March 7, 2008
Yesterday the Blinded Veterans Association national President testified in front of both the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committee members in a joint hearing with several other veterans organizations. Below is some press statements about these important hearings for all BVA members, key contacts, and families. It is vital to let you all know that once again the BVA presented strong testimony on wide variety of issues dealing with access to health care, benefits and claims back log problems, research funding and VA health care funding and very specific BVA issues.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 6, 2008
Paralyzed and Blinded Veterans Groups Oppose Proposed Cuts to VA Research
Akaka Continues Efforts to Strengthen VA Research Budget
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, participated in a joint hearing with the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee today in which veterans groups spoke out against the Administration’s proposal to cut $38 million from VA’s Medical and Prosthetic research program.
In their testimony, leaders of Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) and Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) called attention to the importance of VA research, especially for veterans who are blinded, paralyzed, or amputees as a result of their military service. They also noted how important a thriving VA research program is to enabling VA to recruit and retain the best and brightest physicians.
“Improvements in battlefield medicine increase a wounded warrior’s chances of returning home, but that servicemember also deserves the chance to lead a free and full life. Improvements to veterans’ health care and rehabilitation are made possible through VA research. VA must have the resources to fully support this vital program.” said Akaka.
Chairman
Akaka strongly opposes the Administration’s efforts to cut VA research, and has
consistently pushed for increases to the program. In their views and estimates
letter to the Senate Budget Committee, Chairman Akaka and the Majority Members
of the Committee called for a $75 million increase to VA research.
Congress provided the program with a $69 million increase in Fiscal Year 2008.
Recent developments in VA research have included ways to improve the lives of
veterans suffering from PTSD, protect the health of those with spinal cord
injuries, and restore walking ability to amputees.
The full witness list can be viewed here: http://veterans.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?pageid=16&release_id=11535&view=all
The Chairman’s opening statement can be viewed here: http://veterans.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?pageid=16&release_id=11535&sub_release_id=11568&view=all
The Majority Members’ budget views and estimates can be viewed here: http://veterans.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?pageid=12&release_id=11552
Press Release
House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees Hold Joint Hearing
Veterans Groups Present Legislative Agenda to Congress
Washington,
D.C. – The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee led by Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA),
and the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee led by Chairman Daniel Akaka (D-HI),
held a joint hearing to receive the legislative presentation of the Paralyzed
Veterans of America, Jewish War Veterans of the United States,
Blinded Veterans Association, American Ex-POWs, Vietnam Veterans of America, Non
Commissioned Officers Association and the Air Force Sergeants
Association.
“The information provided by the veterans service organizations here today is
important as the Committee analyzes the budget and addresses the pressing needs
of veterans,” said Chairman Filner. “Ensuring that veterans are provided
promised benefits and services are issues that we as a Congress must continue to
take seriously. We continue to urge the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to
reach out to veterans and their families to ensure receipt of benefits for which
they are eligible and assist them in completing their benefits claims.”
Testimony was provided by American Ex-Prisoners of War National Commander Warren G. King, Sr., Paralyzed Veterans of America National President Randy L.Pleva, Sr., Jewish War Veterans National Commander Lawrence Schulman, Blinded Veterans Association National President Norman Jones, Jr., Ph.D., Vietnam Veterans of America National President John Rowan, Non Commissioned Officers Association of the USA President H. Gene Overstreet, Sgt. Major USMC (Ret.), and Air Force Sergeants Association Chief Executive Officer Richard M. Dean, CMSGT (Ret.).
National Commander Lawrence Schulman of the Jewish War Veterans called upon the Congress and the Department of Veterans Affairs to “swiftly address the inequities present in the delivery of benefits and entitlements due all veterans and to as widely as possible advise of the services available to eligible veterans through coordination with the veterans service organization and pubic service announcements in the various media.”
National President John Rowan of Vietnam Veterans of America testified to the lack of effective outreach to veterans regarding benefits and services. “Veterans do not know about medical treatment to which they are entitled for injuries or illnesses associated with their service in uniform and they miss out receiving compensation for these maladies. After all, the more veterans and their families know about what is available to them – what the veteran has earned by virtue of his (and now increasingly her) service in uniform – the more claims the VA will have to rate, and the more money it will have to pay out.”
“We know that we still have veterans slipping through the cracks,” said Chairman
Filner. “They either are unaware of their veterans’ benefits or are having
difficulty getting those benefits processed. Veterans have earned these
benefits by fighting for our country and, frankly, veterans have to fight too
hard to receive the benefits that they have earned. Too many people think that
VA stands for ‘Veteran’s Adversary’. This Congress is believes that VA should
stand for ‘Veteran’s Advocate’.”
Today’s hearing followed hearings held earlier in the week to receive legislative presentations from the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Disabled American Veterans. The House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees have scheduled future joint hearings to receive legislative presentations from AMVETS, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Gold Star Wives of America, Fleet Reserve Association, The Retired Enlisted Association, Military Officers Association of America and the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs.
VETERANS ORGANIZATIONS REJECT TWO-TIERED DISABILITY SYSTEM
VSOs urge caution before implementing Dole-Shalala commission recommendation
WASHINGTON,
D.C. –U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Chairman of the Senate Veterans’
Affairs Committee, heard veterans service organizations (VSOs) at three separate
hearings this week express concerns about recommendations from the President’s
Commission on Care for America’s Returning Wounded Warriors.
Specifically, the VSOs raised objections to the Commission’s recommendation for
a two-tiered disability benefits system that would treat veterans differently
based on their periods of service. Today’s hearing was the last of three joint
House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearings this week to review the
legislative proposals of various VSOs.
“A two-tiered compensation system could pit veterans of our recent conflicts against those of different eras, which is clearly unacceptable,” said Chairman Akaka. “The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee has held three hearings to review veterans’ disability compensation this Session, with more planned in the months to come, and we will keep the VSOs’ concerns in mind as we move forward on this issue.”
At today’s hearing, the Non-Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S.A (NCOA) testified regarding their strong opposition to any system giving “different disability rating awards to classes of veterans from different combat eras.” Similarly, the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) recommended against any legislation to simply implement the recommendations of the President’s Commission.
Testifying before the joint committees earlier this week, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) urged caution regarding the President’s Commission’s recommendations, noting that the Commission had only four short months to report on a wide-range of veterans’ issues. VFW specifically expressed their opposition to the Commission’s recommendation to create a two-tiered disability compensation system.
We here at BVA headquarters arranged several visits to key senate members offices after the hearings to discuss our BVA issues. The work of follow-up is going to continue for months after these hearings are over, and we have been told on April 2, 2008 there will be a House VA subcommittee Oversight Hearing on just Vision injuries from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for the Blinded Veterans Association. Two of our blinded OIF members from Iraq will testify.
Tom Zampieri
Director Government Relations
Washington DC
End of Document