VFW Letter Sparks Senate Action on Retirement

A recent letter from the VFW to Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) has sparked action among Senate leadership, seeking to preserve current military retirement benefits.

VFW Legislative Director Ray Kelley sent a letter to Nelson on Sept. 15 to thank the senator for his interest in addressing the retirement issue, which VFW identified as one of the 10 potential cuts to military quality of life benefits used to balance the budget.

Last week, Nelson and 14 colleagues in the Senate sent a joint letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, asking the secretary to preserve the current retirement system, which is critical to the integrity of the all-volunteer force.

"Contrary to the belief of some, military service is not comparable to the private sector; and a retirement system that works for a civilian career may not necessarily be appropriate for the military," said the senators in the letter. "While our nation must cut spending and balance the budget, we simply cannot do it on the backs of America's military and their families."

The VFW was the first and loudest voice on preserving military retirement benefits, calling attention to the toxic proposal from the Pentagon's Defense Business Board in July, when VFW first introduced our members to the toxic "10 for 10" plan to eliminate or reduce 10 specific military and veterans' benefits to pay for 10 years of war.

Last week, the VFW polled readers through this blog, confirming beliefs that changing the retirement system would decimate the all-volunteer force. Here are the results

- 95 percent of respondents would leave the military if the retirement system were changed.
- 76 percent of respondents would leave after 10 years, if they knew they would receive a full G.I. Bill educational benefit and a vested 401(k).
- 93 percent of respondents would not make the military a career if they could not collect retirement pay until age 60.

The VFW will continue to advocate for sustaining the current military retirement system. Check back regularly for updates.

(Image: Letter from VFW National Legislative Director Ray Kelley to Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) on preserving military retirement.)

VFW to Senate: Stop Predatory Schools From Stealing G.I. Bill Benefits

VFW Deputy Legislative Director Ryan Gallucci testified yesterday before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, discussing issues veterans have faced when predatory schools seek to exploit them for federal G.I. Bill dollars. To view full video of the hearing, click here.

The subcommittee decided to host the hearing in light of recent data suggesting that predatory schools -- particularly predatory for-profit schools -- have reaped significant financial benefits from the new G.I. Bill, while student-veterans have walked away empty-handed.

"When schools prey on veterans, they quite literally steal their benefits," said Gallucci. "The VFW expects schools to be able to deliver degrees or certificates with which veterans can find jobs. If a school's business model ensures that veterans cannot receive such credentials, the school should not receive further federal funding."

The VFW's National Legislative Service has been tracking the issue for the last couple of months, trying to identify the causes of the problem. What the VFW discovered was a fractured higher education system that could not provide proper oversight of both the G.I. Bill and military tuition assistance, and convoluted and unenforceable standards of conduct for schools that receive federal funding.

The VFW recommended that Congress look at four specific causes of the problem: The contradictory 90/10 and 85/15 policies that cap federal sources of revenue for schools, a veteran population that does not have access to proper information to make an informed decision, VA administration that only verifies benefit-eligibility based on military service, and State Approving Agencies that are overworked and improperly resourced to serve as the gate-keepers for education compliance.

To read more about VFW's concerns, download the official testimony by clicking here.

To solve these issues, VFW first recommended that the Department of Education must ensure that federal funding caps for schools are clear and enforceable, meaning that 90/10 and 85/15 should no longer cap Department of Education and VA education funds separately.

VFW also recommended revisiting the funding models for State Approving Agencies, which have received the same mandatory funding rates since 2006, even though the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill dramatically increased their workload in 2009.

VFW also suggested that VA should consider adopting memorandums of understanding, or MOUs, for schools that wish to be eligible for G.I. Bill funds, and allow VA to determine veterans' eligibility for programs prior to enrollment.

MOUs could build on the model currently used by Department of Defense, ensuring transparency for veterans, and determining eligibility prior to enrollment could help ensure that veterans do not rack up bills for programs for which they do not qualify to receive benefits.

