VA

New Documents Suggest Army Advised VA to Stop Counseling Soldiers on Disability Ratings

February 7, 2008 -- Washington, DC – Following the revelation today of documents indicating that a team dispatched from the Army Surgeon General’s office in Washington appeared to advise the VA to stop counseling soldiers on disability claims, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today again called on the Pentagon to conduct an investigation into the possible obstruction of VA assistance for wounded soldiers at Fort Drum, home of the Army’s 10th Mountain Division near Watertown, New York.    » read more »

Chairman and majority Committee members urge VA to improve proposed regulations and repeal "10 percent rule"

February 5, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, was joined by Senators Rockfeller, Murray, Obama, Tester, Brown, and Sanders in submitting formal comments yesterday on regulations proposed by the Department of Veterans Affairs governing compensation for veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBI is a signature wound of the war in Iraq, affecting many veterans who have suffered IED blast injuries.    » read more »

February 4, 2008 -- Honoring the nation’s commitment to care for the newest generation of combat veterans and service members from other conflicts and eras, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake announced today President Bush is seeking a budget of $93.7 billion in fiscal year 2009 for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), with health care and disability compensation for veterans targeted for most of the spending.

Medical Care    » read more »

Secretary James Peake: VA Will Provide Timely, Accessible and High-Quality Care

February 4, 2008, WASHINGTON – Honoring the nation’s commitment to care for the newest generation of combat veterans and service members from other conflicts and eras, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake announced today President Bush is seeking a budget of $93.7 billion in fiscal year 2009 for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), with health care and disability compensation receiving most of the funding.    » read more »

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2008--The national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is calling the president’s budget proposal for the Department of Veterans Affairs a good start, and is now asking Congress to improve upon the funding and policy package. He is also urging Congress to make sure that the VA receives its funding before the government's new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1.    » read more »

Kerry Concerned about Reports that Soldiers at Fort Drum were Blocked From Getting Help

01/30/2008 -- WASHINGTON DC – Senator John Kerry wrote letters today to Under Secretary of Defense David S. Chu and Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Peake asking for answers about recent reports that disabled soldiers at Fort Drum were actively blocked from receiving disability benefits. Recent news stories indicated that Army officials in upstate New York told staff at the VA to ignore disabled soldiers at the Fort Drum Army base.    » read more »

January 28, 2008, Washington, D.C. – NPR News reports that Army officials instructed the Department of Veterans' Affairs at a military base in upstate New York to stop assisting injured veterans with their military disability paperwork, which is used to determine annual disability payments. The report, from NPR Justice Correspondent Ari Shapiro, is airing tomorrow, Tuesday, January 29 on NPR News’ Morning Edition.    » read more »

Inspector General report finds Illinois hospital was complicit in several preventable deaths; Chairman notes national ramifications

January 29, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - Responding to a report issued today by the Department of Veterans Affairs Inspector General blaming the deaths of three patients at an Illinois VA Medical Center on substandard medical care and a systemic failure of management and oversight, U.S. Senator Daniel K.    » read more »

Concerns Add to Record of Bureaucratic Troubles for Wounded Soldiers

January 29, 2008 -- Washington, DC – Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today called on the Pentagon to fully investigate recent reports that the Army has blocked the Department of Veterans’ Affairs from helping injured soldiers at Fort Drum complete military disability paperwork. In a letter to Secretary of the Army Pete Geren, Senator Clinton expressed deep concern about these troubling new allegations, which come in the wake of earlier bureaucratic problems at Fort Drum.    » read more »

January 28, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today released the following statement after the publication of two reports by the Department of Veterans Affairs' inspector general and the Veterans Health Administration's medical examiner on unexpected deaths at the Marion VA Medical Center:

"Our veterans should expect nothing less than world class care and treatment at our nation's veterans' facilities. I remain deeply concerned over the unacceptable breakdown that led to these tragic deaths and substandard care at the Marion VA Medical Center.    » read more »

Less than Half of At-Risk Guard and Reserve Veterans are Referred to VA Facilities

January 25, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and member of the Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement today regarding the Government Accountability Office's report, entitled "VA and DOD Health Care: Administration of DOD's Post-Deployment Health Reassessment to National Guard and Reserve Servicemembers and VA's Interaction with DOD."    » read more »

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2007--The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is saluting the anticipated passage of a historic funding bill for the Department of Veterans Affairs, one that would add $3.7 billion to the $34 billion in discretionary funding the administration had proposed earlier this year.    » read more »

WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Senate last night unanimously confirmed a bill sponsored by U.S. Senators Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold to designate the Veterans Outpatient clinic in Green Bay the “Milo C. Huempfner Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic.” Mr. Huempfner received the Distinguished Service Cross for his service in World War II, making him Brown County’s highest decorated military veteran.    » read more »

December 5, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today released the following statement on the Senate Veterans Affairs’ Committee’s nomination hearing of Dr. James Peake, M.D., to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs:

“I hope that throughout this nomination process Dr. Peake will show how he plans to reform the VA to sufficiently meet the needs of our nation’s veterans. Under the Bush Administration, our veterans have suffered through a dysfunctional and adversarial claims process, unnecessary red tape, and lengthy wait times for health care.    » read more »

November 7, 2007 -- Washington, DC—Senate Democratic veterans held a press conference today to discuss the veterans’ funding bill Democrats want to send the President that includes the largest-ever increase in funding for our veterans. As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have stretched our VA increasingly thin, and as President Bush has consistently under-funded our veterans even in wartime, Democrats have led the fight to ensure our veterans receive the care they deserve. Senate Democrats called on Senate Republicans and President Bush to join them in supporting this funding.    » read more »