President Obama: Make Veterans a Priority in the First 100 Days
Last night, everyone had a blast at The Huffington Post Ball. But today, all eyes are focused on our nation's Capitol. I'm pleased to report that IAVA members are well-represented at the historic Inauguration of President Obama.
But after all the ceremonies, the parades and the parties end, the real work begins. We all know that our country is facing tremendous challenges. While times are tough for the country as a whole, the economic crisis is hitting our newest generation of heroes even harder. Foreclosure rates in military towns are increasing at four times the national average. The unemployment rate of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who have left the active-duty military was over 8 percent in 2007, about 2 percent higher than their civilian peers. And already 2,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are homeless.
Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are facing a host of other issues as well, from alarming rates of mental health injuries to inadequate VA healthcare. This is why IAVA is calling on the Obama administration to take bold action on each of the following items within the first 100 days in office:
•Prioritize veterans in the economic stimulus package. Caring for our veterans isn't just the right thing to do - it is a sound economic investment. We need tax credits for patriotic employers that hire new veterans and reservists, support for veterans struggling with student loans, and an investment in shovel-ready projects like repairing veterans' hospitals and cemeteries.
•Ensure that veterans don't have to fight for hospital and clinic funding. Because of delays and backlogs in Congress, the veterans' budget is often passed late, forcing VA facilities to ration care. Imagine trying to plan your family's budget if you didn't know the amount of your next paycheck. That is what the VA has to do every year. Advance-funding the VA budget will ensure that veterans get the care they need in a timely fashion.
•Implement GI Bill transferability. The historic Post-9/11 GI Bill, passed last year, included a provision to allow servicemembers to transfer their GI Bill education funding to a spouse or dependent. But the military has been dragging its feet on getting the regulations in place, so servicemembers are still waiting for that benefit. President Obama must give the bureaucracy a kick in the pants, and make this benefit a reality.
•Aggressively address troops' mental health injuries. The military has a dangerous shortage of mental health professionals right now. The Obama Administration should act immediately to implement new recruitment and retention bonuses and special pays to encourage psychiatrists and psychologists to join and stay in the military and VA.
President Obama and the First Lady have frequently pledged support for our military families and veterans out on the campaign trail. But as President Obama takes the oath of office, we want to make sure that he does not forget these promises. Please join IAVA in signing an open letter to President Obama, asking him to ensure that veterans' issues are made a top priority. We look forward to serving as a resource to the new Administration. But we'll also be working to ensure that the promises made to those who have served our country are promises kept.
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Completely agree with you, Paul. As I usually do. As Gov. Richardson, NM, has done there, I would like to see the Veterans Affairs hoisted to a cabinet level position in every state. Treating Veterans as saviors of freedom is overdue and begins with WWII Veterans and doesn't just include Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. Please be inclusive in your postings with Korea and Vietnam Veterans. We've done a lot to make sure the current warriors and Veterans are welcomed home properly. With 2.1 million Veterans having served in Vietnam, that's a lot of forgotten warriors. Please don't forget us, again.
I've been fighting for a couple of decades to get the means test and co-pay turned back and Veterans get the benefits we were promised and signed for, upon entering the military service, without further compensation. Isn't our life, body and mind enough to give?
Keep up the good fight, Paul. There are many Veterans out here across the nation, agreeing with you. By the way, Veterans should be spelled with a capital V... always.
Paul, I think Obama will help, but we need to keep on him as there are a lot of things on his plate. But you have a big microphone right now so please keep up the good work.
Meanwhile, there are many things the rest of us can do to help our veterans as well as active service members. If you are not sure how to help, may I suggest Paul's oraganization site IAVA.org or PatriotGua
Finally, a post on this website that is concise, respectful, to-the-point, and RIGHT!
Paul,
I fully agree with the need to get the coverage for Veterans and Military Members to a level that fully compensates the sacrifices we have made in the Service of our Country. I don't know if you saw it or not, but Jon had a great post yesterday that seems to indicate that PRESIDENT OBAMA (God, I love writing that) HEARS US, LOUD AND CLEAR!
http://www
If this is any indication of what we can expect to see for the next 100 days, all of your/our concerns, should be properly addressed!
We can all help "Keep the Administration on task", but it certainly looks as if that will not be a difficult proposition.
Two things. First, I agree with almost all your points. Second, have you thought of posting this exact thing on O's website. My understanding is that all initiatives like this get voted on each week with the winning ideas being brought to O's desk. I'm not speaking for anyone else but I'd vote for this no matter what week it was posted. Also you might want to get a former West Winger from the Clinton ad min on The New VA Secs team. Budget process is like a boxing match, each groups fighting as hard as they can for their ground and their priorities. No one just steps back. You have to take the money from someone else and that requires someone with serious insider skills. I'm with you.
