A tribute to our troops

Please watch this moving video tribute to our troops. It puts things in perspective.

Legislative Update - June 2008 by LTC (Ret.) Lee Kichen

At Your Service!!!

Lee F. Kichen

June 2008

BATTLING INSIDE THE BELTWAY

Federal Legislative Update

To Be a GI or not to Be a GI Bill?-Apologies to William Shakespeare, but, at this writing, Congress has not yet completed final action on the Wartime Supplemental Funding appropriation which contains the GI Bill. With The Pentagon transferring monies from Navy and Air Force accounts to pay Army bills, there is less urgency to pass an emergency war spending bill. Last month, both the House and Senate included major improvement in GI Bill benefits in the now stalled supplemental appropriation. The House version would pay for it by increasing income taxes on millionaires by one-half of one percent. The Senate version offered no specific costs offsets for it.

The administration and The Pentagon claim the GI Bill provisions (which enjoy overwhelming bipartisan support in both House and Senate) are so good that they'll hurt retention by luring troops to leave service for school. They prefer a lower-end, cheaper version. There have been some reports that White House may agree to GI Bill legislation if Congress adds an even more costly provision to let service members transfer GI Bill benefits to family members. If this reports are valid this could be a major reversal of the White House’s usual objections to high cost military and veterans quality of life programs.

In all likelihood, the GI Bill provisions will probably stay as is, and Sen. John Warner (R-VA) will offer the transferability plan as an amendment to the FY09 Defense Authorization Bill coming up for Senate action later this month. More likely than not, the Senate will reject the House plan for ½% surcharge on millionaires to pay for the GI Bill. Our view is that we may have a better chance for a cleaner GI Bill if it is included in the National Defense Authorization Act instead in the more contentious wartime supplemental bill.

Last month, we were extremely critical of Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL) for not supporting the more generous education package contained in S. 22. Senator Martinez heard our concerns and voted for the S. 22 language. We are incredibly pleased with Senator Martinez’s vote and appreciate his bipartisanship. Jack McDermott, VFW State Commander called the United States Senate passage of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act, “One of the most important actions in the past fifty years to improve veterans benefits. This is a milestone in bipartisanship. The fact that 72 Democrats and Republicans came together on a ‘GI Bill for the 21^st Century’ is testimony to the fact that veterans issues can serve to transcend party lines. I am extremely gratified that Senator Mel Martinez joined his fellow Floridian Senator Bill Nelson in voting for this bill. It took a lot of moral courage for Senator Martinez to break with the White House and support this bill. Senator Martinez, after listening to our position recognized that America’s veterans who served selflessly are deserving of an education package comparable to the one received by World War II veterans. Senator Martinez really came through for the newest generation of veterans. It is clear to us that Senator Martinez and Senator Nelson understand that, like the World War II GI Bill, this bill will pay dividends for many years to come.”

Buchanan Tabbed for Veterans Health Subcommittee-

House VA Committee Reviews Health Bills- Last week, VFW provided testimony to the House Veterans Affairs' Subcommittee on Health. The Committee reviewed five health-related bills designed to improve and enhance health care options for veterans using VA. VFW supported the following bills:

H.R. 4463 "The Veterans Health Care Quality Improvement Act," would enforce and ensure higher uniformed professional standards as well as addressing recruitment and retention among health care professionals within VA.

H.R. 5888, a bill that would allow veterans to be reimbursed for emergency medical treatment provided them outside VA facilities.

H.R. 6114, legislation that would simplify and update National standards for HIV testing within VA.

H.R. 6122, "The Veterans Pain Care Act of 2009" would direct VA to implement comprehensive policies on pain management for veterans seeking care in VHA.
To read our testimony or for more on the hearing visit the House VA website at: http://veterans.house.gov/

Senate Holds Hearing on Current VA outcomes for PTSD-The Senate Veterans Affairs' Committee held a hearing to discuss VA's response to veterans seeking help for mental health issues related to their service. Members of the Committee are concerned that VA has not remained focused on balances between care and compensation with regard to mental healthcare. Chairman Daniel Akaka (D-HI) asked the panel members ( all VA witnesses) how VA is ensuring that best practices for dealing with PTSD, both in VHA and VBA, are in place throughout the system. Others wanted to make sure that the issues or problems regarding PTSD or other psychological problems related to service, receive accurate diagnoses from VA, proper care, and appropriate benefits. For more on the hearing visit the Senate VA website at: http://veterans.senate.gov/public/

TRICARE Bill for Reserve Retirees Introduced: The VFW attended a press conference yesterday and offered its strong support for the "TRICARE Continuity of Coverage for National Guard and Reserve Families Act of 2008." The bill was introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH). This legislation would provide TRICARE Standard coverage for "Gray Area" retired Reserve members and their families. These are retired members who are qualified for a non-regular retirement but who have not yet reached 60 years of age. The full cost of premiums would be the responsibility of the beneficiary. A bill number should be assigned within the next few days.

