Help needed to answer a RW question re: what has Obama done for vets?

[greenbird]

I'd appreciate any links or info anyone can give me. I'm out here trying to defend our Prez! Thank you.

[quiet.american]

1. Whitehouse.gov is a magnificent resource for this question. :)

(Great question -- sorry that I didn't see your post until today.)
http://www.whitehouse.gov

For one, there's the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 that the President signed into law on May 5th:



http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/05/05/improving-health-care-veterans

Here’s a quick look at what the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 does:

Provides veterans’ caregivers with training, counseling, supportive services, and a living stipend; provides health care to the family caregivers of injured veterans under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA); requires independent oversight of the caregiver program;

Requires VA to report to Congress on its comprehensive assessment of the barriers in providing health care to the 1.8 million women veterans’ currently receiving VA health care and it requires VA to train its mental health providers in the treatment of military sexual trauma. It also mandates that VA implement pilot programs to provide child care to women veterans receiving medical care and provide readjustment services to women veterans;

Expands VA’s authority to provide incentives so that VA can recruit and retain high-quality health care providers; provides travel reimbursements for veterans receiving treatment at VA facilities and grants for veterans service organizations transporting veterans residing in highly rural areas;

Authorizes the Secretary to utilize non-VA facilities for the care and treatment of veterans suffering from TBI when the Secretary: (1) is unable to provide such treatment or services at the frequency or for the duration necessary; or (2) determines that it is optimal to the veteran's recovery and rehabilitation;

Establishes and increases eligibility for Iraq and Afghanistan service members, including National Guard and Reserve members, to receive readjustment counseling; requires VA to conduct a study on veteran suicides;

Emphasizes VA's commitment to provide medical care for certain Vietnam-era veterans exposed to herbicide and Gulf-War era veterans who have insufficient medical evidence to establish a service-connected disability; and

Eliminates copayments for veterans who are catastrophically disabled.

-------------------------

More -- Excerpt of President Obama's remarks upon signing the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act (VA Advanced Funding), October 2009
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/On_VA_Advanced_Funding

President Obama:

"On that day, on Veterans Day, after all the parades and all the solemn ceremonies, a lot of veterans may ask: Does America really mean it? Will America keep its promise, not simply with words, but with deeds?

Since taking office, my administration has worked hard with many of you to make sure that America fulfills our obligations to our veterans and their families. With Secretary Ric Shinseki in the lead, we're building a 21st century VA: We're harnessing technologies to cut the red tape and backlogs. We're investing in mobile clinics to reach rural areas. We're moving towards a single lifetime electronic health record for everyone in uniform. We're making it a top priority to end homelessness among our veterans.

We dramatically increased funding for veterans health care: more care for women's veterans, for our wounded warriors from Iraq and Afghanistan suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, traumatic brain injuries. For 500,000 "Priority 8" veterans, we're restoring VA health care coverage.

All told, we have made the biggest commitment to veterans -- the largest percentage increase in the VA budget -- in more than 30 years. (Applause.) And this includes funding the post-9/11 GI Bill -- making sure it works as intended so our newest veterans and their families have the chance to pursue their education and live out their dreams."

Tammy Duckworth on what the passage of this bill means:

"...when President Obama signed the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act into law today (also known as "advanced funding"), I was so pleased. If multi-year planning was vital to a 300-Soldier battalion’s success at a training exercise, it is exponentially more critical to a Department like Veterans Affairs—which serves millions of our nation’s Veterans each day. Until today, VA had not had the ability to plan its budget in advance—and a late budget meant that VA couldn’t effectively plan. But today, that has all changed. While VA has consistently provided world class health care to our Veterans, having advanced appropriations will now allow us the ability to raise that care to an even higher standard.

As President Obama remarked, "In short, this is common-sense reform. It promotes accountability at the VA. It ensures oversight by Congress. It is fiscally responsible by not adding a dime to the deficit. And it ensures that Veterans' health care will no longer be held hostage to the annual budget battles in Washington."

So true. Those of us in the Veterans' community, to include VA, Veterans Service Organizations and House and Senate Committee leaders, have long identified the need for advanced appropriations for VA. In fact, President Obama recognized this during his tenure on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and it is a topic that he and I have discussed over the years.

So today, with the knowledge that VA’s budget will be passed a year in advance, we are better prepared to provide for our Veterans and their family members through the development of top-notch plans, services and programs to fit their needs. This is a good day for the entire community."

Edited to add:

Beyond healthcare, Obama issued an Executive Order establishing an Interagency Task Force whose mission is to assist and boost veterans' efforts to open their own small businesses -- link (too much to post here!):

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/executive-order-interagency-task-force-veterans-small-business-development

:hi:

[Cha]

2. Thanks for doing this QA! It's

beautiful!

[quiet.american]

3. Aw, thanks, Cha! Cheers. nt

[goclark]

4. Excellent

[greenbird]

6. Thank you SO MUCH for this.

Well done.

[Cha]

5. KIck

:hi: