Today, U.S. Representative Jeff Miller (R-FL), Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, commended an agreement reached to boost employment opportunities for veterans.
After serving our country honorably, all veterans deserve the chance to earn a paycheck and support… Read more »
Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed by the 2012 Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for veterans receiving compensation for service-connected disabilities. The COLA also affects the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation of veterans who died as a result of service.
Although Congress has passed a COLA every year for veterans since 1976, there has not been an increase… Read more »
This week, the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity held two field hearings to discuss the employment problems facing veterans in local communities and how to solve those issues. The two hearings led by Subcommittee Chairman, Rep. Marlin Stutzman, and Ranking Member, Rep. Bruce Braley, were held in Waterloo, Iowa, and Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Iowa is home to 56 Army National Guard armories… Read more »
On Friday, October 14, 2011, the Chairman and the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Representatives Jeff Miller and Bob Filner, and the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Senators Patty Murray and Richard Burr, submitted a joint letter to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction.
The letter urges the… Read more »
In a 418-6 vote, the House stands behinds veterans. (Click here to learn more about the VOW Act)
The U.S. House of Representatives passed six pieces of veteran legislation with overwhelming bipartisan support this week (H.R. 2433, as amended; H.R. 2074, as amended; H.R. 2302, as amended; H.R. 2349, as amended; H.R. 1263, as amended; and H.R. 1025).
“The House of Representatives… Read more »
Today, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs heard testimony from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on problems that have plagued the Miami VA Medical Center (VAMC) for years including patient safety, compliance, budget and leadership issues, as well as several recent incidents involving veteran deaths. Members of the Committee were clearly disturbed by trends, which have… Read more »
Today, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on the most comprehensive jobs legislation introduced to end veteran unemployment – the Veterans Opportunity to Work Act of 2011 (the VOW Act). On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the latest unemployment figures, and while the national unemployment rate held at 9.1%, there was an alarming rise in veteran unemployment… Read more »
Today, the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs received an update on the state of Arlington National Cemetery. After years of poor management and neglect, it was revealed in 2010 that problems at the nation’s preeminent cemetery were rampant and included inaccurate burial records, unmarked graves, and a lack of accountability among senior management.
In… Read more »
Today, the Subcommittee on Health held an oversight hearing on the Federal Recovery Coordination Program (FRCP) and uncovered a worsening problem of care coordination between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD). The hearing was in response to a previous oversight hearing in May that exposed significant issues with the FRCP, which is meant to… Read more »
Today, the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity received an update on the VA-U.S. Paralympic Adaptive Sports Program. In the past year, the program has funded 72 organizations across the nation, helping disabled veterans overcome their injuries through adaptive sports. Through the program, U.S. Paralympics and VA hope to reach out to an additional 30 organizations in the coming… Read more »
