In case you missed it, hidden under all the Russia/Comey, POTUS Donnie Foreign trip, body slammed reporters, and CBO scores the House passes Veteran measures this week- PB/TK
House passes VA appeals bill and 5 other veterans – By Nikki Wentling / May 23 2017
The House unanimously passed legislation Tuesday aiming to shorten the amount of time veterans wait for earned benefits, a process that takes an average of six years when a veteran is forced to appeal a claim with the Board of Veterans’ Appeals.
But thousands of veterans are waiting much longer, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The House voted 418-0 to approve the bipartisan HR 2288, titled the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017. A companion bill in the Senate has yet to be voted out of committee. Both bills would create three ways for veterans to appeal their claims for benefits and their sponsors describe it as an overhaul of the decades-old system.
“I appreciate my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for supporting this long overdue legislation to help fix the VA’s broken appeals process and backlog,” said Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., one of the bill’s sponsors. “Our heroes deserve rapid access to quality care, and that begins with having their appeals decided in a timely manner. I encourage the U.S. Senate to take up this legislation as soon as possible.”
The VA helped draft the legislation and VA Secretary David Shulkin has repeatedly called on Congress to pass it.
Continue to stripes.com article: https://www.stripes.com/news/us/house-passes-va-appeals-bill-and-5-other-veterans-measures-1.469887#.WSmQbYWcHIV
