VFW WI Legislative Updates

ADVANCE FUNDING FOR VA HEALTHCARE MAY SOON BE A REALITY

Posted at 8:50 AM on Friday, September 19, 2008 by Legislative

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, was joined by a bipartisan group of Senators in introducing legislation today to secure timely funding of veterans’ health care, through a process known as “advance funding.”  Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Russ Feingold (D-WI), Ted Stevens (R-AK), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and John Thune (R-SD) joined Akaka as original cosponsors.    

Under the bill, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) would be funded one-year in advance.  Currently, VHA is funded one-year at a time, and is too often the victim of delays and short-term budgets. 

Senator Akaka said: “The Department of Veterans Affairs operates the largest health care system in the nation, but its funding is untimely and unpredictable.  Advance funding for veterans’ health care is better for veterans, taxpayers, and VA.  Funding would be set two-years in advance, enabling VA to make strategic long term decisions.  I am proud to join bipartisan Congressional leaders and many of America’s veterans service organizations in seeking to provide a more secure and predictable funding system for veterans health care.” 

Senator Snowe said: “Healthcare funding for veterans is an issue that we cannot afford to delay with partisan politics and Congressional deadlocks.  It is unacceptable that over the past six years, the Department of Veterans Affairs has not received its annual funding on average until more than three months after the start of the new fiscal year.  This legislation will ensure that the brave veterans of our armed forces will receive the healthcare funding appropriated by Congress for the VA’s budget on time and in full.”

Senator Johnson said: "I have always been an advocate for timely and adequate funding for our veterans.  I am proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation, which is another step towards ensuring our veterans receive the health care they’ve earned, when they need it, and without having to worry about what is going on in Congress.  While I still support mandatory funding, I believe this may be the compromise we need to gain support from those that have opposed mandatory funding in the past.  I applaud Senator Akaka’s efforts on this legislation.” 

Senator Landrieu said: “First-class healthcare for our veterans is a basic right for our returning heroes.  It is critical that the VHA get advance funding, as other government programs already do, to prevent delays and holdups in care for our veterans.”  

Senator Feingold said: “I have been a long time supporter of mandatory funding for veterans health care because Congress is routinely unable to provide funding for the VA on time.  By going the advanced appropriations route, delays in the annual appropriations process will no longer impact the VA's ability to get this critical funding to those who need it.” 

Senator Stevens said: “This legislation will make sure the VA gets its money on time each year, so the health care needs of our veterans are always met.  While my colleagues and I have sought to make sure the VA is properly funded over the years, that funding has frequently arrived late. If this bill becomes law, the VA will always have their health care funding on day one.”

Senator Murkowski said: “We demand much of the veterans’ healthcare delivery system in addressing the critical health issues presented by those who have just returned from Iraq and Afghanistan while at the same time continuing to serve the veterans of conflicts past. For 19 of the past 21 years, Congress has failed to provide the VA with certainty about its funding levels at the beginning of the federal fiscal year. There is considerable uncertainty over whether Congress will be able to conclude the VA appropriations bill before we leave this year. We expect the VA to step up and address health challenges like traumatic brain injuries, post traumatic stress disorders, the challenges of serving veterans in rural America and the unique issues that affect female veterans but make them wait interminably for the increased funding levels to which they are legitimately entitled. This is a budget process that must be reformed.”

Advance funding has been used to fund programs such as Section 8 housing vouchers, and the Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).  Under the proposed legislation, veterans’ health care would go through the same process as these entities, thus securing timely funding without making VA health care an entitlement. The advance funding bill would also increase transparency in the VA funding process, by requiring an annual GAO audit and public report on VA’s funding forecasts.

The proposed advance funding legislation is also supported by The Partnership for Veterans Health Care Budget Reform, which includes the following veterans service organizations: AMVETS, Blinded Veterans Association, Disabled American Veterans, Jewish War Veterans, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Paralyzed Veterans of America, The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Vietnam Veterans of America.

Comrades and Sisters, please contact Senator Kohl and ask him to co-sponsor this legislation.  Contact your Representative and ask him or her to support this legislation in the House.  Together we can achieve a victory for all Veterans!!

-END-

Ask President to Protect Medicare and TRICARE beneficiary’s access to doctors

Posted at 8:41 AM on Friday, July 11, 2008 by Legislative

 
 
 July 11, 2008   
 
 Ask President to Protect Medicare and TRICARE beneficiary’s access to doctors 
 
 
 Ask President to Sign (HR 6331) Repeal of Medicare/TRICARE Doctor Payment Cuts Take Action!
 
Protect TRICARE Beneficiary Access to Doctors!
 
Senate and House passed "The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act" (H.R. 6331), that will repeal the Medicare/TRICARE 10.6 percent rate cut for doctors that took effect 1 July 2008 and authorize a 0.5-percent increase for 18 months. Doctor participation is an even greater problem for TRICARE than for Medicare because low reimbursement rates are compounded by additional administrative requirements and fewer patients.  The bill now goes to the President for him to sign into law or veto.
 
The Administration has threatened to veto the measure.  Please contact the President to ask that he sign this important legislation into law to retroactively eliminate the Medicare/TRICARE doctor reimbursement cuts that will protect Medicare and TRICARE beneficiary’s access to doctors.     
 
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VETERANS RED-WHITE-BLUE PLATES ARE BACK AS OPTION

Posted at 10:32 AM on Thursday, June 5, 2008 by Legislative

 

MADISON…Many veterans were surprised by the new look of the veterans license plates when the renewal forms arrived in the mail. The traditional red, white and blue design had been changed. According to State Representative Terry Musser (R-Melrose), veterans from around the state have contacted him saying they want the old design back.

vfwwebcom.org/wi/uploads/l/legislative/961.pdf

LEGISLATIVE ISSUES COURTESY OF MOAA

Posted at 11:05 AM on Saturday, May 17, 2008 by Legislative

COLA Fizzes Up
>
This week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that consumer price index (CPI) for the month of April leapt 0.7 percentage points over March's value.  Cumulative inflation now stands at 3.5% through
April - with five months to go in the year.  Visit MOAA's Web site to view the month-by-month CPI track compared to last year...and eyeball where the number might go by the end of the fiscal year (Sept. 30).
Panel Acts on TRICARE, Commissaries, Survivors, Reserve Benefits. Check out what the House Armed Services Committee proposed this week on these topics and more.
MOAA Talks Priorities with Senate Leaders.  MOAA President VADM Norb Ryan, Jr. (USN-Ret) got his oar in the water with Senate leaders on Wednesday concerning top priorities remaining for 2008.
War Funding Fiasco.  It's a strange scenario when Republicans and Democrats combine forces to decline to fund an ongoing war, but that's what happened this week in the House of Representatives.  But the House did approve a major improvement in GI Bill benefits as part of the war-non-funding bill.
Panel Acts on TRICARE, Commissaries, Survivors, Reserve Benefits. The House Armed Services Committee completed its draft of the FY2009 Defense Authorization Bill (H.R. 5658) this week, approving a long list of changes affecting every segment of the military community. 

