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DEMOCRATIC PRESS
RELEASE
March 17, 2009
-------------------------
Veterans Groups Present Legislative Goals at
Joint Hearing of House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
On Thursday, March 12, 2009, Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA) of the House
Veterans’ Affairs Committee and Chairman Daniel Akaka (D-HI) of the Senate
Veterans’ Affairs Committee held a joint hearing to receive the
legislative presentation of the Air Force Sergeants Association; Fleet
Reserve Association; Non Commissioned Officers Association; Military Order
of the Purple Heart; The Retired Enlisted Association; Military Officers
Association of America; National Association of State Directors of
Veterans Affairs; and Vietnam Veterans of America. The hearing was the
third of the 111th Congress in which the Senate and House came together to
receive the legislative agendas from veterans service organizations.
John Rowan, National President of the Vietnam Veterans of America, offered
testimony urging the VA to build a system to enact real accountability in
the management of the Veterans Health Administration. Mr. Rowan stated,
“We believe that the system of bonuses for senior staff must be overhauled
to reward only the truly worthy, e.g., those who not simply do their job
but take that extra measure to ensure that it’s done well; to withhold
bonuses from those who just do their job with competence; and to remove
those who do their job poorly.”
Charles F. Smith of the National Association of State Directors of
Veterans Affairs expressed the need for timely information sharing to
states regarding returning injured and transitioning service members. Mr.
Smith testified, “State Directors of Veteran Affairs across the Nation
agree that one of their most difficult tasks is identifying ‘Wounded
Warriors’ within their jurisdiction because there are no formal channels
of communication with DOD regarding military members being discharged for
medical reasons.”
“Funding for veterans benefits and health care services is not only a top
priority for this Congress and the Administration, but a continuing cost
of our national defense,” said Chairman Filner. “The Obama Administration
submitted a budget plan that provides a path to restoring and revitalizing
the services provided to veterans. For homeless veterans, it means
improved support services to combat and prevent this National disgrace.
For rural veterans, it means increased services and enhanced outreach for
mental health care and traumatic brain injuries. For returning veterans,
it means timely implementation of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill to expand
educational entitlements. Ensuring we keep our promises to veterans is an
issue this Congress takes seriously. We recognize that there is a cost
associated and we are going to have to dig deep, but the service and
sacrifice of our veterans are real, and the VA’s budget must provide the
realistic funding to meet their needs.”
Witnesses addressed the needs of veterans and raised concerns from the
veterans’ community. Issues discussed at the hearing included fully
funding the health care budget of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA),
improving accountability measures at the VA, advancing health services for
veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain
injury, providing additional support to veterans’ families and caregivers,
and ensuring that veterans have viable opportunities for employment,
education, and housing.
The House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees have scheduled a future
joint hearing to receive the legislative presentation of the Veterans of
Foreign Wars on Wednesday, March 18. The Committees have held previous
hearings to receive the legislative presentations of the American
Ex-Prisoners of War; Blinded Veterans Association; Gold Star Wives of
America; Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America; Jewish War Veterans of
the United States of America; Paralyzed Veterans of America; Wounded
Warrior Project; and Disabled American Veterans.
Witness List
Panel 1
* John Chad Hapner, National Commander, AMVETS
* Robert H. Price, Director, Military and Government Relations, Air Force
Sergeants Association
* Joseph L. Barnes, National Executive Director, Fleet Reserve Association
* H. Gene Overstreet, President, Non Commissioned Officers Association
* Jeff Roy, National Commander, Military Order of the Purple Heart
* Charlie L. Flowers, National President, The Retired Enlisted Association
* Robert F. Norton, Deputy Director for Government Relations, Military
Officers Association of America
* Charles F. Smith, President, National Association of State Directors of
Veterans Affairs
* John Rowan, National President, Vietnam Veterans of America
-------------------------
posted by Larry
Scott
Founder and Editor
VA Watchdog dot Org
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