Auxiliary Legislative Tools and Resources
Action Corps Weekly
VFW Legislative Resources
Legislative Websites
VFW Auxiliary Members: Access Legislative Program Resources HERE.
2020 VFW-SVA Legislative Fellowship Application is Open: The 2020 VFW-SVA Legislative Fellowship is now accepting applications! The program, which is in its sixth year, is for VFW members who attend an accredited institute of higher learning. Ten student veterans will be selected for the semester-long program that focuses on real policy issues faced by veterans, service members, and their families. The highlight of the program is participation in the VFW Legislative Conference, which in the past has included meetings at the White House and with senior officials from the Department of Veterans Affairs and Congress. Those selected also spend time with their VFW Department members on Capitol Hill pushing the VFW’s legislative priorities. Alumni of the program have become more active in all levels of the VFW and changing laws to improve care and benefits for veterans. Link: https://www.vfw.org/studentfellowship
VFW Statement on Wolfe v. Wilkie: "The
VFW is applauding the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, who in a 2-1
decision Monday, correctly ruled for the plaintiffs in Wolfe v. Wilkie. The class
action lawsuit was the result of the Department of Veterans Affairs failing to
fully reimburse veterans for the emergency room care they received from non-VA
facilities, an issue the VFW had thought solved in 2016 when the same court
ruled in favor of Staab v. Shulkin. But a report released last month by the VA
Office of Inspector General found that the non-VA emergency room claims of some
17,400 veterans were denied or rejected primarily due to a VA work culture that
favored speed over accuracy, a number that accounts for nearly a third of the
60,800 claims examined during the IG’s six-month nationwide audit in 2017. "The
first thing the VA tells people to do when calling is to hang up and dial 911
if it’s an emergency,” said VFW National Commander William J. "Doc” Schmitz.
"So the VA must reimburse the actual cost of emergency medical care, regardless
of whether the veteran has secondary insurance or not,” he said. "VA Secretary
Robert Wilkie must make these veterans financially whole again, correct its
policies and practices regarding non-VA emergency room billing immediately, and
fully adopt the IG report’s 11 recommendations to improve the accuracy of the
non-VA emergency room claims processing.”
Senate Passes Veterans COLA and TSA
Pre-Check Bills: "Yesterday, the
Senate passed the VFW-supported H.R.
1200, Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2019, which
would authorize a cost-of-living increase for certain VA benefits, equal to the
same increase granted for Social Security benefits. H.R. 1200 was passed by the
House earlier this year and now heads to the president’s desk. The Senate also
passed S. 1881, Veterans Expedited
TSA Screening Safe Travel Act, which would make Transportation Security
Administration (TSA) Pre✓® available for certain severely disabled
veterans at no cost. TSA Pre✓® is already offered to active duty, reserves,
and National Guard service members at no cost. S. 1881 now heads to the House.”