DAV Magazine — January/February 2018
Continuing the fight
United front of veterans organizations, members of Congress call for passage of bill to expand benefits to disabled veterans of all eras
A week after the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee passed the bipartisan Caring for Our Veterans Act of 2017—which included critical provisions that would extend comprehensive Department of Veterans Affairs caregiver benefits to veterans of all eras—DAV and a united front of veterans groups and members of Congress stood together at the U.S. Capitol calling for passage of the measure in the full Senate and then in the House.
In December, representatives from DAV, the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Paralyzed Veterans of America and Paid Leave for the United States delivered a petition with nearly 200,000 signatures advocating for passage of the legislation. Senate VA Committee ranking member Jon Tester, House VA Committee ranking member Tim Walz, Sen. Patty Murray, Rep. Ryan Costello and Rep. Jim Langevin attended in support of the legislation and to urge their colleagues to do the same.
“Enacting this legislation would be life-changing for countless veterans and caregivers across the country, affording them the opportunity to remain in their homes and enabling them to have the best possible quality of life,” said DAV Past National Commander and quadruple amputee Dave Riley, who attended the event beside his wife and caregiver, Yvonne. “We urge continued bipartisan support to get this bill passed, as it stands to vastly improve the lives of the nation’s veterans and America’s unsung heroes— their caregivers.”
The provision, modeled after a bill authored by Sen. Murray, would authorize expansion of comprehensive caregiver benefits to veterans severely injured during and prior to the Vietnam War. Following a two-year period, the program would expand to include veterans of all eras.
“Taking care of our veterans means taking care of the people who help make their recovery possible, but too often the sacrifice many caregivers make to provide vital day-to-day care for our wounded veterans goes unnoticed,” said Murray. “While our work to fulfill our promise to our veterans is far from over, I’m proud of our bipartisan efforts to strengthen and expand the proven caregivers program so that veterans of all eras have the resources and support they need to live healthy, independent lives.”
Under the current law passed in 2010, only veterans injured after Sept. 11, 2001, are eligible for comprehensive caregiver benefits and supports through the VA. Expansion would benefit hundreds of thousands of dedicated caregivers, many of whom have performed their role without support for decades.
“There’s a gratefulness, that in 2010 with the post- 9/11 [veterans], that we made it happen, but I can’t look at Dave and Yvonne and tell them why it’s not happening for them,” Rep. Walz noted at the event. “That’s simply not fair.”
“We have a united front. We have folks in Congress willing to push this,” added DAV Washington Headquarters Executive Director Garry Augustine. “Now it’s time to make it happen.”
DAV teams with AARP
■ In partnership with AARP, DAV has taken part in local events in Florida and Michigan to highlight the role caregivers play in the lives of injured and ill veterans, and the critical importance of support and resources.
Past National Commander Dave Riley and his wife and caregiver, Yvonne, attended and served as keynote speakers for the November event in Detroit, sharing their experiences managing his caregiving needs without comprehensive caregiver benefits since he was injured in 1997.
“Yvonne sacrificed so much so that I could lead a high-quality life, and she has done so largely without outside support,” said Riley. “I’m grateful for all the opportunities life has given me, but the truth is, I would not have been able to accomplish what I have without her by my side.”
AARP has been working to ensure caregivers are fully aware of the support services and local resources available within their communities.a critical part of managing care within the home.
“We know that caregiving is a growing trend among our boomer generation, so to give them a leg up and help them keep their loved ones in their house, it is so important— whether they’re aging or disabled—that they understand the community resources that are available and understand what’s around them,” said Melissa Seifert, AARP’s associate state director for governmental affairs in the state of Michigan.
A week after the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee passed the bipartisan Caring for Our Veterans Act of 2017—which included critical provisions that would extend comprehensive Department of Veterans Affairs caregiver benefits to veterans of all eras—DAV and a united front of veterans groups and members of Congress stood together at the U.S. Capitol calling for passage of the measure in the full Senate and then in the House.
In December, representatives from DAV, the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Paralyzed Veterans of America and Paid Leave for the United States delivered a petition with nearly 200,000 signatures advocating for passage of the legislation. Senate VA Committee ranking member Jon Tester, House VA Committee ranking member Tim Walz, Sen. Patty Murray, Rep. Ryan Costello and Rep. Jim Langevin attended in support of the legislation and to urge their colleagues to do the same.
“Enacting this legislation would be life-changing for countless veterans and caregivers across the country, affording them the opportunity to remain in their homes and enabling them to have the best possible quality of life,” said DAV Past National Commander and quadruple amputee Dave Riley, who attended the event beside his wife and caregiver, Yvonne. “We urge continued bipartisan support to get this bill passed, as it stands to vastly improve the lives of the nation’s veterans and America’s unsung heroes— their caregivers.”
The provision, modeled after a bill authored by Sen. Murray, would authorize expansion of comprehensive caregiver benefits to veterans severely injured during and prior to the Vietnam War. Following a two-year period, the program would expand to include veterans of all eras.
“Taking care of our veterans means taking care of the people who help make their recovery possible, but too often the sacrifice many caregivers make to provide vital day-to-day care for our wounded veterans goes unnoticed,” said Murray. “While our work to fulfill our promise to our veterans is far from over, I’m proud of our bipartisan efforts to strengthen and expand the proven caregivers program so that veterans of all eras have the resources and support they need to live healthy, independent lives.”
Under the current law passed in 2010, only veterans injured after Sept. 11, 2001, are eligible for comprehensive caregiver benefits and supports through the VA. Expansion would benefit hundreds of thousands of dedicated caregivers, many of whom have performed their role without support for decades.
“There’s a gratefulness, that in 2010 with the post- 9/11 [veterans], that we made it happen, but I can’t look at Dave and Yvonne and tell them why it’s not happening for them,” Rep. Walz noted at the event. “That’s simply not fair.”
“We have a united front. We have folks in Congress willing to push this,” added DAV Washington Headquarters Executive Director Garry Augustine. “Now it’s time to make it happen.”
DAV teams with AARP
■ In partnership with AARP, DAV has taken part in local events in Florida and Michigan to highlight the role caregivers play in the lives of injured and ill veterans, and the critical importance of support and resources.
Past National Commander Dave Riley and his wife and caregiver, Yvonne, attended and served as keynote speakers for the November event in Detroit, sharing their experiences managing his caregiving needs without comprehensive caregiver benefits since he was injured in 1997.
“Yvonne sacrificed so much so that I could lead a high-quality life, and she has done so largely without outside support,” said Riley. “I’m grateful for all the opportunities life has given me, but the truth is, I would not have been able to accomplish what I have without her by my side.”
AARP has been working to ensure caregivers are fully aware of the support services and local resources available within their communities.a critical part of managing care within the home.
“We know that caregiving is a growing trend among our boomer generation, so to give them a leg up and help them keep their loved ones in their house, it is so important— whether they’re aging or disabled—that they understand the community resources that are available and understand what’s around them,” said Melissa Seifert, AARP’s associate state director for governmental affairs in the state of Michigan.
Message