Ships Now Designated As Serving on Inland Waters of Vietnam:
>> What Should I Do Now?
>>
>> If you have been identified as a crew member for any of the ships now
>> designated as having served on the Inland Waters of Vietnam:
>>
>> You are eligible to be granted service-connection for all the diseases
>> listed by the DVA as being caused by exposure to herbicides while within
>> the boundaries of Vietnam by way of service on inland waters.
>>
>> If you are now granted presumptive exposure by being on a ship found to
>> have served on inland waters, file a claim with your local Regional
>> Office if you now have any of the diseases on the DVA's list.
>>
>> DVA List of Presumptive Diseases Associated with Agent Orange
>> <http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/diseases.asp#veter
>> ans>
>>
>> If you have filed for an Agent Orange condition previously, and have
>> been denied, file to re-open that claim at your Regional Office based on
>> "new and material evidence," which is the new granting of presumption of
>> exposure to you for having served on Inland Waters
>>
>> If you are waiting on an appeal for a claim of an Agent Orange disease,
>> and the claim is in the queue at the Board of Appeals, file a claim
>> giving "new and material evidence" through your Regional Office.
>>
>> If you have been denied for an herbicide-related disease, and you are
>> now awarded compensation for that herbicide-related disease based on the
>> list of ships that served in Inland Waters, you will be paid back to the
>> date of your first claim per the Nehmer Ruling.
>>
>> If you have any documentation showing that any other ship not listed was
>> on the inland waters of Vietnam, or if any additional dates for inland
>> waters service applies to any of the ships already listed, please
>> forward that information to navy(at)bluewaternavy.org.
>>
>> If you were on a ship that docked in Vietnam and was tied fast to a
>> pier, and there is proof that liberty was granted to the crew, and you
>> went ashore, that ship should appear on this list. Submit a claim for
>> service connection along with a sworn statement that you in fact did
>> step ashore. You will be given presumption of exposure. If that ship is
>> not listed, please provide the documentation to
>> navy(at)bluewaternavy.org so it can be added to the list.
>>
>> If you were on a ship that anchored in a port, bay or harbor and there
>> is documentation that liberty was sounded for the crew, and there is
>> documentation that ship-to-shore launches were used to ferry personnel
>> on liberty to and from the beach, that documentation should be accepted
>> as proof of your boots-on-ground. That ship should appear on this list.
>> Provide a sworn statement that you actually took the liberty launch to
>> the shore of Vietnam. If that is not listed, provide the necessary
>> documentation so that ship can be added to this list
>>
>> Here is a combined listing of ships from the first and second release of
>> ships eligible for service connection for all crew due to service on the
>> Inland Waters of Vietnam
>> <http://www.bluewaternavy.org/combinedlist2.doc>
>>
>> Policy (211)
>> Additional Information on Vietnam Naval Operations
>> If evidence places a Veteran on one of these vessels at the time of
>> inland waterway operations, the Veteran is eligible for the presumption
>> of herbicide exposure. In the case of a ship with confirmed docking to
>> the shore, the Veteran must also provide a statement that he went ashore
>> to be eligible for the presumption.
