"Busy week here for the Beltway boys but IAVA is holding it down." Here's a summary of what's happening in DC, from Bill Ferguson in IAVA's Washington, D.C. office.

Busy week here for the Beltway boys but IAVA is holding it down.

May 8^th 2007

HR 67 Mark up   

H.R. 67 for those of you who don't know this bill is called "The Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of 2007"

Give me a minute to explain what H.R. 67 will do.

• Improve outreach for the development and submittal of claims to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
• Increase the coordination of outreach activities within the Department.
• Provide $ 25 million annually in 2007, 2008, and 2009 for grants to state and local government for outreach programs.
• Permit funds to be used for training and education programs for state and local government employees to receive accreditation
• While efforts are ongoing to improve seamless transition from DOD to the VA, we need to help those veterans who have unfortunately already fallen through the cracks.
• Allow local organizations to provide more bang for the buck at the local level.

                                                                                              So what Ferg ! Who cares?

Why outreach is important

• 75-90% of claims submitted to the VA originate with County VSOs.
• 63 million Americans are eligible for benefits from the VA, but only 30% receive them
• Nearly 2 million veterans and widows are missing out on as much $ 22 billion a year in pensions.
• For six straight years there have been declines in the numbers of veterans and widows applying to the VA for pensions.

Action taken by the Committee

The bill was referred to the full committee on Veterans Affairs (house).

Congressman Lamborne  of Colorado(R) stated that he was concerned about the way the money would be distributed to the states and local governments.

Congresswoman Shelley Berkley of Nevada (D) said that our veterans deserve the money that is allocated to them by the congress and outreach is necessary to make them know it is available.

Congressman John Hall of New York (D)  Stated that the bills language could be changed to suit Mr. Lamborne.

All members agreed to send the bill to the full committee.

Todd (one of our DC Staff), worked hard on this including letters of support and countless phone calls he deserves a high five.

May 8^th 2007

Subcommittee on Disability Assistance & Memorial Affairs Hearing

Witnesses

George S. Webb Chairman, Memorial Affairs Committee, NASDVA (National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs) and the Executive Director, Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs.

He Stated "Cemeteries are a shrine which serves as a reminder of the untold histories of the veterans who helped preserve our freedom". 

This guy wants 3 things:

• Increase in Burial Plot Allowance
• Increase funding for State Veterans Cemetery Grant program (SCCGP)
• The establishment of a State Veterans Cemetery Operations Grant program

 *Currently the cost of internment in a state veteran's cemetery is $2000 and the current burial plot allowance is $300 (which makes sense that this burdens the SDVA's)

* He wants a $50 million grant annually for state veteran's cemeteries to assist them with operational costs.

Another guy who I never got his name, but he was representing the NFDA (National Funeral Directors Association) said he represents 13,000 funeral homes and 21,000 licensed funeral directors.

• He stated that the National Cemetery Administration goes above and beyond to assist them with issues and problems they have.
• The gentleman URGED tremendously and actually harped on them to support H.R.358 and H.R. 1253
• Thanked the committee for passage of legislation that prohibits demonstrations at the funeral and burials of our fallen hero's in Iraq and Afghanistan.

John C. Metzler, JR. Superintendent Arlington National Cemetery

• Stated that the FY 2008 budget is $26,892,000. which is $342,000 more than the FY2007 request the additional funds are needed for graveside development.
• In 2015 the current grave sites will be filled for a total of 243,373 buried and if they let him get the money for the project 90 development it will be another 36,000 for a total of 279,373 and that is projected to run out in 2030.
• The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is deteriorating and he will study options for replacement and submit them to the committee.

Brigadier General John W. Nicholson U.S. Army (Retired) Secretary American Battle Monuments Commission

• This guy wants $53.3 million to fund the salaries and expense account and the foreign currency fluctuation account for FY2008
• They have 404 full time employees and the U.S. Embassy in Paris RSO(Regional Security Officer ) says they need 1.4 million for "security enhancements"? This drags out even more to say he is requesting an additional 1.6 million per year to operate the new Normandy Visitor Center which is opening in June 6^th 2007. He goes on and on about the exchange rates and that is why he wants more money to pay his local staff (a quite large one). He noted that a report by the GAO over 70% of the ABMC's budget is paid in Euros or British Pounds. He said he lost 8% in one week due to currency fluctuations and a weak dollar. He says this amount of money is needed to protect the post WWII investment in Europe and in the Mediterranean

Fred Boyles Superintendent of Andersonville National Historic site and Cemetery: Real fast this dude was just justifying how he spent his money mostly in repairs it was just over $1million

     H.R. 358 in a nutshell

• A bill that would expand and would make permanent the Department of Veterans Affairs benefit for Government markers for marked graves of veterans buried in private cemeteries.

H.R. 1273 in a nutshell

• Introduced by Rep. Berkley (D) Nevada this bill would direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to restore plot allowance eligibility for veterans of any war and to restore headstone or marker allowance for eligible persons.

May 9^th 2007

Subcommittee on health concerning "The State of VA's Long-Term Care Program Present and Future".

Sorry, I missed the 1^st panel of witnesses. I left Dirksen in a hurry from Akaka's hearing to this one.

