or benefits to veterans, or to increase fees on any eligible veteran, service member, family member or survivor.
We know of active legislation to increase TRICARE fees for working age retirees, and there are discussions to change the annual cost of living adjustment calculations for military retirees and veterans receiving compensation for their disabilities. We know of recommendations to reduce annual military raises, as well as to totally change the current military retirement system to make it resemble civilian businesses. And we know of discussions to end category 7 and 8 enrollments at the Department of Veterans Affairs, or to charge them a $250 annual enrollment fee with increased prescription costs.
With your assistance last week, we were able to defeat a proposal to eliminate presumptive service-connections for VA compensation. The VFW will continue to actively monitor and work to defeat the above proposals and any other recommendations. We will also engage VFW members and supporters to rally their members in Congress to defeat them, too.
The main problem with the ongoing budget negotiations is that the meetings have been held in such secrecy that many members of Congress and advocates like the VFW have not been allowed into the room to explain the impact of such toxic proposals on veterans, military personnel and their families.
The VFW recognizes the enormity of the task before the White House and Congress to cut federal spending and to reduce the national debt, but we also know that when the nation talks about sacrifice, we know who answers that call. Your VFW has been working hard for 112 years to ensure our nation fulfills a promise it made to care for veterans, our military, their families and survivors. We are not about to stop now.
Yours in Comradeship,
ROBERT E. WALLACE
Executive Director
VFW Washington Office
WHO WE ARE:
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
VFW Testifies: Veterans Needs Must Come First
(right) VFW National Legislative Service Deputy Director Ryan Gallucci U.S. testifies before the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations to help ensure veterans receive the timely care, benefits and opportunities they have earned.
WASHINGTON July 20, 2011 — The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. testified this morning before the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations to help ensure veterans receive the timely care, benefits and opportunities they have earned.
VFW National Legislative Service Deputy Director Ryan Gallucci presented the VFW’s view on bills addressing VA’s "duty to assist" requirement, Department of Labor auditing of veteran employment by federal contractors, and ongoing efforts between the Defense Department and VA to establish a joint electronic health and service record.
The VFW generally supports many of the ideas proposed by the subcommittee’s bills to improve accountability and efficiency in veterans’ programs, such as allowing VA to communicate electronically with claim applicants and establishing a chain of authority for the creation of the joint electronic health record. However, the VFW voiced concerns and made recommendations to Congress on how to mitigate unforeseen consequences, such as shifting "duty to assist" requirements in the claims process, or skewing effective dates of veterans’ claims. The VFW insists that any bill that makes it through the subcommittee must ensure that veterans’ needs must come first.
More information on today's hearing, to include Gallucci's testimony, is available on the House Veterans Affairs Committee’s website at veterans.house.gov.
The VFW will continue to advocate for reforms to help veterans receive the timely care, benefits and opportunities they have earned. Keep track of VFW’s work by subscribing to the Washington Weekly e-newsletter, available through the “VFW in D.C.” page on the VFW national website at www.vfw.org.
VFW ACTION ALERT: Agent Orange Presumptions in Jeopardy
AGENT ORANGE PRESUMPTIONS IN JEOPARDY
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is adamantly opposed to an amendment proposed by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) to change the manner in which presumptive disabilities related to exposure to Agent Orange would be determined. The senator wants to require veterans to prove a positive connection between Agent Orange exposure and one or more of the 15 presumptive illnesses that the VA now recognizes. We cannot allow this amendment to pass.
Vietnam veterans have suffered long enough from the effects of exposure to Agent Orange. For decades we told the government that being exposed to Agent Orange made veterans sick. Now that the VA Secretary has determined he had the scientific evidence required to recognize the disabilities, we cannot allow a change in presumptive rules just because the government can't balance its own budget.
The cost of caring for our nation's veterans continues long after the last shots are fired. America and the United States Congress must live up to that obligation. Call or e-mail both your U.S. Senators today and tell them that "Coburn Amendment #564 to H.R. 2055 is a deal breaker with America's veterans!"
Contact your Senators at here.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is adamantly opposed to an amendment proposed by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) to change the manner in which presumptive disabilities related to exposure to Agent Orange would be determined. The senator wants to require veterans to prove a positive connection between Agent Orange exposure and one or more of the 15 presumptive illnesses that the VA now recognizes. We cannot allow this amendment to pass.
Vietnam veterans have suffered long enough from the effects of exposure to Agent Orange. For decades we told the government that being exposed to Agent Orange made veterans sick. Now that the VA Secretary has determined he had the scientific evidence required to recognize the disabilities, we cannot allow a change in presumptive rules just because the government can't balance its own budget.
The cost of caring for our nation's veterans continues long after the last shots are fired. America and the United States Congress must live up to that obligation. Call or e-mail both your U.S. Senators today and tell them that "Coburn Amendment #564 to H.R. 2055 is a deal breaker with America's veterans!"
Contact your Senators at here.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
VFW Calls on Congress: Help Veterans Find Jobs
WASHINGTON July 14, 2011 — The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. will testify before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs tomorrow morning, discussing long-overdue legislation to help veterans find jobs. The hearing will take place at 10 a.m. in the committee chambers, room 334 of the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill. Live video will be available on the committee’s website, veterans.house.gov, during the hearing, and a full list of witnesses along with their prepared remarks will also be available tomorrow morning.
Ryan Gallucci, an Iraq veteran and VFW’s deputy director of the National Legislative Service, will appear before the committee to present VFW’s view of two comprehensive job bills currently under consideration—the Hiring Heroes Act of 2011 and the Veterans Opportunity to Work Act of 2011—each of which propose new programs to help unemployed veterans receive job skills to remain competitive, and includes new auditing and reporting requirements for ongoing programs to ensure success.
“The VFW believes that the new benefits programs established by both bills will help different sectors of unemployed veterans find viable work,” said Gallucci in his prepared remarks. “The VFW stands ready to assist in accomplishing these improvements," he said, "but we must reiterate that unemployed veterans needed a comprehensive veterans’ employment package yesterday, which is why we urge Congress to move quickly to pass these necessary programs and reforms.”
Last week the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that more than 13 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan-era veterans under the age of 30 were unemployed in the month of June—a figure far eclipsing the civilian rate of unemployment for the same age group, and a spike of more than 3 percent since April.
The VFW has made veterans’ employment assistance a top priority since passing a resolution at the 2009 national convention, calling on Congress to expand veterans’ employment initiatives and persistently monitor ongoing programs for effectiveness. Today, the VFW continues to leverage the voices of more than 2 million members across the country to convey the urgency of this persistent problem to leaders in Washington.
The VFW supports most initiatives included in each bill and called for swift passage of either or both bills, or a comprehensive piece of legislation that includes the best provisions of each, such as making attendance at Transition Assistance Program mandatory, and closing military credentialing gaps.
In June testimony before the Senate, the VFW called for swift action on similar bills to help veterans reenter the workforce, such as the companion Hiring Heroes Act, which was introduced by Senate VA Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA).
The VFW will continue to advocate for reforms to help veterans find viable careers during difficult economic times. Keep track of VFW’s work by subscribing to the Washington Weekly e-newsletter, available through VFW national website at www.vfw.org.
Ryan Gallucci, an Iraq veteran and VFW’s deputy director of the National Legislative Service, will appear before the committee to present VFW’s view of two comprehensive job bills currently under consideration—the Hiring Heroes Act of 2011 and the Veterans Opportunity to Work Act of 2011—each of which propose new programs to help unemployed veterans receive job skills to remain competitive, and includes new auditing and reporting requirements for ongoing programs to ensure success.
“The VFW believes that the new benefits programs established by both bills will help different sectors of unemployed veterans find viable work,” said Gallucci in his prepared remarks. “The VFW stands ready to assist in accomplishing these improvements," he said, "but we must reiterate that unemployed veterans needed a comprehensive veterans’ employment package yesterday, which is why we urge Congress to move quickly to pass these necessary programs and reforms.”
Last week the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that more than 13 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan-era veterans under the age of 30 were unemployed in the month of June—a figure far eclipsing the civilian rate of unemployment for the same age group, and a spike of more than 3 percent since April.
The VFW has made veterans’ employment assistance a top priority since passing a resolution at the 2009 national convention, calling on Congress to expand veterans’ employment initiatives and persistently monitor ongoing programs for effectiveness. Today, the VFW continues to leverage the voices of more than 2 million members across the country to convey the urgency of this persistent problem to leaders in Washington.
The VFW supports most initiatives included in each bill and called for swift passage of either or both bills, or a comprehensive piece of legislation that includes the best provisions of each, such as making attendance at Transition Assistance Program mandatory, and closing military credentialing gaps.
In June testimony before the Senate, the VFW called for swift action on similar bills to help veterans reenter the workforce, such as the companion Hiring Heroes Act, which was introduced by Senate VA Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA).
The VFW will continue to advocate for reforms to help veterans find viable careers during difficult economic times. Keep track of VFW’s work by subscribing to the Washington Weekly e-newsletter, available through VFW national website at www.vfw.org.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
DOD Breaking Sacred Promise with POW/MIA Families
Opinion Editorial
WASHINGTON July 13, 2011 — President Obama is a strong supporter of our nation’s veterans, military and their families, as well as the families of almost 88,000 missing servicemen and civilians, yet some within his Administration do not share that same level of commitment.
They would instead disregard White House guidance and abandon a Presidential Commission that was created in 1992 by President George H.W. Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin — and supported by every American president since — to help determine the fates of Americans who disappeared behind the Iron Curtain. They would also recall a multiyear budget submission for the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), whose worldwide mission to recover and identify America’s fallen is stretched thin by manning constraints and laboratory space.
After nine months of broken promises, we cannot sit quietly and allow senior officials in the Department of Defense to redirect funding, transfer researchers and linguists, and jeopardize any possibility of mission success for the U.S.-Russia Joint Commission on POW/MIAs. The Defense Department had previously agreed to reinstate by the end of June what it had taken from the Joint Commission, but to date, DOD has chosen to ignore the policy and funding recommendations made by the White House Office of Management and Budget and the National Security Council.
Such actions will negate 19 years of slow but increasingly steady progress that has permitted U.S. investigators to access Russia’s central military archives and to interview potential eyewitnesses. Such actions will also contradict a show of support by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who last month appointed a new co-chairman and more than 30 commissioners to their side of the Joint Commission.
Ongoing DOD actions will make it nearly impossible for our government to locate information and/or remains to help determine the fates of hundreds, if not thousands, of Americans who may have perished in the former Soviet Union or in the lands of their allies during World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Cold War. The Defense Department’s actions will help ensure mission failure, which will render the Joint Commission expendable, all because DOD wants to control a Presidential Commission instead of strongly supporting it.
We also cannot acquiesce to a relook of JPAC’s budget, which in these austere fiscal times means reduced funding. Congress has mandated that JPAC begin recovering and identifying 200 or more MIAs annually by 2015. This is more than double their current success rate, and without increased funding, it will be an impossible goal to reach.
When President Obama spoke at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, he reminded us of the debt America and the entire world owes to our military — for their benevolence as well as their resolve. He honored the memory, service and sacrifice of those men and women who gave their all, and he offered assurances to thousands of Americans who continue to seek answers — the families of almost 78,000 missing and unaccounted-for from World War II, 8,000 from Korea, 1,680 from Vietnam, and one each from Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the countless veterans who served by their side.
Our nation’s fullest possible accounting mission is a national priority that the president is committed to, a mission that other nations wish they could emulate, and a mission in which success can only be measured by recovering, identifying, and returning those we send to war back to their families and to their country.
On behalf of millions of members of our nation’s largest, oldest, and most influential veterans and POW/MIA family organizations, we call upon President Obama to immediately direct DOD to restore funding and personnel to the U.S.-Russia Joint Commission, and to protect JPAC’s proposed budgets. We also urge our fellow veterans and their families, as well as all Americans, to contact the president and their members of Congress to urge them to live up to our nation’s sacred obligation to never leave a service member behind.
//signed//
James B. King, National Executive Director, American Veterans
Barry A. Jesinoski, Executive Director, Disabled American Veterans
Herb Rosenbleeth, Col., USA-Ret., Executive Director, Jewish War Veterans of the USA
Michael A. Blum, Executive Director, Marine Corps League
Ann Mills-Griffiths, Executive Director, National League of POW/MIA Families
Peter S. Gaytan, Executive Director, The American Legion
Robert E. Wallace, Executive Director, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S.
