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VETERAN BENEFITS, NEWS
WAITING FOR ADJUDICATION FOR
ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE, PARKINSON'S DISEASE OR
B-CELL LEUKEMIA?????
From the VA Watchdog.....
Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA), chief architect of the pricey
Post 9/11 GI Bill education benefit for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan
war era, could become a new champion, for taxpayers, against what he
perceives as excess spending on military pay and on a new wave of Agent
Orange claims.
Webb, a former Navy secretary and decorated Vietnam War
veteran, risked the anger of thousands of veterans from that war when he won
Senate approval last week of an amendment to block, at least temporarily,
the Department of Veterans Affairs from paying new disability claims on
three prominent diseases presumed linked to wartime herbicide exposure.
As many as 86,000 Vietnam veterans with ischemic heart
disease, Parkinson's disease or B-cell leukemia are awaiting a final VA
regulation to receive disability compensation based on a decision last fall
by VA Secretary Eric Shinseki of evidence linking these diseases with
exposure to deadly defoliant used during the war. Many more vets could
file first-time claims.
VA officials not only have published interim
regulations already but, for months have been encouraging veterans stricken
with these diseases, or their surviving spouses, to file new claims or
re-file claims as soon as possible because benefits would be paid back to
the filing dates.
But Webb proposed, and senators accepted May 27, an
amendment to the fiscal 2010 war supplemental funding bill (HR 4899) to
limit spending on claims filed for these new presumptive Agent Orange
diseases for 60 days. That will allow Congress time to study the VA
decision and examine more closely the link found between these diseases and
herbicide exposure.
Immediately after the vote, Webb began a trip to Asia
and could not be reached for comment. He told Congressional Quarterly,
however, that he wants Shinseki to explain his reasons for expanding last
October the list of presumptive diseases tied to Agent Orange.
Congress, he said needs to hold VA to" an accountable standard" for such
claims.
The VA draft regulation, published in March, projected
costs for Agent Orange claims will jump by $13.6 billion in a year and by
$42.2 billion over 10 years. By comparison, the projected 10 year cost
of new Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits that Webb pushed into law is $52 billion.
Webb first became involved in Agent Orange issues while
staff director of the House Armed Services Committee in the late 1970's.
He has expressed concern to staff and fellow senators over the expanding
list of diseases presumed caused by defoliants in Vietnam. The Agent
Orange Act of 1991 makes veterans who suffer from these presumptive diseases
eligible for compensation even if they spent only a day in country. Cont. on
Page 7.......
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VETERAN LEGISLATION/NEWS
President Harper also reports:
that June also was an impressive victory for our chapter. Our Chapter
along with the
Sacramento Veterans Affiliated Council and with the help of other veterans
and veterans organizations won a political battle in Sacramento to keep the
Sacramento County Veteran's Service office open for the fiscal year
2010-2011.
As you recall, the office was slated for closing by the
Sac County Board of Supervisors due to budget cuts. We formed a
veteran's coalition in Sacramento which I headed up to fight against these
recommended cuts. It was a two month campaign and we finally convinced
the Supervisors to fully retain all the positions that were up for
elimination during budget hearings.
This was a case that all veterans from various
organizations led by the chapter and the VAC came together to do what is
right for our veterans. In my 20 years of managing veterans programs
in this town, I have never seen so many hats/caps come together in the
County Board chamber on June 2, 2010 and show strength of force to
change the decision of the Board to retain the program.
As on County Board member told me during the break
"It's very impressive to see so many veterans attend the hearing". He
indicated, it made a difference. It just goes to prove, if we all come
together for a common purpose and put our differences aside, we are a
powerful and influential voice in this community.
In summary, this was a huge political victory for us
and all the veterans in this community. I want to thank all of whom
you joined our coalition and made phone calls to the Board of
Supervisors and those who showed up at the budget hearings. Please
take a bow for a job well done. Semper
Fi! Don Harper
JUDGE: LAW PENALIZING FAKE HEROES
UNCONSTITUTIONAL Associated Press
(Excerpts from the article) Denver - A Law that
makes it illegal to lie about being a war hero is unconstitutional because
it violates free speech, a federal judge ruled July 16, as he dismissed a
case against a Colorado man who claimed he received two military medals.
Rick Glen Strandlof claimed he was an ex-Marine who was wounded in Iraq and
received the Purple Heart and Silver Star, but the military had no record
the ever served. He was charged with violating the Stolen Valor Act,
which makes it a crime punishable by up to a year in jail to falsely claim
to have won a military medal.
U.S. District Judge Robert Blackburn dismissed the case
and said the law is unconstitutional, ruling the government did not show it
has a compelling reason to restrict that type of statement. A
spokesman for the U.S. Attorney in Denver said prosecutors are reviewing the
decision and haven't decided whether to appeal. The spokesman said
that decision would be made by the U.S. Justice Department in Washington and
prosecutors in Denver.
The law has also been challenged in California and in a
case now before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Continued on Page 8........
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