WASHINGTON — The national legislative committee of America’s largest and oldest major combat veterans’ organization convenes in Washington this week to urge the 112th Congress to finish strong for veterans before it adjourns later this month until after the November elections.
Seventy committee members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. will meet with their elected officials about four key issue areas that are important to veterans, service members and their families. The issue areas are:
Budget: Should sequestration occur, the impact across-the-board cuts could have on Department of Veterans Affairs administrative accounts, and Defense Department readiness and Quality of Life programs.
Healthcare: Combating military and veteran suicides, ensuring the VA continues to improve access and services to women veterans, and stopping the Pentagon from arbitrarily raising TRICARE fees and copayments on military families and retirees.
Benefits Delivery: Creating a fully electronic claims and evaluation system that is based more on quality rating decisions than quantity.
Education and Employment: Enhancing and protecting the GI Bill, transition assistance, licensing and certification portability, employer tax credits, enforcing Guard and Reservist reemployment rights, veteran employment and training, and federal contracting with veteran-owned businesses.
Also joining the legislative committee will be VFW National Commander John Hamilton from Florida, Senior Vice Commander Bill Thien from Indiana and Junior Vice Commander John Stroud from Nevada. Their agenda also includes meetings and briefings at the VA, the Defense POW/MIA Office, the Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment at Quantico, Army Reserve Affairs, the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserves, and with the Student Veterans of America organization.
Learn more about how Congress can finish strong for veterans at http://www.vfw.org/uploadedFiles/VFW.org/VFW_in_DC/2012OutstandingIssues.pdf.