Category Archives: News
Congressional Budget Office suggests raising Tricare fees, cutting Veteran benefits to slash deficit:
The CBO suggested that increasing Tricare enrollment fees for working-age retirees — those under age 65 — could help slash the deficit by $12.6 billion. To obtain this, it said, the Defense Department should more than double annual enrollment fees … Continue reading
Veterans welcome? Less than 2 percent of Capitol Hill staffers have military experience:
How many times have you heard the media state that there are XXnumber of veterans either in Congress or working as Congressional staff members? In an article by Leo Shange on January 10, 2019 fewer than 2 percent of congressional … Continue reading
Veterans are 50% more likely to commit suicide:
Veterans are more likely to commit suicide than nonveterans and younger veterans are most at risk according to VA data. Veterans (and acitve military) who deployed to the Gulf War, Iraq, and Afghanistan have deployed more than 2 times and … Continue reading
What can veterans expect in 2019? According to officials, VA expects to:
Meet the June deadline to end the Choice Program as we know it and have the new community care program up and running. This means VA will be using new, simpler access standards for veterans to get care in thecommunity, … Continue reading
Blue Water Navy
On January 3, 2019, House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member, Dr. Phil Roe (TN), introduced H.R. 203, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019. On January 8, 2019, House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman, Mark Takano (CA), introduced H.R. … Continue reading
• Lawmakers worry none VA Private care program could be a ‘train wreck’:
Lawmakers from both parties cautioned the Veterans Affairs Department to tread carefully in enacting a law President Trump signed last year to give more veterans access to private sector health care, suggesting the current trajectory could sabotage the entire program. … Continue reading
• 115th Congress – Veteran legislative summary:
Congress was able to send several bills to the president before it concluded the 115th Congress. These included: • S. 2248, a miniature omnibus package, which improves programs for homelessness veterans, transition assistance, veteran-owned small businesses, student veterans, and also … Continue reading
• Legislation (Veteran tax legislation – H.R.1 |-Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Reform Issues):
For the final few months of 2018, Republican lawmakers have built and rebuilt legislation to expand or extend provisions and fix certain flaws in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act which was signed into law by President Donald Trump … Continue reading
VA’s public health approach to suicide prevention focuses on high-risk individuals, emphasizes community-based engagement:
VA’s Suicide Prevention Program recently released this video explaining how the organization is leveraging a public health approach to prevent Veteran suicide. “We often receive questions about what exactly the public health approach is,” said Wendy Lakso, deputy director, partnerships, … Continue reading
Veterans Benefits and Transition Act:
On December 20, 2018 Congress passed the package of veterans bills late Wednesday, known as the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act. The legislation garnered bipartisan support in both chambers. President Trump is expected to sign it into law in coming … Continue reading