>> Vessels that operated primarily or exclusively on the inland waterways
>> All vessels of Inshore Fire Support [IFS] Division 93 during their
>> entire Vietnam tour
>> USS Carronade (IFS 1)
>> USS Clarion River (LSMR 409) [Landing Ship, Medium, Rocket]
>> USS Francis River (LSMR 525)
>> USS White River (LSMR 536)
>>
>> All vessels with the designation LST [Landing Ship, Tank] during their
>> entire tour
>>
>> All vessels with the designation LCVP [Landing Craft, Vehicle,
>> Personnel] during their entire Tour
>>
>> All vessels with the designation PCF [Patrol Craft, Fast] during their
>> entire tour, Also called Swift Boats
>>
>> All vessels with the designation PBR [Patrol Boat, River] during their
>> entire tour, Also called River Patrol Boats
>>
>> All U.S. Coast Guard Cutters with hull designation WPB or WHEC
>>
>> USS Antelope (PG-86)
>> USS Asheville (PG-84) patrol gunboat
>> USS Askari (ARL-30)
>>
>> Barracks Barge (APL-26)
>> Barracks Barge (APL-30)
>> USS Belle Grove (LSD-2)
>> USS Benewah (APB-35)
>> USS Bexar (APA-237)
>> USS Brule (AKL-28)
>>
>> USS Comstock (LSD-45)
>> USS Canon PG-90)
>> USS Colleton (APB-36)
>> USS Crockett (PG-88)
>>
>> USS Elkhorn (AOG-7)
>>
>> USS Gallup (PG-85)
>> USS Genesee (AOG-8)
>>
>> USS Indra (ARL-37)
>>
>> USS Kishwaukee AOG-9
>> USS Krishna (ARL-38)
>>
>> USS Marathon (PG-89)
>> USS Mark (AKL-12) [light cargo ship]
>> USS Mercer (APB-39)
>> USS Montrose (APA-212) [attack transport]
>>
>> USS Noxubee (AOG-56)
>> USS Nueces (APB-40)
>>
>> USS Okanogan (APA-210)
>>
>> USS Patapsco (AOG-1) [gasoline tanker]
>>
>> USS Ready (PG-87)
>>
>> USS Satyr (ARL-23) [repair ship]
>> USS Sphinx (ARL-24)
>>
>> USS Tombigbee (AOG-11)
>> USS Tutuila (ARG-4) [repair ship]
>> USS Tortuga (LSD-261)
>>
>> Winnemucca (YTS-785)
>>
>> Floating Base Platform
>> (YRBM-17) [repair, berthing, and messing barge]
>> (YRBM-20)
>>
>>
>>
>> Vessels that operated temporarily on Vietnam's inland waterways or
>> docked to the shore
>>
>> USS Basilone (DD-824) [Destroyer] [Operated on Saigon River, May 24-25,
>> 1966]
>>
>> USS Black (DD-666) [Destroyer] [Operated on Saigon River, July 13-19,
>> 1966]
>>
>> USS Buck (DD-761) operated on Mekong River Delta and Saigon River during
>> October 1966
>>
>> USS Bolster (ARS-38) [salvage ship] crew operated on land to extract USS
>> Clark County (LST-601) from beach after grounding at Duc Pho from
>> November 18 to December 1, 1967
>>
>> USS Boxer (LPH-4) [amphibious assault ship] docked to pier at Cam Rahn
>> Bay on September 9, 1965
>>
>> USS Card (ACV-11) [escort carrier] mined, sunk, and salvaged in Saigon
>> River Harbor during May 1964
>>
>> USS Carter Hall (LSD-3) [landing ship dock] operated on Cua Viet River
>> and at Dong Ha during December 1967
>>
>> USS Canberra (CAG-2) [guided missile cruiser] operated on Saigon River
>> from March 31 through April 1, 1966, on Cua Viet River during December
>> 15, 1966, and on Mekong Delta Ham Luong River during January 15, 1967
>>
>> USS Cleveland (LPD-7) operated on Cua Viet River and at Dong Ha, as well
>> as Hue River, from November 1967 through 1968 and Saigon River during
>> September 1969
>>
>> USS Conway (DD-507) [Destroyer] [Operated on Saigon River, early August
>> 1966]
>>
>> USS Dubuque (LPD-8) docked at Da Nang on March 15, 1970
>>
>> USS Duluth (LPD-6) [amphibious transport dock] docked to pier at Da Nang
>> during March and October 1971
>>
>> USS Dyess (DD-880) operated on Saigon River and Rung Sat Special Zone
