Keeping Promises to America's Vets Posted by James Lamond

The president just said:

Tonight, all of our men and women in uniform -- in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world – must know that they have our respect, our gratitude, and our full support. And just as they must have the resources they need in war, we all have a responsibility to support them when they come home. That is why we made the largest increase in investments for veterans in decades. That is why we are building a 21st century VA. And that is why Michelle has joined with Jill Biden to forge a national commitment to support military families.

After eight years of neglect towards our nation's veterans the Obama administration and progressives in Congress have been taking the lead to keep our promises to America’s veterans. Just some of the details:

• Defense Authorization Act of 2009. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans for America (IAVA) say that “the President signed the 2010 National Defense Authorization Act into law.  While this $600 Billion bill provides the Military with everything that they need to operate for the next year, it includes several provisions that will improve the lives of the men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and may save countless lives by improving the way the Military handles Mental Health.”  Provisions included in this bill “Require mandatory, face to face and confidential mental health screenings for every returning servicemember; Increase the number of mental health providers in the military. Limit servicemembers’ exposure to hazardous waste by severely limiting the use of open air burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Extend retroactive stop loss payments to Reserve/National Guard.  Grant meaningful voting protections for overseas servicemembers. Curtail DoD’s practice of punishing servicemembers for DoD’s own financial mistakes.”

• The 21st Century GI Bill.  Signed into law last year and implemented this summer, the Post-9/11 GI Bill ”provides 36 months of full tuition at every public college or university in the nation, plus fees, books and a housing stipend. It eliminates the $1,200 enrollment fee, extends the ‘Use or Lose’ time limit from 10 to 15 years, and permits reenlisting servicemembers to transfer some or all of their educational benefits to a spouse or children. It automatically adjusts itself as tuitions and fees increase, greatly enhances the amount paid to Guard and Reserve members, and provides a dollar-for-dollar tuition match to more than 1,100 private schools who chose to participate in the Yellow Ribbon program. The new GI Bill also benefits officers who were commissioned through a military service academy or ROTC program,” says the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).  The bill, pushed for by progressives in the Senate,  provides benefits to today’s servicemembers and veterans similar to those received by the veterans returning from World War II.  “The national commander of the 2.1 million-member Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. and its Auxiliaries called ... [the] implementation of the new Post-9/11 GI Bill a significant milestone for military servicemembers, their families and the entire country…”

• Stimulus Package and Veterans Care. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act the Obama Administration provided Veterans Affairs with “$1.4 billion for VA projects funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)... The bulk of the projects fell under VHA, which was allotted $1 billion through ARRA. Of that amount, $601 million is being used for nonrecurring maintenance projects to correct, replace, upgrade and modernize existing infrastructure and utility systems for VA medical centers. VA’s team placed an immediate focus on safety, security and infrastructure deficiencies. A substantial number of energy initiatives are being funded with VHA’s remaining $399 million, which will be used for energy priorities— projects incorporating energy efficiency and renewable energy.”

• VA Advanced Funding. In October, Obama signed new legislation that, according to the Army website “creates predictable funding for veterans' health care. The Veterans Healthcare Reform and Transparency Act fundamentally changes how the Department of Veterans Affairs receive health care funding. The reform calls for appropriations a year in advance after more than two decades of regular budget delays...”

• Interagency Harmonization. The president has announced an initiative that better provides service and care to soldiers as they transfer from the Department of Defense system to that of the Veterans Affairs system.  American Forces Press Service reports, “President Barack Obama announced plans today to create a joint virtual lifetime electronic record that will improve care and services to transitioning veterans by smoothing the flow of medical records between the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments. The concept, long advocated by officials in both departments, is considered a major step toward improving the delivery of care and services to servicemembers transitioning from military to civilian life.”

• Plan to End Veterans’ Homelessness. Secretary Shinseki has unveiled a 5 year plan to end veterans homelessness.  “Shinseki's comprehensive plan includes preventive measures like discharge planning for incarcerated veterans re-entering society, supportive services for low-income veterans and their families and a national referral center to link veterans to local service providers.  Additionally, the plan calls for expanded efforts for education, jobs, health care and housing.  ‘Our plan enlarges the scope of VA's efforts to combat homelessness,’ said Shinseki. ‘In the past, VA focused largely on getting homeless Veterans off the streets.  Our five-year plan aims also at preventing them from ever ending up homeless,’” reports Reuters.

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