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Welcome to
the VFWgeorgia Web Site. This site will be a
link between you and the VFW Posts and their Ladies Auxiliary in
the State of Georgia. Posted for your
information will be the latest VFW Washington Weekly and VA News Releases |

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VFW WASHINGTON WEEKLY
The Military Construction portion of the bill includes $336 million in new funding for quality of life programs for troops and their families, much of which is targeted towards barracks and medical facilities. It also sends $3.2 billion specifically towards military housing. The bill awaits Senate action. With the Senate on recess until September, we will not see any movement for a while. Once the Senate passes its version of the funding bill, the differences would need to be resolved before being sent to the President. For a detailed summary of the bill:
http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/MilConSummaryHP09.pdf
2. New Housing Bill has Vet Provisions: The housing and
economic recovery legislation that was recently signed into law (PL 110-289)
includes several VFW-supported provisions designed to safeguard servicemembers
and veterans during the mortgage and foreclosure crisis.
3. House Passes Vet Bills: The House passed eight
veteran-related bills covering a wide array of benefits. Several of the bills
will provide new protections for servicemembers who have or are in the process
of being deployed. One such bill is HR 6225, The Improving SCRA and USERRA
Protections Act of 2008. Provisions include requiring judges to give veterans a
hearing when they are seeking to regain a job lost during deployment and
allowing servicemembers to terminate contracts if they are notified of
deployment. It also lets them continue education benefits where they left off
prior to active duty.
4. Congress on August Recess: Congress heads out of town with many items left on the agenda including VA funding and the Defense Authorization bill. Now is the perfect time to visit their local offices and talk about issues important to veterans and the VFW. Remember all of the House members are up for re-election in November so they should be willing and eager to visit with you. When making an appointment make sure you arrive promptly and come prepared to discuss your issues. It is best to stick to one or two specific items and give examples of why you (VFW) support these issues. Always thank them and remind them that you expect them to do the right thing for America's veterans and servicemembers. For a list of our priority goals visit our website at: http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=caphill.leveld&did=3694 To find contact information for your Representative including district office locations, type your zip code in the box in the following link: http://capwiz.com/vfw/dbq/officials/
VFW WASHINGTON WEEKLY In This Issue
1. Guard/Reserve Access to VA: The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee held an oversight hearing this week on Guard and Reserve access to VA benefits. The hearing focused on a recent VA audit report on outreach and transition assistance programs to veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the IG report - entitled "VBA: Transition Assistance for Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom Service Members and Veterans" - VA is not meeting its obligation to inform new veterans of the benefits they may have earned, and more than half of those left out are Guard and Reserve veterans. Committee Chairman Daniel Akaka (D-HI) relayed his concerns to the VA panel and other witnesses, and asked them to look into why Guard and Reserve members are not receiving the same level of support from VA. Panelist Sgt. Roy Meredith, Maryland National Guard, offered his personal insight and told senators that to be effective in providing Guard and Reservists with information and access to their benefits; a formal and defined program with proper oversight at the state level is critical.
2. Agent Orange Bill: VFW attended a Wednesday press
conference held by House Veterans Affairs' Committee Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA).
The press event introduced VFW-supported legislation HR 6562, "The Agent Orange
Equity Act of 2008." The bill would clarify the laws related to VA benefits
provided to Vietnam War veterans suffering from Agent Orange exposure.
Currently, VA requires Vietnam veterans to prove "foot on land" in order to
qualify for the presumptions of service-connection for herbicide-exposure
related illnesses. If enacted, this bill will make it easier for VA to process
Vietnam War veterans' claims for service-connected conditions that scientists
have linked to toxic exposures during the Vietnam War. It will also provide
coverage and compensation to "Blue Water Navy" veterans and those who flew
within Vietnamese airspace.
VFW Washington Weekly In This Issue: 1. FY2009 VA Funding Bill: The Senate Appropriations
Committee unanimously cleared its version of the 2009 VA Funding Bill. The bill
provides $72.7 billion in discretionary funding for military construction and
Veterans Affairs. This is about $5 billion more than the current fiscal year,
and is in line with the House Appropriations Committee's recommendations. It
includes: 2. House VA Committee Action: The House Veterans Affairs Committee cleared seven benefit-related bills which now move to the floor for final passage. Among the bills is HR 6445, which will eliminate co-payments for catastrophically disabled veterans. VFW Resolution 639 supports this action. The VFW also supports other features of HR 6445 that would direct VA to develop and implement a comprehensive policy on the management of pain, mandate the VA to centralize third party billing, and allow family members of veterans receiving non-service connected treatment to be eligible for counseling. Some of the other bills passed by the committee include: For more information on the bills, type the bill number into the search box at: http://thomas.loc.gov/ 3. VA Outreach Hearing: The House subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations talked to servicemembers, marketing and policy experts on how the VA can increase awareness of its programs to the newest generation of veterans. Subcommittee Chairman Harry Mitchell (D-AZ) believes that VA needs to reach out to current OIF/OEF veterans through Internet sites such as Facebook and television advertisements. Iraq veteran and National Guard member Liz O'Herrin testified that e-mail and other electronic modes of communication are critical today's veterans, whereas the VA still relies on mail, often to outdated addresses. She suggested that VA allow veterans to use their e-mail address as a way of communication. She also suggested that the creation of an electronic mail enrollment form by VA would enable veterans to select the areas they are interested in learning about regarding disability, healthcare and education benefits. Lisette Mondello, assistant VA secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs, said VA is looking into several types of advertising markets, including social marketing and internet-based, nontraditional media, to help pass on its message. For more about the hearing, go to: http://veterans.house.gov/hearings/hearing.aspx?newsid=278 4. SECDEF Recommends New Guard Chief: Defense Secretary Robert Gates has recommended to the president that Air Force Lt. Gen. Craig R. McKinley be nominated as the next Chief of the National Guard Bureau. McKinley is presently serving as the Director of the Air National Guard. With his pending nomination and Senate confirmation comes a promotion, as the FY2008 National Defense Authorization Act elevated the NGB chief to a four-star billet. Gates also announced that he is recommending the current NGB chief, Army Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, take over as the first guardsman to be the deputy commander of U.S. Northern Command, which oversees security in North America.
VFW Washington Weekly 1. House VA Committee Questions Chantix Drug Use For the VFW's Press Release:
http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=news.newsDtl&did=4627 2. House VA Committee Moves Bills 3. Senate Holds Hearing on Claims Backlog *Please note that what was reported to the Committee represents only a part
of the VA backlog. In the week ending July 5, 2008 there were a total of 637,000
rating and non-rating cases pending of which 23% were over 6 months old, in
addition the VA has over 172,000 cases on appeal. For more about the hearing visit the Senate VA website at:
http://veterans.senate.gov/public/
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VA News
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VA Announces On-Line Claims Applications
VA Announces 55 Per Diem Awards for Homeless Assistance
The Salvation Army a Georgia Corporation VA Launches Expansion in Veterans Health Facilities
VA Reaches Out to Women Veterans
Health Care "Report Card" Gives VA High Marks
VA Names 13 to Rural Health Advisory Committee
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