Top 10 Veterans Stories in Today’s News

Top 10 Veterans Stories in Today’s News

1.      Veterans’ Benefits Entangled In Red Tape.  The Washington Times (12/21, 77K) says that while leading Democrats “like to hold up” the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) “as an example of how well government can provide” healthcare, veterans “who deal with the complex federal bureaucracy have invented an unhappy refrain to describe the VBA: ‘Deny, deny until you die.'” According to the Times, the “simply overwhelmed” VBA, which is part of the US Department of Veterans Affairs, “reported on Monday that there are 481,751 pending claims.” But the Department “did provide information to The Washington Times attributable to a ‘VA spokesman,’ saying it hired an additional 4,200 people over the past three years to help reduce claims-processing times and is testing a number of pilot programs to streamline the process.”
     VA Hopes Fast Track Will Improve Claims Processing. After noting that the VBA “has begun using a public online portal” called Fast Track to “accept and process new claims for Vietnam-era disabilities connected to the herbicide Agent Orange,” Federal News Radio (12/21, Serbu) says VA “hopes this pilot can lead the way to improve how the agency processes claims across dozens of disability categories in the near future.” Federal News Radio says VA developed Fast Track “in response to Secretary Eric Shinseki’s decision to establish the presumption for Vietnam vets who were exposed to Agent Orange that certain types of leukemia,” Parkinson’s disease, and “heart disease are connected to their military service.”
     In a story analyzing what President Obama will face politically over the next two years, Politico (12/21, Harris, Hohmann, 25K) notes that while Obama “has been in office, there was a new Veterans Affairs initiative to expand benefits for people who had been exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam, coinciding with Memorial Day.”
     VA Has Decided More Than 28,000 New Agent Orange Claims. The Air Force News Service (12/21) also mentions the Fast Track portal, pointing out that VA “processors have decided more than 28,000 claims in the first six weeks of processing disability compensation applications from Vietnam veterans with diseases related to exposure to the herbicide Agent Orange.” The Air Force News Service reports that in a press release, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said his agency is using “new technology and ongoing improvements” to “quickly” remove “roadblocks to processing benefits.”

2.      In Pilot Program, New Vets Get Personalized Handbook.  The current edition of the Army Times (12/27, 104K) says veterans in Washington, DC, and Cleveland “will be the first to receive a new personalized health and benefits handbook under a pilot program to tailor information to individual needs.” If the “handbooks work as planned in these locations,” the Veterans Affairs Department will “provide tailored information to every new veteran starting next fall.” In commenting on the handbooks, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said they will “give veterans everything they need to know.”

3.      Bill To Promote Locating Veterans’ Health Care Facility In South Jersey Clear Senate.  The Gloucester County (NJ) Times (12/21, Barna) reports, “Legislation to establish a task force to study and make recommendations on how best to build and operate a veterans’ health care facility in southern New Jersey received final legislative approval on Monday.” The bill, which “would create an 18-member task force to devise a plan for the veterans hospital,” was “approved 79-0 by the Assembly in November and 37-0 by the Senate on Monday.” According to the Times, Veterans Affairs has “small clinics in Ventnor, Cape May and Vineland, but they only perform some outpatient medical services.”

4.      Spending Bill Freezes Pay For Federal Workers.  In continuing coverage, an AP (12/21, Ohlemacher) story carried by at least 48 publications reports, “Federal workers would face a two-year pay freeze under a spending bill Congress will take up this week to keep the government operating through March 4.” Passing the “bill – known as a ‘continuing resolution’ – would prevent the government from running out of money for daily operations Tuesday night and forcing a shutdown of most federal agencies.” According to the AP, one provision in the bill calls for the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) to “get a $460 million increase in annual funding to prevent layoffs and help reduce processing times for disability claims.” CQ (12/21, Young) points out that the bill would provide “$2.1 billion” to the VBA.
     Another Extension Of Stop-Loss Payment Application Deadline Also In Bill. The Army Times (12/21, Maze, 104K) notes, “The deadline to apply for a $500 allowance for being under stop-loss orders has been punted again, as Congress appears to be in no hurry to close eligibility for a benefit that so far has been paid to fewer than half of those who earned the payments.” While midnight “Tuesday is the current deadline for those who were under stop-loss orders since the 2001 terrorist attacks to apply for the extra pay,” Congress is “poised to extend the deadline again to at least March 18 as part of a short-term government funding bill.”

5.      One-Time $250 Payments For Social Security Recipients Rejected.  The current edition of the Army Times (12/27, 104K) says, “House and Senate Democrats” have “tried but failed to advance legislation to provide Social Security recipients and disabled veterans a one-time payment of $250 to make up for the fact that there was no” cost-of-living adjustment in Social Security or veterans disability compensation Dec. 1. The legislation would only have applied to “military and federal civilian retirees…who also receive Social Security or disability pay.”

 6.      Coburn: VA Spending To Maintain Unused Buildings Most Wasteful In Government. CNN Newsroom (12/20, 4:38 p.m. ET) broadcast that US Sen. Tem Coburn (R-OK) has “released his list of most wasteful government spending for this whole year. Topping the list” is the Department of Veterans Affairs, which “spent a whopping $175 million…to maintain hundreds of buildings it doesn’t use,” a point also made in a story aired by Fox News’ Special Report (12/20, 6:29 p.m. ET). However, Fox did note that VA “says it spent only $34 million last year on unused buildings.”

7.      Ceremony Held To Dedicate Expanding VA Cemetery.  In continuing coverage, the KPIC-TV Roseburg, OR (12/20, Beeby) website reported, “Over the weekend, community members joined with high ranking officials” from the US Department of Veterans Affairs to dedicate an expansion of the Roseburg National Cemetery. Officials “say the expansion was necessary because they have outgrown the current four-acre site.” KPIC added, “The expansion also includes upgrades that have already been finished at the current cemetery, including new fencing and walkways.”

8.      Man Sentenced To 10 Months For Falsifying War Record To Collect Benefits.  The Hartford (CT) Courant (12/21, Velsey) says 61-year-old John Golino, a former US Navy “mail clerk from Connecticut,” has “been sentenced to 10 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, after admitting that he fabricated a story about a traumatic military record in Vietnam, where he never served, to collect some $80,000 in…disability benefits” from the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Golino will “also have to pay restitution to the government.”

9.      Veterans Get Boost Designing New Careers.  USA Today (12/21, Zoroya, 1.83M) notes that spending “years in recovery” from a injuries suffered during a rocket-propelled grenade attack, Anthony Smith recently received assistance from “The Mission Continues, a St. Louis-based organization that is among several government and non-profit efforts fighting joblessness among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.” After pointing out that Smith says the help has given him a reason to get out of bed each day, USA Today says Smith has launched a “martial arts school for all ages.”

10.    Life And Death Decisions Weigh On Junior Officers.  In a front page story, the New York Times (12/21, A1, Dao, 1.01M) reports, “America’s front-line troops” in Afghanistan “entrust their lives to junior officers like” 33-year-old US Army Captain Adrian Bonenberger, who was in charge during a mission in which Petty Officer First Class John Kremer and Specialist Matthew Hayes were both badly injured. Kremer has “re-enlisted, saying he wants to rejoin his explosives disposal team after he finishes rehabilitation,” while Hill “says he will probably leave the Army when his rehabilitation is over next year.” Bonenberger, meanwhile, is not sure if will continue with the Army, partially because of the “bad things that have happened” that he tells the Times he ultimate takes responsibility for.

– From the VA