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Legislative Dispatches   

Senate Passes Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act
Posted by Tom Tarantino on November 19

By a vote of 98-0 the Senate has passed S. 1963, the Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010.  The fight for this vital piece of legislation has been difficult, but thanks to the combined efforts of the veterans community, we are one-step closer to upgrading our VA health care system.  Learn more here.

UPDATE: Senate Passes Veterans Affairs Budget
Posted by Patrick Campbell on November 17

UPDATE:   One step closer!  This afternoon the Senate passed the Veterans Affairs budget by a vote of 100-0.   It provides $133.9 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs and Military housing. Click here to learn more about this breaking development. 

Vital Veterans Legislation Faces Fight in Senate
Posted by Patrick Campbell on October 30

We need your help to improve health care for our female veterans, support family caregivers and to get homeless veterans into transitional housing. These key IAVA priorities are swiftly moving in the Senate but face stiff opposition from one Senator who is threatening to scuttle these new programs .  Click here to learn more.

NDAA Includes Critical Provisions for New Veterans
Posted by Patrick Campbell on October 29

On Wednesday, the President signed the 2010 National Defense Authorization Act into law.  While this $600 Billion bill provides the Military with everything that they need to operate for the next year, it includes several provisions that will improve the lives of the men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and may save countless lives by improving the way the Military handles Mental Health.

UPDATE: Stop-Loss Back Pay Now Available
Posted by Tom Tarantino on October 26

Last summer, Congress passed legislation to compensate servicemembers who were stop-lossed after September 11, 2001. IAVA had been fighting for this for over a year, and now those payments have finally become available.  Click here to learn more.

Senate Passes NDAA, Mental Health Provision
Posted by Patrick Campbell on October 22

The Senate has just passed the annual National Defense Authorization Act (68-29) sending to the President’s desk many of IAVA's legislative agenda recommendations, including mandatory mental health screenings for all returning servicemembers.  Click here to learn more.

UPDATE: Army Announces It Will Begin Receiving Stop Loss Applications
Posted by Tom Tarantino on October 21

Last summer, Congress extended the law that would compensate servicemembers for the months that they were held beyond their ETS date under a stop loss order to anyone held under stop loss past 9/11/2001.  Effective October 21st, the Army has announced that it will begin receiving applications online from soldiers, retirees, and veterans who are eligible to receive the back payment.  Click here to learn more.

Huge Win for Vets! VA Health Care Now Free from Divisive Budget Politics
Posted by Michelle McCarthy on October 15

On Wednesday, IAVA’s Executive Director and Founder Paul Rieckhoff joined Speaker Pelosi as she sent an Advanced Appropriations bill to President Obama for his signature.  Click here to watch an important video message from Paul about this legislation which will require Congress to pass the VA’s budget a year in advance.

UPDATE: House Veterans Subcommittee hearing on Post 9/11 GI Bill claims system
Posted by Michelle McCarthy on October 15

On Thursday, the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee responsible for oversight of the GI Bill held another hearing on Post-9/11 GI Bill implementation. The VA stated “that any delay is unacceptable” and outlined their process to automate the Post-9/11 GI Bill claims system. IAVA submitted testimony with recommendations that included better outreach, reassessing current staffing levels and upgrading the Post 9/11 GI Bill itself.  Click here to read the testimony submitted by IAVA's Chief Legislative Counsel Patrick Campbell.

UPDATE: VA Secretary Shinseki Testifies Before Congress
Posted by Tom Tarantino on October 14

On Tuesday, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki testified in front of the House Veterans Affairs Committee about the state of the Department of Veterans Affairs.  The hearing was generally cordial and there were no real surprises, but the Secretary provided some interesting information as to the current state and the direction of the VA.  I live blogged the hearing via twitter (@TomTarantino), and you can read the transcript below for some highlights.

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Success Stories

IAVA has helped thousands of veterans. Here are some of their stories:

Veterans Day 2009

On Veterans Day, IAVA Member Veterans participated in more than a dozen parades… 

IAVA, Ad Council Debut New PSA

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IAVA Spearheads Passage of Advanced Funding for VA Healthcare

On October 22nd, IAVA joined lawmakers and the nation's leading Veteran Service…