Veteran's best friends are watchdogs.

Veteran's best friends are watchdogs. Three of them are on one post over at the Daily Kos. If you are like me, you read titles of Bills and hear how wonderful the creators of these Bills think they are. I tend to get too busy to really read them and honestly, most of the language used confuses the hell out of me. That's why it's important for us to trust the experts on these Bills to make sure they are not worse than nothing. I understand PTSD and what comes with it but I also understand how harmful well sounding Bills can end up being and we fall for them all the time. We end up supporting Bills, contacting Congress to vote for them, only to discover that the Bill was akin to selling back Manhattan to the Indians because it had the title like Land Restoration Act never noticing to what point in history they planned on going back to. They do it to us all the time.

Here from the Daily Kos we have such a shady deal going on.

Senator Richard Burr received this from the IAVA Report Card

Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC)
1st term Republican from North Carolina.

IAVA Action Grade


C

(6 out of 9 votes with IAVA Action, not a Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsor)



Current Elected Office Committees:

Armed Services
Energy and Natural Resources
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Select Committee on Intelligence
Veterans' Affairs , Rnk. Mem.
http://iava.www.capwiz.com/bio/id/444&lvl=C&chamber=S

Burr is ranking member on the Veteran's Affairs committee yet he's trying to pull this off? And they are letting him try why? Last time I checked is a "C" is just average and the problems our veterans have right now should require at least someone with a "B" or above to tackle any part of it. But this is all part of the tricks they like to play on us. It's easy to fool us because all we care about is the veterans and what they need and it's really hard for us to ever think anyone in Congress would ever try to screw them. But they do it all the time. Thanks to Scharrison over at Daily Kos, and USDR, along with people like Larry Scott, the rest of us are not going to get hoodwinked into supporting something that will do more harm to the veterans than good.

Richard Burr: No Friend To Veterans
by scharrison
Richard Burr: No Friend To Veterans Sun Jun 14, 2009 at 11:54:21 AM PDT

As a veteran, my eyes and ears tend to perk up whenever the military is mentioned, whether in the media or even just in casual conversation. I can't help it. And if a politician claims to be "looking out for" or "representing" veterans' interests, I pay even closer attention, because that's one of those things that voters love to hear, but seldom follow up on. Richard Burr has developed a reputation as being "big" on veterans' issues, and I think it's about time we followed up on that.

scharrison's diary :: ::
Before I begin, I want to make sure that everybody understands that our senior Senator from North Carolina has been well-informed on these issues. He's been privy to countless briefings exposing the needs of veterans over the years, so any mistakes he's made can't be attributed to a lack of knowledge. Also, although I usually refrain from linking to (other) blogs because I don't want readers to have to struggle to find primary sources, I'm going to post a few here, because they are concerned voices that deserve to be heard.

Concerned About America's Wounded Warrior Act (11Mar2008)
As a disabled veteran with my fellow California Comrades are most concerned with the provisions of Senator Burr's America's Wounded Warrior Act (S 2674) and Representative Buyer's Nobel Warrior Act (HR 5509). I’m asking veterans to review the proposed drastically changes for disability compensation system for America's veterans. Then ask your Senators and Congress Representative to oppose this legislation.

Let me explain these bills are loosely based on the recommendations of the President's Commission on Care for America's Wounded Warriors (Dole/Shalala Commission), but the specifics of these bills would do great harm to most veterans in the following ways:

go here and read the rest
Richard Burr: No Friend To Veterans

And the USDR (Uniformed Services Disabled Retirees) Abel Quinones does exactly that.

For these reasons, among others, I strongly urge you to oppose S2674/HR5509 and any other legislation which is detrimental to and/or discriminatory against this nation's veterans.
go here for more
Concerned About America's Wounded Warrior Act

