VFW WASHINGTON WEEKLY, May 23, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008 at 08:59 PM
by Missouri
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SERVICE1. Tough Fight Still Awaits New GI Bill
2. House Passes Vet Bills
3. Senate Healthcare Hearing
4. Congress in Recess
NATIONAL SECURITY & FOREIGN AFFAIRS
1. House Approves FY09 NDAA
2. House Honors POWs
3. Korean War MIAs Identified
4. Reserve Component Mobilization
NATIONAL VETERANS SERVICE
1. Memorial Day 2008
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SERVICE
1. Tough Fight Still Awaits New GI Bill: The Senate voted 75-22
yesterday to advance the VFW-backed GI Bill for the 21st century, but no
one is celebrating yet, because S. 22 is attached to a war supplemental
funding bill that also includes billions in domestic spending that the
president said he would veto. Though there is still a long way to go
before the 21st century GI Bill becomes reality, all VFW members should
take great pride in yesterday's overwhelming affirmation in the Senate.
The Senate package now goes to the House to reconcile differences. The
House passed the 21st century GI Bill last week by a vote of 256-166.
Go here to see how your senator voted:
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm
.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00137
Go here to see how your representative voted:
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll330.xml
2. House Passes Vet Bills: The House cleared several VFW-supported bills
this week. They are:
* H.R. 5856 would authorize funds for construction and leases of a
number of VA medical facilities, to include a polytrauma health care and
rehabilitation facility in San Antonio, construction of a new facility
in Las Vegas, and consolidation of two VA campuses in Pittsburgh.
* H.R. 3819 would reimburse veterans receiving emergency treatment
in non-VA facilities until the veteran is transferred to a VA facility
* H.R. 5826 would provide a cost-of- living increase for
disability compensation, DIC, and a clothing allowance based on the rate
of increase given Social Security effective December 31, 2008.
* H.R. 3480 protects grave markers from crimes by enforcing
federal desecration laws.
3. Senate Healthcare Hearing: VFW testified this week before the Senate
VA Committee on a broad range of health care bills. The legislation
before the committee ranged from new ways to fund the VA health care
system, mental health benefits for the newest generation of veterans,
outreach efforts, and benefits for those who offer home care for the
severely wounded. Some of the bills we testified in support of include:
* S. 2639, Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Act, would
provide a funding mechanism to ensure that VA is given a sufficient,
timely and predictable budget.
* S. 2797 would authorize the construction and leasing of a number
of major medical facilities throughout the country.
* S. 2799, The Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act, would
expand and improve health care services provided to female veterans, to
include requiring VA to hire a full-time women veterans' program manager
at each medical center.
* S. 2929, The Caring for Wounded Warriors Act, would create pilot
programs to improve care for veterans suffering from traumatic brain
injuries. It would also offer training and certification programs for
family caregivers to serve as personal care attendants, thus qualifying
them for VA compensation.
For a complete listing of bills and/or to read VFW testimony, go to the
Senate VA Committee website at: http://veterans.senate.gov/public/
4. Congress in Recess: Congress recessed on Thursday for the Memorial
Day weekend and will return to Washington June 2. Still awaiting passage
is VA Funding (Appropriations), War Supplemental funding, Defense bill
provisions and other veterans' bills important to the VFW. Now is a
great time to make an appointment to visit your members in their
district offices. Review the VFW legislative Priority Goals and tell
your elected officials that we expect them to do the right thing for all
veterans. For a list of House/Senate district offices, go to:
http://capwiz.com/vfw/dbq/officials/
NATIONAL SECURITY & FOREIGN AFFAIRS
1. House Approves FY09 NDAA: The House passed the FY 2009 National
Defense Authorization Act yesterday by a vote of 384-23. Among many
other defense initiatives, the bill provides a 3.9-percent pay raise for
all service members; much need money for National Guard and Reserve
equipment; military construction funding to improve and upgrade housing,
recreation and other defense facilities; increases Army and Marine
personnel end strength; and prohibits fee increases in TRICARE and its
pharmacy program.
2. House Honors POWs: Late last night, before recessing for Memorial
Day, the House adopted H.Res. 986 to express gratitude for and recognize
the courage and sacrifice of those members of the U.S. Armed Forces who
were held as prisoners of war during the Vietnam War, and calling for a
full accounting of the 1,729 military members who remain missing and
unaccounted-for from that war. It also urges states, localities and all
Americans to honor the courage and sacrifice of members of the Armed
Forces who were held as POWs during the Vietnam War.
3. Korean War MIAs Identified: The Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office
announced that the remains of Army Sgt. 1st Class George W. Koon of
Leesville, SC, and Sgt. 1st Class Jack O. Tye of Loyall, KY, have been
identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full
military honors. In late November 1950, Koon was assigned to Medical
Company, 9th Infantry Regiment, and Tye was assigned to Company L, 38th
Infantry Regiment. Both were members of the 2nd Infantry Division
advancing north of Kunu-ri, North Korea. On Nov. 25, the Chinese Army
counterattacked in what would become known as the Battle of the Chong
Chon (River). This combat was some of the fiercest of the war, and the
2nd Division initiated a fighting withdrawal to the south. Koon and Tye
were captured by Chinese forces during the intense enemy fire, and
subsequently died while in captivity from malnutrition and medical
neglect. In 2002, two joint U.S./North Korean teams, led by the Joint
POW/MIA Accounting Command, investigated and excavated a mass burial
site located 20 miles northwest of Kunu-ri, along the route taken by
captured Americans who were being moved to permanent POW camps along the
Yalu River. The teams recovered remains at the site believed to be
those of several U.S. servicemen, including Koon and Tye.
4. Reserve Component Mobilization: The total number currently on active
duty in support of the partial mobilization for the Army National Guard
and Army Reserve is 76,905; Navy Reserve, 4,725; Air National Guard and
Air Force Reserve, 8,445; Marine Corps Reserve, 8,904; and the Coast
Guard Reserve, 341. This brings the total number of mobilized Guard and
Reserve personnel to 99,320, an increase of 139 from last week.
NATIONAL VETERANS SERVICE
1. Memorial Day 2008: The following is a recently published Military
Times editorial, entitled, "Remember the fallen." The United States is
almost 232 years old, the world's greatest and oldest experiment in
freedom and democracy. In that short history, Americans have paid for
that freedom - and increasingly over the past century, for the freedom
of untold others - in the blood and noble sacrifice of those who heard
the call to service and gave their lives to the cause.
* Some 4,435 died for their new country in the American
Revolution.
* 2,260 in the War of 1812.
* 13,283 in the Mexican War.
* 529,511 - probably more, but records are incomplete - in the
American Civil War.
* 2,446 in the Spanish-American War.
* 116,516 in World War I.
* 405,399 in World War II.
* 36,574 in the Korean War.
* 58,209 in the Vietnam War.
* 19 in Grenada for Operation Urgent Fury.
* 383 in the Persian Gulf War.
* 23 in Panama for Operation Just Cause.
* 43 in Somalia for Operation Restore Hope.
* 496 in Operation Enduring Freedom and 4,069 in Operation Iraqi
Freedom - and counting.
That's 1,173,666 in all. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, more have died in
service to our country on virtually every continent on the globe in
conflicts we either don't recall or won't acknowledge. This Memorial
Day, take a moment to remember them.
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