Republican or Democrat, anyone reading this Blog Entry has an interest in ensuring that our Veterans - those soldiers that risked life and limb when others would not -receive top-notch health care, benefits, and assistance readjusting to civilian life.
In the November 2010 Elections, however, a number of Key Veteran Advocates lost in their elections. In fact, 13-14 key representatives on the House Veterans Affairs Committee were voted out of office.
Here are just a few names and voices that Veterans have lost in Congress:
1) Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri, the House Armed Services Committee chairman and a 17-term lawmaker. Representative Skelton was known, through his career, for his concern with the professional education of people in the military. He played a key role in the 1986 Goldwater-Nichols Act that, according to the Army Times, "...gave combatant commands more power and forced joint-service education and cooperation on a reluctant Defense Department. It is possible that Representative McKeon (California) will take over the Chairmanship, but this won't be known for sometime. Rep. Skelton has been helpful in persuading colleges to make it easier for Guard and reserve members whose education is disrupted by military duties to receive refunds for tuition and fees.
2) Rep. Patrick Murphy, (Pennsylvania): The first Iraq war veteran to be elected to the U.S. Congress. He used his time in office to press issues for returning soldiers and combat Veterans.
3) Rep. Chet Edwards (Texas): Chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee responsible for funding veterans programs and construction on military bases. Rep. Edwards had been the force behind what the Army Times calls "dramatic improvements in the quality of family housing and barracks on military bases". He led the push to expand on-base child care centers when soldiers and their family members complained of long waiting lists for day care assistance.
4) Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, (South Dakota). Rep. Herseth was the Chairwoman of the Veterans’ Affairs economic opportunity subcommittee, and had worked on GI Bill, veterans employment and rehabilitation legislation
5) Rep. John Hall (New York). Rep. Hall was the Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs disability assistance subcommittee. He and Rep. Edwards had worked with to find funding for the VA to hire more employees to assist in reducing the benefits claim backlog.
6) Rep. John Spratt (South Carolina). Rep. Spratt was a senior member of the Armed Services Committee who was an expert on nuclear weapons
7) Rep. Gene Taylor (Mississippi)., Chairman of the Armed Services subcommittee on seapower and expeditionary forces
It is my fervent hope that those Representatives who will be seated in Congress in January 2011 will remember our national commitment to ensuring that our Military Veterans return to the land of hope and opportunity and gratitude for which they volunteered to fight.
The Attig Law Firm represents
U.S. Veterans who have been denied benefits in their VA Disability claims for compensation due to injuries or diseases incurred during military service. The Firm currently represents peace-time and war-time
veterans of all branches of the military, at all levels of the VA disability claim process (
VA Regional Office,
Board of Veterans’ Appeals, and the
Court of Appeals for Veterans’ Claims). Contact the Attig Law Firm if you would like to discuss your claim for
disability benefits before the VA.
No post on this website is meant to be legal advice and the posts on this website do not serve as a substitute for legal advice. Information is power, and we are providing this information to give you, the Veteran, some power. This information is not widely or easily accessible to Veterans. The information presented on this website is a general description of law and processes; each case is different, and there may be approaches listed here that are not accurate or applicable to your case. Likewise, their may be information that is applicable to your case that is not provided on this Veterans Disability Compensation Blog.
It is
very important that we note that each and every Veteran's claim is different. Just because we were able to secure substantial past-due benefits for one Veteran does not mean or imply that we will be able to do so for you. In some cases, we may not be able to secure you any financial compensation due to the facts of your particular case.
It is best to consult with a
lawyer familiar with VA Disability claims to examine your particular case. If you would like to discuss your VA claim with a
lawyer who handles VA Benefits and Disability Appeals,
contact the Attig Law Firm, PLLC, for a free consultation with a VA Disability attorney.
VA Disability attorneys at the
Attig Law Firm, PLLC, represent Veterans in their VA Disability Claims not only in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, but in VA Disability Claims all around the United States, Puerto Rico, and even overseas Veterans in their claims for
disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
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