Paul Rieckhoff of the IAVA sent around this note this morning. Worth repeating here:
This year, the holidays came a little early for IAVA.
The Senate and the House of Representatives have just agreed on a final version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2008, and its provisions make this bill one of the single biggest advances on veterans' issues in years.
Here are some of the highlights, on issues that you have helped to make a national priority:
- Extension of VA Health Care Eligibility: After discharge, today's veterans had only two years to seek VA care or risk losing access for good. But many service-connected conditions can worsen over time, or take more than two years to become obvious - including Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Thanks to the NDAA, today's veterans now have 5 years to seek care from the VA.
- Pre- and Post-deployment Screenings for Traumatic Brain Injury: The care provided for those suffering from the signature wound of the Iraq war is still woefully inadequate, and this is a big step in the right direction. Pre- and post-deployment screenings will ensure that service members with TBIs will get the treatment and rehabilitation they need.
- Servicemembers Family Medical Leave Act: The families of those caring for severely wounded troops were previously given only three months of job protection. As a result, many spouses and other family members at Walter Reed and other military hospitals have lost their jobs while caring for their injured husband, wife, son or daughter. The NDAA expands job protections to 26 weeks.
Other items include the removal of a restriction on the VA from reaching out to veterans who need care, major improvements to the GI Bill for Reservists and members of the National Guard, increased assistance for Iraqi interpreters who have worked with our troops on the ground in Iraq, and a 3.5% pay raise for the members of our Armed Forces. Three of the advances made in this bill were items on our 2007 Legislative Agenda, and two were 'IAVA Legislative Priorities'.
This is a major victory for veterans, and all of you who helped to make these issues a priority should be proud.
There is still an enormous amount of work to do, and we're still learning about the unique obstacles facing the men and women coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan. But your commitment to our veterans means we'll be ready to face these challenges, and we're already looking forward to another productive year.
This bill will make its way out of Congress within the next few days, and then be passed on to the President for his signature. Keep an eye on www.IAVA.org for the latest.
Thank you for standing with us.
Sincerely,
Paul Rieckhoff
Iraq Veteran
Executive Director
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
P.S. We're two-thirds of the way towards our year-end fundraising goal. Can you help to put us over the top? Click here to make a tax-deductible contribution now. If you haven't already, check out our holiday eBay auction before it ends on Sunday. It features some cool items that make great holiday gifts, and 100% of the money raised goes straight to IAVA.