The VFW clarified that the hearing was not an indictment of the for-profit education community, but of bad actors who chose to prey on veterans. During the question-and-answer, Gallucci pointed to some of the positive efforts of for-profits, such as the University of Phoenix, which recently instituted a free 21-day orientation for new students and includes a "life factors" assessment for potential students on its website. Gallucci went on to acknowledge that he had failed Phoenix's online assessment due to time available to study and unclear reasons for pursuing an additional degree.

VFW leaders say that this hearing was just the first step in ensuring that G.I. Bill dollars are used effectively. Staff have already continued their conversations with major stake-holders across the industry, including both for-profit and non-profit schools that want to make a difference.

"In recent months, discussions over fiscal responsibility have us concerned about the continued viability of the new G.I. Bill, should veterans not receive the educational opportunities they were promised," said Gallucci. "Our veterans have earned these benefits, and it is our duty to ensure that predatory companies cannot exploit them."

As the discussion on this issue moves forward in Congress, your VFW will keep you posted on this blog of developments. Check back regularly for updates.

(Photo: VFW Deputy Legislative Director Ryan Gallucci, second from the left, prepares to testify before the Senate subcommittee on predatory schools and the G.I. Bill. Photo by Ray Kelley.)

VFW to Testify on G.I. Bill Accountability

The VFW will testify this afternoon before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, discussing the accountability of Post-9/11 G.I. Bill dollars. The hearing will commence at 1:30 p.m. in room 342 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. For a full witnesses list or to watch the hearing live, click here.

In the two years since the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill was launched, the VFW has learned that predatory schools -- especially for-profit colleges -- have sought to reap the financial benefits of government-guaranteed, while failing to deliver relevant degrees or career credentials to veterans. Last month, the VFW sent stern letters to relevant committees in both the House and Senate in an effort to call attention to the issue.

VFW Deputy Legislative Director Ryan Gallucci will deliver VFW's remarks, focusing on the effects predatory schools have on veterans who seek to use their educational benefits, shortfalls in government oversight of how the benefits are delivered, and ways in which Congress could provide proper resources and oversight to stave off predatory practices.

Photos and details from the hearing will be available later on this blog. Check back for updates.

Military Retirement Changes: Would you stay in for 20?

On Monday, the White House announced its plans to increase TRICARE premiums for Medicare-eligible retirees, increase pharmaceutical fees for all military dependents and retirees, and create a commission to overhaul the military's 20-year retirement system into a 401(k)-style pay-in benefit.

The VFW has vocally opposed all such proposals in the past, and continued to voice its opposition this week, calling the proposals a "breach of faith."

Now it's your turn to sound off. The VFW Washington Office now wants to know what you think of the proposal to change the military's retirement benefit.

Would you stay in the military for a full career if the retirement benefit was changed to a pay-in system and health care fees increased?

Yes No

pollcode.com free polls

If you could walk out the door with a full G.I. Bill and 401(k) benefits, would you leave the military at 10 years?

Yes No

pollcode.com free polls

Would you stay in the military for 20 years, knowing you could not receive full retirement benefits until 60 or older?

Yes No

pollcode.com free polls

Last week, VFW Legislative Associate Daniel Elkins discovered a Congressional Budget Office report from 1978 that discussed a similar proposal to gut the military retirement system for the post-Vietnam military. The proposal discussed that a pay-in system for lower-ranking enlisted personnel would create financial hardships, and increasing base pay to offset the difference would negate any savings generated by changing the overall retirement system.

Today, many junior enlisted personnel live below the poverty line, which to the VFW means that the concerns of 1978 are just as relevant to today's discussion. Plus, overall benefits would be drastically reduced for service members who chose to stay in the military for a full 20 years.

"Changing the retirement system will provide an incentive to separate after 10 years, which will decimate the ranks of mid-career officers and noncommissioned officers when they are in their prime working age," said Richard L. DeNoyer, VFW commander-in-chief. "It will make potential recruits think twice about joining, because they can receive a 401(k)-type retirement plan anywhere and earn it much more safely. And it could mean future military leaders get promoted not because they are the best, but because no one else is around."

The VFW identified the potential retirement overhaul along with proposed TRICARE changes as three of the "10 for 10" proposals floating around Washington to saddle American troops and veterans with the ten years of debt amassed as part of the Global War on Terror:

Click here to learn why the military retirement system must be preserved.