>> from June 19-July 1, 1966
>>
>> USS Epperson (DD-719) docked to Da Nang Pier on October 4, 1970
>>
>> USS Fiske (DD-842) [Destroyer] [Operated on Mekong River, June 16-21,
>> 1966]
>>
>> USS Hamner (DD-718) [Destroyer] [Operated on Song Lon Tao and Long Song
>> Tao Rivers,
>> August 15-September 1, 1966]
>>
>> USS Henrico (APA-45) [amphibious attack transport] operated on Hue River
>> during March 1965 and conducted numerous troop landing through March
>> 1967
>>
>> USS Ingersoll (DD-652) [Destroyer] [Operated on Saigon River, October
>> 24-25, 1965]
>>
>> USS Richard E. Kraus (DD-849) [Destroyer] [Operated on coastal inlet
>> north of Da Nang,
>> June 2-5, 1966
>>
>> USS Mahan (DLG-11) [Guided Missile Frigate]
>> [Operated on Saigon River October 24-28, 1964]
>>
>> USS Mansfield (DD-728) [Destroyer] [Operated on Saigon River August
>> 8-19, 1967 and
>> December 21-24, 1968]
>>
>> USS Maury (AGS-16) [mapping survey ship] conducted surveys of Mekong
>> Delta and other coastal areas and rivers beginning November 1965 through
>> 1969
>>
>> USS Montrose (APA-212) operated on Song Hue River during December 1965,
>> operated on Long Tau River during March 1967, and operated on Cua Viet
>> River and at Dong Ha during May 1967
>>
>> USS Newell (DER-322) [radar destroyer escort] docked at port of Nha
>> Trang during December 22-24, 1965
>>
>> USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) [Combat Stores Ship] [Unloaded supplies on
>> Saigon River April 22-25, 1968]
>>
>> USS Okanogan (APA-220) [Attack Transport] [Operated on Saigon River July
>> 22-23, 29-30,
>> 1968 and August 5-6, 1968]
>>
>> USS Orleck (DD-886) operated on Mekong River Delta during July 1969
>>
>> USS Perkins (DD-877) operated on Saigon River during June 1969
>>
>> USS Picking (DD-685) operated on Saigon River during November 16, 1965
>>
>> USS Preston (DD-795) operated on Mekong River Delta, Ganh Rai Bay, and
>> Saigon River during September 28 - 29 and December 27 - 29, 1965
>>
>> USS Providence (CLG-6) [Cruiser, Light, Guided Missile] [Operated on
>> Saigon River 3 days during January 1964]
>>
>>
>> USS Southerland (DD-743) operated on Song Nga Bay and Saigon River
>> during July 1966
>>
>> USS Sproston (DD-577) [destroyer] operated on Mekong Delta and Ganh Rai
>> Bay during January 1966
>>
>> USS Joseph Strauss (DDG-16) [guided missile destroyer] operated on
>> Mekong River Delta and Ganh Rai Bay during November 7 and December 7,
>> 1968
>>
>> USS Talladega (APA-208) operated on Saigon River during October 1967
>>
>> USS John W. Thomason (DD-760) operated on Nga Be River during 1969
>>
>> USS Warrington (DD-843) operated on Mekong River Delta Rung Sat Special
>> Zone, North of Vung Gahn Rai Bay during March 1967
>>
>> USS Waddell (DDG-241) operated on Cua Viet River during March 1967
>> ************************************************************************
>> ****************************************************
>>
>> VA's Blue Water Vietnam Veterans Numbers Even More Off Than We Thought
>> Fri Jul 23, 2010 4:44 PM EDT
>>
>> Readers, there are new numbers recently found on the DoD statistics
>> website that drastically reduce the numbers on the Vietnam Veterans Fact
>> Sheet, a much more accurate set of statistics than anything the VA has
>> issued
>> (http://citizensreflection.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Vietnam-V
>> eterans-Fact-Sheet.pdf ).
>> Those numbers are from various locations and the sources are listed in
>> the footnotes.
