H.R.23 : Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2009: To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish the Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation Fund to provide benefits to certain individuals who served in the United States merchant marine (including the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service) during World War II.Latest Major Action: 5/13/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. This bill has passed the House and is now in the Senate. Although I agree with the bill in principal, I disagree with it in substance. The bill directs the Secretary of Veteran Affairs to pay $1,000 per month to qualified Merchant Mariners. To quote Congressman Steve Buyer, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veteran Affairs “The authorization described in the bill has no requirement for the Merchant Mariner to have a disability or suffer from financial hardship. Currently, the only veterans authorized to receive a service pension are Medal of Honor recipients. Not even former Prisoners of War receive such a pension… Most Merchant Mariners serving during World War II were given veteran status under a system established by Congress in the G.I. Bill Improvement Act of 1977, Public Law 95-202. This process determined if civilian groups of World War II, like most Merchant Mariners, should receive veteran status based on their service during the war. This means that most of these World War II Merchant Mariners are veterans and qualify for all Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits and services including healthcare… Twenty eight other groups that provided military-related service to the U.S. in World War II have received veteran status in the same manner as the Merchant Mariners. However, this bill ignores their service to the nation; it focuses only on the service provided by Merchant Mariners who served during that same period. These groups include the Women's Air Force Service Pilots, the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, the American Volunteer Group know as `The Flying Tigers' and many others who gained their status decades after their service. They served loyally, selflessly, and courageously. Their service contributed directly to victory in 1945. Yet this bill does nothing for them.” Call your Senators and get this bill amended or killed. Keep in mind that a veteran that a 50% disabled veteran who is married receives $845 per month, this includes the merchant mariner. Under this bill that 50% disabled merchant mariner will now get $1,845 per month, while his military counterpart will still only get $845.
H.R.237 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a refundable credit to military retirees for premiums paid for coverage under Medicare Part B. Latest Major Action: 1/7/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. This bill will benefit military retirees and their spouses who are forced into the Tricare for Life program. If you are a retiree or spouse over age 65 or in receipt of Social Security Disability Insurance, you must got on Tricare for Life. To be on Tricare for Life you must pay for Medicare Part B. That premium is currently $96.40 per month. The amount you receive from SS doesn’t matter. (e.g. my wife is on Tricare for Life as she receives SSDI. Her premium is almost 20% of the amount she receives from SSDI. If BC/BS charged you 20% of your income for health insurance, what would you do?) Contact your Congressman, have them co-sponsor this bill and tell them to get it passed.
H.R.403 : Home for Heroes Act of 2009; To provide housing assistance for very low-income veterans. Latest Major Action: 6/16/2009 Passed/agreed to in House. Status: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by recorded vote (2/3 required): 417 - 2 (Roll no. 344). The Bill is now before the Senate. This bill will benefit indigent veterans in the following ways: (1) VA Disability Compensation and DIC will not be used in the computation of income for veterans or family members who are residing in Federally subsidized housing (i.e. Section 8 Housing or similar programs and (2) it authorizes grants to non-profit organizations to assist veterans in obtaining housing or homeless assistance under programs administered by HUD. Call your Senators and get this bill passed. It is needed.
H.R.423 : Samuel B. Moody Bataan Death March Compensation Act: To provide compensation for certain World War II veterans who survived the Bataan Death March and were held as prisoners of war by the Japanese.Latest Major Action: 2/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel. I would like you to get behind this bill. It authorizes a simple payment of $4.00 per day, compounded at 3%, for each day individual was held captive. My only problem with the bill is that it doesn’t specify the interest bearing period. $4.00 per day from Apr 42 to Apr 45 is only $4,380. But it if you compound that at 3% from 1945 to 2010 it comes out to $28,198. Not that these folks didn’t earn it and don’t deserve it, but the bill doesn’t go into enough detail.
“We're the Battling Bastards of Bataan,
No mama, no papa, no Uncle Sam,
No aunts, no uncles, no cousins, no nieces,
No pills, no planes, no artillery pieces,
And nobody gives a damn!"
Frank Hewlett, 1942
Frank Hewlett, 1942
H.R.593 : To amend title 10, United States Code, to expand the authorized concurrent receipt of disability severance pay from the Department of Defense and compensation for the same disability under any law administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs to cover all veterans who have a combat-related disability, as defined under section 1413a of such title. Latest Major Action: 2/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
H.R.744 : To provide for the treatment of service as a member of the Alaska Territorial Guard during World War II as active service for purposes of retired pay for members of the Armed Forces. Latest Major Action: 2/17/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel. I support this bill, and I would like you to also. The ATG wasn’t any different than a National Guard unit that had been Federalized. The issue is they never left Alaska. On the other side, the Japanese did invade Alaska in WWII and there was fighting on some of the Aleutian Islands.
H.R.1004: To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide an enhanced funding process to ensure an adequate level of funding for veterans health care programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to establish standards of access to care for veterans seeking health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. Latest Major Action: 2/13/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health. This is a mandatory funding bill for the Veterans Health Administration of the VA. Currently funding for VA Health Care is not mandatory, it is discretionary. The House Appropriations Committee can determine how much money, if any, VHA will receive. Tell your Congressman to support this bill.
H.R.1042 : To prohibit the provision of medical treatment to enemy combatants detained by the United States at Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in the same facility as a member of the Armed Forces or Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility. Latest Major Action: 2/13/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health. I’m sorry, I can’t support this bill. It’s inhumane. Why should enemy combatants get better healthcare than we do. Force them to use DoD and DVA facilities! Seriously, enemy combatants should be treated at DoD facilities. We don’t want them using our civilian hospitals. The bill is sort of idiotic, too. How many non-DoD health care facilities are located at the US Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba? I understand Mr. Miller’s concern, but this is a bad idea. Nearest non-DoD medical facilities are located in Florida.
H.R.1089 : Veterans Employment Rights Realignment Act of 2009: To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the enforcement through the Office of Special Counsel of the employment and reemployment rights of veterans and members of the Armed Forces employed by Federal executive agencies, and for other purposes. Latest Major Action: 5/20/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. This bill was passed in the House and is now in the hands of the Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs. It is a needed law. There are way to many cases of hiring managers not complying with the requirements to hire qualified veterans before qualified non-veterans. Although OPM is supposed to enforce the statutes, they don’t do it as often as they should. Call your Senators and tell them to support this bill.
Don’t forget the chain of command. You are the HGWAIC (Head Guy What Am In Charge)! Let the politicians know it.
God Bless You.
Gunner Sends
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