VFW Legislative Alert:
Take Action!
Protect VA and DOD Health Care Now
VFW Legislative Alert: Protect VA and DOD Health Care Now
The VFW is leading the fight to ensure all DOD and VA healthcare programs are recognized
as meeting minimum essential coverage standards under the new national healthcare law, but
we still need your help.
Urge your Representatives and Senators to pass legislation that will protect VA Health Care
and Tricare benefits for veterans and our active duty members.
**The U.S. House of Representatives needs to support S. 3162, which was introduced by
Senate VA Committee Chairman Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) to protect VA healthcare
programs. It passed the Senate unanimously on March 26.
**The U.S. Senate needs to support S. 3148, which was introduced by Senate Armed
Services Personnel Subcommittee Chairman Jim Webb (D-Va.) to protect all military Tricare
programs as well as non-appropriated fund health plans. S. 3148 is a companion bill to H.R.
4887, which was introduced by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-
Mo.) and approved March 20 by a vote of 403-0.
It is critical that you call, write or email your thoughts on this most important issue. If we
work together we can make sure that the new law does not adversely affect our veterans,
servicemembers or their families. Take Action Today!
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National Healthcare Bill Betrays Veterans
VFW urges ‘no’ vote on H.R. 4872
WASHINGTON, March 21, 2010 — The national commander of the nation’s oldest and
largest combat veterans’ organization is furious that Congress is moving ahead with a flawed
healthcare bill that does not protect the health programs provided to veterans,
servicemembers or their families.
“The president and the Democratic leadership are betraying America's veterans,” said
Thomas J. Tradewell Sr., a combat-wounded Vietnam veteran from Sussex, Wis., who leads
the 2.1 million-member Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. and its Auxiliaries.
“And what makes matters worse is the leadership and the president knows the bill is
flawed, yet they are pushing for passage today like it’s a do-or-die situation. This nation
deserves the best from their elected officials, and the rush to pass legislation of this
magnitude is not it.”
At issue is H.R. 4872 does not fully protect the healthcare programs provided by the
Department of Veterans Affairs and the military’s Tricare system. Specifically, the bill
covers Tricare For Life but not the other Tricare programs that serve millions of
beneficiaries; it does not cover children suffering from spina bifida as a result of a parent’s
exposure to Agent Orange; and it does not cover dependents, widows and orphans who are
served by CHAMPVA, the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
“The president was very clear at our VFW national convention last year when he said he
was going to protect these programs, as did the Democratic leadership in the House and
Senate repeatedly throughout the year. Now we have this flawed package that everyone is
trying to rush through that blatantly omits any protections of the healthcare programs our
nation provides to millions of veterans, military personnel, military retirees, and their
families or survivors.
“This is Washington doubletalk at its very worse, and the uproar is going to be huge in
America’s military and veterans’ communities,” said Tradewell, who wants Congress to
vote against H.R. 4872 today.
The issue surfaced publicly Friday when House Armed Service Committee Chairman Ike
Skelton (D-Mo.) introduced legislation to explicitly protect Tricare and other Defense
Department nonappropriated fund health plans from any health reforms currently under
consideration by Congress.
Yesterday, Reps. Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) and Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) tried to introduce an
amendment to H.R. 4872 to protect the integrity and independence of the VA and Defense
Department healthcare systems. Buyer is the ranking member of the House Veterans Affairs
Committee and McKeon is the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee.
“The VFW salutes the congressmen and their supporters,” said Tradewell, “and I hope their
messages were heard loudly and clearly throughout Congress. Healthcare is important, but
so is protecting the programs that were promised to our nation’s veterans, military and their
families,” he said.
“Those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan should not have to worry about their dependents’
healthcare programs, but they are today, and so are millions of military retirees, veterans,
survivors and children.
“Military service is based on the fundamental principle of trust, and once lost, it is virtually
impossible to regain,” said Tradewell. “That is why I am urging the House to vote ‘no’
today, then go back and fix the bill with the language proposed by Skelton, Buyer and
McKeon, and then come back and vote your conscience. Let’s not rush to pass flawed
legislation that could tremendously impact our nation’s true heroes.”
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In the past few years, veterans have won major victories on Capitol Hill. Record increases in
veterans' budgets. Passage of Advanced Funding for VA health care. A new GI Bill.
But we still have a lot of work ahead of us.
VFW needs your help to send a message to our elected representatives. "Don't turn your
back on America's veterans."
Please say you’ll help us continue the fight to protect America's heroes! Together we can:
• Tackle the VA workload so our veterans get the benefits they deserve without waiting
months or years
• Advocate for veterans suffering Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and battle for state-of-
the-art mental health care
• Stand up for rural veterans so they have easier access to high quality VA health care
services
We can't stop now ... I'm counting on you to help us keep up the fight. I'm counting on you
to support our heroes with your gift to the VFW today.
And please forward this e-mail to other patriotic Americans. Ask them to get involved and
help VFW protect the men and women who fight for our freedom. There is no better way to
say "thank you" to someone who defends this great nation.
Thank you,
Allen “Gunner” Kent
Adjutant General, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States
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Comrades:
I just sent the following message to the entire United States Senate. I am now requesting
that you and your family and friends immediately contact your two U.S. Senators and urge
their support of the Burr Amendment. For Senate contact information, go to http://capwiz.
com/vfw/dbq/officials/. I thank you in advance.
Thomas J. Tradewell Sr.
Commander-in-Chief
VFW URGES PASSAGE OF BURR AMENDMENT
WASHINGTON (March 24, 2010) - The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is urging the
U.S. Senate to pass an amendment introduced today by Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) to
specifically recognize all healthcare programs provided by the Departments of Defense and
Veterans Affairs as meeting the minimum essential coverage standards of the new national
healthcare law.
"Words are important, and since the original healthcare bill neglected to include all DOD and
VA healthcare, it is vitally important that this amendment get passed and inserted into H.R.
4872, the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010," said VFW
National Commander Thomas J. Tradewell Sr., a combat-wounded Vietnam veteran from
Sussex, Wis.
"The VFW remains adamant to expeditiously fixing the new law," he said. "All of DOD's
programs should have been in the original bill, as well as all of Title 38, not just part of one
chapter. This isn't playing politics; this is protecting the hard earned healthcare coverage
our veterans, servicemembers and their families deserve.
"The VFW urges you to vote 'yes' for the Burr Amendment."