Here's a summary:

> Health Care:
>
- Bar any TRICARE or pharmacy fee increases for FY2009 (see final note below)

- Authorize a pilot program to exempt certain preventive care (e.g.,mammograms, colonoscopies, vaccinations) from TRICARE copays and  deductibles (Note:  original reports indicated that Medicare-eligibles would be excluded, but Committee leaders resolved that problem)

- Add 1,023 to Navy manpower and 450 to USAF to restore
military medical positions previously civilianized
- Authorize chiropractic care for all active duty members (but not family members, retirees or survivors)
>
> Active Duty Issues:
>
- Authorize 3.9% pay raise for 2009 (vs. 3.4% DoD recommendation)
- Require military pay raises to be 1/2% greater than the average American's each year through 2013 (amendment offered by Rep. Thelma Drake, R-VA)
- Increase maximum temporary lodging/meals allowance to $290 per day per family (vs. current $180) for PCS moves
- Authorize an unpaid sabbatical from active duty of up to 3 years to pursue professional goals
- Authorize a second Family Separation Allowance payment (1/2 the normal rate) when both members of a dual-spouse couple are deployed
- Authorize "save pay" for officers reappointed in lower grade as medical officers

> Commissary Issues:

- Bar studies of commissary privatization through 2013
- Require DoD recommendation on selling beer and wine in commissaries
- Direct DoD recommendation on opening commissaries to disabled veterans with VA ratings of 30% or greater

> Guard/Reserve Issues:
>
- Require reduction in TRICARE Reserve Select premiums
- Direct DoD plan to simplify Guard/Reserve duty status categories - Authorize Reservists who retired with 20 years of active duty to switch to Reserve retirement if that provides greater retired pay, as of January 2009 (no retroactive payment)
- Authorize recomputation of Guard/Reserve retired pay
  following at least two years of recalled active duty
- Extend Guard/Reserve income replacement authority through 2009

> Survivor Issues:

- Expand eligibility for Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance to
 include survivors of members who died on active duty
- Restore SBP to survivors of members who died on active duty, but
 whose SBP was switched to children (when children attain majority or
 if remarriage ends)
- Rep. Thelma Drake's (R-VA) proposed amendment to eliminate the
 SBP-DIC offset was blocked on a procedural ruling that it was not
 allowed under the budget resolution guidelines.

 Family Issues:

- Add $15 million for family support programs
- $65 million in education aid for schools attended by military
> children
- Authorize 200-lb professional books/equipment shipping allowance for
> spouses on PCS moves
- Provide tuition assistance/training for spouses seeking portable
> careers
- Authorize transportation of two family pets if evacuated from
> overseas location

> One final note:  Fixing the TRICARE fee hike problem posed a technical
> budget challenge for committee leaders, because it required some level
> of "mandatory spending" offsets - either finding ways to increase
> revenues (e.g., selling DoD property) or cutting other mandatory
> spending programs (retired pay, TFL, SBP, etc.).
>
> Leaders came up slightly short on the revenue side and resorted to a
> budget maneuver that shifted 1% of retiree pay from September 2013
> into October 2013 (the next fiscal year).  All involved acknowledge
> that there's no intent to allow this to actually happen (they have
> five years to come up with the required alternative offset), and it's
> not the first time such things have been done, and then corrected
> later.
>
> But retirees are very sensitive that past congressional actions
> actually have curtailed their retired pay, and MOAA urges legislators
> to resist getting used to such administrative maneuvers.

> MOAA Talks Priorities with Senate Leaders
>
> Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) invited MOAA and a number of
> other association leaders to meet with him and several top Committee
> chairmen to discuss priorities for the military and veteran
> communities.
>
> Among those attending were Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl
> Levin (D-MI), Veterans Affairs Committee Daniel Akaka
> (D-HI) and 21 other Senate democrats.
>
> First and foremost, the leadership pledged to continue full funding
> for VA and military health care, including fairer treatment of wounded
> warriors and their families.
>
> Among the association leaders, there was a consensus that Congress
> should aggressively pursue the recommendations of the recent Veterans'
> Disability Benefits Commission as well as an upgraded GI Bill.  In
> addition, VADM Ryan urged:
>
- Quick action to reverse the 10.6% Medicare and TRICARE payment cut
> scheduled to take place on July 1 -- only 6 weeks away;
- Putting military health care principles in law to prevent
> annual budget-driven proposals for large increases in TRICARE
> fees; and
- Aggressive efforts to end compensation penalties imposed on
> disabled retirees and survivors.

