VFW ACTION ALERT

Action Alert: Contact Congress to Lower Medal Status

The VFW needs you to immediately contact your members of Congress to urge their support of H.R. 833 and S. 470 to lower the ranking of the new Distinguished Warfare Medal to below the Purple Heart. Why? Because in a letter to VFW National Commander John Hamilton, the Defense Department again said they would not lower the status of the medal, which now ranks 9th highest out of five dozen current medals and ribbons in the order of precedence—and you don't have to go to war to earn it! As of this morning, H.R. 833 had only 41 sponsors out of 435 members of the House, and S. 470 had only 10 sponsors out of 100 members of the Senate. We need more! This VFW-supported legislation has bipartisan support because it is the right thing to do for the troops who go into harm's way and not home every night. This is a policy disagreement over the placement of the new medal, not whether drone operators, cyber warriors and others don't deserve to be properly recognized for the tremendous impact they are bringing to the battlefield in real-time. The VFW just adamantly believes that medals that can only be earned in combat must rank higher than new medals awarded in the rear. Tell your members of Congress to support H.R. 833 and S. 470 today! Take action. 

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Sean Eagan
American Cold War Veterans, Inc.

Web:	http://americancoldwarvets.org/
Blog:	Cold War Veterans Blog
Email:	Sean.Eagan@gmail.com
Phone:	716 720-4000
Network:	My Fast Pitch! Profile

HVAC Update

Vets don't have to worry about sequestration cuts at VA

By Mark Flatten

Washington Examiner

http://washingtonexaminer.com/vets-dont-have-to-worry-about-sequestration-cuts-at-va/article/2523507

Those who rely on the Department of Veterans Affairs for medical care, disability benefits or educational assistance will be spared whatever pain eventually comes from sequestration because the agency is exempt from the automatic budget reductions, the chairman of the House veterans committee said today.

Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., said he has pressed VA officials for a year to get a straight answer whether President Obama would claim veterans would be hurt by the sequestration that began this month.

Miller finally got a clear concession that the VA's budget is totally exempt from the automatic cuts last December, so any claims now that veterans programs will be harmed are pure hype, he told The Washington Examiner today.

"The one thing I wanted to make sure of was that veterans weren't used as political pawns in the discourse," Miller said. "We clearly said VA was exempt. For a year I could not get the White House nor the VA to say 'yes, in fact that's the way we interpret the law.'"

The ambiguity is rooted in two conflicting laws. One passed in 1985 allowed a 2 percent cut to veterans' health care in a sequestration while the other, passed in 2010, exempted the VA from any cuts.

In November 2011, Miller could not get a clear answer from W. Todd Grams, VA's chief financial officer. White House lawyers were researching the issue, he said.

That triggered a series of letters from Miller to the VA and the White House Office of Management and Budget. OMB responded in June 2012 that all programs administered by VA were exempt from sequestration, but the agency could face cuts in undefined "administrative expenses."

VA Secretary Eric Shinseki repeated that assertion in congressional testimony last July.

"VA is exempt from sequestration except for administrative costs," Shinseki said. "I don't have a definition of administrative costs right now."

Miller finally got the answer he wanted in December, when Shinseki sent a letter affirming the entire VA budget, including administrative expenses, are exempt from automatic cuts.

Miller said he is concerned the White House chose to "slow roll" the answer because threats to popular veterans programs would give President Obama leverage in budget negotiations.

VA officials could not be reached today for comment.

While the VA is completely exempt from sequestration, veterans could see some disruptions. For instance, veterans filing disability claims must get their military and medical records from the Department of Defense, which is facing automatic reductions.

Pentagon officials blamed the looming sequestration for a decision not to link electronic health records with the VA during a house veterans committee hearing last month.

Miller said agencies can minimize those disruptions by making veterans a priority.

"I don't think veterans' funding should ever be allowed to be used as political leverage," Miller said.

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Curt Cashour

House Committee on Veterans' Affairs

curt.cashour@mail.house.gov

202.225.3527

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Sean Eagan
American Cold War Veterans, Inc.

Web:	http://americancoldwarvets.org/
Blog:	Cold War Veterans Blog
Email:	Sean.Eagan@gmail.com
Phone:	716 720-4000
Network:	My Fast Pitch! Profile

Miller, Michaud Aim to Fund Entire Veterans Budget One Year In Advance

 

Miller, Michaud Aim to Fund Entire Veterans Budget One Year In Advance

 

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Yesterday, Chairman Jeff Miller (FL-01) and Ranking Member Mike Michaud (Maine-02) introduced H.R. 813, the Putting Veterans Funding First Act of 2013. The bill would require Congress to fully fund the Department of Veterans Affairs' discretionary budget a year ahead of schedule, ensuring that all VA services will have timely, predictable funding in an era where continuing resolutions and threats of government shutdowns are all too frequent.