TALLAHASSEE TALES

State Legislative Update

2008-09 BUDGET IMPROVES CARE FOR VETERANS TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs 2008-09 budget provides strong support for Florida’s military veterans and their families. Florida has the fastest growing veteran population in the United States.

“The $59.7 million veterans’ affairs budget reinforces the state’s commitment to our more than 1.7 million veterans,” said FDVA Executive Director Rear Admiral LeRoy Collins Jr., U.S. Navy Reserve (Ret.). “Despite the challenges of a lean budget year, Governor Crist and the Florida Legislature made a tremendous effort to ensure that Florida continues to be a leader in providing services to those who have honorably served our nation.”

The 2008-09 budget controls costs and improves quality of care for veterans residing in Florida’s State Veterans’ Homes. It also enhances education opportunities for children and spouses of deceased or disabled veterans. The Fiscal Year 2008-09 budget includes the following:

• Authorizes the transfer of funding of $8.3 million from contracted services to state salaries and benefits, which enables the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs to in-source certified nursing assistants and food service workers to establish a single staffing model for the State Veterans’ Homes Program. Currently, FDVA contracts these positions at three of its homes. Research indicates that the department can better control costs and provide a higher quality of care and food to residents by having in-house staff perform the services.

• Provides $1.3 million for major repairs and maintenance of buildings and fixed equipment at Florida’s State Veterans’ Homes.

• Provides an increase in funding from $1.1 million to $1.9 million for Scholarships for Children and Spouses of Deceased or Disabled Veterans and Service members.

The Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs is a state agency responsible for assisting, without charge, Florida’s veterans, their families and survivors in improving their health and economic well-being through quality benefit information, advocacy and education. FDVA also provides long-term health care services through five veterans’ nursing homes and one assisted living facility.

National Security Briefing on Radical Islam

The below series of videos is a special National Security Briefing hosted by the Sarasota County Veterans Commission and the Florida Security Council on May 22, 2008. This briefing contains information on the current threat from radical Islam targeting the United States, Israel, and the West.

The distinguished panel members are Tom Trento, Director of the Florida Security Council, Dr. Terri K. Wonder Islamist Expert and Security Analyst, Stu Senneff former FBI Special Agent and expert on terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, and Lieutenant John Kost Commander, Sarasota County Sheriff's Homeland Security Unit and member of the regional FBI Terrorism Task Force. The host of the meeting is Dr. Rich Swier, President of the Sarasota County Veterans Commission.

The briefing contains a short version of the award winning documentary, "Obsession: Radical Islam's war against the West". To obtain a copy of the documentary "Obsession" go here.

This video is Part 1 of the briefing (32 minutes long). It contains the introduction of the distinguished panel members, a short welcome address by Florida Representative Adam Hasner, majority leader in the Florida House of Representatives, comments on the documentary by Tom Trento, and showing the first half of the award winning documentary "Obsession: Radical Islam's war against the West".



This video is Part 2 of the briefing (40 minutes long). It contains the second half of the documentary Obsession and comments by the distinguished panel members on the threat in the United States, Florida and in Sarasota County. It includes comments on the terrorist threat by Stu Senneff, former FBI Special Agent and terrorism expert, Dr. Terri Wonder Islamist Expert and Security Analyst, and Lieutenant John Kost, Commander Sarasota County Homeland Security Unit and member of the FBI Terrorism Task Force.



This is Part 3 of the briefing (1 hour long). This part contains comments by Tom Trento on Radical Islamism. It includes the Question and Answer portion of the briefing. Questions are asked about the threat, the history of Islam, the nature of Radical Islam and what you and I can do to address this national security issue.



This video is Part 4 of the briefing (5 minutes long). This part contains the very end of the Q & A session and the powerful closing statement and call to action by Tom Trento, Director of the Florida Security Council.



For more information about this briefing or to schedule a similar briefing for your company, organization, church, mosque or synagogue in Florida contact Dr. Rich Swier at rswier@comcast.net or call (941) 923-2541.

VFW State Commander Praises Senate Vote on New GI Bill

Jack McDermott, VFW State Commander called the United States Senate passage of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act, “One of the most important actions in the past fifty years to improve veterans benefits. This is a milestone in bipartisanship.