Click here to learn why TRICARE premiums must not be increased.

Click here to learn why pharmaceutical fees should stay low.

“Unlike other government-funded entitlement programs, veterans earned their benefits by making a national commitment that 99 percent of other Americans are simply unwilling to make,” said Richard L. Eubank, immediate past VFW commander-in-chief, when VFW first exposed the "10 for 10" plan. “To ask these same men and women to sacrifice more is simply unconscionable.”

This week, DeNoyer echoed the same concerns, calling on the nation's leaders to first bridge the sacrifice gap between the military and the public before gutting military personnel programs. DeNoyer is calling for the VFW to have seat at the table for ongoing discussions on the military retirement overhaul.

Your VFW will be tracking this issue very closely on this blog, so check back regularly for updates.

VFW DC Staffers Sweat to Support Special Ops Families

Over the next two weeks, VFW DC staffers Daniel Elkins and Ryan Gallucci will participate in Fight Gone Bad 6, raising money to support the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

Fight Gone Bad is a 17-minute CrossFit workout designed for mixed martial arts fighter B.J. Penn, who said that the workout felt like a "fight gone bad" after completing it.

Over the years, the CrossFit community, which is largely comprised of current service members and veterans, adopted the workout as a fundraising mechanism to support the families of Special Operations troops wounded or killed in the line of duty.

The workout consists of three 5-minute rounds of work, with one minute of rest in between. Each round consists of:

- One minute of 20-pound wallball shots
- One minute of 75-pound sumo deadlifts
- One minute of 20-inch box jumps
- One minute of 75-pound push presses
- One minute of rowing

Elkins, who currently serves in the Maryland National Guard, will take part in Fight Gone Bad 6 on Saturday, Sept. 17, alongside his wife, Acacia, at District CrossFit in Washington, D.C. To Donate to Elkins' Fight Gone Bad and learn more about the District CrossFit team, Click Here.

Gallucci, who served in the Army Reserve and deployed to Iraq in 2003, will take part in Fight Gone Bad 6 on Saturday, Sept. 24, at Potomac CrossFit in Arlington, Va. To Donate to Gallucci's Fight Gone Bad and learn more about the Potomac CrossFit team, Click Here.

The proceeds from Fight Gone Bad 6 have been specifically designated to support the families of the 31 Special Operations troops -- mostly Navy Seals -- killed in the August 6 helicopter crash in Afghanistan.

Participants must be associated with a CrossFit-affiliated gym to join Fight Gone Bad. To learn how you can become involved, click here.

After Fight Gone Bad 6, the VFW DC office hopes to share photos from the event on this blog.

In the coming months, DC staffers plan to participate in additional athletic events around the city, raising awareness of VFW and supporting military and veterans' causes. Check back regularly for updates.

Super Congress Hears First Testimony on Debt Crisis

Yesterday the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, or “Super Congress,” held its first in-depth meeting to meet their mandate of cutting at least $1.5 trillion dollars from the federal budget over the next 10 years. VFW Senior Legislative Associate Shane Barker was once again on hand for the meeting, entitled "The History and Drivers of our Nation's Debt and its Threats," in room 216 of the Hart Senate Office Building. 

The committee’s witness was Dr. Douglas W. Elmendorf, Director of the Congressional Budget Office, who spoke of the serious fiscal challenges our government is facing, and their effects on the broader economy.

Full video of the hearing and transcripts of each committee member's statements are available by clicking here.

Elmendorf laid out three basic actions Congress can take to manage our runaway budget deficits: Increase revenue through taxes, dramatically reduce spending in programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, or essentially decimate the other parts of the budget that do not include entitlement programs.

While most members of the committee have been quick to say that there are no “sacred cows” in the federal budget, most members today used their allotted time attempting to have Elmendorf lend his credibility to certain positions or ideals. However, Elmendorf managed to keep his remarks non-partisan.

“[Yesterday's] hearing highlighted the enormous challenges our budget and our economy face, while also exposing deep divisions among committee members about how to overcome those challenges,” said Barker. “Dr. Elmendorf made clear his view that the problems are not beyond solving, and put the onus of responsibility squarely where it belongs – on the Congress, and specifically, the Super Congress.”

Veterans and military personnel benefits played a markedly small part in yesterday’s discussion, with only a handful of tacit mentions. In his written testimony, Elmendorf said that benefits for veterans and military personnel do not hold out as a sizable part of the deficit crisis.

During the hearing committee co-chair, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., announced that the Super Congress had commissioned a website, deficitreduction.gov, where the public can find up-to-date information on the committee's proceedings and deliver feedback first-hand.

As the discussions continue, the VFW will continue our work to convince members of the Super Congress that these benefits have already been paid for at a very steep price. Check back regularly for updates.

(Photo:Members of the media were out in droves to cover the first official hearing of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction on Capitol Hill. Photo by Shane Barker.)

VFW Applauds House for Advancing Vets' Bills

Yesterday, the VFW was on hand at the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill, where the House Committee on Veterans Affairs moved forward with seven pieces of critical veterans' legislation -- many of which the VFW has supported in testimony before the committee this year.

The bills included H.R. 2433, the Veterans Opportunity to Work Act, or VOW Act, a bill by Committee Chairman Jeff Miller, R-Fla., which will extend certain benefits for unemployed veterans and create improved auditing systems for the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill and transition-assistance programs for veterans.

The VFW touted the bill in a story this afternoon with Stars & Stripes, saying that the bill's provisions would create a job climate conducive to hiring veterans.

Provisions of the bill include the extension of Chapter 30-style education benefits for veterans ages 35-60; mandating transition assistance programs, or TAP; monitoring employment and education metrics resulting from TAP; improved oversight of funding for Disabled Veterans Outreach Program specialists, or DVOPs, and local veterans' employment representatives, or LVERs; a pilot program to use DVOP & LVER funding for critical individual employment training; and programs to close the military credentialing gap.

The bill also rolled in provisions from other committee bills mandating data collection by VA on G.I. Bill usage and outcomes, and extending the VA's home loan guarantee program to surviving spouses of service-disabled veterans.

The committee also passed H.R. 2074, the Veterans Sexual Assault Prevention and Health Care Enhancement Act, which VFW Women Veterans Committee member Marlene Roll testified on earlier this summer. 

In addition to codifying VA reporting policies and proper courses-of-action for victims of sexual assault at VA facilities, the bill also included provisions from other bills the VFW supported, such as offering equal access to VA facilities for disabled veterans utilizing service dogs, improved rehabilitative services for veterans suffering from traumatic brain injuries, and establishing a VA pilot program on dog training therapy for veterans suffering from service-related mental health issues.

The vote on H.R. 2074 took an interesting turn when Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Calif., introduced an amendment to the bill, striking a provision that would have ended VA reimbursement for doctors who sought additional training in their practice fields. McNerney's concerns were echoed across the aisle by Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tenn., a former physician, who pointed out that such funding was a critical retention tool for top medical minds who would stand to make significantly more money outside of VA.

Ranking Member Bob Filner, D-Calif., called for a roll call vote on the divisive amendment, which passed when two committee members broke ranks with their caucus to support it.

Other bills that passed the committee include:

H.R. 2646, the Veterans Health Care Capital Facilities Improvement Act of 2011

H.R. 2302, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to notify Congress of conferences sponsored by the department

H.R. 2349, the Veterans Benefit Act of 2011

H.R. 1025, to recognize certain reserve component personnel as veterans

H.R. 1263, to protect surviving spouses from foreclosure under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.

The VFW fully supported each of these bills, except for certain provisions in H.R. 2349, such as VA's duty to assist veterans in obtaining relevant health information during the claims process originally included in H.R. 2383, the Modernizing Notice to Claimants Act.

VFW testified on H.R. 2383 earlier this summer, explaining concerns that VA could shift the burden of gathering evidence onto the veteran, negating precedent established by the Court of Veterans Appeals. We will discuss this bill, the provision on duty to assist, and VFW's thoughts in greater detail next week once VFW's National Veterans Service has had an opportunity to analyze the latest version of the bill's proposed changes in full.

Each bill now moves to the full House of Representatives for a vote. The VFW will continue to track each piece of legislation, keeping you posted on progress on this blog.

