GOVERNMENT LEGISLATIVE

U.S. GOVERNMENT LEGISLATIVE

August 2, 2008

Rolling Thunder Inc. National - Information Brief

AGENT ORANGE EQUITY: On 23 JUL House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA) held a press conference to announce the introduction of H.R. 6562, the Agent Orange Equity Act of 2008. The bill restores equity to all Vietnam veterans that were exposed to Agent Orange. It would clarify the laws related to VA benefits provided to Vietnam War veterans suffering from the ravages of Agent Orange exposure. From 1991 to 2002, the VA granted hundreds, if not thousands of disability claims filed by Navy blue water veterans suffering from one of the many diseases that VA recognizes as related to Agent Orange exposure. These benefits were awarded based on VA rules providing that service in the waters offshore Vietnam qualified the veteran for the presumption of exposure to Agent Orange. In FEB 02 VA did an about face and required veterans to have actually served on land within the Republic of Vietnam ? to qualify for the presumption of exposure to Agent Orange. As a result, all pending and new disability claims filed by Navy blue water veterans for an Agent Orange-related disease were denied unless there was proof that that the veteran actually set foot on Vietnamese soil. In addition, the VA began to sever benefits that had been granted to Navy blue water veterans prior to the 2002 change in VA rules.

In order to try to gain a better military vantage point, Agent Orange, which we now know is a highly toxic cocktail of herbicide agents, was widely sprayed for defoliation and crop destruction purposes all over the Vietnam War Battlefield, as well as nearby nations. It was also stored on U.S. vessels and used for vegetation clearing purposes around U.S. bases, landing zones and lines of communication. Currently, VA requires Vietnam veterans to prove foot on land in order to qualify for the presumptions of service-connection for herbicide-exposure related illnesses afforded under current law. This issue has been the subject of much litigation and on 8 MAY, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals upheld VAs overly narrow interpretation. Congress clearly did not intend to exclude these veterans from compensation based on arbitrary geographic line drawing by VA.

If enacted every service member awarded the Vietnam Service medal, or who otherwise deployed to land, sea or air, in the Republic of Vietnam is fully covered by the comprehensive Agent Orange laws Congress passed in 1991. It will make it easier for VA to process Vietnam War veterans claims for service-connected conditions that scientists have conclusively linked to toxic exposures during the Vietnam War and that are identified in current law. Chairman John Hall who leads the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, the subcommittee with jurisdiction over these issues stated, With this legislation, Congress will leave no doubt that the Blue Water Navy and all combat veterans of Vietnam are intended to be covered and compensated; thus ensuring that these veterans will receive the disability benefits they earned and deserve for exposure to Agent Orange. This is the cost of war. We asked these brave men and women to fight for us and serve their country, and it is a grave injustice that they have had to wait this long for treatment. We must place care of our soldiers among our top priorities. This applies for all past, present, and future conflicts

March 04, 2008

Rolling Thunder Inc. National - Information Brief

264 Co-Sponsors for HE.Res 111, But We’re Still Stuck In The Rules Committee ...

Early this week, Congressman Peter King, author of HE. Res 111 sent a letter to all co-sponsors requesting their signature on a letter addressed to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

The letter states, in part; “We are writing to respectfully ask for your support of H.Res.111, Establishing a Select Committee on POW and MIA Affairs. This resolution is extremely important to our veterans, which is why it has the bipartisan support of over 260 members of congress. As cosponsors of H.Res.111, we ask you to join us in supporting the formation of this select committee to recognize the servicemen captured and lost in combat.”

We need as many of the co-sponsors as possible to sign on to this letter. If your Congressional Representative has signed on to cosponsor H.Res 111, we ask that you contact them once again. Ask that they sign on to the letter submitted by Congressman King, addressed to Speaker Pelosi on behalf of H. Res 111.

The toll free number for Congress is 866-727-4894. Make the call, send the fax, or email. Not sure if your Congressional Representative is a cosponsor, visit www.nationalalliance.org/legis/110congress.htm

If your Representative is highlighted in red, he/she is a cosponsor.

And, remember if your Congressional Representative is not a cosponsor, keep working on them!

February 11, 2008
R T National - Information Brief

NDAA 2008 UPDATE 14:

The Senate passed a $696 billion 2008 Defense Authorization Bill H.R. 4986 22 JAN and President Bush signed it into law on 28 JAN. The fiscal 2008 defense budget has been laden with challenges, from Congress' inclusion of non-defense-related earmarks to its insertion of controversial language regarding Iraq. Bush announced 28 DEC that he wouldn't sign the bill until it was revised. Instead, the president signed an executive order authorizing a 3% military pay raise. The amount was 0.5 % lower than the 3.5% rate provided for in the authorization act, but took effect 1 JAN 08. All pays and incentives included in the authorization act will be retroactive to 1 JAN, a defense official said. The bill became law just a week before the next budget cycle begins as Bush sends his fiscal 2009 request to Capitol Hill. That budget proposal, along with a requested $70 billion in emergency war spending, is expected to be delivered to Congress 4 FEB.

The NDAA contains provisions improving the transition from active duty to veterans’ status and improving VA health care for returning service members, especially those with traumatic brain injury (TBI) or mental health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Among the key provisions to improve care for veterans and their families, the NDAA:

Provides an additional three years of access to free VA health care for returning service members from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Improves and expands VA’s ability to care for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with TBI, including research, screening, care coordination, and working with non-VA providers to provide the care needed by our veterans
Requires a comprehensive policy to address mental health conditions, including PTSD
Requires DOD and VA to streamline the records transmission process, including moving forward with fully interoperable medical records
Provides for a more seamless transition between active duty and veterans’ status, including a single physical exam for DOD and VA benefits
Creates Wounded Warrior Resource Center to serve as a single point of contact for service members, their families, and primary caregivers to report issues with facilities, obtain health care, and receive benefits information
Requires VA to provide age-appropriate nursing home care for our veterans
Allows members of the National Guard and Reserves that are eligible for Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP) to use their education benefits for ten years after separation
Requires a study on the feasibility of streamlining statutory provisions addressing GI Bill benefits for active duty and guard and reserves.

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