These are the Bills

Noble Warrior Act
To amend titles 10 and 38, United States Code, to improve and enhance procedures for the retirement of members of the Armed Forces for disability and to improve and enhance authorities for the rating and compensation of service-connected disabilities in veterans, and for other purposes.
previous 110th session of congress
Other Bill Titles (2 more)
Hide Other Bill Titles
Short: Noble Warrior Act as introduced.
Official: To amend titles 10 and 38, United States Code, to improve and enhance procedures for the retirement of members of the Armed Forces for disability and to improve and enhance authorities for the rating and compensation of service-connected disabilities in veterans, and for other purposes. as introduced.
2/28/2008--Introduced.
Noble Warrior Act - Amends federal armed forces provisions to add new provisions concerning the retirement for disability of members of the Armed Forces (members) following the implementation of an enhanced Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability compensation system (implemented under this Act). Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to continue after discharge or separation from active duty respite care and aid and other extended care benefits for members who incur a serious injury or illness while serving on such duty. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Secretary) to conduct a study to determine the appropriate:
(1) amount of compensation for service-connected disability payable to veterans for each assigned rating of disability; and
(2) amounts and duration of transition payments and rehabilitation transition allowances payable to veterans participating in a rehabilitation program. Requires the Secretary to conduct a study on measures to assist and encourage veterans in the completion of their vocational rehabilitation plans. Directs the Secretary to submit to Congress a proposal on the purposes and amounts of veterans' disability compensation and veterans' transition benefits. Provides for congressional consideration (by way of a joint resolution) of such proposal. Makes the effective date of implementation of the enhanced VA disability compensation system the date on which the authority of Congress to disapprove the Secretary's proposal expires, as long as Congress does not disapprove the proposal before such date. Revises the current VA schedule of disability ratings to take into account losses of earning capacity and quality of life as a result of the disability. Provides revised compensation and transition payments in connection with service-connected disabilities. Allows a retired veteran entitled to compensation for a service-connected disability to elect to provide a monthly supplemental survivor benefit to the veteran's surviving spouse and/or children. Authorizes such election by veterans:
(1) at the time of award of the disability compensation;
(2) not married at the time of award of the compensation who later marry; and
(3) married at the time of award of the compensation who later remarry. Allows a veteran to revoke the election of a benefit to a surviving spouse. Provides for the receipt of such benefit on the first day of the first month after the veteran dies. Requires the:
(1) reduction of disability compensation due to the election of the supplemental survivor benefit; and
(2) offset of the supplemental survivor benefit by the amount of dependency and indemnity compensation received.
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/110-h5509/show

America's Wounded Warriors Act
A bill to amend titles 10 and 38, United States Code, to improve and enhance procedures for the retirement of members of the Armed Forces for disability and to improve and enhance authorities for the rating and compensation of service-connected disabilities in veterans, and for other purposes.
previous 110th session of congress
Other Bill Titles (2 more)
Hide Other Bill Titles
Short: America's Wounded Warriors Act as introduced.
Official: A bill to amend titles 10 and 38, United States Code, to improve and enhance procedures for the retirement of members of the Armed Forces for disability and to improve and enhance authorities for the rating and compensation of service-connected disabilities in veterans, and for other purposes. as introduced.
2/28/2008--Introduced.
America's Wounded Warriors Act - Amends federal armed forces provisions to add new provisions concerning the retirement for disability of members of the Armed Forces (members) following the implementation of an enhanced Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability compensation system (implemented under this Act). Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to continue after discharge or separation from active duty respite care and aid and other extended care benefits for members who incur a serious injury or illness while serving on such duty. Directs the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study to determine the number of retired members who will be eligible for medical and dental care following implementation of the enhanced VA disability compensation system. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Secretary) to conduct a study to determine the appropriate:
(1) amount of compensation for service-connected disability payable to veterans for each assigned rating of disability; and
(2) amounts and duration of transition payments and rehabilitation transition allowances payable to veterans participating in a rehabilitation program. Requires the Secretary to conduct a study on measures to assist and encourage veterans in the completion of their vocational rehabilitation plans. Directs the Secretary to submit to Congress a proposal on the purposes and amounts of veterans' disability compensation and veterans' transition benefits. Provides for congressional consideration (by way of a joint resolution) of such proposal. Makes the effective date of implementation of the enhanced VA disability compensation system the date on which the authority of Congress to disapprove the Secretary's proposal expires, as long as Congress does not disapprove the proposal before such date. Revises the current VA schedule of disability ratings to take into account losses of earning capacity and quality of life as a result of the disability. Provides revised compensation and transition payments in connection with service-connected disabilities. Allows a retired veteran entitled to compensation for a service-connected disability to elect to provide a monthly supplemental survivor benefit to the veteran's surviving spouse and/or children. Authorizes such election by veterans:
(1) at the time of award of the disability compensation;
(2) not married at the time of award of the compensation who later marry; and
(3) married at the time of award of the compensation who later remarry. Allows a veteran to revoke the election of a benefit to a surviving spouse. Provides for the receipt of such benefit on the first day of the first month after the veteran dies. Requires the:
(1) reduction of disability compensation due to the election of the supplemental survivor benefit; and
(2) offset of the supplemental survivor benefit by the amount of dependency and indemnity compensation received.
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/110-s2674/show

Larry Scott over at VA Watchdog was mentioned on this piece because he took aim at anything attached to Dr. Sally Satel. She is also a favorite target of mine. Satel is one of the PTSD deniers that likes to blame the veteran, call them slackers and accuse them of sucking off the system. Yep, that type.