 

"If there is one thing people in Washington and across America agree on, it's that we should never let funding for veterans become a casualty of Washington gridlock. I'm proud to introduce this bipartisan bill, which would simply enact into law the widely accepted view that America's veterans should not be held responsible for Washington's inability to reach an agreement on how to cut spending. Our veterans were there for us when we needed them the most, and the Putting Veterans Funding First Act of 2013 will ensure they have our support during their time of need." Miller said.  

 

Currently, Congress funds the medical care portion  – roughly 86 percent of VA's discretionary budget – at the beginning of each fiscal year. Providing the remainder of the discretionary budget – roughly $8 billion – up front would make it easier for VA to plan for key investments in information technology, claims processing and construction projects. It would also give Congress a greater level of oversight on multi-year funding proposals, with one year building off of the next. During the 112^th Congress, members of the Veterans' Affairs Committee fought to ensure that VA would be completely exempt from cuts under the sequester, and this bill is an extension of those efforts, supporters say.

 

"Our veterans sacrificed all they had for our protection, now it's up to us to protect the care and benefits they have earned for their service. The Putting Veterans Funding First Act of 2013 is a common-sense approach to ensuring that arbitrary budget cuts won't jeopardize the care and benefits America has promised our veterans, and I am proud to co-sponsor it," Michaud said.

 

View the text of the bill here.

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For more news from the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, please visit:

 

Veterans.House.Gov

Find us on Facebook at: Facebook.com/HouseVetsAffairs or follow us on Twitter at:

@HouseVetAffairs

 

 

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Sean Eagan
American Cold War Veterans, Inc.

Web:	http://americancoldwarvets.org/
Blog:	Cold War Veterans Blog
Email:	Sean.Eagan@gmail.com
Phone:	716 720-4000
Network:	My Fast Pitch! Profile

VFW Washington Weekly Feb 22 2013

In This Issue:

1. Sequestration a Week Away

2. Others Want New Medal Ranked Lower

3. VFW Attends DOL Update

4. IB Lays Out VA Budget Needs

5. Nominate a Woman Veteran

6. VFW Discusses Student-Veterans in Higher Ed

1. Sequestration a Week Away: The Defense Department is pulling no punches in letting Congress and the American public know the serious impact mandatory sequestration will have on the force. With very exceptions, 800,000 DOD civilians will be forced to take a three-week furlough beginning in late April. That roughly means one day a week, per week, through the end of the current fiscal year, which will lower civilian pay by 20 percent. The mandatory sequester will kick in March 1, and barring a last minute agreement by Congress it will force the Pentagon to cut more than $46 billion in current year spending by Sept. 30, just seven months away. The automatic cuts would be in addition to the $487 billion in planned defense spending reductions over the next 10 years, as mandated by the Budget Control Act passed in 2011. As mentioned previously, planned reductions include:

* Slashing noncombat flying, sailing and driving hours.

* A hiring freeze and cut back on installation, facility and contract maintenance.

* Requesting a 1 percent military pay raise for fiscal year 2014 instead of the planned 1.7 percent.

* Requesting another base realignment and closure round.

* And possibly increasing military dependent and retiree Tricare health program fees, and changing the current military retirement system for future generations.

DOD is guaranteeing, however, that deployed forces will be protected, but forces in garrison and not "on deck" to deploy will be impacted. Read more about the potential furlough at http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=119337. 

2. Others Want New Medal Ranked Lower: More veteran and military service organizations have joined with VFW in opposing the placement of the new Distinguished Warfare Medal, which if left unchanged will rank it the ninth highest in the order of precedence---higher than the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. The VFW has been joined in our call to lower the ranking by the Military Order of the Purple Heart, National Association of Uniformed Services, and the Military Officers' Association of America, among others. The new medal, announced by Defense Secretary Panetta on Feb. 13, would be awarded to drone pilots and cyber warriors who are having a significant impact, but who are not required to be physically present on the battlefield. "The VFW fully concurs that those far from the fight are having an immediate impact," said VFW National Commander John Hamilton, "but medals that can only be earned in direct combat must mean more than medals awarded in the rear." The VFW continues to urge the Department of Defense and now the White House to reconsider the new medal's placement in the military order of precedence.

