Lawmakers, Veterans for Common Sense Discuss Benefits Backlog

Lawmakers, Veterans Groups Discuss Benefits Backlog
Friday 29 January 2010

by: Mary Susan Littlepage, t r u t h o u t Report

Last week, Democratic and Republican members of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs met with Chairman Bob Filner to talk with 40 veterans' service organizations to discuss priorities for Congress' second session.
The roundtable marked the second time during the 111th Congress that the committee has met with veterans' advocates to discuss issues facing the nation's veterans and plan how to best solve veterans' problems.
Filner said, "The purpose of today's meeting is to build upon the successes of the first session and collaborate on how we can better serve our veterans and wounded warriors going forward."
Chairman Filner detailed the committee's priorities, which include ensuring adequate VA budgets for the next two years. Following the passage of advance funding legislation, Congress will approve a budget for Fiscal Year 2011 and 2012.
Veterans for Common Sense presented its legislative and policy goals for 2010 for veterans and families.
"Our comments were received well, and several of the representatives spoke with me later; Chairman Filner said they would be reviewing all our concerns and he hoped to take action," said Paul Sullivan, VCS spokesperson. The group called for streamlining how the VA processes post-traumatic stress disorder disability claims.
read more here
http://www.truthout.org/lawmakers-veterans-groups-discuss-benefits-backlog56524