The fact that 72 Democrats and Republicans came together to make a ‘GI Bill for the 21st Century’ a reality is testimony to the fact that veterans issues can serve to transcend party lines. I am extremely gratified that Senator Mel Martinez joined his fellow Floridian, Senator Bill Nelson, in voting for this bill. It took a lot of moral courage for Senator Martinez to break with the White House and support this bill.” The administration supported a far less generous education package and criticized the bill that passed as being too difficult for the VA to administer and that it would cause an unacceptable level of servicemen and women to choose to leave the military to attend college.

McDermott went on to say, “Senator Martinez, after listening to our position, recognized that America’s veterans who served selflessly are deserving of an education package comparable to one received by World War II veterans. Senator Martinez really came through for the newest generation of veterans. It is clear to us that Senator Martinez and Senator Nelson understand that, like the World War II GI Bill, this bill will pay dividends for many years to come. We are gratified that the Senate will enable a service member who chooses to stay in the military to transfer this valuable educational benefit to a spouse or child.” McDermott acknowledged the major hurdle is still ahead in the form a presidential veto. “We in the VFW find it absolutely inconceivable that President Bush is threatening to veto this bill as being too costly and that is doesn’t belong in the Iraq war supplemental spending bill. We have supported the President in the conduct of the Global War on Terrorism and all we ask is that he supports this newest generation of veterans.

The White House is plain wrong when it says that a bill directly benefiting young veterans and their families and indirectly serving as an economic stimulus is not a wartime expenditure. That is an absolutely indefensible position for a wartime president. Ironically, President George W. Bush is denying this generation of service members the same educational benefit that was available to President George H. W. Bush when he returned home after World War II.”

Memorial Day 2008 - Let is never forget that Freedom is not Free

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and orphaned children of those who have given the "last full measure" of devotion to this the greatest nation on God's green earth.

Take a moment to view this poignant video in tribute to our fallen warriors. They were American soldiers - honor them.



“The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.” — G. K. Chesterton

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." - George Orwell

National Security Briefing on Radical Islam - May 22, 2008

The Sarasota County Veterans Commission will host a National Security Briefing on Thursday, May 22, 2008 at 1:00 p.m. at the Board of County Commission Chambers located on the first floor of the R. L. Anderson County Administration Building, 4000 S. Tamiami Trial, Venice, FL.

We will host the National Security Briefing on radical Islam in partnership with the Florida Security Council in lieu of our regular meeting. The public is welcome.

The event will include the showing of the award winning documentary “Obsession: Radical Islam's war against the West” followed by a panel discussion of the threat. The panel will be made up of experts on radical Islamists and terrorism in Florida, the United States and globally.

The distinguished panel members are:

• Thomas A. Trento – Director of the Florida Security Council. Tom holds a Masters Degree in the Philosophy of Religion, from the Denver Seminary, Denver, CO. Tom has extensive professional involvement in management, advertisement, political action, education, with emphasis in public communication including, print, video, TV, and radio. He is President of Street America Group, LLC in Delray Beach, FL.

• Dr. Terri K. Wonder – Dr. Wonder has a Masters Degree and Ph. D. from the University of South Florida. Terri has studied at the American University in Cairo, Egypt. She is an intelligence analyst for a private security agency’s anti-terrorism unit charged with protection of critical infrastructure (e.g., power plants), including special investigations of suspicious activity tied to extremist networks in Tampa Bay and other regions. She does strategic intelligence estimates for a private defense contractor on potential reaction by jihadist adversaries to changes in armed forces doctrine.

• Stuart A. Senneff, CPP, CFE, FCI - FBI Supervisory Special Agent and Instructor with 20 + years of service. Stu provides Security Vulnerably Assessments, Analysis and Surveys, Case Development, Consulting, and Investigations in Civil, Criminal, Law Enforcement and Security matters, Executive Protection and Exposure Analysis, and Expert Witness Testimony. Stu is an Adjunct Instructor, Terrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction, Texas A&M, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He provides Instruction throughout the U. S. for government agencies.

We have assembled this outstanding panel of experts to present local insights and a world view of the threat of radical Islamists.

Please make every effort to attend with your family and friends. This important event is open to the pubic.

Legislative Update - April 2008 by Lee F. Kichen

At Your Service!!!

Lee F. Kichen

April 2008

BATTLING INSIDE THE BELTWAY

Federal Legislative Update

Congress Moving Towards GI Bill Improvement-A long standing legislative priority of the Veterans of Foreign Wars has been the enactment of the “GI Bill for the 21^st Century”. We have gained a key supporter for this effort. As a result of our meeting in March with Senator Bill Nelson’s staff he agreed to cosponsor S.22 the Post 9-11 Veterans Education Assistance Act of 2007. Senator Nelson joins Congresswomen Corrine Brown and Ginny Brown-Waite as well as Congressmen Vern Buchanan, Tim Mahoney and Robert Wexler in cosponsoring H.R. 2702, the House version of this bill. Each and every member of the Department of Florida should contact Senator Mel Martinez and the other twenty-two Floridians in the House of Representatives who are not cosponsoring this legislation and urge them to do so. In addition to these two bills, two other veterans’ education bills, H.R. 5684 are H.R. 5740 are pending committee consideration. Although these bills are less generous than S. 22/H.R. 2702, they represent a major improvement over the current Montgomery GI Bill. We believe that with a lot of grass roots support we will see legislation improving educational opportunities for our youngest warriors. These young men and women who are coming home with the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal are the future of the Veterans of Foreign Wars; it is our sacred duty to work on securing this benefit.

