NewsBytes January 7, 2022
In this issue:
New FRA Military Benefits Survey
Judge Blocks DoD Vaccine Mandate
SVAC Approves Veterans Bills
FRA Launches 2022 Survey on Military, Veterans Benefits
As part of its mission to bring the enlisted concerns to Capitol Hill, the FRA is conducting an online survey to determine which military and veteran benefits are most important to active duty and Reserve personnel, retirees, veterans, and their families. The brief survey asks current and former members of the uniformed services, as well as their spouses, to rate a variety of benefits and quality-of-life programs associated with their service to our nation.
The FRA is asking all current and former military personnel and their spouses to share their opinions about the programs they value most. Survey responses and comments from participants provide the legislative team important reference information when we testify before Congress or one-on-one meetings with lawmakers and their staff. The FRA also shares the survey results with elected officials on Capitol Hill, key committee staff, and leaders within the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs — ensuring these crucial decision-makers understand the enlisted sea service perspective.
Federal Judge Blocks DoD Vaccine Mandate
Federal District Judge Reed O’Connor agreed with a group of Navy SEALs and other special forces service members who refused the COVID-19 vaccine on religious grounds, ruling that the Department of Defense cannot punish them over their decision. In the ruling (Case 4:21-cv-01236-O), Judge O’Connor of the Northern District of Texas issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Navy and the Defense Department from enforcing the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate against the active-duty military personnel.
“Our nation asks the men and women in our military to serve, suffer, and sacrifice. But we do not ask them to lay aside their citizenry and give up the very rights they have sworn to protect,” O’Connor wrote in his 26-page order. “The Navy service members in this case seek to vindicate the very freedoms they have sacrificed so much to protect,” O’Connor, wrote in his order. “The COVID-19 pandemic provides the government no license to abrogate those freedoms. There is no COVID-19 exception to the First Amendment. There is no military exclusion from our Constitution.” The opinion noted that more than 2,800 active-duty Navy personnel have requested religious accommodations, though none have been approved. The Navy is expected to appeal the decision to the 5th Federal Circuit Court. Press reports indicate that 99.4 percent of Navy personnel are already vaccinated.
SVAC Approves Veterans Bills
The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee approved legislation to better serve veterans to deliver stronger benefits and health care under the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The committee also approved Kurt Delbene to serve as VA’s Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology — a position responsible for delivering adaptable, secure, and cost-effective technology services to VA employees and veterans. His nomination now goes to the full Senate for approval.
“I’m glad the Committee took decisive action today to advance a critical nominee for VA, along with 25 bills on behalf of veterans” said SVAC Chairman Jon Tester (Mont.). “These efforts reflect a continued priority of improving benefits and services for our nation’s veterans and their families, and I’ll keep pushing until we get them across the finish line.” The bills the SVAC considered and passed include the following bills:
The “Department of Veterans Affairs Information Technology Reform Act” (S.731) to increase transparency and accountability through Congressional oversight into proposed and current information technology systems and management at the VA.
The “Making Advances in Mammography and Medical Options (MAMMO) for Veterans Act (S.2533) to strengthen and expand access to high-quality breast cancer screening and life-saving care for veterans.
The “Veterans Affairs Major Medical Facility Authorization Act” (S.2624) authorizing several VA construction projects to serve veterans for FY2022.
The “Rural Veterans Travel Enhancement Act” (S.2627) to improve permanently expand travel assistance programs and advance travel reimbursements for low-income veterans.
The “Guard, Reserve, and Active Duty (GRAD) Educational Assistance Parity Act Educational Assistance Parity Act” (S.2644) to expand GI Bill benefits to select National Guard and Reserve duty statuses.
The “Strengthening Oversight for Veterans Act” (S.2687) to provide VA’s Office of Inspector General the authority to subpoena testimony from former VA employees who have left federal service, former contractor personnel who performed work for the VA, or other potentially relevant individuals during its inspections, reviews, and investigations.
The “Veterans’ Prostate Cancer Treatment and Research Act” (S.2720) to expand treatment and research of prostate cancer to help diagnose and treat veterans through VA, which is the number one cancer diagnosed by the Veterans Health Administration.
The “Servicemembers and Veterans Empowerment and Support Act” (S.3025) to improve MST survivors’ access to benefits and health care, as well as bolster MST claims processing and access to MST care for former Guard and Reserve members.
The “Reform and Update Rural Access to Local (RURAL) Exams Act” (S.3163) to improve rural veterans’ access to medical disability examinations, by enhancing the transparency of the medical disability examination program and revamping how VA delivers exams to rural and housebound veterans.
The “Post-9/11 Veterans' Mental Health Care Improvement Act” (S.3293) to strengthen VA’s mental health care workforce, expand care options, and support mental health research at the Department.
The “Veterans Benefits Improvement Act” (S.3388) to reduce the VA’s claims backlog, increase transparency over the claims process, and provide veterans with timelier access to their earned benefits.
The “Student Veterans Transparency and Protection Act” (S.1607) to improve veterans’ access to information about higher education and allow the VA to restore benefits that veterans use at schools subject to civil enforcement.
The “VA PTSD Processing Claims Improvement Act” (S.1664) to improve VA’s post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) claims processing training, to ensure veterans experiencing PTSD have access to the health care, treatment, and compensation.
The “Chaplains Memorial Preservation Act” (S.1850) to allow the National Conference on Ministry to the Armed Forces to update the Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish chaplains’ memorials at Arlington National Cemetery with the names of all military chaplains who died on active duty.
The “GI Bill National Emergency Extended Deadline Act” (S.1936) to protect veterans’ educational benefits from expiring due to institutional closures or other factors caused by the COVID-19 national emergency.
The “Vet Center Improvement Act” (S. 1944) to mandate VA to evaluate productivity expectations for readjustment counselors at Vet Centers in order to assess the impact of these expectations on the welfare of counselors and on the care provided to veterans. It also creates a pilot program at Vet Centers to assist veteran and servicemembers experiencing food insecurity.
The “Burial Equity for Guards and Reserves Act” (S.2089) to ensure all members of Reserve components are eligible to be buried in state veteran cemeteries, so long as their service was terminated under honorable conditions.
The” Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General Training Act” (S.2431) requiring VA to provide training to employees on reporting waste, fraud, and abuse, in coordination with the VA Office of the Inspector General.
The “Brian Neuman Department of Veterans Affairs Clothing Allowance Improvement Act” (S.2583) to improve the application and review process of VA for clothing allowance claims submitted by veterans.
The “Every Veteran Counts Act” (S.2761) directing VA to establish and regularly update a database of veterans’ demographic data.
The “Supporting Families of the Fallen Act” (S.2794) to increase the VA’s Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance and Veterans’ Group Life Insurance coverage — upgrading these coverage amounts for the first time since 2005.
The “Long-Term Care Veterans Choice Act” (S.2852) requiring VA to expand veterans’ access to the Medical Foster Home program — which allows veterans in need of long-term care to choose to live in the home of a VA-approved caregiver, rather than institutional care.
The “Reaching Every Homeless Veteran Act” (S.5783) to expand the Department of Labor’s Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program to all 50 states and U.S. territories. This program offers customized employment and training services to homeless or at-risk-of-homelessness veterans to address their specific barriers to employment.
These bills will go to the Senate floor for further consideration.
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