NewsBytes June 5, 2020
In this issue:
VA HQ Damaged by Protesters
HVAC Asks for Support of MST Survivors
IG Report on Military Voting Program
VA Improves Veterans Legacy Memorial
VA HQ Damaged by Protesters
The Department of Veterans Affairs headquarters in Washington, D.C. was damaged Sunday night (May 31, 2020) from protesters involved with demonstrations related to the killing of Floyd George by a Minneapolis policeman. George was African American and happened to be face down in handcuffs at the time. Unidentified attackers broke several windows and spray-painted profanity along the sides of the VA’s main offices, which sit a block away from the White House. Also a car was set on fire near the main entrance to the building. According to several news sources, several buildings surrounding the VA were set on fire as protesters were forced from areas around the White House to streets north of Lafayette Park.
The VA did not appear to be the target of any protests that focused on police brutality and racial inequality. In addition, VA officials said several department offices in other downtown buildings suffered some damage. In a statement, VA press secretary Christina Noel said leaders are still assessing the full cost of the damage. “We know of no injuries to VA employees,” she said. “VA will take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of VA employees.”
Protests in Washington, D.C., centered around the White House but spread throughout the city. At the World War II Memorial on the National Mall, vandals wrote “Do black vets count?” along the main fountain at the center of the monument. National Parks Service officials reported additional graffiti at other well-known sites along the Capitol Mall.
HVAC Asks VA for More Support of MST Survivors
The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano (Calif.) and Ranking Member Dr. Phil Roe (Tenn.) sent a letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie emphasizing the need for increased support for survivors of military sexual trauma (MST) — especially as the COVID-19 pandemic and social-distancing may exacerbate stressors for these veterans. Following a joint hearing of the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and the Women Veterans Task Force, which is examining how the VA supports survivors of military sexual trauma, Reps. called for an internal working group to perform a comprehensive review of the VA’s policies and procedures that affect MST survivors. Subcommittee on Health and Women Veterans Task Force Chair Julia Brownley (Calif.) and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Ranking Member Jack Bergman (Mich.), and Chair Chris Pappas (N.H.) also joined the letter. A copy of the letter is available online.
DoD IG Report on Military Voting Program
The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General recently issued an evaluation of the DoD voting assistance programs administered by each separate service. The Navy and Marine Corps programs were rated as “effective” and these programs complied with Federal statute and DoD policy. In 2018, 53 percent of the ballots sent to military and overseas voters were successfully counted — compared to only a third in 2006, according to the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s examining post-election research from the 2018 General Election.
Military members stationed away from their voting residence face more difficulties compared to local voters. The ability to receive and submit an absentee ballot on time remains a problem. The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) of 1986 requires states to allow active-duty military members, their eligible family members and overseas citizens to vote absentee in federal elections. The FRA-supported Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act (MOVE) amended and improved UOCAVA in 2009 by providing greater protections, such as requiring states to send absentee ballots to UOCAVA voters at least 45 days before federal elections and provide an electronic option for sending ballots to voters.
For additional information, visit FVAP.gov, e-mail vote@fvap.gov or call 1-800-438-8683.
VA Improves Veterans Legacy Memorial
The Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration has announced that it has improved capabilities on the Veterans Legacy Memorial (VLM) website to allow family, friends, and visitors to leave “tributes” or comments on a veteran’s memorial page. The VLM website is the nation’s first digital platform dedicated entirely to the preservation of the memory of the 3.7 million veterans interred in VA national cemeteries. “Online memorialization becomes more prominent these days, allowing people to remotely honor the service and sacrifice of our Veterans,” said VA Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Randy Reeves. “The increased capabilities of VLM are in place at a critical time to ensure “No Veteran Ever Dies" by telling their stories to a larger audience through an enhanced digital platform. In addition, VLM allows people to express their appreciation and gratitude for the dedicated service of our Nation’s heroes.” The VLM is available online.
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