Watch Live: VFW to Testify Before House and Senate

*Update: Archived webcasts of Wednesday's hearings are now available. To view Joe Davis' testimony on Stolen Valor, click here. To view Ray Kelley's testimony on the 2013 VA budget, click here. 

The VFW will testify at two hearings this morning. VFW Legislative Director Ray Kelley will testify before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee alongside the Independent Budget partners to discuss the fiscal year 2013 VA budget. VFW Public Affairs Director Joe Davis will testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security Homeland Defense, and Foreign Operations to discuss Stolen Valor and military record-keeping.

Kelley’s hearing will take place in room 418 of the Russell Senate Office Building. Davis’ hearing will take place in room 2154 of the Rayburn House Office Building. Both hearings commence at 10 a.m. Live video from Kelley’s hearing will be available on the committee’s home page by clicking here, and Davis’ hearing can be viewed live by clicking here.

Stolen Valor:

The VFW has been a vocal proponent of preserving Stolen Valor legislation, the law that prohibits the false display of military awards and decorations that is currently under review by the Supreme Court. During his remarks, Davis will not only discuss why preserving Stolen Valor laws are critical to the veterans’ community, but also how the Department of Defense must also play a role in ensuring that military records are accurate and properly maintained. Testifying alongside Davis will be award and decorations experts from the military services, National Personnel Records Center Director Scott Levins, and Military Times Hall of Valor curator Doug Sterner. Sterner, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, is considered the nation’s most prominent expert on military award record-keeping and maintains the most accurate database of valor awards for U.S. military personnel.

Subcommittee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, decided to call the hearing after his own experiences in his district where constituents had made false claims of military awards.

VA Budget:

Similar to last week’s hearing before the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Kelley will focus his remarks on potential shortfalls in construction and infrastructure investment in the VA’s 2013 budget proposal.

The Independent Budget is a roadmap drafted by some of the nation’s leading veterans’ advocates, which Congress has used for more than a quarter century to help determine how to best fund VA. The Independent Budget partner organizations include AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and the VFW. The document also has the support of more than 50 other veterans’ organizations which have endorsed the Independent Budget recommendations. To learn more about the Independent Budget and to read this year’s specific budget proposal, click here.

Your VFW will bring you highlights and updates from both of today’s hearings. Check back later for updates.

VFW Joins VA Nurses for Legislative Roundtable

On Friday VFW joined the Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs, or NOVA, for their annual legislative roundtable at the Washington, D.C., office of the Disabled American Veterans, or DAV.

VFW Action Corps Manager Teresa Morris, who recently served on the NOVA foundation board, joined representatives from both the House and Senate Veterans Affairs committees, the American Nurses Association, Association of Veterans Affairs Nurse Anesthetists, National Association of Veterans Research and Education Foundations, and veterans advocates from the American Legion, DAV, Paralyzed Veterans of America and the Vietnam Veterans of America to discuss NOVA’s legislative priority goals for 2012.

The afternoon’s discussion centered around the fiscal year 2013 VA budget and the potential shortfalls in construction and research funding – particularly funding and availability of proper laboratory space. In addition to budget considerations, NOVA provided a handout of their legislative agenda for 2012 and discussed many areas of concern for nurses within the VA system, such as investment in proper IT infrastructure and programs to recruit and retain quality staff.

Morris discussed VFW’s role within the Independent Budget for VA, focusing on how inadequate funding for VA construction and infrastructure improvement could negatively affect veterans who rely on VA health care. The VFW testified on the VA’s budget proposal before the House Veterans Affairs Committee last week, expressing the same concerns.

Morris also focused on broader veterans’ health care issues outlined in the VFW’s 2012 Legislative Priority Goals including mental health, invisible wounds like post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, and proper training for all who serve in a patient care role to identify signs and symptoms related to these conditions.

House and Senate representatives talked about their committees’ priorities for the second session of the 112th Congress, stressing proper oversight of VA mental health programs and efficiencies within the department.

Next Wednesday, the VFW will appear before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee to once again discuss the FY2013 VA budget, continuing to advocate for proper VA funding and voicing similar concerns over proper infrastructure funding. As the 2013 budget process moves forward, check back regularly with this blog for updates.

Watch Live: VFW, Shinseki to Testify on VA Budget

*Update: To view the archived webcast of the hearing, click here. To read Stars & Stripes coverage of VFW's testimony, click here. 

