V A Hospital for South Texas

Here we go again.  We are launching another effort through our Senators offices. They have agreed to submit and amendment to the National Defense Authorization Bill pending before Congress.The National Defense bill is set to pass and amendments will also be approved if the amendments are allowed.  It is a long shot, but one that we need to look at.

 Here is the Press Release issued by the Senators.

UNITED STATES SENATE
KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, JOHN CORNYN United States Senators - Texas For Immediate Release	CONTACT: Megan Mitchell (Cornyn) (202) 224-0704 Jeff Nelligan (Hutchison), 202-224-9767 Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Sens. Cornyn, Hutchison Offer Amendment To Bring Inpatient VA Facility To The Valley

WASHINGTON—U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, today offered an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 that would require the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs to incorporate a full-service inpatient health care facility into the existing South Texas Veterans Affairs Health Care Center in Harlingen.

Sens. Cornyn and Hutchison have introduced similar legislation in the past and continue to make the case for a VA inpatient facility in Far South Texas with top-ranking VA officials, as well as the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (see attached). While the Senators have supported and welcomed expansions to outpatient and other services at the existing Harlingen VA facilities, they maintain that access to VA inpatient care still must be provided.

“This holiday season will see the return of tens of thousands of service members from locations across the globe, including the remaining 40,000 troops in Iraq who are winding down our nation’s 9-year mission there. Already, the growing population of 100,000 veterans in Far South Texas lacks adequate access to full-service inpatient health care, and further delay in providing this population with the local inpatient care they deserve is unacceptable. I will not give up the fight to make this inpatient facility a reality for the veterans of South Texas,” Sen. Cornyn said.

“A grateful nation cares for those who have answered the call to serve, even after they leave the battlefield,” said Sen. Hutchison. “The veterans of South Texas answered their nation’s call, and many of them went in harm’s way and risked everything for their country. This amendment will help to ensure that these South Texas veterans receive the care they deserve.”

The hospital issue is not dead. Veterans are still at it. It has been a long sought goal of many veterans and for once they feel that they have had an impact at the national level. Veterans must continue forward.  All veterans that have been active in this movement should re-charge their batteries and once again make an all out push for a VA hospital for the area.  Ana Garcia of  Cornyn’s office has been very aggressive in committing the senator’s office to make every effort to move the issue. Communications with the Senator’s national office are via satellite and those sessions are the next best thing to being there.  Veterans are counting on her continued full support.

Veterans Meet with State Rep. Lozano

Veterans meet with State Representative J. M. Lozano in Harlingen on October 20, 211. L-R: Joe Ibarra, Pete Prax Garza, Pedro Pete Herrera, Manuel Pena, Rep. Lozano, Irene T. Garza, Adelaido Lalo Cantu and Arturo Treto Garza.

Veterans Affairs Committee comes to South Texas

October 21, 2011

Veterans in the Rio Grande Valley failed to take advantage of a scheduled trip by Congressman Jeff Miller, the Chairman of the U S House Veterans Affairs Committee. Miller was invited to a summit sponsored by Congressman Blake Farenthold (TX-27). The Summit was held at the Del Mar College Campus in Corpus Christi, TX.
Valley veterans send hundreds of letters to the House Veterans Affairs Committee asking that Congressman Ruben Hinojosa's HB 837 be placed on the agenda for a markup. Congressman Miller is the one that decides what appears on the agenda to be discussed and voted on. At this time it is not known when the next Markup Session will be held, but it should not be that long.
Valley veterans could have met with him in person and made a personal requests. Also, Congressman Hinojosa could have let valley veterans know about the summit and Miller's visit and requested veteran representatives be allowed to meet with Miller. Farenthold has signed as Co-Sponsor of HB 837. Another opportunity like this will probably not happened during this Session.
Veterans must be more vigilant on happenings at the Veterans Affairs Committee. Miller was also instrumental in assisting Congressman Henry Cuellar get his HB 1318 attached to HB 2055. This bill called for an expansion of the Harlingen VA Surgical Center to a Full Service Medical Center using the Veterans Health Administration Specific Investment Capital Fund. HB 2055 has passed both Chambers in Congress and is set to go to the President.
Maybe this is why veterans in the Valley feel like they have won the battle for a Veterans Affairs Hospital. They are optimistic about it and hope that it is allowed to spend funds for HB 1318. The SPIC plan was accepting applications for funding from the different VA Health Care Systems throughout the nation. The first cycle would receive application by October 1, 2011. The local VA Health System did not submit one and it is hoped that the proposal will be ready for the second cycle with a deadline of April 2012.
Some veterans feel that pressure must still be placed on Congress Veteran Affairs Committees to markup HB 837, which is the sister bill of S 396 filed by Senator John Cornyn.

VA Hospital

State Representative J.M. Lozano (District 43) discussed the possibilites of getting the State to partner with the Federal Government in the development of an expansion of the Harlingen VA Surgical Center to a Full Service Medical Center. Veterans are looking for help from any of the Funds from the Texas Land Commission, the Military and Veterans Appropriations Committee and the Committee of Health. Proposition 8 (HJR7) passed in 2009 but has not being allocated any funds. The new law is not functional.
Lozano states that he will seek the assisstance of the other local representatives to get their ideas and suspport.

Veterans met with Texas State Reprentative District 43 on October 20 in Harlingen. Rep. Lozano wanted to know how he can help veterans. The conversation centered around Proposition 1 and the VA hospital issue. He agreed to future meeting for updates to and from him. He sounds real committed to helping.

C O L A increases

2012 COLA Increase

It’s offi­cial, mil­i­tary and fed­eral civil­ian retirees, sur­vivor ben­e­fit annu­i­tants, dis­abled vet­er­ans and Social Secu­rity recip­i­ents will see a 3.6 per­cent cost-of-living adjust­ment in Jan­u­ary, their first since 2009.

The 3.6% COLA will be effec­tive Dec 1 and will be reflected in Jan­u­ary retired pay, SBP, Social Secu­rity, and VA dis­abil­ity com­pen­sa­tion checks.

COLA is calculated by comparing the average inflation (as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index (CPI)) from 3rd quarter 2011 (223.2) to the baseline of 3rd quarter 2008 (215.5). The 2008 baseline must be used because the baselines for 2009 and 2010 were below that figure, and the law doesn’t allow a negative COLA.

For the month of September, the CPI figure is 223.688 -- a 0.2 percent increase from August.

For the Jul-Sep 2011 baseline period, the average CPI was 223.2. That is 3.59% above the 2008 baseline of 215.5, which rounds to 3.6% under the COLA law.

Blake Farenthold says House GOP frosh haven’t pushed their clout enough | Texas on the Potomac | a Chron.com blog

Blake Farenthold says House GOP frosh haven’t pushed their clout enough | Texas on the Potomac | a Chron.com blog