> War Funding Fiasco
>
> We knew that Republicans and Democrats in Congress don’t agree on much
> when it comes to the war in Iraq.  But it never occurred to us that
> they might work together to decline to provide funds for an ongoing
> war - yet that's what happened when Thursday's final House vote was
> tallied on the emergency wartime supplemental appropriations bill.
>
> Because of the anticipated disagreements, action on the bill was
> broken into three separate votes to let the various factions in the
> House get clear votes on the specific topics they cared about most.
>
> One was on a package of restrictions on the war effort, including a
> requirement to bring all of the troops home by the end of 2009 and a
> requirement for matching funding by the Iraqi government.  Another was
> on a package of domestic program improvements, including a major
> upgrade to the GI Bill (which MOAA and virtually all other military
> and veterans associations strongly support).  The third vote would be
> on funding the war operations.
>
> The anticipation was that the anti-war group would get their vote on
> the war restrictions package, but would lose, while a bipartisan
> majority of House members would approve the GI Bill and other
> improvements and also approve the war funding.
>
> But that expectation failed to give enough weight to the "inside
> politics" of the House of Representatives.
>
> Upset that the Democratic majority didn't give them much input in
> formulating the bill, the Republican leaders figured they'd teach the
> Democrats a lesson by demonstrating that they need Republican votes to
> pass legislation on most big issues.
>
> So they decided that Republican House members would abstain. Perhaps
> not a good decision in retrospect, since a majority of Democrats are
> unhappy with the war.
>
> In the end, the GI Bill package was approved as expected.
>
> But the package of war restrictions was approved by a majority of
> voting Democrats, but there weren't enough Democratic votes to approve
> the war-funding portion.
>
> So now the House will send a war supplemental funding bill to the
> Senate that includes no funding for the war and proposes bringing all
> the troops home within a year and a half - even though that's not what
> a clear majority of the House really wanted.
>
> Perhaps the whole House has been taught a lesson by this – that there
> are times when political games need to take a back seat to the serious
> business of funding wartime requirements.
>
> MOAA believes strongly that if we're going to put our troops in harm's
> way, we have to make sure they get the resources to get the job done. 
> This week's action demonstrates that neither party in the House can
> say they put a priority on that.

CONGRESSMAN STEVE KAGEN, MD IS WORKING HARD FOR VETERANS

Posted at 9:31 AM on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 by Legislative

 

May 12, 2008
 
GREEN BAY, WI -- Congressman Steve Kagen, M.D. is working hard to guarantee veterans receive the benefits they have earned.  At the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay today, Kagen met with veterans from Northeast Wisconsin to discuss the 21st Century G.I. Bill, a bi-partisan measure that would expand educational benefits to all those who have served in the U.S. military since the attacks of September 11, 2001. 

“When this bill becomes law, veterans in Wisconsin and across America will become eligible for improved education benefits,” said Kagen.  “Our brave soldiers covered our backs, and now it is our turn to cover theirs.”

Resembling the original G.I. Bill, the new act would allow veterans to begin using their education benefits up to fifteen years following active duty, and for the first time, veterans who served in the National Guard would qualify for the same benefits other branches of the armed services receive.  Education benefits would be available to all members of the military who served at least three to thirty-six months on active duty, including activated reservists and National Guard, with benefits paid proportionally to the number of months in active duty.

Appearing with Congressman Kagen, WI Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary John A. Scocos said, “After World War II, the G.I. Bill helped to build our nation’s economic successes in the decades that followed. It stands to reason that this new G.I. Bill would do the same for those coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Scocos added, “More importantly, enacting a full G.I. Bill for the 21st Century is the right thing to do. Men and women from every walk of life serve in defense of our nation, and many do it for more than just the money. They risk their lives, their health, their physical, mental, social and economic well-being for the rest of us. Passing a full G.I. Bill for the 21st Century is the least we can do – we owe our newest greatest generation of veterans nothing less.”

Other important benefits in the new G.I. Bill would be a monthly stipend to cover housing costs.  The bill would also create the “Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program,” in which the federal government will agree to match, dollar for dollar, any voluntary additional contributions to veterans from institutions whose tuition is more expensive than the maximum educational assistance provided under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

UWGB has recently seen a 25 percent increase in veteran enrollment. University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Chancellor Bruce Shepard said, “Having veterans on our campus contributes to everybody’s education and it is very special to have them here.”

David A. Kurtz, State Commander of the American Legion in Wisconsin, attended the event.  He spoke in support of expanded educational benefits and praised Congressman Kagen’s efforts. “The state American Legion is wholeheartedly behind your efforts to pass the 21st Century G.I. Bill.”

The 21st Century G.I. Bill is expected to be included in the Emergency Spending Supplemental legislation considered in the House of Representatives this week.

Jennifer Johnson of Grand Chute, a Marine Corps veteran, said, “I’d like to thank all those who are supporting this bill. Expanding educational benefits can only help veterans like myself as we look for opportunities after our service has ended.”

Recently, Congressman Kagen authored a provision that would provide grants for mortgage foreclosure and credit counseling to veterans returning from active duty.  Congressman Kagen has also been working with the Bush administration and the House Committee on Veterans Affairs on construction of a new Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Brown County.  The bill funding the new VA Outpatient Surgery Center will soon be sent to the House floor for a vote.

GI EDUCATION BILL FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

Posted at 11:19 AM on Monday, April 14, 2008 by Legislative

Comrades, Sisters and friends:  Pleas contact your Senator's and your representative concerning the following legislation.  This is our best chance to make a difference.


We are arriving at a critical moment for the GI Bill for the 21st Century! This week, a new and improved S. 22, "The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2007," was introduced in the House of Representatives as H.R. 5740 to covers all education costs. Please call or visit your congressional district or Washington offices and urge your legislators to co-sponsor either S. 22 or H.R. 5740. A new GI Bill for the 21st Century is one of the highest VFW legislative priorities. For information about your elected official use the attached link: http://capwiz.com/vfw/dbq/officials/ or find a listing of offices in your local phone book.

ASK THE PRESIDENT TO SIGN THE TBI BILL (S.793)

Posted at 7:53 AM on Friday, April 11, 2008 by Legislative

 
 
The Congress passed “The Reauthorization of the Traumatic Brain Injury Act” (S. 793), sponsored by Senator Orin Hatch ( Ut. ) and sent the measure to the President for his signature.  The legislation authorizes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide state grants for patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) to enter treatment and rehabilitation programs. The measure would also require the CDC to monitor brain injury incidents and create a reporting system to track the condition. The CDC also would study treatment techniques, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) would be directed to conduct basic research to improve treatment. Furthermore, the bill would authorize a study on improving access to care for veterans with TBI.  

An overriding priority is ensuring that wounded troops, their families and the survivors of those killed in action are cared for by a grateful Nation. This legislation will have a significant benefit for wounded warriors suffering from TBI.  Please ask the President to sign this important legislation to help our wounded warriors.