>> It appears now there were not actually 514,000 Navy Personnel who served
>> off shore of Vietnam, let alone the 800,000+ the VA claims. Rather, the
>> number, according to the DoD statistics web site is 229,000 Navy
>> Personnel serving in all of Southeast Asia and 174,000 who served in
>> South Vietnam.
>> The link is here:
>> http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/CASUALTY/vietnam.pdf
>> Though it's a casualty list, pay attention to the first column, Total,
>> the last column, Navy, and the last two rows which are total numbers
>> served, not casualties. That premise is proven by the Total Number
>> Served row and the Total column cell showing 3,403,000 which is, and has
>> been the accepted total of true Vietnam Veterans, within a couple of
>> hundred. We are aware the VA has been telling everyone, especially the
>> Congress, there are 800,000+ veterans who would be eligible for the
>> return of the benefits cited in the Agent Orange Equity Act of 2009
>> (HR2254/S1939) for quite a long time. Recently They've apparently
>> amended that number to say it includes spouses and dependents. Think
>> about that for a moment. First it's veterans only and, when their
>> numbers are challenged by factual data from their own sources they
>> change it to include the spouses and dependents. Now, consider something
>> for a moment:
>> To get a reasonable percentage of veterans vs spouses/dependents we use
>> the 514,000 number cited in the Vietnam Veterans Fact Sheet for veterans
>> and the 800,000 number the VA says includes spouses and dependents it
>> results in 64.25% of the 800,000 are the veterans and the remaining
>> 35.75% are the spouses and dependents.
>> Take the numbers from the 2008 DoD statistics site of 229,000 Navy
>> Veterans who served in all of Southeast Asia and add 81868 spouses and
>> dependents (35.73%)
>> and the result is 310,868 Veterans, spouses and dependents, or
>> approximately 39% fewer who are, or would be, eligible for benefits than
>> the VA wrongfully claims.
>> Now, if the statistics concerning the number of in-country Veterans with
>> Agent Orange diseases versus the number of total in-country Veterans are
>> to be extrapolated, which show that approximately 1/3 of the in-country
>> Veterans are receiving benefits for exposure to Agent Orange, we come up
>> with 33.33% of 310,868 veterans, spouses and dependents, or 103,612 who
>> would actually apply for, and receive, benefits returned by the passage
>> of the Agent Orange Act, or 13% of the number the VA claims.
>> So, it should be obvious to all but the VA that, even being very
>> conservative in our calculations, the numbers of those eligible are 39%
>> fewer, and more reasonably, 13% fewer than the VA claims. Here's the
>> kicker. Using the accepted percentage of those still alive at 30%,
>> leaving 93,260, the total cost of the Agent Orange Equity Act of 2009 in
>> the year 2020 comes out to $1,609,316,586.00, (1.61 Billion Dollars) 6%
>> of the VA estimated number of $27,000,000,000.00 (27 Billion Dollars).
>> The above number does not include back payments possibly due to the
>> veteran, spouses and dependents and using the 70% average number of
>> claims approved by the VA we see $2,092,111,562.00 and even if we double
>> the total cost we come up with $3,218,633,172.00, again an extremely
>> smaller figure, 12% of the Total Cost the VA claims. If the Congress can
>> easily find $34,000,000,000.00 for the extension of unemployment
>> benefits without PayGo rules they can certainly find less than
>> $3,218,633,172.00 to fulfill the nation's promise to care for their
>> veterans who were injured in war time without using the PayGo rules
>> ploy.
>> It's time for all veterans to hammer into their Congressional
>> Representatives and Senators the much more realistic data and let them
>> know, bluntly, that if they don't get the Agent Orange Act passed this
>> session they will not have their seats come next election.