Congress Approves Changes to Combat Related Special Compensation & Concurrent Disability Retirement Pay-It was through the work of freshman Congressman Gus Bilirakis that Congress included language in the FY 08 National Defense Authorization Act expanding Combat Related Special Compensation (CRSC) to military retirees who retired under Chapter 61 as a result of combat related disabilities and served less than twenty years. To be eligible for this tax exempt benefit the military retiree should be receiving VA disability compensation in lieu of retirement pay and their service connected disability must be adjudicated by the military department as being combat related. This is not an automatic benefit, the military retiree must apply to their military department. In the same bill, Congress did the right thing by approving language granting full Concurrent Disability Retired Pay (CDRP) retroactive to January 2005. Originally Congress ramped up this benefit over a ten year period with full CDRP in 2014 and two years ago Congress made the effective date of full CDRP 2009. Many thanks to Congressman Bilirakis for his leadership on these issues.

FY 09 Budget Issues-The Senate and House Budget Committees began marking up their FY 2009 Budget Resolutions, a non-binding measure that sets spending limits for the federal government. Both resolutions expressed support for rejecting the administration’s TRICARE fee increases for military retirees under age 65. However, rejecting those increases is contingent on finding funding offsets that don’t run up the deficit. Both resolutions rejected the White House plan to increase VA copayments. This is the fifth year in a row that Congress has countered the administration’s call for foisting more health care on the backs of veterans. In addition to rejecting increased VA copayments, each budget resolution provides an additional $3.2 billion more to the Department of Veterans Affairs than in the Presidential budget request submitted in February. This additional funding is targeted to expediting claims for compensation and pensions and health care for veterans with mental health conditions including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as well as those suffering from Traumatic Brain Injury.

TALLAHASSEE TALES

The Florida Legislature is entering the final two weeks of its 2008 Regular Session. Below is a status on the legislative priorities adopted by the State Veterans Planning Group:

• Legislation establishing preferences for businesses owned by Disabled Veterans bidding on state contracts. S.B. 108/H.B. 687 filed. House version passed Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, the Governmental Efficiency and Accountability Council; next step floor action by the House. Senate version passed Governmental Operations and pending in Governmental Appropriations.

• Legislation protecting FDVA Trust Fund revenues by adding an additional $100,000 to the Grants and Donations Trust fund for the sale of new stamped license plates bearing “Operational Enduring Freedom” and Operation Iraqi Freedom”. S.B. 1606 awaiting floor action, H.B. 1027 pending final approval by Economic and Infrastructure Council.

• Legislation adding a voluntary contribution check box onto vehicle registration forms. See 1606/H.B. 1027 above.

• Legislation deleting the requirement that a wartime veteran must work for the State prior to 1 Jan 87 to be eligible to purchase military time when enrolling in the state retirement system. No bills pending.

• Legislation establishing a cash bonus for veterans who entered active duty from Florida and received either the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal or the Iraqi Campaign Medal or the Afghanistan Campaign Medal. No bills pending.

• Legislation defining proper display of the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action flag on state owned buildings. No bill pending.

• Passage of the Governor’s Legislative Budget Request for the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs. Total appropriation should be in the neighborhood of $51 million. We expect some debate as to whether or not certified positions in the SVNH will be converted from contracted positions to state employee positions.

• Legislation establishing a tuition exemption at State Universities, Colleges and Community Colleges to honorably discharged veterans who received a Campaign or Service Medal denoting service in combat theatre of operation. S.B. 620/H.B. 347 filed, however, given revenue shortfalls these bills will not be heard in committee.

Other actions we are tracking.

• Sergeant First Class Paul B. Smith Act if enacted will establish a Direct Support Organization for the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs. The major veterans service organizations negotiated an amendment to the bill which will provide grants to the service organizations. H.B 861/863 pending in the Policy and Budget Council. SB 1462/1464 cleared all committee stops, not yet on Senate calendar.

• Proposed Constitutional Amendment granting Ad Valorem exemptions to deployed, homesteaded service members. House passed HJR 7003, Senate version SJR 2384 will probably die in committee.