After 8 years of Bush and 6 years of a Republican congress, our veterans are finally getting some needed help.
Public Officials Discuss Vet Outreach The House Veterans' Affairs Health Subcommittee, led by Chairman Michael Michaud (D-Maine), recently held a hearing to assess the responsibility of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct an outreach program to veterans of all eras. The hearing focused on the coordinated efforts between the three separate administrations (Veterans Health Administration, Veterans Benefits Administration and National Cemetery Administration) to reach veterans and alert them to available benefits and services, and the role of nonprofit and community organizations that provide services to veterans. Prepared testimony and a link to a webcast of the hearing is available on the (http://veterans.house.gov/hearings/hearing.aspx?newsid=401) House Committee on Veterans' Affairs website. Find more of the latest (http://www.military.com/news/stories/veteran- benefits-news.html) Veteran Benefits news. VA Projects for Rural Veterans The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is providing $215 million in competitive funding to improve services specifically designed for veterans in rural and highly rural areas. The new funding is part of a VA program to improve access and quality of health care -- both physical and mental -- for Veterans in geographically rural areas, with an emphasis on the use of the latest technologies, recruitment and retention of a well-educated and trained health care workforce, and collaborations with non-VA rural health community partners. In the past two years, VA rolled out four new mobile health clinics to serve 24 predominately rural counties and announced 10 new rural outreach clinics to be opened in 2009. Officials Address Gulf War Illness Research The House Veterans' Affairs Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, led by Chairman Harry Mitchell (D-Ariz.), recently conducted the first of a series of hearings on Gulf War Illness research. The hearing provided a review of the history of the research that has been conducted on Gulf War Illness, examined the methodology used by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to determine possible exposure to toxins and pesticides, and focused on the ongoing challenges veterans face as a result of their service in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Prepared testimony and a link to a webcast of the hearing is available on the (http://veterans.house.gov/hearings/ hearing.aspx?newsid=394) House Committee on Veterans' Affairs website. Lawmakers Address Needs of Rural Vets The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee approved comprehensive legislation to help the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provide better health care for veterans in rural areas, establish a program to support veterans' caregivers, and secure timely and transparent funding for VA's health care system through advance appropriations. The bills approved by the committee will be reported to the full Senate for consideration. For a copy of the markup agenda, visit the U.S. Senate Committee on VA's website (http://www.veterans.senate.gov/ hearings.cfm?action=release.display&release_id=4d0c6de8-ddfa-42e2-970a- edbf7cc671d6) here. Wounded Warrior Takes Key VA Post Iraq war amputee and outspoken veterans' advocate Tammy Duckworth was sworn in Wednesday to be the assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Duckworth, a major in the Illinois National Guard, was shot down over Iraq in 2004 while co-piloting a UH-60 Black Hawk transport helicopter north of Baghdad. She eventually lost both of her legs from injuries sustained in the attack and spent 13 months in rehabilitation at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.To learn more, (http://www.military.com/news/article/wounded-warrior-takes-key-va- post.html) read the full article on Military.com. Reps Look Into VA Care for Female Vets The Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, recently held a roundtable to address and assess the ability of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide the right services to the country's 1.8 million female veterans. The roundtable format allowed participants from veteran service organizations, representatives of the VA, and interested stakeholders to come together to indentify the specific issues facing female veterans. A list of the participants in the roundtable discussion is available on the (http:// veterans.house.gov/news/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=411) House Committee on Veterans' Affairs website President Asks for Retiree Pay Hike President Obama asked Congress to phase in " (http://www.military.com/ benefits/military-pay/retired-pay/retired-concurrent-receipt-overview) concurrent receipt" for all Chapter 61 retirees -- those who received a disability retirement from the Department of Defense (DoD). If enacted, the plan would boost pay for 103,000 veterans by more than $2 billion through 2014. For more information, read the article on the (http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,191302,00.html) Military.com website. And many others.... http://www.military.com/veterans-report-print-post/1,,20090601,,00.html Thank goodness we have the Democrats. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