J
Dear Mr. Paul Rieckhoff, I would like to know exactly how you are able to be tolerated here. My only guess is that you never served in the IDF. Whatever your magic is, please forward it to Israel, care of murderous, war-crime committing, holocausting, genociding, act-ofwar- blockading, Israeli government and soldiers.
What are you talking about rocketman? and please tell me your name isn't a shout out to Hamas shooting rockets at Israel.
I am hopeful that Veterans' needs will be met and maybe even exceeded. Michelle Obama is also very partial to military families as we all know. I believe with the new Vets leader on the Obama team, Gen. S., President Obama will be sure to start to change things. He was again at Walter Reid to visit. I feel like I can breathe again. Thank you, Paul, for all that you do for our military. veterans, and their families.
im sure he will . but i hope i see u on tv more than just olbeman show promoting what obama will do to help them . u were never on fox letting the right wing know what bush was not doing. blogging is great but cable is where the right wing watches tv every night and all they hear is right wing propaganda. . u have right wing bigot rush limbaugh saying he wants the comander in cheif barak obama to fail . he has 1 hour on armed forces radio to spit out his hate !!!!!!!!!! the troops will hear this. we need to blog and get on the cable shows and fight the fake right wing love of the troops. they should be very angry that rush the bigot limbaugh said he wants the commander in cheif to fail but they are not . !!!!!!!!!! these people give their lives and they still have to get in line for months for care. i thought bush was for the troops. ????
Are you saying that my tax dollar is being used to promote Rush's venomous diatribes on government backed radio? Dennis, take care of this. There should not be a Congressperson in Washington that would agree to this this.
By expanding the badly needed care for all vets who need it - from those who served from WWII to present day Iraq - will add many good paying jobs throughout the USA too. It can be a win-win situation. The other proposals in this article would also help so many throughout the country as well as truly support our troops. Now to get out of Iraq and Afganistan would be the best for all vets.
Now that the fall-out from unemployment is being felt, there are many medical people that could use a job. Care for our vets could be part of the economic stimulus program.
I happen to be a Korean War (remember that bloody stupidity?) Of course, take care of our veterans, but more importantly, stop getting our people killed and maimed in illegal, unnecessary, and endless wars. Time to stop it. If Obama is big on George Washington, perhaps he might consider his advice that our nation should avoid getting entangled in foreign affairs. When "Armistice Day" (which celebrated peace) was turned into "Veteran's Day" (which celebrates past wars) we were given a sign -- perhaps too late. I haven't heard much from Obama either against the Israeli madness in the Mideast cesspool, or any talk other than a "surge" in Afghanistan. More Veterans anyone?
A thoughtful post; thanks.
The Commission’s report provides 113 recommendations that would help to ensure that the
benefit fairly compensates the service-disabled veterans and their families, as well as help
them live with dignity as they rehabilitate and reintegrate into civilian life. The Commission
identified 14 priority recommendations, among them include:
Using an updated VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD) that would include the
evaluation and rating of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental
disorders and of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in both the DoD and VA and would be
revised to account for new diagnostic classifications, medical criteria and medical
advances;
more at https://ww
Initially increasing compensation rates up to 25 percent to take into account the quality
of life and other non-work related effects of severe disabilities on veterans and their
families;
Our military has enough stress to deal with without having to worry about their homes and future employment prospects. Isn't this what tax dollars are ACTUALLY supposed to be used for? Why aren't soldiers getting a chunk of this bailout money?
They make few political contributions?
I hope military families get the support and help they so deserve. While many of us not be supportive or agree with the current military policies, I don't personally' know of anyone who doesn't support our military men and women, who put their lives on the line for all of us every day.
Good morning Paul! Hope the day is a fabulous one. I agree that President Obama should make helping our returning military and their families a first priority. And I believe he will. Keep the faith and stay strong. I admire you greatly.
I hope you feel this way about all Veterans having served in wars operated completely different, but the effects were the same. There are still many WWII, Korean and Vietnam Veterans that are fighting every day for the benefits that were guaranteed them but dimenished with the passing of the "Means Test" by Reagan. We've suffered from our war experience, too. AND, we continue to be forgotten and deserve first priority. One thing different, the Iraq and Afghanistan military is all volunteer. Vietnam Veterans were drafted... prisoners of war.
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