September 23, 2008 by admin.

By Susan Elan • The Journal News • September 23, 2008

• CORTLANDT - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Rep. John Hall and Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, came to the hometown of the Montrose Veterans Affairs hospital yesterday to gather support for legislation that would end the colossal backlog of veterans’ disability claims.

More than 830,000 claims from disabled veterans were pending at the Veterans Benefits Administration in 2007, and that number is expected to top 1 million in 2009 unless there is drastic reform, said Hall, chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance. He and Clinton spoke to an audience of about 50 veterans, local politicians and media at Cortlandt Town Hall.

A disability claim must be approved before a veteran can receive a monthly pension, health care or vocational rehabilitation.

“Too many wounded veterans are going broke while waiting for their claims to be processed,” said Rieckhoff, who is from Peekskill.

The Disability Claims Modernization Act, written by Hall, passed the House by 429-0 on July 30.

The Senate would have to approve Clinton’s companion bill, introduced in August, before an overhaul of the VA’s disability-claims system could take place. Congress is scheduled to adjourn for the year on Friday.

VA officials in Washington did not respond to a request for comment before the deadline.

Faced with decisions on the financial sector debacle, the Senate may not take up the VA legislation this week, but may have to return to Washington after the election, Clinton said before heading to lower Manhattan for a meeting with Federal Reserve officials.

“The number of seriously wounded is increasing,” Clinton said. “We have to remove the obstacles to treating these service-related injuries,” she said.

The proposed disability claims legislation would:

- Provide immediate compensation for severe, undisputed, service-connected injuries including a lost leg or arm, paralysis and traumatic brain injuries. Currently, veterans have to wait until every medical condition is evaluated - an average wait of six months - before receiving any benefits. Lesser injuries would be handled separately.

- Update the definitions of diseases and disorders and take a comprehensive approach to disability ratings, including factors such as loss of quality of life and future earnings capacity.

- Require a change from paper to electronic records within one year. Some service members are transported with their medical records on their gurney, Clinton said. When the paper files are lost, major delays result, she said.

- Establish an Office of Survivor Relations and allow the surviving family member of a veteran to take the veteran’s place while the claims process continues. Currently, when a veteran dies, the surviving family member has to start the claims process all over again - even if it has been stuck in the backlog for years, Hall said.

Speeding up access to benefits “could help prevent suicides, bankruptcies, poverty, family disruptions and homelessness among our nation’s disabled veterans,” Hall said.

Clinton said streamlining the benefits process would save money by cutting down on paperwork and reducing court appeals.

The VA has the money to make changes, Hall’s spokeswoman Meaghan Smith said yesterday, “because this year Congress already passed the highest budget increase in the VA’s history.”

Michael Tokarz, a vice chairman with the state and national offices of the American Legion, said the American people mistakenly believe their tax dollars are taking care of veterans’ needs.

Edward Gettler, who spent four years in the Navy during the Korean War, said yesterday that despite his exposure to atomic radiation during his service, his VA claims were denied for decades until Hall intervened on his behalf.

“Now they are treating me at the VA without charge and I am receiving the medications I must take to survive,” Gettler said.

Mike Ali, a representative of the National Military Order of the Purple Heart, said the legislation proposed by Hall and Clinton “does what we have been trying to do for so many years.” A Marine who lost his right leg and one eye while serving in Vietnam, Ali said as things are now, “a veteran doesn’t know where to go to get help.”

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September 19, 2008 by admin.

ON THE HILL:September 23, 2008Guam Military Build-Up Labor Solutions House Natural Resources CommitteeInsular Affairs Subcommittee hearing on “Identifying Labor Solutions for the Guam Military Build-Up.”Witnesses: TBALocation: 1324 Longworth House Office Building. 2 p.m. (September 23, 2008)Contact: 202-225-6065 [http://resourcescommittee.house.gov] FEMA Hurricane Response/National Housing Strategy House Transportation and Infrastructure CommitteeEconomic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee hearing on “FEMA’s Response to the 2008 Hurricane Season and the National Housing Strategy.”Witnesses: TBALocation: 2167 Rayburn House Office Building. 2 p.m. (September 23, 2008)Contact: 202-225-4472 [http://transportation.house.gov] Media Outreach to Veterans House Veterans Affairs CommitteeOversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing on “Media Outreach to Veterans: An Update.”Witnesses: TBALocation: 2247 Rayburn House Office Building. 10 a.m. (September 23, 2008)Contact: 202-225-9756 [http://veterans.house.gov] September 24, 2008National Service House Education and Labor CommitteeFull committee hearing on “Strengthening the Country’s Commitment to National Service.”Witnesses: TBALocation: 2175 Rayburn House Office Building. 10 a.m. (September 24, 2008)Contact: 202-226-0853 [http://edlabor.house.gov] Homeland Security Information Sharing House Homeland Security CommitteeIntelligence, Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment Subcommittee hearing on “A Report Card on Homeland Security Information Sharing.”Witnesses: Homeland Security Undersecretary for Intelligence and Analysis Charles Allen; Michael Leiter, director of the National Counterterrorism Center; Los Angeles County Sheriff Leroy Baca; Russell Porter, director of the Iowa Intelligence Fusion Center and Intelligence Bureau in the Department of Public Safety; and John McKay, profess from practice at Seattle University School of LawLocation: 311 Cannon House Office Building. 10 a.m. (September 24, 2008)Contact: 202-226-2616 [http://homeland.house.gov]  G.I. Bill Implementation House Veterans Affairs CommitteeEconomic Opportunity Subcommittee hearing on “G.I. Bill Implementation.”Witnesses: TBALocation: 340 Cannon House Office Building. 1 p.m. (September 24, 2008)Contact: 202-225-9756 [http://veterans.house.gov] 

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September 16, 2008 by admin.