Richard F. Weidman, Executive Director for Policy & Government Affairs Vietnam Veterans of America
Contact information:
AMVETS, Jay Agg, 301-683-4035; DAV, Thom Wilborn, 202-314-5221; Jewish War Veterans, Herb Rosenbleeth, 202-265-6280; Marine Corps League, Mike Blum, 703-207-9588; National League of POW/MIA Families, Ann Mills-Griffiths, 703-465-7432; The American Legion, Craig Roberts, 202-263-2982; VFW, Joe Davis, 202-608-8357; and Vietnam Veterans of America, Mokie Porter, 301-585-4000
WASHINGTON July 13, 2011 — President Obama is a strong supporter of our nation’s veterans, military and their families, as well as the families of almost 88,000 missing servicemen and civilians, yet some within his Administration do not share that same level of commitment.
They would instead disregard White House guidance and abandon a Presidential Commission that was created in 1992 by President George H.W. Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin — and supported by every American president since — to help determine the fates of Americans who disappeared behind the Iron Curtain. They would also recall a multiyear budget submission for the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), whose worldwide mission to recover and identify America’s fallen is stretched thin by manning constraints and laboratory space.
After nine months of broken promises, we cannot sit quietly and allow senior officials in the Department of Defense to redirect funding, transfer researchers and linguists, and jeopardize any possibility of mission success for the U.S.-Russia Joint Commission on POW/MIAs. The Defense Department had previously agreed to reinstate by the end of June what it had taken from the Joint Commission, but to date, DOD has chosen to ignore the policy and funding recommendations made by the White House Office of Management and Budget and the National Security Council.
Such actions will negate 19 years of slow but increasingly steady progress that has permitted U.S. investigators to access Russia’s central military archives and to interview potential eyewitnesses. Such actions will also contradict a show of support by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who last month appointed a new co-chairman and more than 30 commissioners to their side of the Joint Commission.
Ongoing DOD actions will make it nearly impossible for our government to locate information and/or remains to help determine the fates of hundreds, if not thousands, of Americans who may have perished in the former Soviet Union or in the lands of their allies during World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Cold War. The Defense Department’s actions will help ensure mission failure, which will render the Joint Commission expendable, all because DOD wants to control a Presidential Commission instead of strongly supporting it.
We also cannot acquiesce to a relook of JPAC’s budget, which in these austere fiscal times means reduced funding. Congress has mandated that JPAC begin recovering and identifying 200 or more MIAs annually by 2015. This is more than double their current success rate, and without increased funding, it will be an impossible goal to reach.
When President Obama spoke at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, he reminded us of the debt America and the entire world owes to our military — for their benevolence as well as their resolve. He honored the memory, service and sacrifice of those men and women who gave their all, and he offered assurances to thousands of Americans who continue to seek answers — the families of almost 78,000 missing and unaccounted-for from World War II, 8,000 from Korea, 1,680 from Vietnam, and one each from Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the countless veterans who served by their side.
Our nation’s fullest possible accounting mission is a national priority that the president is committed to, a mission that other nations wish they could emulate, and a mission in which success can only be measured by recovering, identifying, and returning those we send to war back to their families and to their country.
On behalf of millions of members of our nation’s largest, oldest, and most influential veterans and POW/MIA family organizations, we call upon President Obama to immediately direct DOD to restore funding and personnel to the U.S.-Russia Joint Commission, and to protect JPAC’s proposed budgets. We also urge our fellow veterans and their families, as well as all Americans, to contact the president and their members of Congress to urge them to live up to our nation’s sacred obligation to never leave a service member behind.
//signed//
James B. King, National Executive Director, American Veterans
Barry A. Jesinoski, Executive Director, Disabled American Veterans
Herb Rosenbleeth, Col., USA-Ret., Executive Director, Jewish War Veterans of the USA
Michael A. Blum, Executive Director, Marine Corps League
Ann Mills-Griffiths, Executive Director, National League of POW/MIA Families
Peter S. Gaytan, Executive Director, The American Legion
Robert E. Wallace, Executive Director, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S.
