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MUST READS

(1) President Signs $106B War Supplemental, Provisions for New Veterans into Law

Late Wednesday, President Obama signed into law the $106 billion 2009 war supplemental bill, which includes two critical provisions for new veterans and their families.  The first guarantees retroactive payments for all troops stop-lossed since 9/11 and the second establishes transferability of the new GI Bill to children of servicemembers killed on active-duty since 9/11.  “Washington is finally paying more than lip service to our troops. Today, the Commander-in-Chief refocused the nation’s attention on the tremendous sacrifices of our men and women in uniform and delivered significant change. With this signature, our government is finally paying its debt to thousands of stop-lossed troops and showing gratitude to the families of our fallen heroes. Both provisions will mean real money in the pockets of those who deserve it most,” said IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff.  “As the July 4^th holiday approaches, this is a strong display of patriotism by the country’s lawmakers. IAVA thanks President Obama and Congress for continuing to make troops, veterans and their families a priority.”  Click here to read the full statement from IAVA in response to the new provisions.

(2) Troops' kids feel war toll: 6 out of 10 parents report increased level of fear, anxiety

According to data released to USA Today by the Department of Defense, most children of combat troops are showing more fear, anxiety and behavioral problems after seven years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Six out of 10 U.S. military parents told researchers their children have increased levels of fear and anxiety when a parent is sent to war, according to a survey of more than 13,000 military spouses of active-duty servicemembers.  One in four reported their child has coped poorly or very poorly during deployments, and a third say the child's grades and behavior in school have suffered.  Currently, the Pentagon estimates that nearly 900,000 troops with children have deployed to war since 9/11; and 234,000 children have a mother or father at war.  The $106 bllion war supplemental signed into law late Wednesday by President Obama allocates more than $700 million on programs for military families, 15% more than the Pentagon initially requested.

(3) Did KBR know Iraq locale was polluted, putting soldiers at risk?

As lawsuits from Indiana, Oregon and West Virginia National Guardsmen mount against military contractor KBR Inc., the Associated Press is investigating the company's denials it knowingly exposed employees and U.S. troops - tasked with rebuilding an Iraqi water plant - to the toxic, cancer-causing chemical hexavalent chromium.  To date, KBR has consistently denied any wrongdoing saying it actually found the chemical at Iraq's Qarmat Ali plant, restricted access, cleaned it up and "did not knowingly harm troops."  Ten civilians hired by a KBR subsidiary made similar claims in an arbitration resolved privately in June.  According to a Houston-based counsel for the guardsmen, company executives knew of the dangers citing anAugust 2003 KBR meeting mentioning "serious health problems at the water treatment plant" and noting "almost 60 percent of the people now exhibit the symptoms." 

"I'm a realist - things are going to get burned, things are going to be blown up," Iraq veteran and IAVA Legislative Associate Tom Tarantino told the AP. "But I think the DOD (Department of Defense) could do a better job at tracking what people are exposed to. If there's a big pit outside your base, you need to know what's going on and do tests ... so if people start getting sick, they won't spend years trying to figure out what's wrong with them."  Click here to learn more about IAVA's support for the "Military Personnel War Zone Toxic Exposure Act” (H.R.2419), recently introduced by Rep. Tim Bishop (NY-1) and Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (NH-1), which would establish a medical registry to help identify servicemembers exposed to toxins, and improve the care and benefits they receive. The bill would also limit the military’s use of burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.

AFGHANISTAN

Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, said Wednesday that U.S. and other NATO troops must make a “cultural shift” away from being a force designed for high intensity combat and instead make protecting Afghan civilians their first priority.  “Traditionally American forces are designed for conventional, high-intensity combat,” McChrystal said during a visit to Camp Leatherneck, a new U.S. Marine base housing thousands of newly deployed Marines in southern Helmand province. “In my mind what we’ve really got to do is make a cultural shift.”  McChrystal is expected to formally announce new combat rules within days that will order troops to break away from fights — if they can do so safely — if militants are firing from civilian homes. One effect of the new order will be that troops may have to wait out insurgents instead of using force to oust them, he said.

Separately, General Jim Dutton, Britan's top commander in Afghanistan, said Wednesday that thousands of U.S. troops are being sent to Helmand province because British forces "lacked capacity."  Dutton said forces are facing a "stalemate" in the southern portion of the country and that the addition of 21,000 U.S. troops offers the best chance of breaking it.

IRAQ

Six days before U.S. troops are scheduled to withdraw from Iraqi cities, a bomb killed more than 60 people and wounded more than 100 Wednesday at a market in Baghdad's volatile Sadr City slum.  It was at least the third bombing in two weeks to cause double-digit casualties in Shiite communities.

Despite a spike in violence, U.S. intelligence officials said Wednesday that the number of al-Qaida extremists in Iraq has plummeted and their ability to maintain a high-level of attacks has been eroded.  Speaking on condition of anonymity, the officials told the Associated Press that the number of foreign fighters coming across Iraq's borders had dropped from hundreds to "tens," and the membership of al-Qaida in Iraq, or AQI, has plunged from thousands at its peak in 2006-2007 to hundreds now.

Meanwhile, Iraqis report that corruption remains their top concern as the U.S. military begins a year-long withdrawal process from the country.  A senior official speaking on condition of anonymity told the Washington Post Wednesday that the government expects at least $4 billion of Iraq's $58.6 billion 2009 annual budget to go astray due to corruption.

