The Mid-Atlantic Regional Group
Blinded Veterans Association
Legislative News
April 13, 2009
The following has some interesting links for those who want to investigate more on various veterans legislation with the VFW News links.
VFW
April 9, 2009
In This Issue:
1. President Announces Advanced Funding Support
2. Congress on Recess
3. Legislation Update
4. VFW Chief Meets NGB Chief
1. President Announces Advanced Funding Support: President Obama today strengthened legislation submitted by the two VA Committee chairmen when he announced his support of advanced funding for the VA. VFW National Commander Glen Gardner explained in a press release that advance funding does not diminish congressional oversight or the nature by which the discretionary process works. "It just means Congress will prepare and appropriate the VA's healthcare budget a full year in advance, which is clearly a smarter and more efficient way for the nation's largest integrated healthcare system to conduct business," he said. Senate VA Committee Chairman Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) and House VA Committee Chairman Bob Filner (D- Calif.) reintroduced advanced funding legislation into the 111th Congress - S. 423 and H.R. 1016, respectively. Now that the president supports advanced funding, the VFW national commander is urging his total membership of 2.2 million to contact their elected officials and urge them to sign on as co-sponsors, and to vote accordingly when the bills come up on the floor.
To contact your congressional members, enter your Zip Code at: http://capwiz.com/vfw/dbq/officials/.
To read the VFW press release, go to: http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=news.newsDtl&did=4988.
To read the president's comments, go to: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-on-Improving-Veterans-Health-Care-4/9/2009/.
2. Congress on Recess:
Congressional members headed out of town late last week to begin a two-week
district work period. Now is a great time to visit them in their home offices
and urge their support of VFW legislative goals. Ask them to co- sponsor
Advanced Funding for the VA (HR 1016 and S. 423), the Women Veterans' Health
Care Improvement Act (S. 597 and HR 1211), and support expansion of the Veteran
Business Development Centers and funding for the Small Business Administration.
Congress returns to
For a full list of VFW legislative priority goals, go to: http://www.vfw.org/legislative/2009prioritygoals.pdf.
To contact your congressional members, enter your Zip Code at: http://capwiz.com/vfw/dbq/officials/.
3. Legislation Update: Below are several VFW-supported bills that have passed through the House and await Senate action:
H. Res 234 - would establish March 30 as "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day" (passed the House on March 24).
HR 1377 -- expands veteran eligibility for VA reimbursement for emergency treatment furnished by non-VA facilities (passed the House on March 30). The Senate companion bill is S. 409.
HR 1171 - would reauthorize the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program through 2014, and also includes special grants to program and facilities that provide for homeless female veterans and homeless veterans with children (passed the House on March 30)
HR 1513 - would provide a cost-of-living increase for disability and DIC payments equal to rates determined by the Social Security index (passed the House on March 30). The Senate companion bill is S. 407.
HR 1804, Federal Retirement Reform Act of 2009 - includes a provision that would increase the special survivor indemnity allowance which began last October after it was passed as a part of the defense budget. The current payments start at $50 and increase to $100 by 2013; the new payment would increase to $345 by 2013. Please know that VFW continues to pressure Congress to repeal the full SBP-DIC offset, but the proposed legislation moves us a little closer to that goal. It also directs the Secretary of Defense to report to Congress on the cost and the effect on recruiting and retention of providing a matching payment for TSP contributions by members of the Armed Forces (passed the House on April 1)
4. VFW Chief Meets NGB Chief:
VFW National Commander Glen Gardner, accompanied by National Security & Foreign
Affairs Director Mike Wysong, met this week with the Chief of the National Guard
Bureau, Gen. Craig R. McKinley. The discussion centered on military and
Guard-specific issues. Gardner, who stressed the VFW's continued support for
the airmen and soldiers of the National Guard, was also able to meet with troops
recuperating from their wounds at nearby
Blinded Veterans Association also has some important pieces of legislation before both the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees:
Senate bill S 793 would add the occupation Blind Rehabilitative Outpatient Specialists to the list of scholarship occupations that VA currently can offer students in a degree program who in return for educational assistance go work for the VA for one year of education, one year of work in VA.
HR version of this HR 228 has already been marked up “voted on within the subcommittee on House VA Committee and has strong support!
S 821 Elimination of the Co-Payment for Catastrophically Disabled Veterans now has 23 co-sponsors on the house side HR 1335 and was introduced by Senator Brown just before the recess. We continue to push on both of these bills for this spring.
Tom Zampieri
Blinded Veterans Association
BVA's Legislative Alerts Group
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