NewsBytes September 15, 2023
In this issue:
Possible Government Shutdown
Voluntary Option for Resolution of Camp Lejeune Claims
House Starts Impeachment Investigation
PACT Act Special Enrollment Period Ends Sept. 30
Senate Confirms VA Deputy Secretary
POW/MIA Recognition Day
Possible Government Shutdown
Legislators are working to put together a short-term spending measure, known as a Continuing Resolution (CR), to keep the government operating after Sept. 30. A CR keeps the government funded beginning Oct. 1, the start of the new fiscal year. This will give Congress time to merge the 12 regular appropriations (spending) bills into one larger “omnibus” spending bill that can pass each chamber and be signed into law by the president.
In past government shutdowns, active-duty military personnel were paid because they are considered “essential workers.” Retirees will continue to be paid and get their TRICARE benefits because funding for their benefits is not required to be appropriated by Congress (mandatory funding). Social Security and Medicare will also continue to operate. Those receiving veterans’ benefits will continue to get benefits because the Department of Veterans Affairs has two-year funding (an FRA supported initiative) and already has funding for FY2024. Press reports indicate that Speaker Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) will soon propose a four-week CR to keep the government operating after Sept. 30.
Voluntary Option for Resolution of Camp Lejeune Claims
The Navy Department and the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the finalization and publication of a voluntary process, called the “Elective Option,” to help veterans and others more quickly resolve qualifying claims under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 (CLJA). This option supplements other processes currently available under the CLJA, which remain in place. The intent of the Elective Option is a streamlined adjudication of claims. To be eligible for the Elective Option, a claimant must first submit an administrative claim to the Navy. To date, more than 93,000 CLJA claims have been filed.
The CLJA is a provision in the comprehensive veteran’s toxic exposure law (PACT Act) which was signed into law on Aug. 10, 2022. The CLJA allows those who file claims and lawsuits to potentially recover for injuries caused by exposure to contaminated water at the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune from mid-1953 through 1987.
The Elective Option supplements other mechanisms for resolving claims currently available through the normal administrative claims or litigation processes. Claimants not eligible for the Elective Option may await finalization of their administrative claim or pursue litigation and engage in any broader settlement discussions occurring through court proceedings in the Eastern District of North Carolina. DOJ will screen already-filed lawsuits and will extend settlement offers in qualifying cases that are similar to awards under the Elective Option.
Individuals who think they qualify for relief under the CLJA can follow the instructions available on that site to submit a claim and provide requisite supporting documentation. There is no requirement to retain a lawyer to file a claim or subsequently pursue an expedited resolution. Claims that have already been filed with DON do not need to be refiled.
Payments under the Elective Option are not offset by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability benefits or VA medical care, and they do not impact ongoing treatment and support provided by the VA.
Those interested in learning more about the Elective Option should go online.
House Starts Impeachment Investigation
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) has directed House committees to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Biden based on the prosecution of his son Hunter Biden and House Republicans’ investigations of his family’s foreign business dealings. Three House committees will be empowered to investigate possible impeachable offenses, and McCarthy pledged to go “wherever the evidence takes us.”
PACT Act Special Enrollment Period Ends September 30
The FRA wants members to be aware of the special enrollment PACT Act period ending on Sept. 30, 2023, for veterans who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other combat zones to enroll in VA health care. Veterans who deployed to a combat zone, never enrolled in VA health care, and left active duty between Sept. 11, 2001, and Oct. 1, 2013, are eligible to enroll directly in VA health care without first applying for benefits. Veterans are encouraged to go online or call 1-800-MYVA411 to learn more and sign up for VA health care before the deadline.
Senate Confirms VA Deputy Secretary
The Senate confirmed (50-46) Tanya Bradsher, as the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Deputy Secretary. The VA Deputy Secretary is the agency’s second highest official who oversees the Electronic Health Record Modernization program implementation and is responsible for strengthening VA’s collaboration with the Department of Defense (DoD) on the VA-DoD Joint Executive Committee. The Deputy Secretary also serves as the Chief Operating Officer, tasked with running the day-to-day operations at VA. She is the first woman to serve in this position.
Ms. Bradsher is a combat veteran who served 20 years in the United States Army. She enlisted in 1993 and was commissioned in 1994 from the Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia. She was serving as the VA Chief of Staff. She has also worked in Congress, at the White House, the Defense Health Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.
POW/MIA Recognition Day
The United States’ National POW/MIA Recognition Day is observed across the nation on the third Friday of September each year. Many Americans take the time to remember those who were prisoners of war (POW) and those who are missing in action (MIA), as well as their families.
NewsBytes is FRA's weekly legislative update. If you received this through a forward and would like to subscribe, please e-mail us and include your name and contact information in the body of e-mail. If you are a member of FRA or LA FRA, please include your member number.
Follow FRA on Twitter (https://twitter.com/FRAHQ); Follow FRA on Instagram (www.instagram.com/fra_hq) and "like" FRA on Facebook (use the shortcut of www.fra.org/fb)