>> DAKLANDER
>> Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veteran
>> http://daklander.newsvine.com/_news/2010/07/23/4737233-vas-blue-water-vi
>> etnam-veterans-numbers-even-more-off-than-we-thought
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Release
August 2, 2010
No. 10-20
Contact: Mokie Porter
301-585-4000, Ext. 146
VVA to Simpson: Don’t Target
Benefits Veterans Have Earned
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – “Former Senator Alan Simpson seems to have jumped from the verbal frying pan into the fire with his latest comments on government excess, this time targeting how ‘the veterans who saved this country are now, in a way, not helping us to save the country in this fiscal mess,’” said John Rowan, National President of Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA).
Simpson, the Republican co-chair of the President’s Deficit Commission, who at one time chaired the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, complained in an interview that veterans receiving disability payments for illnesses associated with their exposure to Agent Orange during their service in the Vietnam War run “contrary to efforts to control federal spending.” His comments came a day after The Associated Press reported that diabetes has become the most frequently compensated ailment among Vietnam veterans, even though, the AP report noted, decades of research have failed to find more than a possible link between diabetes mellitus and the defoliant Agent Orange.
“The system doesn’t ‘automatically award’ disability benefits to veterans,” Rowan said. “The VA has, far too often, been the adversary rather than the advocate for the veterans it serves. If an in-country veteran, who is presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange, to dioxin, one of the most toxic substances known, is afflicted with one of the maladies deemed service-connected by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, that veteran has earned whatever benefits he or she is awarded.
“While we agree with Senator Simpson that ‘common sense is the most uncommon thing in Washington,’ we would respectfully suggest that there are more than a few worthy targets for his ire. When the US Government sends its sons and daughters off to war, it must be prepared to pay the full price.”
--30--
Persons with Disabilities
Persons with disabilities who hold a certification eligibility letter from a
State Vocational Rehabilitation Office or the Department of Veterans Affairs
may apply for Homeland Security employment opportunities through one of
several special hiring authorities.
Applicants with certification eligibility letters may apply directly to a
Homeland Security <http://www.dhs.gov/xabout/careers/editorial_0638.shtm>
Selective Placement Coordinator to be considered for a job.
http://www.dhs.gov/xabout/careers/editorial_0638.shtm
http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx
Veterans' Preference
Veterans' Preference gives eligible veterans preference in appointment over
many other applicants. Veterans' preference applies, to virtually all new
appointments in both the competitive and excepted service. Veterans'
preference does not guarantee veterans a job and it does not apply to
internal agency actions such as promotions, transfers, reassignments and
reinstatements.
Veterans' preference can be confusing. The law we follow in Federal civilian
employment can be found in title 5, United States Code, Section 2108 ( 5
<javascript:__doPostBack('ctl01$InteriorContentPlaceHolder$MainContentPlaceH
older$ctl00','')> USC 2108). Not all veterans are considered veterans for
the purpose of Federal civilian employment, and not all active duty service
is qualifying for veterans' preference.
Only veterans discharged or released from active duty in the armed forces
under honorable conditions are eligible for veterans' preference. This means
you must have been discharged under an honorable or general discharge.
If you are a "retired member of the armed forces" you are not included in
the definition of preference eligible unless you are a disabled veteran OR
you retired below the rank of major or its equivalent.
There are basically two types of preference eligibles, disabled (10 point
preference eligible) and non-disabled (5 point preference eligibles).
You are a 5 point preference eligible if your active duty service meets any
of the following:
1. 180 or more consecutive days, any part of which occurred during the
period beginning September 11, 2001 and ending on a future date prescribed
by Presidential proclamation or law as the last date of Operation Iraqi
Freedom, OR
2. Between August 2, 1990 and January 2, 1992, OR
3. 180 or more consecutive days, any part of which occurred after January
31, 1955 and before October 15, 1976.
4. In a war, campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been
authorized or between April 28, 1952 and July 1, 1955.
You are a 10 point preference eligible if you served at any time, and you:
1. have a service connected disability, OR
2. received a Purple Heart.
If you are not sure of your preference eligibility, visit the Department of
Labor's Veterans' <http://www.dol.gov/elaws/vets/vetpref/mservice.htm>
Preference Advisor.
