Blog post

IAVA Daily Brief 2.3.10
Posted by Terrell Frazier on January 26 2010

Here are some of today's top stories and happenings at IAVA.  Prefer to receive real-time updates about major stories and legislation that IAVA is tracking?  Follow us on Twitter @IAVAPressRoom or subscribe to receive the brief in your inbox each morning at www.iava.org/dailynewsbrief.

MUST READS

1) Top defense officials say lift military ban on gay servicemembers

During testimony Tuesday, the nation’s top defense officials, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen, said it was time to repeal the military’s “don’t ask, don’t” tell policy and allow gay troops to serve openly. However, they also requested a year-long study by the Pentagon to assess the impact of lifting the ban.
 
2) VA wants emergency GI Bill payouts back

The Veterans Affairs Department is seeking to recoup $3,000 emergency payments sent last year to about 80,000 people whose Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits were delayed — including some active-duty members who were not supposed to get the checks.

3) GAO criticizes office running VA, DOD health records project

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) criticized the VA-DOD Interagency Program Office – the group directing the project to link the electronic health record systems operated by the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments. The GAO said the agency needs to improve its planning, scheduling and specifically its ability to create a master plan for the project, if the project is to succeed.

AFGHANISTAN

Combating the threat posed by improvised explosive devices has taken on new urgency as the surge of 37,000 new U.S. and NATO troops means more targets for the bombs.

Small teams of Army commandos, Navy Seals and Central Intelligence Agency operatives have intensified the pace of what the military often calls "kill-capture missions" — hunting down just one or two insurgents at a time.

Pentagon officials on Tuesday tapped 4,100 solders to deploy to Afghanistan, including 3,200 troops from the 4^th Brigade Combat Team, 101^st Airborne Division, from Fort Campbell, this summer as part of the troop surge.

IRAQ

Hector Delgado, an ex-marine who was crushed after a fuel-tanker fell on him in Iraq, is using a vigorous cross-training routine – CrossFit – to recover  from his injuries.

Prominent sheik and U.S. ally Ahmed Abu Risha is weighing whether to urge fellow Sunnis to boycott upcoming elections in protest of the government's ballot purge of hundreds of candidates suspected of links to Saddam Hussein's regime.

MILITARY AFFAIRS
Despite increases in funding for the VA, Michael Walcoff, VA’s acting undersecretary for benefits, said veterans should be prepared for the average claims processing time to be longer in fiscal 2011 than it is today.

A military bus carrying Florida-based soldiers overturned in Florida Tuesday, causing critical injuries to one soldier and sending another 18 to three different hospitals with unspecified injuries.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen and Defense Secretary Robert Gates appeared together on Capitol Hill to defend the Pentagon's request to spend $192 billion on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

INSIDE WASHINGTON

Several senators announced legislation Tuesday that would cut off funding for the federal trial of alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four accused accomplices, saying the five should be tried in a military court.

CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE

THE SENATE

The Senate is not in session.

SENATE FLOOR ACTIVITY of INTEREST

No issues today

COMMITTEE HEARINGS of INTEREST

No issues today

FUTURE COMMITTEE HEARINGS of INTEREST

February 10, 2010  Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee hearing on VA’s FY 2011 Budget   9:30 a.m.; 418 Russell

February 16 - 17, 2010  SVAC will conduct field hearings in Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska, on benefits and health care issues, to be conducted by Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK)

THE HOUSE of  REPRESENTATIVES



The House convenes at 10:00 a.m.

HOUSE FLOOR ACTIVITY of INTEREST

No issues today

HOUSE COMMITTEE HEARINGS of INTEREST



February 3, 2010    HVAC Subcommittee on Health hearing entitled, Review of VA Contract Health Care: Project HERO.

February 3, 2010    HVAC Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs hearing entitled, Implementation and Status Update on the Veterans‚ Benefits Improvement Act, P.L. 110-389.‰  2:00 p.m.; 334 Cannon

FUTURE HOUSE COMMITTEE HEARINGS of INTEREST



February 4, 2010  Full House Veterans' Affairs Committee Hearing:  VA‚s Budget Request for FY 2011 and FY 2012  10:00 a.m.; 334 Cannon HOB

February 10, 2009  House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health Hearing:  The Veterans Health Administration’s Fiscal Year 2011 Budget  2:00 p.m.; 334 Cannon HOB

February 11, 2010  House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies hearing:  VA’s budget requests for Fiscal Years 2011 and 2012.  Time and Location: TBD.  

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.

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