(Photo: The House Veterans Affairs Committee discusses pending legislation during the Sept. 8, 2011 markup before voting to send each bill onto the full House. Photo by Ryan Gallucci.)

VFW on hand as Super Congress convenes

Yesterday marked the first official meeting of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, or "Super Congress," tasked with identifying $1.5 trillion in debt reduction within the federal government. VFW Senior Legislative Associate Shane Barker was on hand for the meeting in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill to learn about the committee and the way its members are looking to proceed in the coming months.

"Though there was a tone of optimism and cooperation throughout all the statements, much of the discussion fell along well-trodden and traditional party lines," said Barker.

The Super Congress, which was created out of this summer's debt ceiling deal, is mandated to eliminate at least $1.5 trillion dollars from the budget over the next 10 years and must accomplish the task no later than Dec. 2, when the committee is set to report its recommendations to Congress. The committee's full schedule is available on this blog by clicking here.

If the Super Congress fails to reach a consensus, automatic budget cuts that will take place, ravishing our national security – an outcome that the VFW cannot accept. The VFW spearheaded efforts reaching out to the committee, explaining that military personnel programs and veterans' benefits should remain untouched during the committee's deliberations.

VFW leaders will continue to advocate for veterans, military retirees, and their families as the committee continues its difficult work. In the coming weeks, the National Legislative Service plans to activate VFW's grassroots Action Corps to ensure the Super Congress works to protect veterans. Check back regularly with this blog for updates and ways to get involved.

The 12 members selected to serve on the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction are:

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Co-Chair




Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), Co-Chair




Senate:
Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.)
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.)
Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.)
Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.)
Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio)

House of Representatives:
Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.)
Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.)
Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.)
Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.)
Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.)

(Images: Top: The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction hosts its first formal meeting in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on Sept. 8, 2011. Photo by Shane Barker. Bottom: Official portraits of Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, co-chairmen of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction.)

Back to the Grind: House Moves on Vets’ Bills and Super Congress Convenes

The VFW National Legislative Service is back in the office after a productive week in San Antonio for the 112th VFW National Convention. We will bring you highlights throughout the week, included highlights from a productive meeting of the VFW’s Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Advisory Committee, which outlined critical legislative priorities for veterans of the current conflicts.

With the return of the NLS to Washington also comes the return of Congress – and the legislative wheels are once again turning.

This week, the House Veterans Affairs Committee will move on several key pieces of legislation, which the VFW is tracking very closely, including H.R. 2433, the Veterans Opportunity to Work Act, and H.R. 2074, the Veterans Sexual Assault Prevention Act.

The VFW submitted testimony in support of the VOW Act for a hearing and other veterans’ employment legislation in early July, which you can read here.

VFW National Women Veterans Committee member Marlene Roll also testified in support of the Veterans Sexual Assault Prevention Act before the House in June. Her testimony can be viewed here.

A full list of the bills to be considered for markup on Thursday, Sept. 8, can be found on the House VA Committee website by clicking here. The VFW will bring you an update on the bills and their progress following the mark-up.

Tomorrow, the 12-member Joint Select Committee on Debt Reduction, or “Super Congress,” will convene for its first planning meeting at 10:30 a.m. in room 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill. VFW Senior Legislative Associate Shane Barker will be on hand to learn about the Super Congress and to learn the way forward.

The Super Congress also published its timeline for the coming months, which is included below:

Sept. 8: Organizational meeting of joint committee.

Sept. 13: First hearing of joint committee.

Oct. 14: Deadline for standing committees to forward their recommendations to joint committee.

Nov. 23: Deadline for joint committee to vote on legislative proposals, with a 10-year deficit reduction goal of $1.5 trillion.

Dec. 2: Deadline for joint committee to formally report proposals.

Dec. 23: Deadline for House and Senate to vote on proposals, without amendment.

Jan. 15: Deadline for enactment of at least $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction, or across-the-board spending cuts will be triggered.

Jan. 2, 2013: If triggered, across-the-board cuts will take effect.

The VFW led the way in calling on the Super Congress to protect military personnel programs and veterans’ benefits, and we will keep you posted on the committee’s progress moving forward. Check back regularly for updates.