THIS LEGISLATIVE ALERT BROUGHT TO YOU COURTESY OF THE FLEET RESERVE ASSOCIATION
 

PAC DONATIONS JAN 1 - MAR 31, 2008

Posted at 5:17 PM on Monday, April 7, 2008 by Legislative

Comrades and Sisters:

I have received a PAC Donation update from National.  I know that Mike Furgal and Carolyn Olkives will be interested in this list from National.  If you have donated to the VFW PAC, thank you for your donation.  If you haven't, please consider a fund raiser to raise funds for PAC.  These funds cannot come from your Post or Auxiliaries general funds.

The information is a PDF file with the link attached, just click the button.


BUTTON

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE BY MOAA

Posted at 9:05 AM on Monday, April 7, 2008 by Legislative

The Department of Defense announced this week that it plans to remove Social Security Account Numbers (SSAN) from military identification cards by the end of 2010. Instead, the cards will display only the last four digits of the SSAN.


MOAA Storms Hill for Troops, Survivors, Retirees
MOAA leaders and staff members teamed up to visit almost every U.S. representative's and senator's office this week, urging them to oppose disproportional TRICARE fee increases, fix Survivor Benefit Plan and concurrent receipt inequities, and push for a bigger military pay raise.

MOAA and AMA Join Forces
MOAA's Director of Government Relations spoke at an AMA Capitol Hill press conference on April 2, opposing the 10.6% cut in Medicare and TRICARE payments to doctors scheduled to take effect on July 1.

Veterans' Groups: Fix VA Problems this Year
When asked at a joint Senate and House Committees' on Veterans Affairs hearing this week, MOAA and other veterans’ organizations told legislators they intend to hold Congress' feet to the fire to get the VA spending bill done before October 1.

MOAA Honors Hill Champions
On April 1, MOAA honored several legislators, congressional staff members, and private citizens for their efforts in supporting the military community.



MOAA Storms Hill for Troops, Survivors, Retirees
MOAA Council and Chapter Presidents from the 50 states and Puerto Rico, accompanied by members of the national Board of Directors and headquarters staff, swarmed Capitol Hill on April 2 to visit representatives' and senators' offices on key MOAA legislative initiatives.

This year, the "Hill-stormers" focused on three main issues, supporting efforts to:

Oppose disproportional TRICARE fee increases proposed by Defense leaders
Eliminate unfair compensation penalties imposed on thousands of disabled retirees and military survivors
Increase the 2009 military pay raise above the 3.4% proposed in the President's budget.

MOAA representatives carried a wealth of information supporting those goals, including two information brochures on why it's unfair to double or triple military retiree health care fees and illustrating the fixes needed to eliminate survivor benefits and concurrent receipt inequities.

MOAA Hill-stormers received very positive feedback from most legislators, and we've already seen a jump in the number of cosponsors for MOAA-supported bills on these topics. Check your representatives' and senators' cosponsorship status for the bills listed below:

H.R. 579 and S. 604 - Protect against disproportionate health fee increases
H.R. 1589, H.R. 1927, and S. 935 - Repeal the SBP-DIC offset
H.R. 333, H.R. 303, and S. 439 - Eliminate remaining offsets of retired pay

You can enhance MOAA's Hill-storming results by entering your ZIP code in the applicable box for each bill to send your legislator a MOAA-suggested "please cosponsor" or "thank you for cosponsoring" letter, as applicable.

MOAA and AMA Join Forces
MOAA joined with the American Medical Association (AMA) on Wednesday in the AMA's own "storming the Hill" event to convince Congress to change the law that is now scheduled to cut Medicare and TRICARE payments to doctors by 10.6% on July 1.

Col. Steve Strobridge (USAF-Ret), MOAA's Director of Government Relations, joined national and state AMA leaders at a Capitol Hill press conference highlighting the need for urgent action to protect health care access for America's seniors and military beneficiaries.

Speaking to a crowd that included 300 white-coated physicians, AMA president-elect Dr. Nancy Nielsen emphasized the urgency for action, noting that Congress had just 90 days to avert a health-care disaster, and that the nation's doctors just can't keep doing business with Medicare and TRICARE programs that keep cutting their payments below their cost of delivering care.

Nielsen said Congress must move quickly to pass Sen. Debbie Stabenow's (D-MI) bipartisan S. 2785, which would reverse the cut for 2008 and implement a small increase for 2009. "That will allow Congress two years," said Dr. Nielsen, "to find a permanent fix to the statutory payment formula that is driving these misguided cuts."

Strobridge told the group that reversing the cuts is particularly important to military beneficiaries. "The military community's number one problem is finding doctors who will accept Medicare and TRICARE," he said. "That's particularly true for Guard, Reserve and retired members and their families and survivors who live in areas that aren't near a military installation. When we send our troops in harm's way, the last thing they should have to worry about is whether their family doctor will stop seeing them."

Following the press conference, the attendees joined roughly 1,000 doctors and 135 MOAA representatives who visited every senator's and representative's office on Capitol Hill.

Veterans' Groups: Fix VA Problems this Year
MOAA and six other veterans' organizations testified at an April 3 hearing before both Senate and House Committees on Veterans Affairs.

Witnesses included CDR Rene Campos USN (Ret), MOAA's Deputy Director for Government Relations, and representatives from AMVETS, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Gold Star Wives of America, Fleet Reserve Association, The Retired Enlisted Association and the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs.

Campos told the committees that the current war has produced a number of challenges the nation was not fully prepared to meet, and that it's imperative to fund long-term improvements, starting with completing the FY2009 VA appropriations bill by Oct. 1.

House committee Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA) was impressed with the remarkable unanimity among the veterans' organizations on health care funding, GI bill upgrades, disability claims processing, and care and support for veterans and their families. "Veterans should not have to beg for benefits," said Filner, and told the organizations that cost should not be the issue.

MOAA was pleased that the committees also signaled interest in the needs of family members as well as those of the veterans themselves. Campos stressed the need for further improvements in mental health care and assistance to families of wounded warriors in need of VA care.

Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN), a 24-year Army National Guard veteran, said he expects veterans' organizations to hold Congress accountable. "We possess the ability to pay for these programs and deliver on our promises," said Walz. "To do anything less is a slap in the face to veterans."

MOAA Honors Hill Champions
On April 1, MOAA presented its top annual awards to nine individuals for their support of the military and veterans community.