Now that we have discussed your preference eligibility and the associated
points, let's discuss preference groups. Preference eligibles are divided
into four basic groups as follows:
* CPS - Disability rating of 30% or more (10 points)
* CP - Disability rating of at least 10% but less than 30% (10 points)
* XP - Disability rating less than 10% (10 points)
* TP - Preference eligibles with no disability rating (5 points)
NOTE: Disabled veterans receive 10 points regardless of their disability
rating.
When agencies use a numerical rating and ranking system to determine the
best qualified applicants for a position, an additional 5 or 10 points are
added to the numerical score of qualified preference eligible veterans
When an agency does not use a numerical rating system, preference eligibles
who have a compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more
(CPS, CP) are placed at the top of the highest category on the referral list
(except for scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or
higher). XP and TP preference eligibles are placed above non-preference
eligibles within their assigned category.
You must provide acceptable documentation of your preference or appointment
eligibility. The member 4 copy of your DD214, "Certificate of Release or
Discharge from Active Duty," is preferable. If claiming 10 point preference,
you will need to submit a Standard Form (SF-15
<http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf> Adobe Acrobat Version [152 KB])
"Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference."
http://www.dhs.gov/xabout/careers/gc_1257531959159.shtm
Determining Veterans Preference
Special consideration is given to qualified veterans, known as Veterans'
Preference <http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx> . Not all
veterans are entitled to it. Typically, veterans must have served on active
duty for at least two years during a period of war, be disabled, or meet
other criteria. Veterans Preference does not guarantee a job.
Under Derived <http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/familypref/index.aspx>
Preference, certain eligible spouses, widows/widowers, or mothers of a
veteran may be able to claim Veterans Preference when the veteran is unable.
Agencies may also appoint a military spouse without competition under the
Military Spouse <http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/shams/index.aspx#msaa>
Appointing Authority.
There are also a number of special hiring preferences, such as Veterans'
<http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/shav/index.aspx#vra> Recruitment
Appointment (VRA), 30% or More Disabled
<http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/shav/index.aspx#30> Veteran, and the
Veterans Employment <http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/shav/index.aspx#veoa>
Opportunity Act (VEOA).
The Veterans' <http://www.dol.gov/elaws/vets/vetpref/mservice.htm>
Preference Advisor is a tool that assists veterans in determining Veterans
Preference eligibility through a series of questions. Veterans should note
their preference points for use in the application process.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is an excepted service
agency. As a result, TSA is not governed by most of the policies and
procedures established under Title 5 by the Office of Personnel Management.
In addition, certain requirements and qualifications for some of TSA's
mission-critical positions such as Transportation Security Officers (TSOs)
and Federal Air Marshals are based in statute and may not be adapted. Go to
TSA's Veterans' Outreach <http://www.tsa.gov/join/careers/veterans.shtm>
Web page for more information on applying for a job at TSA.