This morning VA Secretary Eric Shinseki will appear before the House Veterans Affairs Committee to discuss the fiscal year 2013 VA budget. The VFW and our partners in the Independent Budget will also appear before the committee to present the veterans’ community’s views on how Congress should fund the department in the coming year.

The hearing will commence at 10:30 a.m. in the committee’s chambers, room 334 of the Cannon House Office Building. To view a live webcast of the hearing, click here.

The Independent Budget is a roadmap drafted by some of the nation’s leading veterans’ advocates, which Congress has used for more than a quarter century to help determine how to best fund VA. The Independent Budget partner organizations include AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and the VFW. The document also has the support of more than 50 other veterans’ organizations which have endorsed the Independent Budget recommendations. To learn more about the Independent Budget and to read this year’s specific budget proposal, click here.

National Legislative Director Ray Kelley will testify on behalf of the VFW, focusing on the VA’s construction and capital investment budget; an area in which the Independent Budget partners noticed considerable discrepancies between their analysis and VA’s budget proposal announced earlier this week.

Over the last two years, the VA budget has significantly scaled back capital investment projects in an effort to control spending during difficult fiscal times. In his remarks, Kelley plans to focus on why VA needs to properly invest in infrastructure to meet the ever-changing needs of a veterans’ population in flux.

To view a full list of panelists for this morning’s hearing, click here. Prepared remarks should also be available later today. Check back this afternoon for updates.

(Image: Cover of the FY2013 Independent Budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs.)

VFW Mobilizes to Fight Defense Budget Proposals

The Pentagon unveiled its budget proposal for fiscal year 2013 this week, drawing criticism from the VFW for several proposals potentially hurting military personnel and retirees.

In a statement this afternoon, the VFW balked at Pentagon recommendations to create tiered systems for retirees participating in TRICARE, as well as new pharmaceutical copayments for military dependents and retirees, calling the ideas “deal breakers.” These latest proposals come on the heels of new fee increases tied to annual cost-of-living adjustments approved by Congress just last year.

“We will not allow the nation’s economic problems drive a military downsizing strategy that breaks faith with every man and woman who has ever worn the uniform,” said VFW Commander-in-Chief Richard L. DeNoyer. “We will not allow the budget crisis to be more important that the men and women who serve and sacrifice to keep everything and everyone we hold dear safe.”

The VFW has been the most vocal opponent of proposed TRICARE and pharmaceutical increases since exposing the ideas as part of last summer’s “10 for 10” campaign, and DeNoyer said the VFW plans to vocally oppose these new proposals, mobilizing its grassroots Action Corps against these new increases.

VFW is calling on its members and advocates from coast to coast to reach out to their members of Congress, asking them to oppose increases in health care fees on military retirees and military families. VFW leaders have consistently said that such proposals break the nation’s promise to care for the men and women who defend our nation and their loved ones. To read the full Action Alert, or sign up to join the Action Corps, click here.

“So few Americans serve in the military, and far fewer serve a full career in the military, making these brave few an easy target for some in Washington now that the wars are no longer front-page news,” said VFW National Legislative Director Ray Kelley. “Our military retirees and our military families have earned these benefits through their sustained sacrifices, which is why it is our obligation as veterans’ advocates to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them to maintain the integrity of the system.”

The VFW offers resources to help you contact your legislators by clicking here.

Earlier this week, DeNoyer and the VFW praised the proposed increases in the VA budget, but cautioned that Defense cuts and lack of proper investment across VA could hurt the agency’s ability to care for today’s veterans.

“The VFW appreciates the proposed increase because it recognizes that the proper care and treatment of wounded, ill and injured veterans are ongoing costs of war," said DeNoyer. “We remain concerned, however, that the amount is not enough for the VA to maintain much less improve all the programs and services on their watch, especially knowing the Defense Department plans to shrink the size of the military, which will directly increase the number of veterans seeking VA care and services.”

The VFW will testify alongside partners in the Independent Budget before the House Veterans Affairs Committee tomorrow, outlining how the veterans’ community believes the VA should be funded in FY 2013. The Independent Budget is a roadmap for funding veterans’ programs compiled by AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America and the VFW that Congress has used for more than a quarter century to help guide the VA budget process. Details on the hearing can be found here, and check back with this blog tomorrow morning to watch live.

We want to hear your thoughts on this week’s budget proposals for both VA and DoD. Please leave your comments below and check back throughout this week for updates.