3. VFW Attends DOL Meeting: This week, VFW attended a Department of Labor Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS) update for VSO's on how the agency is working to deliver employment resources to veterans. Newly-confirmed Assistant Secretary of Labor for VETS, Keith Kelly discussed how he wants to improve VETS by soliciting feedback from veterans' advocates like the VFW to make sure the agency's programs succeed. The meeting also included briefings from other senior VETS leaders on programs like Jobs for Veterans State Grants, or JVSG, enhanced outreach to separating service members, data-sharing agreements with DOD, unique challenges for female veterans in the workforce, Family Medical Leave Act provisions for veterans, and usage of the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program. VFW will continue to monitor DOL resources for veterans, to stay up to date, click here for the blog posting:http://thevfw.blogspot.com/2013/02/department-of-labor-hosts-veterans.html

4. IB Lays Out VA Budget Needs: The VFW, along with its three Independent Budget (IB) partners- PVA, DAV, and AMVETS - have released what we believe to be the necessary funding for VA to continue to offer consistent high quality health care and services to all eligible veterans, their families and survivors. The comprehensive budget highlights the needs of older veterans and those young men and women returning from active duty to join civilian life. Funding information is provided after careful review of medical and administrative costs within VA which form the foundation of the recommendations. The Administration and Congress are expected to release their FY 2014 budget proposals sometime in March. Will continue to update you here as the budget and appropriations cycle moves along in the 113th Congress. We will continue to ask Congress and the Administration to provide sufficient funding to meet the health care and benefit needs of veterans in a timely and predictable manner. 

IB Recommendations for FY 2014 include:

* $58.8 billion total for health care---$1.3 billion more than what the Administration recommended ($57.5 billion) in their advance appropriation last year.

* $2.4 billion for the Veterans Benefits Administration---approximately $226 million more than the expected FY 2013 appropriated level.

* $2.25 billion for all construction programs---approximately $900 million more than the expected FY 2013 appropriated level, and well below the true funding needs of construction projects.

* $611 million for medical and prosthetic research, approximately $28 million more than the expected FY 2013 appropriated level. 

For the full FY 2014 Independent Budget recommendations, http://www.independentbudget.org/

5. Nominate a Woman Veteran: The White House Champions of Change program highlights the stories of citizens across the country who are moving their communities forward. This March, they want to highlight the many contributions made by women veterans, especially those who served in Iraq or Afghanistan. Examples of their work within the veterans' community may include:

* Improving healthcare services available to women and children;

* Helping women veterans transitioning into the workforce;

* Leading programs to improve the well-being of young women;

* Developing a program to support victims of domestic violence or trauma;

* Helping engage and support Wounded Warrior transitioning;

* And providing services and support to eliminate homelessness, among many others.

There is no limit to the number of women veterans you can submit, but all nominations must be received by midnight, February 26. For more information or to nominate, go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/champions. 

6. VFW Discusses Student-Veterans in Higher Ed: This week the New York Times published an op-ed by VFW Deputy Legislative Director Ryan Gallucci, highlighting the good work of student-veterans on college campuses across the country, but also explaining why potential student-veterans need to be armed with quality information before choosing a school. To read the full story, click here: http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/13/how-to-help-veterans-succeed-in-college/. Your VFW has standing invites to contribute these kinds of issue-based narratives to the Times and other major military and general news media outlets. If you would like to share a story of yours, please send it to vfwac@vfw.org. 

As always, we want to share your advocacy stories on the VFW Capitol Hill blog. To share your stories, either fill out our online form by clicking here, http://www.vfw.org/Forms/Capitol-Hill-Blog-Submissions/, or simply email photos and stories directly to vfwac@vfw.org.

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Sean Eagan
American Cold War Veterans, Inc.

Web:	http://americancoldwarvets.org/
Blog:	Cold War Veterans Blog
Email:	Sean.Eagan@gmail.com
Phone:	716 720-4000
Network:	My Fast Pitch! Profile

No More Midnight Bills - Lalor to Cosponsor Governmental Transparency Act

Assemblyman Kieran Michael Lalor 

For Immediate Release

February 5, 2012

Contact

Chris Covucci

(845) 309-2654

covuccic@gmail.com

No More Midnight Bills - Lalor to Cosponsor Governmental Transparency Act

Albany, New York: Assemblyman Kieran Michael Lalor (R,C,I - Fishkill) announced today that he will be cosponsoring the NYS Governmental Transparency Act.  The bill, introduced by Assemblyman Jim Tedisco, is a response to Governor Cuomo's repeated abuse of the system to rush bills through the legislature, often in the middle of the night.

"Nothing good happens after midnight in Albany," said Lalor.  "There is no need to pass legislation in the dark of night.  When legislators are literally hiding the process from the light of day, they are up to no good.  Every debate, every bill and every vote needs to see the light of day.  This bill will prevent the governor and his friends in the legislature from ramming laws through while New Yorkers sleep."