TREA Washington Update for July 23, 2010 The biggest news from Washington today is that the House of Representatives are leaving for their August break today. The Senate stays in session for one more week. Your House member will be in his or her home district for the next month campaigning. This is the time for you to meet with him or her. Call their District Office and try to make an appointment. Or go to a Town Meeting or go to Campaign Events. Don’t forget to speak to his or her challenger about the issues that concern you. THIS IS THE TIME SO DON’T PASS UP THE OPPORTUNITY TO DIRECTLY TELL THEM OF YOUR CONCERNS. Next week the Senate is expected to confirm Elena Kagan as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and pass funding to pay for education jobs and Medicaid costs in the states. And then they will be back in their states the next week. Other stories that captured the focus of all of Washington was the leaking of over 90,000 secret documents concerning the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on the website WikiLeaks; the temporary injunction issued by a federal judge restraining the implementation of provisions of the Arizona Immigration Law; the ethical charges that the House ethics committee released against the powerful Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) former Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee; and the tens of thousands of Boy Scouts who arrived at the Capitol to celebrate Scouting’s 100th Anniversary and attend their yearly Jubilee. 1) War Supplemental Passes House of Representatives Sent to the President for His Signature 2) Senate Hearing Held On Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) 3) TREA Attends 20th Anniversary of the Passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act 4) The “Alternative” Quadrennial Defense Review Released 5) VA Changes Rules for Patients Who Use Medical Marijuana 1) War Supplemental Passes House of Representatives Sent to the President for His Signature-Finally, after 5 long months of fights, the House passed the Senate’s version of the War Supplemental and sent it on to the White House. The $58.8 billion bill provides $37 billion to continue to fight the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan (and Pakistan) and $13.38 billion for VA funding of the 3 new presumptive illnesses: B cell leukemia, Parkinson’s disease and certain heart diseases determined to be caused by exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. This is very good news. The bill also included other emergency spending, including spending for the oil spill, flood relief. The House attempted to add $22.8 billion in additional funding to pay for teacher’s salaries and other domestic programs but the additional programs were rejected by the Senate. A full list from the House Appropriations Committee of what was finally funded is listed below Iraq and Afghanistan: $37.12 billion in additional fiscal 2010 funding for the military action in Iraq and Afghanistan and related foreign aid activities Veterans: $13.38 billion in mandatory spending for Vietnam veterans with illnesses linked to Agent Orange FEMA: $5.1 billion for the Disaster Relief Fund Haiti: $2.93 billion for earthquake relief Army Corps of Engineers: $178 million to respond to natural disasters Gulf oil spill: $162 million for unemployment benefits and aid to relief efforts Flood relief: $100 million to help communities devastated by flooding Guam: $50 million to improve port facility access Economic Development Administration: $49 million Farm loans: $31.5 million to support $950 million in new loans to family farmers Fisheries: $26 million for fisheries disasters Mine safety: $22 million to address a backlog in mine safety enforcement cases Flood control: $20 million for Army Corps water projects Mississippi River: $18.6 million to respond to disasters Forests: $18 million for forest restoration Coast Guard: $16 million for aircraft Highway safety: $15 million for studies of sudden vehicle acceleration and to administer fuel economy standards Capitol Police: $13 million for a modern digital radio system Drought relief: $10 million to respond to droughts in the West Financial commission: $2 million to allow the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission to investigate the causes of the financial crisis Rural housing loans: Provides authority to continue making loans and protects low-income borrowers from a loan fee increase No-Fly List: Requires the Transportation Security Administration to require commercial foreign airlines to check the no-fly list no later than 30 minutes after it has been updated High-Value Detainee interrogations: Requires the FBI to submit to Congress within 30 days its interrogation procedures for such detainees 2) Senate Hearing held on Arlington National Cemetery (ANC)- On Thursday the Senate’s Homeland Security and Government Affairs’ Subcommittee on Contracting Subcommittee held a hearing on the continuing scandal concerning the management of Arlington National Cemetery (ANC). In June the Army’s IG issued a devastating report that found (1) over 200 graves were unmarked or misidentified; (2) that the ANC maps showing the location of grave sites were often inaccurate; (3) that after granting at least 35 contracts at a cost of at least $5.5 million ANC’s record keeping was still not digitized; (4) and that numerous other contracts were not correctly written. TREA submitted written testimony outlining our concerns on management of that crucial site. The Committee requested testimony concerning the contracting procedures that had been used by the ANC and how they could be improved. The Committee subpoenaed former Superintendent Jack Metzler and Deputy Superintendent Thurman Higginbotham to testify. Additionally representatives from the Army testified about how the Army plans to correct the present situation. Mr. Metzler said he accepts:” full responsibility” for the failures discovered at ANC. Mr. Higginbotham refused to answer most of the Committees’ question invoking the 5th Amendment protection against self-incrimination. While the Army’s investigation found that there were as many 211 mismarked graves subsequent estimates have grown to thousand of errors. 