Tag Archives: backlog

Billion-Dollar Budgeting Demands Oversight

Posted on February 6, 2009 by Team VCS

February 5, 2009 – Linda Bilmes served as an assistant secretary in President Clinton’s Commerce Department and has written extensively about government budgets and the costs of the Iraq War. It’s Professor Bilmes these days, as she teaches advanced budgeting … Continue reading →

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Chairman Filner Says New VA Secretary Shinseki off to ‘Great Start’

Posted on February 6, 2009 by Team VCS

Secretary promises to be forceful advocate for veterans and forthright with Congress. February 4, 2009, Washington, DC – On Wednesday, February 4, 2009, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Bob Filner conducted a hearing on the state of the Department … Continue reading →

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Potential VA Benefits Chief Has New Ideas

Posted on February 3, 2009 by Team VCS

February 3, 2009 – A Harvard University researcher with some radical ideas about how to reduce the backlog of veterans disability claims appears to be in line to head the Veterans Benefits Administration. Linda Blimes, a public policy lecturer and … Continue reading →

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Groups Urge Faster Action to Help Veterans

Posted on January 28, 2009 by Team VCS

January 27, 2009 – A roundtable discussion, aimed at creating a consensus among military and veterans groups about top priorities for the year ahead, focused on how solving some longstanding problems might be especially important today to veterans and their … Continue reading →

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Jan 26, VCS Urges VA Secretary Shinseki to Grant Presumption of PTSD Benefits Based on Scientific Research

Posted on January 26, 2009 by Team VCS

Here is our VCS letter to Secretary Shinseki urging him to use his rule-making authority to promulgate a regulation establishing a presumption of service connection for Gulf War, Iraq War, and Afghanistan war veterans diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) based … Continue reading →

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VCS Report for President-Elect Obama: Our VCS Vision for Vibrant VA in 2009

Posted on January 24, 2009 by Team VCS

November 5, 2008  The Honorable Barack ObamaPresident-Elect  Dear President-Elect Obama:  Congratulations on your election.  As our next President of the United States of America, you face a serious challenge in fixing a badly broken Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and … Continue reading →

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Veterans Advocates Pin Hopes on New VA Leadership

Posted on January 21, 2009 by Team VCS

January 20, 2009 –  Veterans advocates are looking for sweeping changes in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs if President Barack Obama’s pick for taking control of that agency is confirmed as expected. Retired Army Gen. Eric K. Shinseki is … Continue reading →

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Jan 20, VCS in the News: U.S. Settles Lawsuit with Family of Iraq War Veteran Who Committed Suicide

Posted on January 20, 2009 by Team VCS

January 20, 2009 – The federal government has settled a wrongful death lawsuit with the family of an Iraq war veteran who hung himself in his parents’ basement in June 2005 after being turned away by doctors at a Veterans … Continue reading →

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Editorial Column: Beyond the Yellow Ribbon – Ending Homelessness for Our Veterans

Posted on January 8, 2009 by Team VCS

January 7, 2009 – One of the most tragic things about America’s homelessness population is the prevalence of veterans. Service men and women make up a quarter of our nation’s homeless. This is unacceptable. Frustrating. Sickening. We are a country … Continue reading →

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Editorial Column: VA Failures on PTSD Exposed in Living Color

Posted on December 31, 2008 by Team VCS

December 31, 2008, Austin, Texas – On Friday, December 19th, millions of Americans were exposed on the “Dr. Phil” show to the antithesis of service many of our wounded warriors have received upon their return to civilian life. The honorable … Continue reading →

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