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DEMOCRATIC PRESS RELEASE

June 18, 2007

Chairman Filner Names David M. Tucker Chief Counsel for the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

Washington D.C. – Congressman Bob Filner (D-CA), Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, named David M. Tucker as chief counsel for the committee. Tucker will oversee the committee staff on legislative issues, including work to improve health care and benefits for veterans. He will also continue to work on budget and appropriations issues in order to secure adequate resources for veterans of all generations.

“David Tucker has a solid record of working to improve the lives of America’s veterans,” said Chairman Filner. “I am confident that the Members of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, along with the committee staff, will greatly benefit from his counsel and experience.”

Prior to becoming chief counsel, Tucker served as the staff director for the Subcommittee on Health. During the 109th Congress, he was minority counsel to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Before coming to Capitol Hill, he was the senior association legislative director for the Paralyzed Veterans of America. Tucker holds a J.D. from the College of William and Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Utah.

Cathy Wiblemo has assumed the position of staff director for the Subcommittee on Health. Prior to being named staff director, Wiblemo served as a professional staff member for the subcommittee. Before coming to the committee, Wiblemo was the deputy director for health care for The American Legion. As staff director of the subcommittee overseeing the nation’s largest integrated health care system, her focus will be on improving health care for returning service members and veterans of previous conflicts. Wiblemo holds a Master’s in Health Administration from Chapman University and graduated from Black Hill State University.

Wiblemo joins the staff directors of the committee’s three other subcommittees – Disability and Memorial Affairs, Oversight and Investigations, and Economic Opportunity.

Thaddeus Hoffmeister, staff director for the Subcommittee on Disability and Memorial Affairs, is the former legislative director for Congressman Filner. Prior to working on Capitol Hill, Hoffmeister was a captain in the U.S. Army and continues to serve as a major in the National Guard. Addressing new and effective ways to reduce the claims backlog at the VA will be Hoffmeister’s main priority. He holds an LL.M. degree from Georgetown University, a J.D. from Northeastern University and a B.A. degree from Morgan State University.

Juan Lara was appointed staff director for the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity in March 2007. Prior to joining the committee staff, Lara served as an assistant director of legislative affairs for The American Legion where he oversaw all economic, pension and compensation issues related to veterans. Lara’s main focus will be on updating the GI Bill for the veterans of the 21st century. Lara received his J.D. from Capital University Law School.

Geoffrey Bestor was named staff director for the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations in May 2007. Bestor has over twenty-five years of experience in federal law and investigations as a federal prosecutor, deputy assistant attorney general in the U.S. Department of Justice, and in private practice. Immediately prior to joining the subcommittee, Bestor had his own law practice in the District of Columbia. Bestor will provide oversight of the VA by working to address shortcomings in program operations and ensure accountability of department spending. Bestor received his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.

“I am proud to work with this talented and dedicated team,” said Malcom Shorter, staff director for the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. “So far in the 110th Congress, this committee has organized a mental health care symposium, a stakeholders summit and a benefits roundtable, along with more than 30 hearings. This ambitious schedule would not be possible without the hard work of our committee staff. And we are just getting started.”

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Larry Scott

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