October 31, 2014 In This Issue: 1. Full Advanced Appropriations Vote Promised 2. Election Tuesday 3. Call for Personal Stories on Forced Arbitration 4. VA Launches New Affordable Care Act Web Page 5. Three MIAs Identified 1. Full Advanced Appropriations Vote Promised: This week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, promised the Senate would vote on S. 932, the “Putting Veterans Funding First Act” when Congress returns to Capitol Hill after the election. This legislation will provide Advanced Appropriations for all Department of Veterans Affairs discretionary budget accounts. Advanced Appropriations has been a top priority for the VFW, and this puts us one step closer to achieving our goal. The House version of this bill advanced through the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and is awaiting a final vote. VFW’s Action Corps has been instrumental in getting legislation advanced in the past, and we will need your help again. Once we know when the Senate vote will take place, we will be calling on our membership to take action. 2. Election Tuesday: Tuesday, November 4, is Election Day. This election will impact veterans, service members and their families. The candidates who win on Tuesday will be thrust into debates and votes on issues ranging from adequately funding VA health care and what the future retirement benefits for military retirees will look like to whether or not the Department of Defense will suffer devastating cuts because of sequestration. Know where your candidates stand on our issues and make time to vote on Tuesday. Your vote counts! 3. Call for Personal Stories on Forced Arbitration: When our service members deploy, their focus should be on protecting our nation, not on predatory schemes, scams, abuses and frauds causing financial difficulties at home. However, their financial security has been jeopardized by an injustice buried in the fine print of their loan applications, rental agreements, credit card statements and other financial contracts. It’s called forced arbitration. Often when service members, military families and veterans try to correct a problem with their finances through the legal system, they are required to go into arbitration. Forced arbitration prevents service members from using America’s court system to defend their USERRA and SCRA rights, and instead funnels them into a one-sided arbitration system rigged by the corporations that violated the law. If you or someone you know has been required to go into arbitration over a commercial dispute, we want to hear your story. These cases will be used as evidence to strengthen the financial security of our troops and protect their rights. To share your story with us, please contact Brendon Gehrke at [email protected]. 4. VA Launces New Affordable Care Act Web Page: This week, the Department of Veterans Affairs updated its website with a new page containing information on the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The page is easy to navigate, and is broken down into different links for veterans already enrolled in VA care, unenrolled veterans, and family members. Those who are not enrolled yet can use the site to learn more about eligibility, begin the enrollment process, or initiate an online chat for more help. There are also various fact sheets and FAQs available. As a reminder, all enrolled veterans, TRICARE beneficiaries, and CHAMPVA family members already meet the minimum standard for coverage required by the ACA. To visit the website, click here: va.gov/health/aca/. 5. Three MIAs Identified: The Defense POW/MIA Office has announced the identification of three American servicemen who had been missing in action since Korea and Vietnam. Returned are: Sgt. Michael J. Barra, U.S. Army, Company C, 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, was lost Feb. 20, 1951, in North Korea. He was accounted for Oct. 23, 2014. He will be buried with full military honors in his hometown on a date yet to be announced. Capt. Richard L. Whitesides, U.S. Air Force, 19th Tactical Air Support Squadron, 34th Tactical Group, 13th Air Force, was lost March 26, 1964, in Vietnam. He was accounted for Oct. 21, 2014. He will be buried with full military honors in his hometown on a date yet to be announced. Pfc. Anthony R. La Rossa, U.S. Army, Company L, 3rd Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, was lost Feb. 13, 1951, in North Korea. He was accounted for Oct. 20, 2014. He will be buried with full military honors in his hometown on a date yet to be announced. To sign up new veterans’ advocates, click here: capwiz/vfw/mlm/signup.htm. As always, we want to share your advocacy stories on the VFW Capitol Hill blog. To share your stories either fill out our online form by clicking here, vfw.org/Forms/Capitol-Hill-Blog-Submissions/, or simply email photos and stories directly to [email protected]. If you no longer wish to receive e-mail from us, please click here.
Posted on: Sat, 01 Nov 2014 12:09:37 +0000
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