The witnesses are as follows for the first panel: 

Panel 1

Raymond A. Nagel CEO, Maine Veterans Homes

R. Roy Griffith Liaison Committee Chairman National Association of State Veterans Homes and Administrator Oklahoma Veterans Center

Panel 2

Shannon L. Middleton Deputy Director Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Commission the American Legion

• She announced proudly that the American Legion has not received any federal grants or contracts, DURING THIS YEAR OR THE LAST 2 years, from any agency or program relevant to this hearing. I think she was hinting they want some money for this topic or more seriously since nonprofits receiving federal grants can't testify she was proving she was allowed to testify.
• She had a few good points:
• The Veterans Millennium Health Care and Benefits Act of 1999 Mandated that VA to begin providing a variety of non-institutional services to aging veterans, including home based primary care, contract home health care ,adult day health care, homemaker and home health aides, respite care, telehealth and geriatric and evaluation management. On March 29, 2002 the GAO issued a report that stated nearly two years after the Millennium Acts passage, VA hadn't implemented its response to the requirements that all eligible veterans be offered adult day health care , respite care and geriatric evaluation. At the time of the GAO's inquiry , access to these services were far from universal. VA only served one third of its workload.
• The American Legion Believes VA should provide the quality of care mandated by Congress for the long term care of America's veterans. Congress should provide adequate funding to VA to implement its mandates.
• The American Legion strongly opposes attempts to repeal 38 U.S.C. 1710B(b)

Fred Cowell Senior Associate Director, Health Analysis Paralyzed Veterans of America

• PVA'S testimony is focused in 3 areas
• First, he said that OIF/OEF vets will face life long challenges because of the severity of their wounds and that we will depend on VA non-institutional and VA long term care programs for much if not all of our lives.
• Second he emphasized the needs of Spinal Chord Injury or Disease (SCI/D)
• Third he addressed broad long-term care issues affecting all veterans and how a VA long-term care strategic plan can make a difference in their care.
• He also noted that OIF/OEF vets need expedited access to VA benefits such as VA's Home improvement/Structural Alteration (HISA) grant, and VA's adaptive housing and automobile programs so they can leave institutional settings and go home as soon as possible.
• The Paralyzed Veterans of America believes that VA's long-term care programs must be linked to VA's new POLY-TRAUMA CENTERS
• There is a waiting list for vets with (SCI/D) and are only 4 places in the nation where beds are available period, for any SCI/D person at the rate of need by 2012 they will be 705 beds short and by 2022 they will be 1,358.
• Public Law 109-461 this is mentioned but his microphone dies so I didn't hear what he said

This guy is squared away he sums it all up by saying

• PVA supports a VA strategic long term care plan that monitors the appropriate balance between non-institutional and institutional long term care at peak periods.
• He also reports his members are on a waiting list to receive LTC
• Encourages the committee to include all Veterans Service Organizations in the development of a strategic plan for VA long term care.

The American Occupational Therapy Association   submitted a statement on this issue.

Adrian M. Atizado Assistant National Legislative Director  for the The Disabled American Vets spoke, but I couldn't find their testimony on the table, I think they ran out.

Real Fast basically concurred with PVA and are tired of the waiting lists for long term care. (LTC)

Raymond A. Nagel CEO, Maine Veterans Homes

• 86% of the Veterans in LTC institutions are in State Veterans homes. There are per diem payments made to the states for housing the Vets. Currently they are$67.71 per day for nursing home care and $40.48 per day for Adult Day Health care and 30.31 per day for domiciliary care.
• He also stated that the current law only allows VA to pay for these per diem rates and VA cannot fund a State Veterans home more than 50%.
• However, the states veteran's homes provide long term medical services to frail and elderly veterans at a cost of less that the $68 dollars a day, which is well below the cost of care in a VA nursing home which is over $560.00 a day. So where is the money going?

R. Roy Griffith State Veterans Homes Board Member

 This guy didn't say jack really he just wants the 110^th Congress to keep funding the homes.

VA Responds

• VA sent a Doctor whom I didn't catch his name and Patricia Vandenberg , MHA, BSN Assistant Deputy for Policy and Planning
• VA is taking measures to recognize generational differences of the Veteran population. Such as having an Internet Café, computer games, or age appropriate music and movies available for nursing home residents,
• VA Provides World Class Health Care, and stated there is no backlog or waiting list.

Members ask panels questions:

Phil Haire (D) Indiana wanted to know why Veterans are waiting if there is no backlog, and there is no shortage of beds. He also asked the PVA where did they hear of the backlog, PVA said from its members

Henry Brown (R) South Carolina wanted to know if the baby boomer generation will strain VA in the future. He wanted to know if OIF/OEF vets numbers are small are large. VA said they are small in comparison to End of Life Veterans, but that Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans have more complicated injuries that require more care than end of life illness.

Ciro Rodriguez (D) Texas asked why VA was saying there is no backlog when the VSO's say there is. He wants an available bed report submitted to the committee. He also wants to know from VA what do they need to get the job done.

Chairmen Michaud- Staff will submit written questions to the VA (he had more important things to do).