By Matthew Weigelt
Published on September 15, 2008
General Services Administration officials are seeking to fill a panel to aid the agency’s efforts to award more contracts to service-disabled veterans, according to a notice posted today.

GSA wants nominations for the Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business Subcommittee of the GSA Small Business Advisory Committee. The subcommittee is a part of the agency’s larger program initiative to at least meet its 3 percent contracting goal for small businesses owned by service-disabled veterans, according to a notice in the Federal Register.

Nominations for the subcommittee can be sent to sbac@gsa.gov.

In August, GSA and two groups that represent veterans agreed to increase the federal contracting dollars going to service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.

In the agreements, GSA said it would encourage its contracting officers to consider the service-disabled veteran contracting goals early in the acquisition planning process. The groups, The Elite SDVOB Network and The Veterans Entrepreneurship Task Force, agreed to update GSA on concerns of service-disabled veterans and to urge the veterans to get GSA contracts.

In March, GSA launched a larger initiative called the 21 Gun Salute. Through this program, officials want to set aside GSA contracts solely for service-disabled veterans.

GSA said preliminary third-quarter data for fiscal 2008 shows that it spent 3.2 percent of total procurement dollars on businesses owned by service-disabled veterans, up from 2.2 percent in fiscal 2007.

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September 12, 2008 by admin.

  Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing on “Defeating the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and Other Asymmetric Threats: Today’s Efforts and Tomorrow’s Requirements.”Witnesses: Army Lt. Gen. Thomas Metz, director of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization; William Beasley, director of the Joint Rapid Acquisition Cell in the Defense Department’s Office of the Undersecretary for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics; Tom Matthews, director of warfighter requirements and evaluations in the Defense Department’s Office of the Undersecretary for Intelligence; Army Maj. Gen. Jason Kamiya, director of the Joint Training Directorate (J7) of the U.S. Joint Forces Command; and Bradley Berkson, director of programs, analysis and evaluation in the Defense Department’s Office of the SecretaryLocation: 2212 Rayburn House Office Building. 1 p.m. (September 16, 2008)Contact: 202-225-4151 recorded schedule 202-225-2675 [http://www.armedservices.house.gov] Cybersecurity Recommendations House Homeland Security CommitteeBorder, Maritime, and Global Counterterrorism Subcommittee hearing on “Transportation Worker Identification Credential: A Status Update.”Witnesses: U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. James Watson, director of prevention policy for marine safety, security and stewardship; Maureen Fanguy, acting director for maritime and surface credentialing at the Transportation Security Administration; Stephen Lord of the Government Accountability Office; Judy Marks, president of Lockheed Martin Transportation and Security Solutions; Roberto Saarenas, security director for the Port of Tacoma; Philip Byrd, president and CEO of Bulldog Hiway Express; Steve Golding, president of Golding Barge Line; and Laura Moskowitz, staff attorney for the National Employment Law ProjectLocation: 311 Cannon House Office Building. 10 a.m. (September 17, 2008)Contact: 202-226-2616 [http://homeland.house.gov] NewGovernment Information Services Office House Oversight and Government Reform CommitteeFull committee hearing on the nomination of Patrick Dunne to be undersecretary for benefits at the Veterans Affairs Department.Witnesses: The nominee testifiesLocation: 418 Russell Senate Office Building. 9:30 a.m. (September 17, 2008)Contact: 202-224-9126 [http://veterans.senate.gov] 

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September 10, 2008 by admin.

Continue to Serve Your NationYour prior military service could qualify you to continue to serve your nation at the Internal Revenue Service. Opportunities for qualified applicants are available throughout the United States.What to ExpectWhen you transition from the military to a career at the IRS, our benefits package will look very familiar. Let’s take a look at a few of the things you are probably interested in:Annual LeaveIf you are separated (but not retired) military, you receive full annual leave credit for service performed under honorable conditions. If you are retired military, you are generally not eligible for annual leave accrual credit.Sick LeaveFull-time employees earn four hours of sick-leave per two-week pay period. That adds up to 13 sick-leave days per year!RetirementIf you had a Thrift Savings Plan account while serving in the military, you may be able to merge most of your account balance after you establish a civilian account. Tax-exempt balances (contributions from combat zone pay) cannot be transferred to your civilian account. After you have served your new employee waiting period, you become eligible to receive Agency Automatic (1 percent) contributions and Agency Matching contributions (up to 5 percent).If you are separated (but not retired) military, you can use your uniformed service for credit toward civilian retirement by making a deposit to the retirement fund of 7 percent (for Civil Service Retirement System - CSRS) or 3 percent (for Federal Employees Retirement System - FERS) of basic military pay.If you are retired military, you can use your uniformed service towards civilian retirement by making a deposit to the retirement fund and waiving your military retirement pay at your civilian retirement. If you want to keep your military retirement pay, you cannot use the military service towards civilian retirement.Dual CompensationRetired military personnel no longer receive reductions to their retired or retainer pay when employed in a civilian office or position of the U.S. Government.Military LeaveIRS employees who serve in the National Guard or Reserves for either active duty or training receive military leave benefits. Your type of deployment will determine how much leave you can accrue.

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