Veterans Attack Administration Plan to Outsource GI Benefits

Veterans Attack Administration Plan to Outsource GI Benefits
September 19th, 2008 · No Comments
In June, President Bush signed a war supplemental bill that included a doubling of GI Bill college benefits for veterans, which he initially opposed. Last month, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary James Peake wrote to the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), stating that the VA plans to outsource processing of these new benefits to the private sector. “The challenges of creating the procedures and systems to support a new program and ensuring accurate and timely benefit payments under this new program effective August 1, 2009, will tax VA’s resources,” the letter says. “Therefore, the decision has been made to seek private-sector support to implement this new program.”

The AFGE and veterans advocacy groups condemned the decision, noting that “the move would eliminate the valuable expertise of federal employees.” Marty Conatser of the American Legion said, “Our newest generation of veterans deserve the benefits administered by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, not outside contractors. Patients, critics and most media all cite the outstanding job the VA is doing. Outsourcing is not the answer.”
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http://www.lampasascountydemocrats.org/?p=522