Veterans

May 14, 2009 -- SAN DIEGO, CA - Standing at the USS Ronald Reagan in San Diego today, with U.S. sailors and their families, Vice President Joe Biden today announced the Defense Department's plan to temporarily expand its Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP), with $555 million in Recovery Act funds dedicated to helping military families and DoD civilians who recently sold their homes at a loss.    » read more »

Record Budget Enhances VA’s Ability to Become a 21st Century Organization

May 7, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced President Obama’s 2010 budget for VA. The budget emphasizes a Veteran-centric commitment to expanded services with a 15.5 percent increase over 2009, the largest percentage increase for VA requested by a president in more than 30 years.    » read more »

Challenge to Congress is pass appropriations before Oct. 1

Washington, D.C., May 7, 2009– The nation’s largest organization of combat veterans is very pleased with the administration’s fiscal year 2010 budget request for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

“This is a very good budget,” said Glen M. Gardner Jr., the national commander of the 2.2 million-member Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. and its Auxiliaries.    » read more »

Social Security Recipients will Receive One-Time $250 Payment From Recovery Act

May 08, 2009 -- MADISON – Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle today announced that Wisconsin retirees, disabled veterans, and other Social Security and SSI recipients will benefit from an estimated $267 million in one-time Economic Recovery Payments as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The $250 payments are expected to be issued by late May 2009.

“Citizens on fixed incomes have been hit especially hard by the economic turmoil,” Governor Doyle said. “The Economic Recovery Payments will provide some financial relief this spring for the retirees, disabled veterans and others who have given so much to our state.”    » read more »

Washington, D.C., April 15, 2009- The leader of the nation's largest combat veterans' organization said a leaked government document that mentions disgruntled military veterans as potential security threats should have been worded differently, but he takes no issue with the document's purpose: to assess possible threats to the safety and security of the United States.

"A government that does not assess internal and external security threats would be negligent of a critical public responsibility," said Glen M. Gardner Jr., the national commander of the 2.2 million-member Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. and its Auxiliaries.    » read more »

April 10, 2009 -- (SANTA FE) -- New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson today announced that Veterans’ Administration projects in New Mexico will receive more than $5 million dollars in federal recovery funding.

The money is part of the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 signed into law by President Obama in February.

A total of $5,076,251 will go towards construction and repair projects at the National Cemeteries in Ft. Bayard and Santa Fe, and at the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center in Albuquerque.    » read more »

March 18, 2009 -- Colorado Governor Bill Ritter issued the following statement today applauding Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki's decision to move forward with a standalone veterans hospital at the Anschutz medical campus at Fitzsimons in Aurora:

"This is great news not just for the more than 400,000 military veterans who live in Colorado, but for the entire state. I applaud Secretary Shinseki's decision to move ahead with a standalone hospital so that we can begin to properly repay the debt we owe to Colorado's veterans. This will allow us to honor them and serve their needs in a state-of-the-art medical center.    » read more »

Washington, March 17, 2009 – President Obama met yesterday with the national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. to discuss the VFW's opposition to an administration proposal to bill veterans with private health insurance for the care they receive for their service-connected disabilities and wounds.

"The president told us that he would not go through with the third-party billing proposal if he felt the veterans' community didn't approve of it," said Glen M. Gardner Jr., who leads the nation's largest organization of combat veterans. "We made our opposition clearly known."    » read more »

Washington, March 4, 2009 - The national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. wants the Obama administration to kill a controversial budget proposal that would bill veterans with private health insurance for the care they receive for their service-connected disabilities and wounds.

"It is unconscionable to pass along the costs of war to wounded and disabled veterans," said the VFW's Glen M. Gardner Jr., a Vietnam veteran from Round Rock, Texas. "This is one policy proposal that the VFW will work hard to defeat because it breaks a sacred trust that veterans have with their government."    » read more »

Funding Plan Improves Access, Modernizes Technology

February 27, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – President Obama's first proposed budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) expands eligibility for health care to an additional 500,000 deserving Veterans over the next five years, meets the need for continued growth in programs for the combat Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, and provides the resources to deliver quality health care for the Nation’s 5.5 million Veteran patients.

The 2010 budget request is a significant step toward realizing a vision shared by the President and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki to transform VA into an organization that is people-centric, results-driven and forward-looking.    » read more »

Funding Plan Improves Access, Modernizes Technology

(Feb. 26, 2009) – President Obama's first proposed budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) expands eligibility for health care to an additional 500,000 deserving Veterans over the next five years, meets the need for continued growth in programs for the combat Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, and provides the resources to deliver quality health care for the Nation’s 5.5 million Veteran patients.

The 2010 budget request is a significant step toward realizing a vision shared by the President and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki to transform VA into an organization that is people-centric, results-driven and forward-looking.    » read more »

WASHINGTON, DC., Feb.9, 2009—Four of the nation’s leading veterans service organizations are urging the new Administration and Congress to invest $54.6 billion, an increase of $3.6 billion over last year, to adequately meet veterans’ healthcare and benefits needs.

The recommendation is contained in The Independent Budget (IB)— www.independentbudget.org—a full picture of veterans’ needs and funding recommendations, by veterans for veterans.    » read more »

February 3, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama has announced his intent to nominate L. Tammy Duckworth, director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, to be the Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

“Effective communications with Veterans and VA’s stakeholders is key to improving our services and ensuring Veterans receive the benefits they deserve,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “Tammy Duckworth brings significant talent, leadership and personal experience to this important work.”    » read more »

Letter urges President Obama to permanently reinstate benefits

January 28, 2009, Juneau, Alaska – Alaska Governor Sarah Palin applauded Secretary of the Army Pete Geren’s decision to continue retirement payments to the Alaska Territorial Guard members on a temporary basis. A congressional fix will be needed to fully reinstate the retirement money rightfully earned by these veterans.

The Alaska Territorial Guard members are primarily Alaska Natives living in rural areas.

“Rural Alaskans face the highest food and energy costs in the nation, and these veterans need their retirement checks now more than ever,” Governor Palin said. “Using the emergency fund to provide monetary protection for these 26 veterans is the right thing to do.”    » read more »

January 21, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – Retired Army Gen. Eric K. Shinseki took the oath of office today as the Nation’s seventh Secretary of Veterans Affairs, assuming the leadership of the Department of Veterans Affairs following Tuesday's confirmation by the Senate.

"The overriding challenge I am addressing from my first day in office is to make the Department of Veterans Affairs a 21st century organization focused on the Nation's Veterans as its clients," Shinseki said.

Shinseki plans to develop a 2010 budget within his first 90 days that realizes the vision of President Obama to transform VA into an organization that is people-centric, results-driven and forward-looking.    » read more »