Richard F. Weidman, Executive Director for Policy & Government Affairs Vietnam Veterans of America
Contact information:
AMVETS, Jay Agg, 301-683-4035; DAV, Thom Wilborn, 202-314-5221; Jewish War Veterans, Herb Rosenbleeth, 202-265-6280; Marine Corps League, Mike Blum, 703-207-9588; National League of POW/MIA Families, Ann Mills-Griffiths, 703-465-7432; The American Legion, Craig Roberts, 202-263-2982; VFW, Joe Davis, 202-608-8357; and Vietnam Veterans of America, Mokie Porter, 301-585-4000
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
VFW to Join President for Twitter Town Hall
WASHINGTON July 6, 2011 — The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. will join President Barack Obama in the White House today at 2 p.m. (EST) to discuss the economy and jobs in a live, first-of-its-kind Twitter Town Hall.
The event will stream live through both the Twitter service and the official White House website, www.wh.gov. The president’s answers will be posted under the usernames @townhall and @whitehouse.
In the wake of daunting unemployment figures for young veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the ongoing debates in Congress to modify or cut certain veterans’ benefits to help balance the budget, VFW members from coast-to-coast are encouraged to submit their questions to the president via Twitter at askobama.twitter.com or by tagging tweets with #AskObama.
The VFW will also provide live updates as they become available from the White House via www.twitter.com/VFWHQ.
The event will stream live through both the Twitter service and the official White House website, www.wh.gov. The president’s answers will be posted under the usernames @townhall and @whitehouse.
In the wake of daunting unemployment figures for young veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the ongoing debates in Congress to modify or cut certain veterans’ benefits to help balance the budget, VFW members from coast-to-coast are encouraged to submit their questions to the president via Twitter at askobama.twitter.com or by tagging tweets with #AskObama.
The VFW will also provide live updates as they become available from the White House via www.twitter.com/VFWHQ.
Friday, July 1, 2011
VFW Joins in Houston National Cemetery Censorship Lawsuit
KANSAS CITY, Mo., July 1, 2011 - The national commander of America's largest and oldest major combat veterans' organization is appalled over allegations of religious censorship at one of the nation’s national cemeteries, calling it a case of “bureaucracy running amok.”
“This is a point in case of bureaucracy…or rather, a classic example of a bureaucrat running amok. In spite of VA policy, the cemetery director is making up her own rules and has imposed hurtful, unilateral restrictions of her own choosing,” said Richard L. Eubank, the national commander of the 2.1 million-member Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. and its Auxiliaries.
Texas-based Liberty Institute has filed suit on behalf of the VFW, American Legion, and The National Memorial Ladies over allegations of religious hostility and unlawful censorship by the VA and its director of the Houston National Cemetery.
"They've told the VFW and the American Legion that they cannot have prayer during the burial services of our veterans, unless the family requests it in writing and submits the prayer for pre-approval," said Liberty Institute general counsel Jeff Mateer.
The VA, meanwhile, insists its national cemeteries welcome appropriate religious recitations. The "VA values and respects every veteran and their family's right to a burial service that honors their faith tradition," said Keith Ethridge, director of VA's National Chaplain Center. The Houston cemetery superintendent has declined to speak to the media despite numerous requests.
“Generations of patriotic Americans have fought, bled and died to help defend the U.S. Constitution –that great document provides and guarantees fundamental rights of religious expression and freedom of speech. Those basic tenets are clearly being violated at the cemetery and that simply cannot be tolerated," concluded Eubank.
Read more about the lawsuit at http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/veterans-affairs-bans-mention-of-god-at-funerals-for-vets-124680358.html
“This is a point in case of bureaucracy…or rather, a classic example of a bureaucrat running amok. In spite of VA policy, the cemetery director is making up her own rules and has imposed hurtful, unilateral restrictions of her own choosing,” said Richard L. Eubank, the national commander of the 2.1 million-member Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. and its Auxiliaries.
Texas-based Liberty Institute has filed suit on behalf of the VFW, American Legion, and The National Memorial Ladies over allegations of religious hostility and unlawful censorship by the VA and its director of the Houston National Cemetery.
