lamalfa fupports package of measures to support veterans end backlog 103013

Our Klamath Basin Water Crisis
Upholding rural Americans' rights to grow food,
own property, and caretake our wildlife and natural resources.

Doug LaMalfa

Congressman, First District US House of Representatives

Press Release October 30, 2013

LaMalfa Supports Package of Measures to Support Veterans, End Backlog

Washington, DC - Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) voted in support of a package of bills this week to support much-needed reform within the Department of Veteran's Affairs, which currently has a backlog of hundreds of thousands of cases. Among the bills are measures to eliminate millions in bonuses to VA staff, ensure that veterans denied services are automatically offered appeals and assist homeless veterans. The bills will now be considered in the Senate.

"Our veterans deserve swift and fair consideration of their disability claims, and I know firsthand of many in our district who have had to wait far too long. The backlog that has formed in the last decade is unacceptable and unconscionable, and rewarding this backlog by spending $400 million a year on employee bonuses does not seem to be the answer to the problem," said LaMalfa. "I'm also pleased to support the creation of a task force to look outside of the box for ways to end the backlog at Veteran's Affairs. We need to see the veterans of this country treated with respect, and we'll keep working until this problem is resolved."

The measures passed on the House floor include the following:

*           HR 2189: Empowers a task force to evaluate the backlog of disability claims of the Department of Veterans Affairs and recommend solutions.

*           HR 248: Establishes the Veterans Economic Opportunity Administration (VEOA) to manage the GI Bill and veterans housing and employment programs. The measure also extends the $50 million Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program.

*           HR 1405: Ensures that veterans whose claims are denied have immediate access to information to submit an appeal, and cuts $55 million from the bonuses that the Department of Veterans Affairs can pay its federal employees.

Doug LaMalfa is a lifelong farmer representing California's First Congressional District including, Butte, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou and Tehama Counties.
###

====================================================

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, any copyrighted material herein is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml