Lee F. Kichen

August 2007

BATTLING INSIDE THE BELTWAY

Federal Legislative Update

Dole-Shalala Task Force Release Recommendations-Last month the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors released its report to mixed reviews.  This Commission co-chaired by former Senator Robert Dole and former Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala after a two and one half month review of how the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs treat disabled veterans made some sweeping recommendations to the Executive and Legislative branches.  While the Veterans of Foreign Wars praises five of the six major recommendations made by the Commission; VFW Commander in Chief Gary Kurpius roundly criticized the Commission’s recommendation to create a two-tier veteran’s disability system.   The Commission recommends that the Congress create one compensation system for those injured in combat or training and another system for those whose injuries or illnesses are non-combat or training related.  In response to the report, Kurpius said: "The current system isn't perfect, but it does treat similar disabilities equally without regard to whether the injury was combat-related or training-related or due to an accident back at your home station. My entire organization consists of those who have served in harm's way, and as much as we want improvements, we don't want it at the expense of creating a dual system that compensates similar injuries or wounds differently.”   In letters to Senators Bill Nelson and Mel Martinez and six members of the House of Representatives who are on the Veterans Affairs Committee, State Commander Jack McDermott wrote:  “We are also concerned that the promised “quality of life” payment only be provided to those veterans’ whose disabilities have a combat related etiology.  The stark reality is that veteran who loses a leg to an IED in combat and the veteran who loses a leg as the result of an automobile accident while driving to his or her place of duty faces the same quality of life issues.”   In addition to quality of life issues, the economic impact is the same for both the combat and non-combat veteran.

McDermott also criticized the task force proposal to reexamine and reevaluate disabled veterans every three years.  “While we support the commission’s recommendation that DoD should make the determination as to whether or not the service member is fit to remain on active duty and that VA should determine the disability rating, we cannot support the recommendation that VA should reassess continued eligibility for payments and benefits every three years.  This is a resource intensive recommendation.  Given the backlog in claims awaiting decisions in VA’s compensation and pension service, this recommendation will only exponentially increase the workload of VA Regional Offices and the Health Care facilities further growing the already unacceptable backlog of claims awaiting decision.”

The Dole/Shalala report is the end product of about eighty days work and it appears to exceed the charter given to it by the President after the Walter Reed Army Medical Center story broke.  The Veterans of Foreign Wars view of this report is that it lacks the analysis that has characterized the work of the Veterans Disability Benefits Commission.  State Commander in closing his letter wrote:  “The Presidential commission attempted in two and one half months to address virtually the same questions painfully analyzed by the Congressionally mandated Veterans Disability Benefits Commission (VDBC) created in 2004.  I strongly urge the Congress not take any action on the recommendations proffered by Senator Dole and Secretary Shalala until the VDBC publishes its findings this October.”

Merchant Marine Pension Bill Too Generous-The House of Representatives recently passed H.R. 23 and sent it to the Senate for consideration.  If this bill becomes law it will guarantee all Merchant Marines a $1000.00 per month pension for life and upon the recipient’s death his widow will receive that pension for the rest of her life.  We believe that this bill is far too generous and disproportionate to the benefits received by other veterans and their survivors.  As an example, it is more than that received by a disabled veteran with an above the knee amputation rated as 60% disabled.  It is nearly as much as the $1014 pension provided to recipients of the Medal of Honor.  While providing a generous benefit to survivors of Merchant Mariners the House of Representatives this year, once again, refused to eliminate the so-called “Widows’ Tax” in which VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation offset his/her Survivors’ Benefits Annuity.  Seemingly, the House failed to recognize that members of the Merchant Marine received salaries far higher then the base pay of members of the Navy and Coast Guard during World War II.  Most importantly, these individuals were not combatants and could refuse any assignment into harm’s way.

House Passes Vet Legislation-Just before the August recess, the House of Representatives passed three VFW-supported bills to improve veterans' health care and housing. HR 2874 would increase care for homeless and low-income veterans, authorize a new grant for readjustment counseling, and provide transportation options for veterans living in rural or remote areas. HR 2623 would waive the co-payment for veterans receiving hospice care at home or in acute care facilities. The third bill, HR 1315, allows disabled service members who are temporarily staying with a family member to be eligible for adaptive housing assistance of up to $14,000.

TALLAHASSEE TALES

State Legislative Update

Bill Introduced to Expand Veterans’ Educational Benefits-State Representative Michael Scionti (D-58) recently introduced H.B. 59 which if enacted into law will provide a 50% tuition exemption to veterans attending Florida’s universities and community colleges.  One of the VFW’s state legislative priorities is to expand educational opportunities for Florida’s veterans.  The Veteran of Foreign Wars is gratified that Representative Scionti who is a member of Post 454 in Tampa is showing great leadership in championing this priority.  Representative Scionti is currently on active duty as a Captain in the Army Reserve’s Judge Advocate General Corps.  His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.

At Your Service with Retired U.S. Army Lt.Col. Lee Kichen is brought to you as a public service by News Sarasota.com, The News Sarasota Ezine And "The Captain's AMERICA" Show...

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