MILITARY AFFAIRS

Gallup reported Tuesday that Americans' confidence in the U.S. military has returned to where it was at the beginning of the Iraq war in 2003 with 82% now expressing high confidence in U.S. troops.  Confidence levels are up 11 percentage points from last year, and nearly match the record-high 85% found during the 1991 Gulf War.

Reports surfaced Wednesday that the U.S. Army has barred embedded Stars & Stripes reporter Heath Druzin from covering an Iraqi-based unit operating in Mosul, Iraq because he “refused to highlight” positive news during an earlier visit.  The unit’s public affairs officer, Maj. Ramona Bellard, is alleging that Druzin used quotes out of context, “behaved unprofessionally” and repeatedly asked permission to use a computer during a “blackout” period so he could file a story.  Meanwhile, Stars & Stripes editorial director Terry Leonard said Druzin’s reporting in Mosul “had been consistently accurate and fair." He denied the Army’s allegations.

INSIDE WASHINGTON

Reps. Tim Bishop, D-N.Y., and Carol Shea-Porter, D-N.H., have submitted an amendment (HR 2647) to the 2010 defense authorization bill that would prohibit the military from operating open-air burn pits for more than 12 months during combat operations.  The amendment states that the secretary of defense would have one year after enactment to carry out the order. The Pentagon also would have 180 days to submit a report to Congress about the types of waste burned in the pits, as well as the feasibility of using other methods to dispose of waste.  The amendment, which comes after more than 400 service members reported to Disabled American Veterans that they believe they are sick because of exposure to the smoke from the pits, covers hazardous waste, medical waste and solid waste — including plastic.  Click here to learn more about IAVA's support for the "Military Personnel War Zone Toxic Exposure Act” (H.R.2419), recently introduced by Rep. Tim Bishop (NY-1) and Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (NH-1), which would establish a medical registry to help identify servicemembers exposed to toxins, and improve the care and benefits they receive.

Dr. Jill Biden, the "Second Lady" of the United States and wife of Vice President Joe Biden, confirmed Wednesday she will travel abroad this July 4th to visit troops and military families stationed on U.S. bases in Germany.  Biden's oldest son Beau is currently serving in Iraq with the Delaware National Guard.

CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE

THE SENATE 

The Senate will convene at 9:30 a.m. 

FLOOR ACTIVITY of  INTEREST 

• Morning Business for 1 hour with senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each. The Republicans will control the first 30 minutes and the Majority will control the second 30 minutes.
• Following morning business, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session and will resume debate on the nomination of Harold Koh to be Legal Advisor for the State Department, post-cloture. By unanimous consent, the time during the adjournment and period of morning business will count post-cloture. If we are required to use the full 30 hours of debate time, the Senate would vote on confirmation of the around 5:30pm.
• We are also working on an agreement to consider the Legislative Branch Appropriations bill. We hope that some of the debate time can be yielded back so that we may begin consideration of the appropriations bill. Senators should expect the first vote of the day to begin as early as 11:00am.

FUTURE COMMITTEE HEARINGS  of  INTEREST|X| 

• July 15, 2009 - SVAC will hold a hearing entitled, “Women Veterans: Bridging the Gaps in Care.”  9:30 a.m.; 418 Russell (Vasquez)
• July 29, 2009 - SVAC will hold a hearing entitled, "Review of Veterans' Disability Compensation: Forging a Path Forward."  9:30 a.m.; 418 Russell (Smith)

THE HOUSE of  REPRESENTATIVES 

The House will convene at 10:30

ACTIVITY of  INTEREST 

• Complete Consideration of H.R. 2647 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Rep. Skelton – Armed Services) 
• Possible Consideration of H.R. 2996 - Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 (Rep. Dicks – Appropriations) (Subject to a Rule) 

FUTURE  HOUSE COMMITTEE HEARINGS of  INTEREST       

• June 24, 2009 - Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Legislative Hearing on H.R. 2379, H.R. 2713, H.R. 2774, and  H.R. 2968  2:00 p.m.; 335 Cannon
• June 25, 2009 - Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity Hearing:  Post-9/11 G.I. Bill: Is the VA ready for August 1st?  1:30 p.m.; 334 Cannon
• July 14, 2009 - Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Hearing: Examining the Progress of Electronic Health Record Interoperability Between VA and DoD  10:00 a.m.; 334 Cannon HOB
• July 30, 2009 - Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Hearing:  The Implications of VA’s Limited Scope of Gulf War Illness Research  10:00 a.m.; 334 Cannon HOB

IAVA IN THE NEWS

Outlet: Associated Press

Title:  Did KBR know Iraq locale was polluted, putting soldiers at risk?

Date: Wednesday, June 24^th

Representative: Tom Tarantino 

WHAT THE BLOGS ARE SAYING

Blog: CNewmark

Title: House Says Yes to Advance Funding for Veterans Administration

Date: Wednesday, June 24th

Representative: IAVA

Blog: VAWatchdog

Title: DID KBR KNOW HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM WAS RISK TO GIs?

Date: Wednesday, January 24th

Representative: Tom Tarantino

Blog: Mudville Gazette

Title: House Passes Advance Funding for VA Health Care

Date: Wednesday, June 24th

Representative: IAVA

Blog: Stephen Crew News

Title: Bright Votes to Improve Veterans Services

Date: Wednesday, June 24th

Representative: IAVA

A wide-range of views, positions, and publications are represented in these articles.  These views, positions and publications are not endorsed by nor do they necessarily represent the views of IAVA.