Blog post

IAVA Daily Brief 09.16.09
Posted by Terrell Frazier on September 16

Here are some of today's top stories and happenings at IAVA.  Prefer to receive real-time updates about major stories and legislation that IAVA is tracking?  Follow us on Twitter @IAVAPressRoom.

MUST READS

1) Vets impatient with GI Bill payment delays

In a letter issued to schools on Sept. 11th, the Veterans Affairs Department thanked colleges and universities for being patient about waiting for tuition payments for people using the Post-9/11 GI Bill, warning that it could take another six to eight weeks to completely catch up.  About 260,000 students have applied for payments, but tuition payments have been made for only about 12,000 eligible beneficiaries, while about 8,000 have received living stipends.  “I realize the learning curve has been steep for us all, and assure you we continue to work to make the process smoother and quicker,” VA Undersecretary Patrick Dunne, a retired Navy rear admiral, said in the letter.  Claims processing times traditionally spike temporarily during September and October with fall enrollment, and we expect our processing time to reduce after the initial surge.

2) Biden makes surprise visit to Baghdad

Vice President Joe Biden made a surprise landing in Baghdad Tuesday to meet with Iraqi leaders and U.S. troops. During his trip, Biden met with Army Gen. Ray Odierno, U.S. Ambassador Chris Hill and others. The vice president said Odierno is "optimistic" that Iraqi forces will be ready on schedule to permit the phased U.S. withdrawal of forces as planned. And he said that an Iraqi referendum on the U.S. status of forces agreement with Iraq "is likely to happen" but not settled yet.

3) Obama's First Medal Of Honor Will Go To Soldier Killed In Afghanistan

President Barack Obama will present the Medal of Honor this Thursday to the family of 1^st Class Jared Monti during a ceremony at the White House. This marks the first time that the President has presented the honor. Officials announced in July that Monti, who sacrificed his life saving a comrade in Afghanistan, would posthumously receive the honor. He is the second service member to receive the award for actions in Afghanistan. The White House says Monti showed selfless service and sacrifice during combat.

AFGHANISTAN

U.N.-sponsored Electoral Complaints Commission has found evidence of fraud at polls in Afghanistan’s August 20 presidential election. The panel said Tuesday that about 10 percent of the entire vote, from 2,500 polling stations, needs to be recounted because of possible irregularities. The election was marred by hundreds of complaints of fraud. The ECC has already thrown out ballots from 83 polling stations because of fraud allegations. The recount might affect enough ballots to lower Karzai's tally below the 50 percent plus one vote he needs to avoid a runoff with Abdullah.

In a dispute over fraud allegations the senior American diplomat in the UN mission to Afghanistan has left the country after an argument with his European boss over how to deal with election fraud, officials said Tuesday.  Peter Galbraith, deputy to UN special envoy Kai Eide, left Kabul on Monday, but is expected to return to Afghanistan soon, said UN spokesman Aleem Siddique.

A new analysis released by the Center For Strategic & International Studies details a plan for winning the Afghan war and the pitfalls that U.S. leadership should avoid. In his analysis, military strategist Anthony Cordesman asserts, “The US has failed to commit adequate troops, civilian aid workers, and adequate funds. This lack of leadership, paired with a lack of adequate civil-military resources, has been to the detriment of effective Afghan governance and adequate Afghan security forces.” He also contends that the strategy of shape, clear, hold, and build that has had substantial successes in Iraq can be adapted to Afghanistan but failing to fully implement a new strategy focused on a realistic effort to create true Afghan partners will lead a defeat.

IRAQ

American and Iraqi forces raided a house in Baghdad and, after a gunfight, arrested three Iraqis suspected of launching a rocket attack coinciding with a visit here by Vice President the American military said Wednesday.

MILITARY AFFAIRS

Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Congress Tuesday that it is "very clear" to him that more U.S. troops will be needed for the war in Afghanistan and that he expects a request from commanders to arrive "in the very near future."

Gen Stanley McChrystal is expected to follow up soon with a request for thousands of additional troops and more equipment. That will leave President Obama to decide whether to expand a war that polls say is rapidly losing public support in the U.S. and drawing pointed criticism in Congress. He has already roughly doubled the size of the American military force in Afghanistan since taking office.

INSIDE WASHINGTON

Assistant Secretary Tammy Duckworth addressed about 100 people Tuesday morning at the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs meeting. Duckworth told state VA directors that she is fighting for veterans’ care and local VA hospitals should brace themselves for more female patients and be ready to take advantage of increased Federal funding. 'Approximately 44 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans who are women have enrolled in VA programs,' Duckworth said in an interview with the Citizen-Times. 'That's an astonishingly high number, so it is one of our key initiatives to expand and improve services for female veterans.'"

CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE

THE SENATE

The Senate will convene at 9:30 a.m.

SENATE FLOOR ACTIVITY of  INTEREST

Morning Business until 11am.

Resume consideration of H.R.3288, THUD Approrpiations. At 11:00am tomorrow, Senator Coburn will then be recognized to speak for up to 30 minutes to be followed by up to 10 minutes for Senator Murray or her designee. Upon the use or yielding back of time, the Senate will proceed to vote in relation to the amendments in the order listed below, with no second degree amendments in order prior to a vote. There will be 2 minutes for debate prior to each vote. Each vote after the first vote will be 10 minutes in duration. Senators should expect a series of up to 5 roll call votes to begin at approximately 11:40am. We expect 2 of the Coburn amendments to be agreed to by unanimous consent.

FUTURE COMMITTEE HEARINGS of INTEREST

September 17, 2009  SVAC will hold a hearing on the structure of payments of Veterans disability compensation, with focus on reforms proposed in the EconSys report, including quality of life issues.  9:30 a.m.; Russell 418 (Smith)

THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

The House will convene at 10:00 a.m.

HOUSE FLOOR ACTIVITY of  INTEREST
    
H.R. 3246 - Advanced Vehicle Technology Act of 2009 (Rep. Peters Science and Technology) (Subject to a Rule)

Begin Consideration of H.R. 3221 - Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009 (Rep. George Miller ˆ Education and Labor) (Subject to a Rule)

Suspension (1 Bill)

 H.R. 1713 - To name the South Central Agricultural Research Laboratory of the Department of Agriculture in Lane, Oklahoma, and the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 310 North Perry Street in Bennington, Oklahoma, in honor of former Congressman Wesley "Wes" Watkins (Rep. Boren - Agriculture)

 Postponed Suspension Vote (1 Bill)

H.Res. 260 - Supporting efforts to reduce infant mortality in the United States (Rep. Cohen - Energy and Commerce)

 HOUSE COMMITTEE HEARINGS of  INTEREST
      
September 16, 2009  Full Veterans‚ Affairs Committee Roundtable:  Veterans Court Roundtable  10:00 a.m.; 334 Cannon

FUTURE  HOUSE COMMITTEE HEARINGS of  INTEREST

September 24, 2009  Veterans‚ Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Hearing:  Honoring the Fallen: How Can We Better Serve America‚s Veterans and Their Families?  10:00 a.m.; 334 Cannon

September 30, 2009  Full Veterans‚ Affairs Committee Hearing:  Energy Efficiency at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs  10:00 a.m.; 334 Cannon

A wide-range of views, positions, and publications are represented in these articles. These views, positions and publications are not endorsed by nor do they necessarily represent the views of IAVA.