Letter From Olver: Actions for Veterans and Troops
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WASHINGTON, D.C.
I write to update you on the efforts of the 111th Congress to address the needs of America's servicemen and -women as well as those of their families. As we celebrate the anniversary of our nation's independence, it is especially important to remember those who have fought, and those who continue to fight, to defend our freedom and keep us safe. We salute our men and women in uniform for the courage and bravery that they exhibit in battle and recognize the sacrifices of each of their families.
Working with veterans and military family organizations, on Feb. 17, 2009, we enacted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, to work to turn our economy around with new jobs and provide a tax credit for hiring veterans. The nation's budget includes the largest veterans funding increase ever requested by a president.
This builds on a significant record of accomplishment for veterans and troops over the last two years – including the New GI Bill of Rights for education, historic veterans funding to strengthen health care, progress in improving our veterans hospitals and facilities, improving care for those with posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, and an increase in other benefits for our troops and military families.
Passed by Congress and signed into law on June 24 by President Obama was HR 2346, the fiscal 2009 Supplemental Appropriations. It includes:
â– Defense health and military family support:
$708 million for family advocacy programs
$75 million for Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health Research
$20 million for rehabilitation equipment for state of the art care for wounded warriors
* Extended GI benefits:
Extends the GI Bill's college education benefits to children of members of the armed forces who die while on active duty.
* Stop Loss:
Provides more than 185,000 service members who have had their enlistments involuntarily extended since Sept. 11, 2001 with $500 per month for every month they were held under stop-loss orders.
Passed by the House and awaiting Senate action is the 2010 Defense Authoriziation, HR 2647
â– Military Pay Raise:
Authorizes a pay raise of 3.4 percent.
* Military Housing:
Provides nearly $2 billion for family housing programs and requires the Department of Defense to review the current standards used to calculate the monthly rates for basic allowance for housing.
* Expand Health Care for Reservists:
Expands TRICARE health coverage to reserve component members and their families for 180 days prior to mobilization, instead of just 90 days.
The Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act, HR 1016
â– Authorizes Congress to approve Department of Veterans Affairs medical care appropriations one year in advance of the start of each fiscal year. This will provide the VA with sufficient time to plan how to deliver the most efficient and effective care to an increasing number of veterans with increasingly complex medical conditions.
The Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act, HR 1211
â– Expands and improves VA health care services for the 1.8 million women who have bravely served their country. It calls for a study of barriers to women veterans seeking health care, assessment of women’s health care programs, medical care for newborn children of women veterans, enhancement of VA sexual trauma programs, enhancement of PTSD treatment for women, establishment of a pilot program for child care services, and the addition of recently separated women veterans to serve on advisory committees.
The Disabled Military Retiree Relief Act, HR 2990
â– Provides a one-year fix for the disabled veterans tax for disabled military retirees with less than 20 years of service. Under the bill, these service members who have been retired for severe disability could receive both their military retirement and VA disability pay. Many of these service members were on tract to serve a full military career but were blocked from serving 20 years because of their disabilities.
While these recent improvements are important, it is clear that our work to support our veterans, troops, and their families is not done. Over the coming months, I will continue to work to ensure timely and reliable veterans funding, strengthen support for military families, and provide troops and veterans with the quality of health care that they need.
As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
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Olver, an Amherst Democrat, represents the 1st Massachusetts District. He is the only Massachusetts representative on the House Appropriations Committee and is chairman of its Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development.