2) TREA Attends 20th Anniversary of the Passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act-TREA, represented by Executive Director Deirdre Parke Holleman and Deputy Legislative Director Mike Saunders, attended a reception on July 26 marking the 20th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The event was hosted by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) in Statuary Hall of the Capitol building. The ADA, which has increased access to public places and employment for people with physical and mental handicaps In addition to the reception, Representative Langevin was given the opportunity to “wield the gavel” and preside over the U.S. House of Representatives for the afternoon. Mr. Langevin, who in 2000 was the first quadriplegic elected to the House, used a newly installed mechanical lift system to access the speaker's podium in his motorized wheelchair. Langevin was paralyzed as a 16-year-old Boy Scout cadet working with police in Warwick, R.I. He was in a locker room watching officers examine a gun they thought was unloaded, when the weapon accidentally fired. A bullet ricocheted off a metal locker and severed Langevin's spinal cord. "What a powerful symbol of inclusion and opportunity for anyone who wants to serve in the United States Congress," he said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Monday. Congress has become increasingly accessible in the past decade for people with disabilities, he added. For more information on the ADA, see: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-07-26-disabilities-act_N.htm or http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38416567/ns/politics/ 3) The “Alternative” Quadrennial Defense Review Released-On Thursday the Chairmen of the Bi-Partisan Independent Panel testified before the House Armed Services Committee on their the Final Report of the Independent Panel's Assessment of the Quadrennial Defense Review and called for an increase in the Defense budget. The review of the Pentagon’s QDR (issued in February) was mandated by Congress in the FY2010 National Defense Authorization Act. It was chaired by the Honorable William J Perry, Defense Secretary under President Bill Clinton and the Honorable Stephen J. Hadley, National Security Advisor under President George W. Bush. The report issued by a 20 member bi-partisan panel of former senior military and diplomatic personnel said that the United States could be facing a train-wreck if we did not rebuild our military. They strongly suggested that the U.S. must increase our Marine Power, from the present 282 ships to 346 ships to deal with “the rise of new global great powers in Asia” (meaning China) The report said: “In order to preserve U.S. interests, the United States will need to retain the ability to transit freely the areas of the Western Pacific for security and economic reasons.” It also said that the Air Force needed increases and improvements. The panel suggested that DoD was totally (And understandably) focused on the present wars but that they must make longer term plans. The report is sure to create controversy with both its call for immediate and substantial additional spending to support the growing missions DoD is facing and its recommendation to completely reorganize the national security departments and their oversight Congressional Committees. It said that DoD is still living off the Reagan Defense build-up and the equipment is aging while the number of missions (including new missions like cybersecurity and homeland security) are growing and much more money I needed to modernize the force. The report also addresses the growing costs of the all volunteer force and suggests that individuals may need to pay more in future costs. The report does not say if they are looking at TRICARE fees but says:” A failure to address the increasing costs of the all-volunteer force will likely result in a reduction in the force structure, a reduction in benefits or a compromised all volunteer force.” Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) said that he agreed with the reports criticisms of the Pentagon’s QDR saying that Secretary Gates has rightly in my opinion, focused his effort on winning the wars we are in today."But we cannot do that at the expense of preparing for the future, and there, I am concerned that the QDR came up a bit short." 4) VA Changes Rules for Patients Who Use Medical Marijuana-The Department of Veterans Affairs has issued a directive stating that VA patients who use medical marijuana in states where it is legal will not be disqualified from receiving different pain medications from the VA. The VA will not allow its doctors to prescribe marijuana but will not disqualify them from other treatments by deciding that the veteran was using an “illegal drug.” Dr. Robert Jesse, the VA’s Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health, said,” When states start legalizing marijuana we are put in a bit of a unique position because as a federal agency, we are beholden to federal law.” But “we didn’t want patients who were legally using marijuana to be administratively denied access to pain management programs.”
