Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Respond on President Obama's 100th Day in Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 29, 2009 

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Respond on President Obama's 100th Day in Office

NEW YORK - Today, Paul Rieckhoff, Executive Director and Founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the nation's first and largest nonpartisan organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, issued the following review of President Obama's commitment to veterans' issues in his first 100 days in office:

“Overall, it has been a solid 100 days. Though the third-party billing issue set the Administration off to a rough start, they quickly recovered and responded well. Since, President Obama has taken significant action on three of the top issues facing America’s veterans.  His budget request increases VA funding by 15% this year and by $25 billion over the next five years.  The President also reiterated his support for advance appropriations for veterans’ health care and announced plans to streamline troops’ transition from the military to the VA. The Administration has been listening to veterans priorities and deserves real credit for meeting with IAVA and the leaders of other VSOs twice in his first hundred days ,” said IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff. “These are three huge steps forward. But there is still much more to do.  Veterans’ invisible wounds, like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury, are not going away. And, as hundreds of thousands of veterans return from Iraq to an economy in turmoil, the Administration must show strong leadership to address the growing veterans’ unemployment and homelessness crisis.”

To arrange an interview with IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff, please contact Chrissy Stevens, (212) 982-9699 or Chrissy@iava.org

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (www.IAVA.org) is the country's first and largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and has more than 125,000 veteran members and civilian supporters nationwide. Its mission is to improve the lives of this country's newest generation of veterans and their families.