"They've told the VFW and the American Legion that they cannot have prayer during the burial services of our veterans, unless the family requests it in writing and submits the prayer for pre-approval," said Liberty Institute general counsel Jeff Mateer.
The VA, meanwhile, insists its national cemeteries welcome appropriate religious recitations. The "VA values and respects every veteran and their family's right to a burial service that honors their faith tradition," said Keith Ethridge, director of VA's National Chaplain Center. The Houston cemetery superintendent has declined to speak to the media despite numerous requests.
“Generations of patriotic Americans have fought, bled and died to help defend the U.S. Constitution –that great document provides and guarantees fundamental rights of religious expression and freedom of speech. Those basic tenets are clearly being violated at the cemetery and that simply cannot be tolerated," concluded Eubank.
Read more about the lawsuit at http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/veterans-affairs-bans-mention-of-god-at-funerals-for-vets-124680358.html
VFW Washington Weekly
July 1, 2011
In this Issue:
1. Senior Leadership Changes
2. Government Hiring More Vets
3. Arlington National Cemetery Update
4. Houston National Cemetery Censorship?
5. Senate VA Committee Actions
6. VFW to Testify on Pending Legislation
1. Senior Leadership Changes: Robert Gates stepped down yesterday as Secretary of Defense. Replacing him is Leon Panetta, who the Senate confirmed unanimously for the position on June 21. Replacing Panetta as CIA director will be Army Gen. David Petraeus, who the Senate confirmed unanimously yesterday. Replacing Petraeus as commander of all coalition forces in Afghanistan is expected to be Marine Corps Lt. Gen. John R. Allen, who appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday for the position and nomination for promotion to the rank of general. Also appearing was Navy Vice Adm. William H. McRaven, who has been nominated for promotion to the rank of admiral and appointment as commander of U.S. Special Operations Command. Sgt. Maj. Michael Barrett is now the new Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, succeeding Sgt. Maj. Carlton Kent, who is retiring after 35 years service.
2. Government Hiring More Vets: Despite a decrease in overall hiring, the federal government brought on more veterans in fiscal year 2010 than in 2009, according to a report released by the Office of Personnel Management. The number of veterans hired rose by about 2,000 to 72,133 in fiscal 2010. Veterans accounted for a higher percentage of new hires, rising from 24 percent of new employees in 2009 to 25.6 percent in 2010. The hiring of disabled veterans also rose from 7 percent of new hires to 8.2 percent. The Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs hired the most new veterans, while Commerce, Energy, and the General Services Administration hired the least. "The Veterans Employment Initiative is off to a strong start, but this is only the beginning," said OPM Director John Berry in the report. "We must work even harder in the months and years to come."
3. Arlington National Cemetery Update: The Army's Criminal Investigation Command announced this week that no laws were broken when eight sets of cremated remains were found buried together at Arlington National Cemetery last fall. Three of the eight sets have been positively identified, and despite ongoing forensic testing, four sets might be reinterred as "unknowns." Just because no laws were broken doesn't make this anymore palatable. The VFW trusts that the Army will fix what's broken, but Army must also realize that there is only one Arlington National Cemetery, and how it is run is more important than who runs it. Per VFW Resolution 426, which passed at last year's convention, the VFW would support the transfer of Arlington National Cemetery from the Army to the VA, provided assigned military units remained intact in both mission and responsibility to render proper courtesies to those who have the honor of being interred there.
4. Houston National Cemetery Censorship? Texas-based Liberty Institute has filed suit on behalf of the VFW, American Legion, and The National Memorial Ladies over allegations of religious hostility and unlawful censorship by the VA and its director of the Houston National Cemetery. "They've told the VFW and the American Legion that they cannot have prayer during the burial services of our veterans, unless the family requests it in writing and submits the prayer for pre-approval," said Liberty Institute general counsel Jeff Mateer. The VA, meanwhile, insists its national cemeteries welcome appropriate religious recitations. The "VA values and respects every veteran and their family's right to a burial service that honors their faith tradition," said Keith Ethridge, director of VA's National Chaplain Center. The Houston cemetery superintendent has declined to speak to the press despite numerous requests. Read more about the lawsuit at http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/veterans-affairs-bans-mention-of-god-at-funerals-for-vets-124680358.html.
