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Legislation and News from Congress

House and Senate Veteran Affairs News and Legislative Issues


Overturn the Feres Doctrine. Seek a Veterans Bill of Rights that provides veterans the same rights other citizens are granted to include right to due process, stare decisis, earned benefits, 5th amendment property rights, etc.

Support full funding/Require a trust be established Passage of legislation to establish full funding as a trust fund (comparable to Social Security/Medicare) or "x" year funding for health care, disability pensions & payments, burial rights, education, and home loans for those that serve.

HELPPP - BWN - AODV - Grassroots Vietnam Vets Support passage of Concurrent Receipt and DIC/SBP. Support the Disabled Veterans Fairness Act, and The Agent Orange Equity Act, the The Military Retirees' Healthcare Protection Act, The Surviving Spouses Improvement Act.

Advisory Committee on Disability Benefits Ask the Congress to require the dismissal of old VBA managers and their cronies and include Grassroots Veterans with Veteran's interests to be placed on the Commission.

Amend S. 3023 The Veterans Benefit Improvement Act of 2008 Revise the Disability Schedule and the Claims Process to make it a submit, verify, pay, and audit system that processes claims within 30 days. Veterans are not criminals, why are they treated that way! S3023 doesn't do it!

Provide Oversight with real Teeth! Aggressive oversight of the DVA by the House & Senate Committees on Veterans Affairs. The DVA leadership's unethical corporate culture and attitude of non-compliance with the law must lead to resignations and prosecutions of individuals to change it.

USDR Legislative Alerts Tell Congress to Do the Right Thing - Let them know You are Watching Them!!

Senate Committee on VA News & Hearings


Review of Veterans' Disability Compensation: Forging a Path Forward July 29, 2009

Women Veterans: Bridging the Gaps in Care July 14, 2009

Philadelphia VA Medical Center's Terminated Cancer Treatment Program Field Hearing on Philadelphia VA Terminated Cancer Treatment Program June 29, 2009, 10:00 AM Philadelphia VA Medical Center

Oversight of VA Quality Management Activities June 24 2009

Legislation in the House and Senate

Legislation to Support with Modification


Omnibus Veterans’ Benefits Bill Now Law The bill does not help Veterans!!! One section even initiates tighter controls on the VBA and CAVC rulings, hindering Veteran Advocates. See http://veterans.house.gov/legislation/110legislation.shtml

The Agent Orange Equity Act (modified) Clear definitive language is added. Additional locations including bases in the US where it was tested and stored. Section 111 from H. R. 5892 are moved here and a release of classified documents to the DVA requirement is added.

Legislation in the House and Senate

Legislation to Support


Parkinson's Bill Reintroduced Week of April 06, 2009

H.R. 333 - Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act‏ Support would correct several wrongs enacted with the original concurrent receipt legislation in 2004.

H.R. 613 - The Military Retiree Survivor Comfort Act (Corrected)‏ The bill would authorize the retention of the full final month's retired pay by the surviving spouse (or other designated survivor) for the month in which the member was alive for at least 24 hours.

H.R. 816 The Military Retirees’ Healthcare Protection Act, Support "The Military Retirees’ Healthcare Protection Act", introduced Tuesday, is important because of its chief sponsor — Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Texas — and because of the timing.

Spina Bifida Health Care Expansion Act Add all disabilities caused by Spina Bifida for the children of AO Vets.

H.R.2642 : Veterans Missing in America Act of 2009 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to assist in the identification of unclaimed and abandoned human remains to determine if any such remains are eligible for burial in a national cemetery, and for other purposes.

S. 535 - Repeal the SBP/DIC Offset Repeal of the SBP/DIC Offset. SBP is paid for, DIC is an earned benefit and these are needed by Veterans widows to survive.

Amendment to the Agent Orange Act of 1991 Adds Cancers to the Presumptive List in 1116b

Veterans News and Advocacy

New Stories from Vet Sites and Newspapers


Can the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Manage One Million Claims? From the House, June 18, 2009 Multimedia Link

At V.A. Hospital, a Rogue Cancer Unit June 20, 2009 By WALT BOGDANICH NY Times

VA nears 1 million unprocessed claims (Testimony from Michael Walcoff) Pacific edition, Saturday, June 20, 2009

Number of VA claims poised to hit 1 million Thu Jun 18, 8:46 am ET By KIMBERLY HEFLING, Associated Press Writer Kimberly Hefling, Associated Press Writer

Veterans Affairs grilled over botched colonoscopies Thursday, June 18, 2009 By Ben Evans Associated Press Writer

Veterans Affairs Department Expands Coverage Amid Patient Safety Concerns 17 Jun 2009 AP News Medical News Today

Quilt of Tears recalls Agent Orange victims May 21, 2009 11:09 pm By Audrey Stanton Register-Herald Features Editor

Current News from Across America

Articles of Concern AO Today


Legislation to restore Agent Orange benefit May 28 - June 4, 2009 By TOM KANE

Highly Sensitive Test Can Detect Dioxin Years After Exposure Published: October 14, 1986 By Erik Eckholm Republished in the NY Times Saturday, February 14, 2009

Study links heart disease, Agent Orange toxin Posted : Friday Nov 21, 2008 16:20:27 EST Navy Times By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer

Filner Pledges "ALL VETERANS" Will Be Covered August 21, 2008 VA Watchdog.Org Changes to H.R. 6562 in the works

GAO Audit Reports


Overview of VA’s Capital Asset Management GAO-09-686T June 9, 2009

Expansion of Enrollment in the VA Health Care System GAO-09-734R June 1, 2009

Military Disability Retirement: Closer Monitoring Would Improve the Temporary GAO-09-289 April 13, 2009

Department of Veterans Affairs Contracting with Veteran Owned-Small Businesses GAO-09-391R March 19, 2009

Information Technology: Challenges Remain for VA's Sharing of Electronic Health Records with DOD GAO-09-427T, March 12, 2009

VA Health Care: Challenges in Budget Formulation and Execution GAO-09-459T, March 12, 2009

Traumatic Brain Injury: Better DOD and VA Oversight Can Help Ensure More Accurate, Consistent, and Timely Decisions for the Trau GAO-09-108, January 29, 2009

DOD’s and VA’s Sharing of Information Could Benefit from Improved Management GAO-09-268, January 28, 2009

Better Incentives, Workforce Planning, and Performance Reporting Could Improve Program GAO-09-34, January 26, 2009

Long-Term Care Strategic Planning and Budgeting Need Improvement GAO-09-145, January 23, 2009

Veterans Websites

The Best of the Best


2nd Battalion 94th Artillery Question about Herbicides? This Man Knows His Stuff!

BlueWaterNavy.Org John Rossie Keeps You Updated on the Haas Case and Much More

CyberSarge Sarges AO Page and Links to Much More

HadIt.Com Yes We Have! Don't miss this site. One of the most knowledgeable people working for Vets is here!

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) For Vets Doing Battle Today. The Organization that will replace the VFW.

Missing in America Project Righting the Wrongs Done by the VBA

Project Shad ProjectShad.com is dedicated to providing a central point of collection for information related to our immoral Government testing on veterans since WWII.

Quilt Of Tears They are called the "Quilt of Tears" for the many victims of AO.

United Female Veterans Of America, Inc. Supporting Women Vets and their issues across America

Uniformed Services Disabled Retirees (USDR) Military Retiree Advocate. Everyone should receive Charlie's Alerts

More Veterans Websites

More of the Best


Veterans Affairs Department of Veterans Affairs Site

Veterans for America (VFA) Formerly VVAF

Veterans for Change Supporting Veterans Causes and Legislation

Veterans Information A Website of Information and Links So You Do Not Have to Search the Web

Veterans United For Truth Inc. Vets standing up for vets! Keep abreast of current veterans issues here!

Viet-REMF This web site is established and maintained to specifically honor the service of all who served in rear echelon assignments on land, sea and air, whether "in-country" or "in-theater".

Veterans Today Up to date articles for all veterans

Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) "Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another".

Viper's Veteran Resources One of the Best

VoteVets.org Jon Soltz and friends keep us on the front pages

Bulletins and Other Information


2009 COLA for Retirees Military.com

Veteran's Death Pension Military.com

The Survivor Benefit Plan Explained

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation Military.com

2009 Military Pay Charts The following tables reflect the 3.9 percent military pay raise for 2009, will go into effect Jan. 1, 2009.

Understanding Special Pay

Information of Use to Veterans [Work in Progress]

Useful information from Many Sites on the Internet


Federal Benefits 2009 Edition New Edition of Veterans Federal Benefits

Self-Help Guide for VA Claims NVLSP Guide

Self-Help Guide for Gulf War Veterans NVLSP Guide

Self-Help Guide for Agent Orange NVLSP Guide

Survival Guide for Vets VFA Guide

Appeal Process An overview and step by step process from Military.com

Veteran Disability Compensation An Overview of Veteran Disability Compensation from Military.com

Veteran's Pension Summary of Veteran's Pension from Military.com

Book list


The Three Trillion Dollar War by Linda Bilmes, Joseph Stiglitz

Vietnam's White Orange Blue Rain Agents by Charles Kelley

Federal Benefits for Veterans And Dependents 2008 by Department of Veterans Affairs

VHA Handbook 1302.01 by Department of Veterans Affairs

KURT PRIESSMAN

Occupation

Vet Advocate

Location

Vernon, Texas

Interests

Advocating for Veterans and changing the DVA

I served for 20 years in the USAF and 16 years in DHHS. Today, I spend my time searching for ways to help Veterans, particularly Vietnam-era Veterans by searching existing databases, publications, and websites, and seeking release of information through FOIA. During my service I obtained a BA in Business Administration and a Masters of Business Administration. I am also a Certified Public Manager (C.P.M.)

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Thanks for visiting! Use the documents you find in the folders as you see fit. They are there to help you if you are a Veteran. As I find more, I will post more.

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Legislation and News from Congress

Senate Committee on VA News & Hearings

Legislation in the House and Senate

House Veterans Affairs Committee on VA News & Hearings

Legislation in the House and Senate

VAWatchdog.org VA News Flash

Veterans News and Advocacy

Current News from Across America

Military.com Headlines

GAO Audit Reports

VAOIG Reports

Veterans Websites

More Veterans Websites

Bulletins and Other Information

Information of Use to Veterans [Work in Progress]

Book list

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KURT PRIESSMAN

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