In light of recent discoveries about Veterans Affairs scandals in Arizona, on top of drawn out challenges the department has been facing, U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) has launched a new initiative to solicit feedback from Central Valley constituents on how they would fix the VA.
Denham wants to “hear from his constituents” exactly what they think it will take to change the system.
“We’ll be having a series of committee hearings in the coming months concerning the changes that must be made at the VA,” said Denham. “As I have the opportunity to ask my questions of VA witnesses and hear testimony from those involved with the recent scheduling scandal, I want to ask them about the stories of the people I represent. I want to know what they’ve experienced and use their ideas as I work to get all of our veterans the care they deserve.”
Denham, an Air Force veteran, is the lone Central Valley representative on the Veterans Affairs committee. According to his office, Denham will be using the feedback he receives to develop new legislation. He will question representatives of the VA and share information with his colleagues as the committee works to address what his website refers to as “the gross mismanagement of the VA.”
District residents can contact Denham with their stories and how they would rebuild the VA through his website.
In May, Denham introduced the Veterans Need Timely Access to Care Act, H.R. 4779, which would speed up health care access for veterans nationwide. He was also an original co-sponsor of the Veterans Access to Care Act, H.R. 4810, which passed the House last week and introduced the Quicker Benefits Delivery Act in May as well, which would help reduce the VA backlog by allowing local doctors to conduct disability medical examinations for veterans.
The VA currently enrolls 9.1 million of the estimated 21.6 million veterans living in the U.S.
Buzz Davis, an Army veteran who served in South Korea from 1967-70, said the VA budget hasn't increased enough to correspond with the country's growing number of veterans and its aging population. The U.S. has a propensity to forget its veterans after they return from war, he said.
"What we have is a massive meat grinder. We put in young men and women at the top of the meat grinder," Davis said. "The military, the Department of Defense, all these good politicians who never go to war but think war is just wonderful are grinding that handle on that meat grinder. And out of the bottom of that meat grinder comes men and women who are slightly messed up, or are dead. It goes on year after year. We’ve now been in almost 15 years of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. We are not learning. We lost in Vietnam, you can’t fight ideas ... you can’t shoot a bullet through an idea. Same thing in Afghanistan. Same thing in Iraq." read more>>>
As well as 'massive' ignoring or denying issues even exist, PTS for decades, Agent Orange contamination for decades, Gulf War Syndrome now for decades, homelessness and crimes and the mitigating reasons driving some towards, with so many more from past conflicts and already ignoring many from OEF and OIF like burn pit contamination! Which finally, even though grossly underfunded but with the help of this entire executive administration and it's cabinet, the Shinseki administration had started addressing, what other VA secretaries, executive administrations, congress and the people they represent, avoided as the people served ignored they exist!
The Country that 'Talks the Talk' but rarely 'Walks the Walk', Patriotism Posers who loves the free wars and ignore any sacrifice as to the long term results from, while ignoring the many issues of Veterans, those that served them, especially as a result of our wars, their representatives leading that ignoring while attacking the under funded VA, decades now and wars from, they control the purse strings of the Country!
USN All Shore GMG3 '67-'71 Vietnam In Country '70-'71 - Independent **