Congress: Veterans Can Wait
By Bob Brewin | Tuesday, November 06, 2007 | 02:39 PM
By Bob Brewin | Tuesday, November 06, 2007 | 02:39 PM
While Congress plays political games with the 12 appropriations bills, the Veterans Affairs Department groans under a backlog of 400,000 veterans benefits claims, according to the Senate report on the fiscal 2008 VA-Military Construction spending bill.
The backlog on each of those claims is 177 days, the report noted, while the complexity of adjudicating claims grows as combat veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan need to be evaluated for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and multiple battle injuries to collect their benefits.
The Senate version of the fiscal 2008 VA bill attempts to resolve this backlog by providing $60.7 million to hire new claims processing personnel and another $39.7 million for computers and information technology systems to speed up the processing of the claims, which have increased 39 percent from 2000 to 2006.
The funding is held hostage until at least December (even though there is a war on, Congress needs a Thanksgiving break) when maybe the folks on the Hill will get around to passing the appropriations bills they should have passed two months ago.
One would think that Congress could have at least passed the VA bill before Veterans Day (Nov. 12) in honor of those the nation sends into harms way.
But, hey, the House did honor veterans yesterday with the passage of a bill that called for the creation of National Veterans History Project Week, to be observed next November.
Maybe someone can do a veteran history project on why the Senate and House could not pass a VA spending bill in 2007 before Veterans Day.
Comments
As a disabled vet, the VA needs more funding that congress will ever pass. The majority party does not give a hoot about the military as well as the minority. Just look at how small they have gotten and are going to get smaller.
The VA has 8 categories of vets. Number beint the lowest and that even has categories i.e. a,b.c etc.
VA needs a large funding and updated equipment. Lets all hope the do nothing congress can get it's act together and get a budget passed with out adding their pet projects.
Vern | Tuesday, November 13, 2007 | 06:52 PMits about time that someone in congress take the bull by the horn and lead it out to the pasture,i am a retired vet and have had a claim pending sine november 2006,and as of to date it havent been rated yet,not only does congress need to visit the va for treatment so does a majority of employees that work for the veteran administration,it dont take that long to approve a claim for veterans,mine been pending for a whole year
1st retired william jones | Tuesday, November 13, 2007 | 02:23 PMI am a veteran as well as a current federal employee. The majority of people in Congress are incompetent and don't care a whit about the rest of us out here. It's all about the mighty dollar to them and how much they can line their pockets. Not only should they receive their care at the VA Medical Centers, they should also have our retirement system!
It's shameful that this country has allowed these people to have this much power over our lives. Please, please someone tell me what we can do to remedy this situation and get these people our of power who do nothing day in and day out but run their own agendas!
Anonymous | Tuesday, November 13, 2007 | 10:20 AMWell where do I start talking about the inability of our nimrods in Congress. They sit on their pinquin butts, talk about this an that in their local areas, then they can't pass a budget, not only for the VA, but the rest of the Government. I worked for the Government for right at 38 years. Enough was enough. Every year, we had to wait on the "GOOD FOR NOTHING" Congress People, cause there are some women, to pass a budget to keep us at work.
I was there the year(1995)when the entire government was shut down for the whole Christmas Hoilday period(with no pay)cuase they all could not agree.
Where would this nation be if the BIG CORPORATIONS could not get there act together an pass their operating budget. They do because former congresspeople don't work for them.
ENOUGH SAID.
RLD | Monday, November 12, 2007 | 08:39 AMIt's interesting, to say the least, in the context of this article that Congress made quite sure we all understood what their real priorities are when they passed, over the President's veto, the annual Liquid Pork Appropriation bill, i.e., the $23 billion water projects bill. Vets - schmets! Keep the pork rolling (or doing the backstroke possibly, as in this case). The Democrats said they'd set new national priorities, but it seems that campaign promises as usual go by the (diving) board when it comes down to making sure they can bring home the (waterlogged) bacon. Madam Speaker, your nose is growing ever faster; I guess Pinnochio is your true role model.
TR | Friday, November 09, 2007 | 05:26 PMNo one in Congress risks their life on a daily basis at work. Granted many have in the past, but not today. Not today do they have to sleep in the dirt, shake out the bugs in their sleeping bag, ponder if there is enough water for a shower and eat a pound or two of dust. I would think the people of this country would realize that the value of this country is not the members of Congress, the VALUE comes from the cost of VETERANS! Veterans, get involved in your local politics and lets bring this country back where it belongs; "...for the people..."
Ed | Friday, November 09, 2007 | 08:42 AMCongress has one monumental annual tasking under the Constitution...pass the budgets. Why should they receive a salary until they can accomplish their duties and obligations...oh wait they would have to pass that law...that's right. So why not vote out those who cannot accomplish their duties in a timely fashion. That would send a good message for the men and women in uniform.
Steve | Wednesday, November 07, 2007 | 04:19 PMLet's make Congress star using the VA for their medical care. Then let's see how quickly things get fixed for us vets.
CoCo | Wednesday, November 07, 2007 | 01:29 PMABOUT THIS BLOG
Allan Holmes on what's happening and what's being discussed in the world of federal information technology.
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