washingtonscene
and other issues affecting military chil-
dren who relocate between states.
MOAA’s Virginia Council of Chapters
(VCOC) deserves a large share of the cred-
it for convincing the state’s lawmakers to
act. Leading a coalition of Virginia military
and veterans’ service organizations, coun-
cil members attended hearings, stormed
the state capitol, and generated countless
messages to the VA legislature in support
of the compact.
Twenty-three other states have either
fi led or prefi led legislation this year on the
interstate compact. Alabama, Arkansas,
California, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, MOAA Deputy Director of Government
Maine, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, Ne- Relations Col. Bob Norton, USA-Ret., of-
vada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, fered MOAA’s VA legislative priorities at a
North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South March 12 hearing on Capitol Hill.
Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Wash-
ington all currently are considering it. tions for the VA health care system. In 19
If you serve or vote in any of these of the past 22 years, Congress has failed to
states, please encourage your state legisla- approve the VA health care funding bill be-
tors to join the compact. With your help, fore the start of the fi scal year — resulting
military children will face fewer obstacles in disruption in health services and con-
as they change schools and have more op- struction plans and research and causing
portunities to succeed. longer wait times for veterans seeking care.
Akaka; Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), the
MOAA Testifies
Senate panel’s ranking member; and Filner
are sponsoring bills (S. 423 and H.R. 1016,
on Veterans’
respectively) to authorize advance VA
health funding. But there are indications
Issues
the administration is backing away from its
earlier support of the idea, and Budget and
Joint hearing highlights
Appropriations Committee members have
priorities.
expressed skepticism.
Norton also urged permanent autho-
rization for a VA/DoD oversight offi ce
S
en. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) to work on seamless-transition issues
and Rep. Bob Filner (D-Calif.), (authority for the current DoD/VA Senior
respective chairs of the Senate and Oversight Committee expires at the end
House Veterans’ Affairs committees, wel- of this year) and consistent training and
comed representatives from MOAA and compensation programs for wounded
other military and veterans’ groups pro- warriors’ family member caregivers.
viding testimony at a March 12 joint hear- Norton noted cases where family
ing of the two committees. members and other caregivers have had
MOAA’s Col. Bob Norton, USA-Ret., to give up their homes, jobs, and health
said MOAA’s top priority for the VA health insurance to become full-time caregivers.
system is passage of advance appropria- The nation has an absolute obligation to
PHOTO: TOM KOCHEL M AY 2 0 0 9 M I L I T A R Y O F F I C E R 3 3
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