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Below is a synopsis of the March 13th Press Release on Jack’s testimony.  Our new Government Affairs Director (Our Chief Lobbyist) will meet us at our upcoming CSCP. He appears awesome. A simplified listing of what Jack testified to in March follows for your info. Sam Brick, Chair
Synopsis of VVA Legislative Program that President Mc Manus testified to before the Congressional Veterans’ Affairs See the April 3d Press Release (No. 24-2) for fuller descriptions.

VVA Legislative Program as President Mc Manus testified before the Congressional Veterans’ Affairs   

1. Fully fund the Defense POW/MIA Agency to account for the 1,577MIA’s.
2. Honor Tom Corey by naming the West Palm Beach Medical Center after him.
3. Pass Donut Dolly Congressional Gold medal.
4. Hold an oversight hearing of Toxic Exposure with the VA Secretary as star witness.
5. Amend Blue Water Act to extend the 12-mile limit to include Marines and Navy personnel who were assigned to the RVN Theater of combat ops or who got the Vietnam Service Medal.
6. Research pre-Gulf War burn pit use. This would also fix the PACT Act that excluded vets in locations other than Middle East and West Asia.
7. Close oversight of implementation of the Pact Act for review of how funding is used and to ensure it is for veterans and their families.
8. Get the VA to execute the Fort McClelland epidemiological study under the Pact Act.
9. Pass the Major Richard Star Act to allow combat disabled to receive both retired pay and disability pay simultaneously.
10. Reinstate the 48-hour review for VA disability claims.
11. Authorize VA disability compensation for incarcerated vets with balance due over 10% put in an escrow fund until the vet gets released.
12. Get South Korea to agree for payments so the Korean American Valor Act can get started.
13. Amend the Puerto Rican Tax Code to get more healthcare workers. 63.9% of PR vets are over 65 and need healthcare.
14. Order the VA to reinstitute physician assistants as mental health treatment providers at VA hospitals.

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Veterans will no longer be able to use multiple bank accounts for different Veterans Affairs benefits under new anti-fraud measures being rolled out by department officials over the next two months. The move is expected to affect about 50,000 current GI Bill users who also receive other veterans stipends, but VA leaders are promising they will not cut off benefits to anyone as a result of the changes.  Instead, if veterans fail to consolidate their bank accounts by April 20, department processors will begin sending all of the benefits to a single account. Still, such a move could cause significant financial problems for individuals expecting to find the money in a specific account to cover bills and expenses. Officials said they will spend the next two months aggressively contacting the thousands of student veterans potentially impacted by the new rule, and explaining the reasons behind it.  “Maintaining a single account for the payment of this benefit provides an added layer of security against the increasing threats of fraud we experience as part of our daily lives,” VA Under Secretary for Benefits Joshua Jacobs told reporters on Wednesday.  “Veterans have earned these benefits through their service to the nation. And ensuring they’re safeguarded from those with malicious intent is a significant feature of this single account initiative.” VA officials said veterans may use different bank accounts for different benefits for a variety of reasons, including ease of bill paying and simply forgetting to update old accounts. But Jacobs warned that such an arrangement makes it easier for fraud or theft, and harder for VA officials to provide oversight of the funds. He said the changes come as “we are working to modernize our payment systems so we can protect the integrity of the veterans benefits” across multiple systems. VA has enacted similar bank account mandates in the past, including in 2017, when Veteran Readiness and Employment benefits were required to be sent to the same place as medical stipend payouts. Veterans impacted by the change can update their bank records or find out more information about the new policy through the department’s website. Article appeared in Military Times by Leo Shane and Jonathan Lehrfeld dated 22 February 2024.