End VA budget nightmare.Once again the politics of pork pork, flesh of swine prepared as food, one of the principal commodities of the meatpacking industry. Pork has long been a staple food in most of the world, although religious taboos have limited its use, especially among Jews and Muslims. has apparently trumped the nation's obligation to care for sick and disabled veterans. As the 109th Congress headed toward adjournment A putting off or postponing of proceedings; an ending or dismissal of further business by a court, legislature, or public official—either temporarily or permanently. , legislation funding the Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Affairs is a term of the business that deals with the relation between a government and its veteran communities, usually administered by the designated government agency. was held up because of a dispute over money earmarked for pet projects and favors to special interests. For the tenth straight year, Congress has failed to pass the VA's regular spending bill before the start of the new fiscal year. As in the past, lawmakers have resorted to a continuing resolution A continuing resolution is a type of appropriations legislation used by the United States Congress to fund government agencies if a formal appropriations bill has not been signed into law by the end of the Congressional fiscal year. to temporarily fund the VA at the previous year's level. As a result new construction projects for hospitals and outpatient outpatient /out·pa·tient/ (-pa-shent) a patient who comes to the hospital, clinic, or dispensary for diagnosis and/or treatment but does not occupy a bed. out·pa·tient n. clinics may be delayed or stopped; hospitals will have to conserve resources for direct health care expenses; and veterans will have to wait longer for their compensation and benefit claims to be processed. That makes it impossible for the VA to properly manage current operations, let alone plan ahead to meet the growing need for and increased costs of veterans health care and other programs. And that shortchanges America's veterans. But the new Congress has an opportunity to put an end to to destroy. - Fuller. See also: End this budget nightmare. And part of the solution is a fundamental overhaul of veterans health care funding. The current discretionary appropriations process for VA health care has become highly politicized, putting sick and disabled veterans at risk. It is unwieldy and unworkable and must be replaced with a reliable, stable funding stream that would allow the VA to adequately prepare, well in advance, for the new fiscal year. Bills to reform the veterans health care budget were introduced in both the House and the Senate during the 109th Congress, and we have been working with members of the 110th Congress and their staffs on this important issue. The DAV See WebDAV. has a long-standing long-stand·ing adj. Of long duration or existence: a long-standing friendship. long-standing Adjective existing for a long time resolution supporting legislation to make VA health care funding mandatory. DAV members and their families are crucial to our grassroots Adj. 1. grassroots - fundamental; "the grassroots factor in making the decision" basic - pertaining to or constituting a base or basis; "a basic fact"; "the basic ingredients"; "basic changes in public opinion occur because of changes in priorities" 2. efforts to ensure that the VA has the resources it needs to provide quality care in a timely manner to our nation's sick and disabled veterans. Each of you can play a vital role by urging your Senators and Representatives to co-sponsor and support legislation to guarantee full funding for veterans health care. Tell them it is absolutely critical that guaranteed funding legislation be enacted this year to ensure that all eligible veterans--including those injured in·jure tr.v. in·jured, in·jur·ing, in·jures 1. To cause physical harm to; hurt. 2. To cause damage to; impair. 3. in Iraq, Afghanistan and the war on terror--have access to timely, quality health care. Congress has an obligation to provide sufficient resources to cover the expenses of the veterans' health care program. The young men and women returning home today will need VA health care for decades to come. Mandatory funding will ensure that the VA health care system will be there for them, and other veterans, now and in the future. Attorney Fee Update Hours before the 109th Congress adjourned, lawmakers reached an agreement on veterans' legislation that includes a controversial provision allowing attorneys to charge fees for assisting veterans with their disability claims. Previously, veterans could hire an attorney for advice and counseling prior to filing a claim for benefits or after the VA administrative proceedings An administrative proceeding is a non-judicial determination of fault or guilt and may include in some cases penalties of various forms. A "Captain's Mast", held by a commanding officer of a warship is one such proceeding. have been completed. The attorney representation provision, opposed by the DAV and Department of Veterans Affairs, was included in the Veterans Benefits, Health Care and Information Technology Act. The DAV believes veterans should not have to pay a lawyer to help with the claims process NSOs are professionally trained for and which is designed to be open, informal and helpful to veterans though technically tasking. The involvement of attorneys also would increase costs to veterans and to the VA without significantly improving the claims process. Your National Staff is conducting an intensive review of the measure to assess its potential impact on veterans and the VA benefits delivery system. |
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