In the past two years Cuomo has repeatedly circumvented the constitutional requirement that the legislature wait three days after a bill is drafted before a vote.  The governor has abused his ability to issue "messages of necessity" when an emergency requires the legislature to vote sooner by stretching the definition of an emergency beyond its limit.  The governor has then proceeded to rush significant bills through the legislature in the middle of the night.  The proposed law would stop the clock on all legislative  proceedings between midnight and 8 a.m except in the case of genuine emergencies.  A two-thirds majority of the legislature would be needed to determine that an emergency existed and that the rule could be waived.  The governor's abuse of messages of necessity would also be reined in with a requirement that two thirds of the legislature agree that an emergency exists.

Lalor continued, "Governor Cuomo has made a habit of rushing major legislation through in the middle of the night.  It's a bad habit that often leads to bad laws.  The flawed and unconstitutional midnight gun bill is just the most recent example.  Last year, bills covering redistricting, casinos, pension reform and teacher evaluation were all passed in the cover of darkness.  Sunlight is good for government, good for policy, and good for democracy."

"The state constitution mandates that the legislature take three days to review a bill for a reason.  Voters and legislators need the chance to read a bill before a vote.  Governor Cuomo has set a bad precedent with his abuse of messages of necessity.  This legislation will force future governors to respect transparency in government. " 

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Assemblyman Kieran Michael Lalor, a former teacher at Our Lady of Lourdes in Poughkeepsie, is a Marine Corps veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and founder of the Dutchess County based consulting firm KML Strategies, LLC.  Lalor is the founder of Afghanistan & Iraq Veterans for Congress and a frequent guest on the Fox News Channel. He is a graduate of John Jay High School, Providence College and Pace Law School and lives in Fishkill with his wife Mary Jo and their four young children Katie, Riley, Mikey and Kieran Jr..

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Sean Eagan
American Cold War Veterans, Inc.

Web:	http://americancoldwarvets.org/
Blog:	Cold War Veterans Blog
Email:	Sean.Eagan@gmail.com
Phone:	716 720-4000
Network:	My Fast Pitch! Profile

House Hearing on Awarding 100 Percent Temporary Disability Ratings and Overpayments

 

WASHINGTON, D.C.—On Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2013, at 2 P.M., in Room 334 of the Cannon House Office Building, the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs will hold a hearing focusing on the VA's system for awarding 100 percent temporary disability ratings to veterans. A January 2011 report from the VA's Office of the Inspector General found that the Veterans Benefits Administration was incorrectly evaluating and monitoring 100 percent disability evaluations, resulting in nearly $943 million in benefit payments without adequate medical evidence since 1993.  The same report found that if the VBA does not take timely corrective action, it will overpay veterans a projected $1.1 billion over the next 5 years. Despite assurances from the VA that these problems would be fixed no later than June 30, 2012, subsequent investigations have revealed widespread issues with 100 percent disability ratings at multiple VA locations.

 

Given that the VA continues to waste tax payer dollars through a continued failure to process 100 percent temporary disability ratings correctly, this hearing will examine what steps the VA has taken to remedy the problem and what steps they are taking moving forward.  The following event is open to the press:

   

 

WHO:             Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs

WHAT:          Hearing: "The 100 Percent Temporary Disability Rating: An Examination of Its Effective Use"

WHEN:          2:00 P.M., Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2013

WHERE:       Room 334, Cannon House Office Building and streaming at veterans.house.gov

 

WITNESS LIST

Panel 1

Mr. Rick Weidman

Executive Director for Policy and Government Affairs

Vietnam Veterans of America

 

Ms. Linda Halliday

Assistant Inspector General for Audits and Evaluations

Office of the Inspector General,

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

 

Accompanied by:

 

Mr. Larry Reinkemeyer

Director, Kansas City Audit Operations Division

Office of the Inspector General,

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

 

Mr. Brent Arronte

Director, San Diego Benefits Inspection Division

Office of the Inspector General,

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

 

Panel 2

Ms. Diana Rubens

Deputy Under Secretary for Field Operations

Veterans Benefits Administration

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

 

Statement for the Record

Mr. Carl Blake

National Legislative Director

Paralyzed Veterans of America

 

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Sean Eagan
American Cold War Veterans, Inc.

Web:	http://americancoldwarvets.org/
Blog:	Cold War Veterans Blog
Email:	Sean.Eagan@gmail.com
Phone:	716 720-4000
Network:	My Fast Pitch! Profile