The following legislators received MOAA’s Colonel Arthur T. Marix Congressional Leadership Award for their efforts in championing improvements in pay and benefits for the military community. The award is named for MOAA's founder.

.Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) and Rep. Ike Skelton, respective Chairmen of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, were recognized for their leadership in securing much-needed initiatives to assist wounded warriors and their families, increase the 2008 military pay raise, expand eligibility for combat-related special compensation, and take the first step to ease the deduction of VA survivor benefits from military SBP annuities.

Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) was honored for winning legislation to authorize a reduction in the reserve retirement age based on the member's active duty service.

Rep. Vic Snyder (D-AR) was recognized for his leadership in winning the most significant Guard and Reserve GI Bill improvements in more than a decade.

MOAA's Distinguished Service Award is presented to individuals and groups other than members of Congress who distinguished themselves in support of the military community. This year's recipients include:

The General Electric Corp., which continues pay and benefits for mobilized employees and provides significant financial support for military family programs

Mr. Merrill Worcester, who for the past 15 years has donated and transported thousands of wreaths to Arlington national cemetery to decorate the graves of America's heroes during the holidays

LTG James Terry Scott USA (Ret), chairman of the Veterans Disability Benefits Commission, which recommended repeal of long-standing concurrent receipt and survivor benefits inequities

MOAA also provided its annual Colonel Paul W. Arcari Meritorious Service Award for congressional staff members. The award is named for MOAA's former director of government relations, who retired in 2001.

The award was given to Mr. Joel Rubin and Mrs. Stacie Oliver for their tireless work on behalf of military retirees, veterans, survivors and their families. Their efforts were instrumental in winning legislation in the areas of health care and survivor benefits.

UPDATE ASSEMBLY BILL 365

Posted at 10:41 AM on Wednesday, April 2, 2008 by Legislative

Senator Rossler:

 

Thank you for this update, I have sent your message out over the Internet to a large number of disabled military veterans as I know they will be outraged over the failure or should I say non support of our disabled military veterans.

Dear Thomas:

Now that the 2007-2008 regular session has ended, I am providing you with an update regarding Assembly Bill 365 (AB 365) relating to: expanding eligibility for the veterans and surviving spouses property tax credit.  Regrettably, AB 365 failed to pass the Legislature this session. Why did the Legislative leadership not support AB 365? 

AB 365 would have expanded eligibility for the veterans and surviving spouses property tax credit to include veterans who have a 100 percent disability rating based on individual unemployability, as determined by the federal Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and removed the age 65 requirement. This failure to not include disabled veterans rated unemployable and those not yet 65 years old is a slap in the face, we have so many younger disabled military veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan that would have benefited.  Why is it that when it comes to helping our disabled veterans this Legislature could not find the funding?

AB 365 was introduced on May 29, 2007 and referred to the Assembly Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs.  The Committee held a public hearing on AB 365 on June 13, 2007.  The Committee passed AB 365 by an 8-0 vote on June 28, 2007.  AB 365 was then referred to the Joint Finance Committee.  The Legislature took no further action on AB 365.

Related legislation, Senate Bill 101 (SB 101) and Assembly 292 (AB 292) would have removed the age 65 requirement.   Also under this related legislation, a veteran, or the unremarried surviving spouse of a veteran, would have been eligible to claim the credit if the veteran had been a resident of this state for any consecutive 10-year period after entry into active duty service. This is yet another failure on the part of our elected members of the WI Legislature.  I know veterans that have lived in WI for twenty or more years, paid WI taxes and because they did not enlist in WI they are being left out, why? Like AB 365, these bills passed their respective Committees but then did not advance past the Joint Finance Committee and failed to pass. Please provide all the names of those members of the Joint Finance Committee along with their Email addresses and telephone numbers.  What will it take to get them to recognize the fact that we as a Nation at war and because of this war many of our young men and women are coming home to Wisconsin wounded, maimed for life both physically and mentally and in many cases unable to obtain employment because of their combat service connected disabilities.

Below are links to the bill history for each bill, which detail the movement of each bill through the Legislature.

AB 365

http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2007/data/AB365hst.html

SB 101/AB 292

http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2007/data/SB101hst.html

http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2007/data/AB292hst.html

Thank you for contacting me on this issue.  Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions that you may have.

Sincerely,

CAROL ROESSLER

State Senator

18th Senate District

http://www.legis.state.wi.us/senate/sen18/news/

1-888-736-8720

Senator Roessler I thank you for your dedicated service and your support of our military veterans, it is my hope that positive action will be forthcoming and retroactive. 

 

Sincerely,

 

Thomas P. Skaug
316 Sweet Street
Oshkosh, WI 54901
Tel: (920) 233-3511
Email: greenhornet929@aol.com

Member: AMVETS, DAV, TREA, LEGION, VFW, NAUS, WNGEA and USDR

PAC UPDATE BY CAROLYN OLKIVES

Posted at 8:34 AM on Tuesday, April 1, 2008 by Legislative

Our National PAC Director, Helen Carter writes:

“The VFW-PAC needs your help. Our national goal is $175,000. We have only given $82,351.38! Post and Auxiliaries are not even half way to our goal. Please see what you can do to help.”

Posts -  $11,751.57
 
VFW Depts.  $5,817.69 
 
Aux Depts.  $1,142.27
 
Auxiliaries  $63,639.85
 
Total contributed  $82,351.38

 

                 It is not too late to help with this endeavor.  District Chairmen; please have a fund raiser at your next district meeting, send your donations straight to PAC in Washington D.C. and a post card to me, your Dept. Chairman. 

               VFW PAC, 200 MARYLAND AVENUE NE , WASHINGTON , DC 2000

                Post and Auxiliaries, that have given, will you do one more 50/50?  Post and Auxiliaries we have not heard from, you meant to have a fund raiser but time slipped away from you. Send your donations to PAC in Washington D. C. and a post card to me. We are Wisconsin Auxiliaries serving veterans.

VFW PAC, 200 MARYLAND AVENUE NE , WASHINGTON , DC 20002
☺        I will have an extra drawing among all the Districts and Auxiliaries that participate in this during the months of April and May. Remember, a 50/50 is easy and fun.

                At the VFW-PAC board meeting in Washington DC , the board has made the questionnaire for congressmen and women optional. This puts the focus on the voting record. In the past, voting records of congress were all that were noted. Now the committee will be keeping track of statements and voting in committee meetings as well.

