Continuing Our Advocacy for Veterans’ Rights—and More

BY PETE PETERSON, CHAIR

VVA is focused on promoting and supporting the full range of issues important to Vietnam War veterans, and much of this work requires direct interaction with elected officials. The relationships VVA and the Government Affairs Department have fostered and built are critically important in making these goals a reality in the often complex world of legislative power.

During the 118th Congress, in which partisan divisions often halted progress, VVA’s three-person Government Affairs team played a pivotal role in advancing more than a third of all non-appropriations and non-continuing resolution legislation signed into law. In fact, 25 unique pieces of legislation that became law had VVA’s fingerprints on them, with several directly incorporating VVA language as part of the legislative negotiations.

Our main legislative accomplishments in the 118th Congress were pushing for passage of the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act; H.R. 8317, which addresses and attempts to strengthen VA programs, benefits, and services, including health care, educational assistance, home loans, homelessness, and disability and memorial affairs, and legislation; and H.R. 7333, which resulted in renaming the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center to the Thomas H. Corey VA Medical Center in honor of former VVA President Tom Corey. We also played a leading role in having Congress designate October as Toxic Exposure Awareness Month.

Joe Gromelski/The VVA Veteran

The Government Affairs team is committed in the 119th Congress and beyond to furthering the legislative priorities laid out by VVA President Jack McManus in his annual appearance in March before the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees. We have advocated for the issues that matter most for VVA members, including the fullest possible accounting of all Vietnam War POW/MIAs and continued research on the impact of toxic exposure to Agent Orange and other chemicals on veterans and their descendants.

We also have been working toward the removal of the 12-mile marker for Blue Water Navy veterans, as those who have been stationed outside of this arbitrary demarcation have been denied benefits for toxic exposure. And we have been working to pass the Donut Dollies Congressional Gold Medal Act, recognizing those dedicated women for their role in the Vietnam War.

In addition to our work on Capitol Hill, we continue to strengthen our grassroots efforts – particularly through social media and the Voter Voice call-to-action platform. We continue to pursue new ways for our membership to engage with their representatives in Congress. Our members deserve to have their voices heard, and Congress should honor veterans by hearing their concerns.

Issues related to veterans’ healthcare, such as access to medical services, mental health support, and treatment for conditions related to their service, continue to be a priority for Government Affairs. The VA will continue to be under the microscope during the Trump Administration, and we will remain heavily involved in ensuring that veterans get the health care they have earned and deserve.

The department also advocates for the families of Vietnam War veterans. This includes working for benefits for surviving spouses and dependents, as well as programs that address the unique challenges faced by families of veterans.

Finally, in recent years, VVA has embraced a broader vision of advocating on behalf of all veterans, not just those who served during the Vietnam War. In doing so, VVA spearheaded the formation of Veterans Legacy Coalition, an alliance of the nation’s leading Veterans Service Organizations. This coalition embodies VVA’s enduring Founding Principle: “Never Again Will One Generation of Veterans Abandon Another.”

Thank you for your continued commitment to staying informed, involved, and in communication with your representatives in Washington, D.C. If you would like additional information on our legislative efforts, please call us at 301-585-4000.

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