5. Senate VA Committee Actions: The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee approved several VFW-supported bills this week, including an omnibus health and benefits bill, a fix to the GI Bill, and a measure to help veterans find employment. The committee also approved legislation that would require the VA to provide medical and nursing care for any veterans or family members who are ill because of contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
The omnibus bill includes provisions related to health, homeless veterans, housing, compensation, burial and construction, among other high-profile initiatives, such as preventing military and veterans’ funerals from being disrupted by protesters, and punishing businesses who falsely claim they are veteran-owned in order to obtain government contracts.
The GI Bill legislation would protect current private school students in seven states from a drop in tuition payments when VA switches to a new method of calculating payments on Aug. 1.
The Hiring Heroes Act of 2011 would provide a a comprehensive overhaul of programs that are supposed to help separating service members find jobs, to include making Transition Assistance Program attendance mandatory, and requiring the military services to provide follow-up services, especially for wounded and disabled veterans.
The Caring for Camp Lejeune Veterans Act is an effort to get federal help for families experiencing adverse health effects from being exposed to contaminated well water. Bill sponsor and Committee ranking member Richard Burr (R-N.C.) estimates that 750,000 Marines, sailors, family members and civilian employees may have been exposed from the mid-1950s till the mid-1980s, when the contamination was discovered.
Read more about the hearing at http://veterans.senate.gov/.
6. VFW to Testify on Pending Legislation: The VFW is scheduled to testify July 7 before two House Veterans Affairs subcommittees on a series of bills currently under consideration.
· At 10 a.m., VFW Senior Legislative Associate Shane Barker will testify before the House VA Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity on H.R. 2274, which would close a reporting loophole in the Post-9/11 GI Bill; on H.R. 2301, which would change VA's payment cycle for the Post-9/11 GI Bill; and on H.R. 2302, which would require VA to report to Congress on department-hosted conferences.
· At 1:30 p.m., VFW National Legislative Director Ray Kelley will testify before the House VA Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs on H.R. 1025, which would extend veterans’ status to retirees of the Guard and Reserve; on H.R. 1898, which would ensure Second Amendment gun right protections for veterans; and on H.R. 2349, which would create stringent quality control guidelines for VA claims adjudicators.
Hearing details will be available next week on the committee’s website at http://veterans.house.gov/. To watch the hearings live, go to room 334 of the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill, or visit http://veteransaffairs.edgeboss.net/wmedia-live/veteransaffairs/58214/100_veteransaffairs-hvac2_090402.asx.
Happy 235th Birthday, America!
In this Issue:
1. Senior Leadership Changes
2. Government Hiring More Vets
3. Arlington National Cemetery Update
4. Houston National Cemetery Censorship?
5. Senate VA Committee Actions
6. VFW to Testify on Pending Legislation
1. Senior Leadership Changes: Robert Gates stepped down yesterday as Secretary of Defense. Replacing him is Leon Panetta, who the Senate confirmed unanimously for the position on June 21. Replacing Panetta as CIA director will be Army Gen. David Petraeus, who the Senate confirmed unanimously yesterday. Replacing Petraeus as commander of all coalition forces in Afghanistan is expected to be Marine Corps Lt. Gen. John R. Allen, who appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday for the position and nomination for promotion to the rank of general. Also appearing was Navy Vice Adm. William H. McRaven, who has been nominated for promotion to the rank of admiral and appointment as commander of U.S. Special Operations Command. Sgt. Maj. Michael Barrett is now the new Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, succeeding Sgt. Maj. Carlton Kent, who is retiring after 35 years service.
2. Government Hiring More Vets: Despite a decrease in overall hiring, the federal government brought on more veterans in fiscal year 2010 than in 2009, according to a report released by the Office of Personnel Management. The number of veterans hired rose by about 2,000 to 72,133 in fiscal 2010. Veterans accounted for a higher percentage of new hires, rising from 24 percent of new employees in 2009 to 25.6 percent in 2010. The hiring of disabled veterans also rose from 7 percent of new hires to 8.2 percent. The Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs hired the most new veterans, while Commerce, Energy, and the General Services Administration hired the least. "The Veterans Employment Initiative is off to a strong start, but this is only the beginning," said OPM Director John Berry in the report. "We must work even harder in the months and years to come."