Presidential elections are coming up this fall. Take this time to study the issues, be informed and Get Out To Vote. Take someone to the voting polls with you.

In the Tradition of Caring, we are Wisconsin Auxiliaries Serving Veterans! 

Carolyn Olkives, Wisconsin VFW Auxiliary PAC Chairman

109 E. Tyler Avenue
Eau Claire , WI 54701
715-852-0339    

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE BY MOAA

Posted at 2:34 PM on Friday, March 28, 2008 by Legislative

Legislative Action      March 28, 2008

Courtesy of Mike "Gunner" Furgal


Frequent military moves often pose significant problems for children of military families in completing school requirements on time. State-unique course requirements and inflexible administrative practices often cause military children difficulty in meeting course comparability credit, records transfer and graduation requirements, as well as in extracurricular activity participation.

To help, some states have passed an interstate compact to promote cooperative policies in eligibility, enrollment, placement and graduation for military children. We're asking MOAA councils, chapters, and individual members to press their state governments to address this need.

Age-62 Widow's Tax Is History
The age-62 Social Security offset of the military's Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) will officially end on April 1. Find out when SBP annuitants can expect the government to "show them the money."


Top Five Member Questions
Every so often, we like to take a moment and address some of the more frequent questions we receive through MOAA's Member Service Center. We asked MOAA's member service representatives what questions are most on the minds of the people who call MOAA headquarters.

1. Am I eligible for the new combat related special compensation (CRSC) provision passed in the recent defense bill? When can I apply?

Under the new provision, which became effective on Jan. 1, CRSC eligibility was extended to anyone who was retired from the military with less than 20 years of service and was awarded VA disability compensation for a combat- or operations- related condition. This includes medical (chapter 61) retirees and members who retired under the Temporary Early Retirement Act (TERA) during the force drawdown of the 1990s.

Eligible members have to apply to their service for CRSC. Applications can be made now, but the application form hasn't yet been updated to reflect the new change in eligibility rules. Service CRSC officials have asked that newly eligible members hand-write "Chapter 61" or "TERA" on their application form (note the link to this form is an Army site. All CRSC forms are the same, but the Army site offers the easiest place to access the form online. The form has directions for filing with all services).

2. I'm on TRICARE For Life. How do the DoD health fee proposals affect me?

There are two parts of the plan proposed by the Task Force on the Future of Military Health Care that would affect Medicare-eligibles. The plan calls for significant increases in copays for most medications not obtained at military hospitals and clinics. For drugs purchased in retail pharmacies, the plan would raise the generic drug copay to $15 (vs the current $3), for brand name formulary drugs, it would be $25 (vs. the current $9) and for non-formulary medications, it would be $45 (vs. the current $22). Generics would be provided at no charge through the mail-order system, but the copay for other drugs would rise. The Defense Department included these proposals in the FY2009 defense budget proposal. MOAA is fighting those unfair increases.

The Task Force also proposed an annual $120 enrollment fee for TRICARE-For-Life beneficiaries, but the Defense Department didn't include that in the FY2009 defense budget, so that's not on the legislative table this year. MOAA believes it's only a matter of time before Defense leaders push for a TFL enrollment fee at least that big.

3. Has the Shingles vaccination SNAFU been fixed yet? I'm being required to pay for almost the whole thing out of pocket!

TRICARE does cover the vaccine, but TRICARE deductibles and copays will apply for TFL users. That means that retirees who get the vaccine early in the year, before they've met their annual deductible will pay some or all of the cost of the benefit. MOAA believes preventive care such as this vaccine should be exempt from any deductible or copay, and has recommended that to both the Defense Department and Congress. At the very least, it should be covered as a pharmacy issue rather than a health care service, so that it would only have a $3 or $9 copay and be exempt from the deductible.

4. What else is MOAA doing for those who still aren't eligible for concurrent receipt?

MOAA's goal remains full repeal of the disability offset for all retirees with any service-connected injury. We've made significant progress, for many but about two-thirds of the disabled retiree population remains to be helped. MOAA is pushing Congress to equalize coverage for all members 50% or more disabled, regardless of years of service, and to expand coverage to those with 40% or lower disability ratings. MOAA considers this a vesting issue. Disabled members should be entitled to keep their service-earned retired pay (2.5% of pay times years of service), independent of any service-caused disability.

5. Is MOAA stopping the campaign to get equity for survivors who suffer from the offset between the military's and the VA's survivor annuity?

Definitely not. MOAA's goal is the full elimination of any VA compensation deduction from the military Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP). Last year, we won a step in the right direction when Congress formally acknowledged the inequity of the current offset and authorized a very modest $50 monthly payment to the affected survivors, with some additional increases in future years. That's a very small payment indeed, and even that change excluded eligibility for survivors whose military sponsors died on active duty.

But hard experience indicates that full repeal isn't likely to happen in one year. We're pushing Congress to include active duty deaths and plus up the monthly payment to all affected survivors, with the goal of eliminating the offset as quickly as humanly possible.

Age-62 Widow's Tax Is History
The infamous Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) age-62 "widow's tax" will finally be eliminated as of April 1, 2008. Prior to the law change MOAA won in 2005, SBP was reduced at age 62 from 55% of covered retired pay to 35% (covered retired pay could be as low as $300 or as high as full retired pay). The FY2005 Defense Authorization Act phased out the age-62 benefit reduction over a 4 year period.

April 1 marks the end of the Social Security offset and a significant improvement to a critical benefit. SBP annuitants who are drawing Social Security benefits should see an increase in their May 1 SBP checks (which is payment for April) to reflect 55% of the deceased retiree's covered retired pay.

The increases phased in over the last 4 years represent up to a cumulative 57% increase in benefits -- excluding the effects of annual inflation adjustments, which make the increase even larger. Congress recognized that these two benefits are earned independently of one another through service and sacrifice to our nation.

MOAA takes great pride in having been the primary force behind that change, and getting Congress to agree that SBP and Social Security are independently earned and independently paid-for benefits.

Stop the 10.6% Medicare/TRICARE Cut
Unless Congress acts, we're only three months away from a 10.6% cut in Medicare and TRICARE payments to doctors. Please send a MOAA-suggested message urging your senators to cosponsor and pass S. 2785 to prevent the cuts.

