VA

Record Budget Enhances VA’s Ability to Become a 21st Century Organization

May 7, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced President Obama’s 2010 budget for VA. The budget emphasizes a Veteran-centric commitment to expanded services with a 15.5 percent increase over 2009, the largest percentage increase for VA requested by a president in more than 30 years.    » read more »

Challenge to Congress is pass appropriations before Oct. 1

Washington, D.C., May 7, 2009– The nation’s largest organization of combat veterans is very pleased with the administration’s fiscal year 2010 budget request for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

“This is a very good budget,” said Glen M. Gardner Jr., the national commander of the 2.2 million-member Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. and its Auxiliaries.    » read more »

March 18, 2009 -- Colorado Governor Bill Ritter issued the following statement today applauding Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki's decision to move forward with a standalone veterans hospital at the Anschutz medical campus at Fitzsimons in Aurora:

"This is great news not just for the more than 400,000 military veterans who live in Colorado, but for the entire state. I applaud Secretary Shinseki's decision to move ahead with a standalone hospital so that we can begin to properly repay the debt we owe to Colorado's veterans. This will allow us to honor them and serve their needs in a state-of-the-art medical center.    » read more »

Washington, March 4, 2009 - The national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. wants the Obama administration to kill a controversial budget proposal that would bill veterans with private health insurance for the care they receive for their service-connected disabilities and wounds.

"It is unconscionable to pass along the costs of war to wounded and disabled veterans," said the VFW's Glen M. Gardner Jr., a Vietnam veteran from Round Rock, Texas. "This is one policy proposal that the VFW will work hard to defeat because it breaks a sacred trust that veterans have with their government."    » read more »

Funding Plan Improves Access, Modernizes Technology

February 27, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – President Obama's first proposed budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) expands eligibility for health care to an additional 500,000 deserving Veterans over the next five years, meets the need for continued growth in programs for the combat Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, and provides the resources to deliver quality health care for the Nation’s 5.5 million Veteran patients.

The 2010 budget request is a significant step toward realizing a vision shared by the President and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki to transform VA into an organization that is people-centric, results-driven and forward-looking.    » read more »

Funding Plan Improves Access, Modernizes Technology

(Feb. 26, 2009) – President Obama's first proposed budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) expands eligibility for health care to an additional 500,000 deserving Veterans over the next five years, meets the need for continued growth in programs for the combat Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, and provides the resources to deliver quality health care for the Nation’s 5.5 million Veteran patients.

The 2010 budget request is a significant step toward realizing a vision shared by the President and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki to transform VA into an organization that is people-centric, results-driven and forward-looking.    » read more »

February 3, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama has announced his intent to nominate L. Tammy Duckworth, director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, to be the Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

“Effective communications with Veterans and VA’s stakeholders is key to improving our services and ensuring Veterans receive the benefits they deserve,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “Tammy Duckworth brings significant talent, leadership and personal experience to this important work.”    » read more »

January 21, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – Retired Army Gen. Eric K. Shinseki took the oath of office today as the Nation’s seventh Secretary of Veterans Affairs, assuming the leadership of the Department of Veterans Affairs following Tuesday's confirmation by the Senate.

"The overriding challenge I am addressing from my first day in office is to make the Department of Veterans Affairs a 21st century organization focused on the Nation's Veterans as its clients," Shinseki said.

Shinseki plans to develop a 2010 budget within his first 90 days that realizes the vision of President Obama to transform VA into an organization that is people-centric, results-driven and forward-looking.    » read more »

September 24, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Barack Obama today sent the following letter to Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary James Peake, requesting that he release critical information and data relating to veterans health care, disability claims and Vet Center activity. Since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began, veterans have faced unique challenges as they return to their families and communities, including health-related needs as well as community readjustment concerns.    » read more »

June 17, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Barack Obama (D-IL) today issued the following statement after reviewing a report issued by the Veterans Affairs Office of Resolution Management (ORM) which assessed the work environment at the VA Medical Center in Marion, Illinois.

“This new report from the VA confirms many of our suspicions about the problem that existed at the Marion VA Medical Center. The report paints a disturbing picture -- a management culture that compounded problems at the facility; management at the regional level that did not serve as a quality check on the Marion facility; and no way for employees to complain or make meaningful suggestions about problems when they arose.”    » read more »

6/16/2008 - WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- Many home owners have found it difficult recently to pay their mortgages, but quick intervention by loan counselors at the Department of Veterans Affairs has actually reduced the number of veterans defaulting on their home loans.

"VA is reaching out to veterans, both those who use our home-loan guaranty program and those who don't take advantage of our guaranties, to keep people in their homes," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. "I'm proud of our solid record of success in helping veterans and active-duty personnel deal with financial crises."    » read more »

Chicago, IL -- May 29, 2008 -- "Today's news is a tragic reminder of the staggering and ongoing costs of the Iraq war, particularly on our troops and their families. We are more than five years into this war, and the Pentagon and VA are still unprepared to treat the unseen wounds of battle.

We know that incidence of psychological injury increase with each additional tour of duty in Iraq, and that our troops are not getting the support they need. Too many are falling through the cracks because they need help but feel they can't get it.    » read more »

Senators ask for explanation of ABI investigation delay

May 27, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - Two weeks after the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Marion, Illinois resumed outpatient surgeries, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Barack Obama (D-IL) and Representative Jerry Costello (D-IL) today requested a meeting with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, James Peake, to discuss the progress at the Marion facility.

The Senators are asking for an update on the status of a pending Administrative Board of Investigation (ABI) report at the Marion facility to determine which individuals were responsible for allowing a decline in the quality of patient care, including nine deaths as a result of substandard care.    » read more »

May 16, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, sent a letter to Veterans Affairs Secretary James Peake today, in response to a recently disclosed email from a VA mental health professional which suggested that time and money could be saved if VA stopped diagnosing veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. Akaka also made a statement on this matter earlier today, calling the email "disturbing and disappointing."

A copy of the letter is copied below:

May 16, 2008

The Honorable James B. Peake, MD

Secretary of Veterans Affairs

810 Vermont Avenue

Washington, DC 20420

Dear Secretary Peake:    » read more »

May 16, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Barack Obama today sent the following letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Peake, calling on him to investigate reports that a psychologist at a Texas Veterans Affairs (VA) facility told staff members to refrain from diagnosing veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in order to reduce costs.

Barack Obama rally, Portland, Oregon: Photo by Brian Brewer (CC)    » read more »