3. Arlington National Cemetery Update: The Army's Criminal Investigation Command announced this week that no laws were broken when eight sets of cremated remains were found buried together at Arlington National Cemetery last fall. Three of the eight sets have been positively identified, and despite ongoing forensic testing, four sets might be reinterred as "unknowns." Just because no laws were broken doesn't make this anymore palatable. The VFW trusts that the Army will fix what's broken, but Army must also realize that there is only one Arlington National Cemetery, and how it is run is more important than who runs it. Per VFW Resolution 426, which passed at last year's convention, the VFW would support the transfer of Arlington National Cemetery from the Army to the VA, provided assigned military units remained intact in both mission and responsibility to render proper courtesies to those who have the honor of being interred there.
4. Houston National Cemetery Censorship? Texas-based Liberty Institute has filed suit on behalf of the VFW, American Legion, and The National Memorial Ladies over allegations of religious hostility and unlawful censorship by the VA and its director of the Houston National Cemetery. "They've told the VFW and the American Legion that they cannot have prayer during the burial services of our veterans, unless the family requests it in writing and submits the prayer for pre-approval," said Liberty Institute general counsel Jeff Mateer. The VA, meanwhile, insists its national cemeteries welcome appropriate religious recitations. The "VA values and respects every veteran and their family's right to a burial service that honors their faith tradition," said Keith Ethridge, director of VA's National Chaplain Center. The Houston cemetery superintendent has declined to speak to the press despite numerous requests. Read more about the lawsuit at http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/veterans-affairs-bans-mention-of-god-at-funerals-for-vets-124680358.html.
5. Senate VA Committee Actions: The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee approved several VFW-supported bills this week, including an omnibus health and benefits bill, a fix to the GI Bill, and a measure to help veterans find employment. The committee also approved legislation that would require the VA to provide medical and nursing care for any veterans or family members who are ill because of contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
The omnibus bill includes provisions related to health, homeless veterans, housing, compensation, burial and construction, among other high-profile initiatives, such as preventing military and veterans’ funerals from being disrupted by protesters, and punishing businesses who falsely claim they are veteran-owned in order to obtain government contracts.
The GI Bill legislation would protect current private school students in seven states from a drop in tuition payments when VA switches to a new method of calculating payments on Aug. 1.
The Hiring Heroes Act of 2011 would provide a a comprehensive overhaul of programs that are supposed to help separating service members find jobs, to include making Transition Assistance Program attendance mandatory, and requiring the military services to provide follow-up services, especially for wounded and disabled veterans.
The Caring for Camp Lejeune Veterans Act is an effort to get federal help for families experiencing adverse health effects from being exposed to contaminated well water. Bill sponsor and Committee ranking member Richard Burr (R-N.C.) estimates that 750,000 Marines, sailors, family members and civilian employees may have been exposed from the mid-1950s till the mid-1980s, when the contamination was discovered.
Read more about the hearing at http://veterans.senate.gov/.
6. VFW to Testify on Pending Legislation: The VFW is scheduled to testify July 7 before two House Veterans Affairs subcommittees on a series of bills currently under consideration.
· At 10 a.m., VFW Senior Legislative Associate Shane Barker will testify before the House VA Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity on H.R. 2274, which would close a reporting loophole in the Post-9/11 GI Bill; on H.R. 2301, which would change VA's payment cycle for the Post-9/11 GI Bill; and on H.R. 2302, which would require VA to report to Congress on department-hosted conferences.
· At 1:30 p.m., VFW National Legislative Director Ray Kelley will testify before the House VA Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs on H.R. 1025, which would extend veterans’ status to retirees of the Guard and Reserve; on H.R. 1898, which would ensure Second Amendment gun right protections for veterans; and on H.R. 2349, which would create stringent quality control guidelines for VA claims adjudicators.
Hearing details will be available next week on the committee’s website at http://veterans.house.gov/. To watch the hearings live, go to room 334 of the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill, or visit http://veteransaffairs.edgeboss.net/wmedia-live/veteransaffairs/58214/100_veteransaffairs-hvac2_090402.asx.
Happy 235th Birthday, America!
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