COLA Watch
The Consumer Price Index for the month of February jumped 0.3 percentage points over January's value. That puts cumulative inflation at 1.8% for the first five months of the fiscal year.

AB370 SIGNED INTO LAW BY GOVERNOR DOYLE

Posted at 8:17 AM on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 by Legislative

March 24, 2008

MADISON, WI – State Representative Robert Turner (D-Racine) announced today that Assembly Bill 370 was signed into law by Governor Doyle at a ceremony at the State Capitol.

Turner authored the bill to streamline the process for military driver’s license holders to obtain a Wisconsin commercial driver’s license (CDL). This bill would require the Department of Transportation (DOT) to treat a military CDL holder’s application the same as the application of someone holding a CDL from another state. Under the new law, the CDL applicant would be allowed a waiver only for the specific vehicles previously authorized by his or her military license. DOT waivers would not include hazardous materials or school bus licensing, and an eye exam will still be required. 

“Assembly Bill 370 will offer more job opportunities for Wisconsin veterans and servicemen and women,” said Turner. “It will also make it easier for Wisconsin veterans to transition to civilian life and will help our veterans and reservists find good jobs,” stressed Turner. “Every little bit we can do to help our veterans, especially those returning from the Middle East, will enable these brave soldiers to have a little easier time coming back home. I want to help them as much as we can,” Turner concluded.

Assembly Bill 370 was a result of bipartisan legislative collaboration, with the assistance of the Wisconsin Departments of Veterans Affairs and Military Affairs, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, and the Wisconsin Veterans of Foreign Wars.

 

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE BY MOAA

Posted at 1:54 PM on Friday, March 21, 2008 by Legislative

Reducing Copays Saves Everyone Money

A panel of Congressional, defense, health and beneficiary experts convened this week to discuss ways to encourage better use of preventive medical care. Such care has been proven to save money for health plans and improve quality of life for beneficiaries in the long run.

As I See It: Dreaming Of Unfunded Military Personnel Requirements

MOAA's Director of Government Relations would like to see service leaders push Congress on unfunded personnel needs as hard as they do on unfunded weapons needs.

Reducing Copays Saves Everyone Money

On March 19, DoD hosted a panel to discuss ways to reduce the overall cost of providing military medical benefits by removing financial and other barriers for preventive care of chronic conditions and by promoting healthy lifestyles. MOAA Deputy Director for Government Relations CDR John Class (USN-Ret) sat on the panel along with Congressional, defense, and health industry experts.

All panelists agreed that eliminating unnecessary obstacles for preventive care, such as copays, can reduce long-term health care expenditures. TRICARE Standard still requires copayments for preventive measures like cancer screenings and immunizations, but studies have shown that even modest copays can significantly reduce beneficiaries' use of these services. Reduced use of preventive care raises longer-term costs when preventable diseases turn into serious illnesses.

Panelists also discussed "pay for performance" options that would require providers to report data on the outcomes of their care. Those who use appropriate preventive techniques and thus improved outcomes would receive bonuses or higher reimbursements.

A House staff representative on the panel said short-term costs pose one unfortunate potential barrier to progress. He said that Congress is very interested in pursuing incentives to encourage preventive care, but needs more information from DoD about potential costs of such measures.

He observed with some irony that DoD proposals to increase health fees for beneficiaries could work against this goal. House and Senate leaders are concerned that, while fee increases and higher pharmacy copays may produce short-term savings, they could actually increase long-term health costs by deterring patients' use of medications and needed care.

CDR Class urged inclusion of all categories of beneficiaries - active duty, Guard/Reserve, retirees, survivors and family members -- in any preventive care pilot programs. He also recommended full implementation (rather than pilot projects) wherever possible for initiatives that are already well-documented as highly effective.

 

As I See It: Dreaming Of Unfunded Military Personnel Requirements

By Col. Steve Strobridge (USAF-Ret), Director, MOAA Government Relations

It's more than gratifying that Air Force leaders are now letting the Administration and Congress know that the Air Force needs more manpower than is called for in the FY2009 budget.

The only question is, "What took so long?"

Every year, Congress solicits from the services a list of unfunded requirements that the Administration couldn't or wouldn't let them squeeze into the official defense budget submission.

Normally, those lists are packed with weapons and equipment needs. Only rarely do the lists include much on "people issues."

In past years, service leaders have been quick to support personnel cuts, health care fee increases, cutbacks in MWR support facilities, and more in order to free up money for operations or equipment needs.

Until the last couple of years, Army leaders insisted that they didn't need a larger force, even while acknowledging the arduous overseas rotation requirements of a "long war" in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Air Force made conscious decisions to cut tens of thousands of people - not because the people weren't needed, but simply to free up money to pay for new weapons, which haven't materialized. Now, the chickens are coming home to roost, and Air Force leaders are acknowledging what was known all along -- that they cut too many people.

It would be nice if this were a harbinger of things to come, and all service leaders would start putting personnel needs on a par with weapons needs.

For the past three years, service leaders have been toeing the Administration line, urging Congress to cut career military health benefits by $1,000-$2,000 a year so they could get more money to put into weapons. Why not, while making up unfunded requirements lists, ask Congress to put enough money into the defense budget to fund both weapons and health care needs?

We can dream, can't we?

GOVERNOR DOYLE TO SIGN VETERANS LEGISLATION MONDAY 3/24/08

Posted at 2:12 PM on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 by Legislative

State Capitol Room 115 East,
Madison, Wisconsin 53702 •

Governor Jim Doyle will act on nine bills that will honor the service of veterans in Wisconsin, Monday, March 24, 2008 at 12:00 p.m. at the State Capitol in Madison. At the bill signing, Governor Doyle will be joined by Brigadier General Donald Dunbar, military officials, veterans and representatives from the Wisconsin Department of Veteran Affairs board.

WHERE: Governor’s Conference Room
State Capitol
Madison
WHEN: Monday, March 24, 2008
12:00 p.m.

Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin on Veterans Educational Assistance

Posted at 2:32 PM on Wednesday, February 27, 2008 by Legislative

SALUTE TO THE LEGISLATURE - FEBRUARY 20TH

Posted at 10:43 AM on Thursday, February 14, 2008 by Legislative

• Enjoy the camaraderie of fellow veterans from around the state.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Where:    Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center
                Exhibition Hall A
               One John Nolen Dr
               Madison, WI

12:00 - 2:30 PM STAKEHOLDERS MEETING

• The Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs will provide an update on veteran's issues.  There will be a question and answer session for participants.

4:00 PM Program

• The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Disabled American Veterans will give updates on their activities related to veteran's legislation.

5:00 PM Reception - $7.00/person

• Participants will have an opportunity to speak one-on-one with their legislator about the issues that are important to them.  The legislator's have all received an invitation to this event, but there is nothing better than hearing from a constituent about meeting them there.  Personal contact from each of you that plan on attending is important!!

VFW AND AUXILIARY GRASS ROOTS EFFORTS TO ASSIST WITH OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

Posted at 9:01 PM on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 by Legislative

Comrades and Sisters:

Did you ever wonder what you the individual VFW or Auxiliary Member could do to influence legislation in Washington D.C. and right here in Wisconsin.  The answer is SIMPLE. 

You need to be the individual who writes the letters to your Representative or Senator.  You need to be the ones that respond with that phone call to your Representative or Senators local office.  You need to tell them how you feel on the issues.  If we don't help the VETERANS, who will?  Your calls and letters are very important.  Please watch the Legislative Page for important action items.

Don't have the attitude that your voice does not count.  Have you ever heard the story about Anybody, Somebody and Nobody.  There was a job that could be done by Anybody, or Somebody, but Nobody did it. The story ends like so many, the job did not get done, because we all thought someone else would do it.  Just remember each of you are important to our successes, and each of us bear the pain of failure.

LET'S NOT FAIL OUR VETERANS AND SERVICE PERSONNEL. 

I am looking for people to serve as contact points on important Legislation.  I need volunteers who would be willing to contact members of their Post or Auxiliary, and ask them to contact their Congressman or Congresswoman or Senator in Washington and express their views on the issue.If you are willing to help in this endeavor, please respond via e-mail, and I will create a Special Legislative Contact List.  I am attaching a link for the Washington Weekly.  Please sign up to receive the latest information from our Washington Office.  Make sure to include your ZIP CODE.

http://capwiz.com/vfw/mlm/signup/ 

 

Thanks

Steve Lawrence

Member National Legislative Committee

Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S.

VFW LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY GOALS

Posted at 2:18 PM on Sunday, January 27, 2008 by Legislative

The VFW's legislative initiatives center on quality of life and health initiatives for all the nation's veterans, past and present. The list below details the VFW's priority legislative goals:

VA Budget Ensure a sufficient VA budget that properly fills the health care demands of all veterans, especially those accessing their benefits for the first time. Establish a funding mechanism that guarantees a full, timely and predictable funding stream for veteran’s health care annually. Ensure that the unique health care and benefit needs of Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans are met. Ensure more funding for research on traumatic brain injury, and improved access to care for veterans suffering from mental illness.

VA Benefits and Compensation Reduce VA’s backlog of pending claims. Ensure that the VA disability compensation program is fully funded and preserved in its current form. Oppose any changes to current definitions of line of duty, or "programs for disability and survivors benefits."

Military Quality of Life Ensure that active-duty, National Guard and Reserve troops receive increased pay, affordable health care, and adequate housing and work facilities for themselves and their families.

Veterans Employment Ensure that provisions of the Uniformed Service Employment and Re-Employment Rights Act (USERRA) are strictly enforced. Support the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve to educate employers on the importance of hiring National Guard and Reserve troops and the employer’s responsibilities as mandated by USERRA. Urge Congress to re-enact the Service Members Occupational Conversion and Training Act (P.L. 102-484), which provided job training and employment for certain vets discharged after August 1, 1990. Urge Congress to enforce a 3% government-wide procurement goal for businesses owned by service-disabled veterans.

Education Secure a comprehensive GI Bill for the 21st Century that covers the total cost of tuition, books, fees and living expenses for attendance at any educational institution. Support legislation that invests in the future of the nation’s veterans.

War on Terrorism and Homeland Security Support U.S. troops and their mission fighting terrorism. Call for increased and timely funding to fight the war on terrorism. Support U.S. government efforts to take decisive and offensive action in the global war on terror. Secure U.S. borders, shorelines and all ports of entry. Halt the flow of illegal immigration.

Defense and Foreign Affairs Increase Defense spending to fund all needed weapons programs, personnel initiatives and troop end-strength requirements. Urge the continued development of a ballistic missile defense system. Halt the development and/or proliferation of nuclear weapons or materiel by North Korea. Secure Europe through the continued expansion of NATO. Investigate the 1967 Israeli attack on the USS Liberty.

Military Affairs Seek to improve the quality of life for all active duty National Guard and Reserve troops and their families. Provide a military base-pay raise to restore full comparability with private-sector wages. Support efforts to lower the Guard and Reserve retirement pay age to 55. Oppose any TRICARE fee increases.

POW/MIAS Achieve the fullest possible accounting of all U.S. POWs/MIAs from all wars. Ensure the U.S. government keeps the POW/MIA issue elevated as a national priority. Urge the President and Congress to fully fund the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command through a dedicated single-line item appropriation in the Defense budget. Support all POW/MIA public awareness initiatives.

Current Problems

LET WOUNDED WARRIORS KEEP THEIR ENLISTMENT BONUS

Posted at 4:30 PM on Friday, January 18, 2008 by Legislative

Let Wounded Warriors receive Enlistment Bonus!	Take Action!
Contact your US Rep. Today to support S. 2400
“The Wounded Warrior Bonus Equity Act” S. 2400, sponsored by Senator Jeff Sessions (Ala), ensures that veterans injured in the line of duty during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom have a legal right to the full enlistment bonus promised to them by the Department of Defense.  The nonpayment issue was raised by the Dole-Shalala Commission, an independent working group formed by President Bush to investigate the quality of health care for soldiers returning from combat overseas.  While the Department responded to the commission’s concerns by changing its policies, it is currently not under any requirement to make full payment of bonuses to injured service members. The legislation has passed the Senate.  Please contact your US Representative to ask for their support for S. 2400.  </