WASHINTON, DC — The State of Maine VFW organization recently sent a nine-member delegation to Washington DC week of March 3rd, that included two local members and citizens, Lynn Dunton and Jim Manter of Livermore, from the Jay VFW Post 3335.

The 2024 VFW Washington Conference was held March 3-7, 2024, in Washington, D.C.  The Maine delegation attended the Congressional Testimony before the House and Senate Committees on Veterans’ Affairs, and office visits to Maine’s Senators and Representatives.

For nearly 75 years, the VFW’s annual Washington Conference has provided an opportunity for VFW leaders from each state to personally lobby their respective lawmakers and watch as the VFW’s current Commander-in-Chief testifies on Capitol Hill before the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees on behalf of veterans.

This year, with a sea of member caps behind him, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Commander-in-Chief Duane Sarmiento delivered the VFW’s legislative priorities during testimony before the 118th Congress during a special joint hearing of the House and Senate Committees on Veterans’ Affairs. “It was standing room only, and over capacity in the hearing gallery”, Manter comments.

Manter states, “It was an honor to be selected to represent our 1.4 million members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and its Auxiliary, and Mainers. There were over 550 Veterans and Auxiliary members, from all 50 states, packed into the Dirkson Hall gallery.  We got to see first-hand our VFW National Commander, Duane Sarmiento, address and take questions from the joint Veterans’ Affairs Committee”.

 

 

National leadership, as well as delegates from across the U.S. and abroad, conducted the business of the organization and meet with members of Congress for the VFW’s annual national-level, mid-winter meeting.  “One hundred and twenty-five years. This year marks 125 years the VFW has been advocating for those who have borne the battle,” said VFW National Commander Duane Sarmiento. “As we descend on Washington, D.C., to deliver our message, we uphold the legacy of service upon which the VFW was built.”

Manter adds, “In addition to attending the testimony, our Maine delegation got to meet in the offices of Maine Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jarad Golden. We reviewed each of the 4 bills the VFW has before Congress and seek out their support and position on our initiatives.”

Manter goes on to describe year 2024 agenda items, “This year’s focus was on 4 bills. Our commander urged passing at the committee testimony, and our Maine delegation urged passing to each of our Maine State Congressional leaders to act and pass all of these Bills”.  They include briefly:

H.R. 1282 / S. 344 Major Richard Star Act. This act focuses on allowing all Veterans who qualify, to be eligible to collect both their retirement pay, and Veterans Disability Compensation, concurrently, and not be penalized with an offset.  Currently, this is not allowed for disabled Veterans with a disability rating of less than 50%.  This in effect penalizes a veteran for compensation, for what is argued is two separate earned compensations. Presently this bill has 326 cosponsors in the House, and 71 cosponsors in the Senate.

H.R. 1139 / S. 740 Guard VA Benefits Act.  This act focuses on reinstating penalties for charging veterans and survivors unauthorized fees relating to claims for VA benefits.  Currently, many groups (nicknamed Sharks’) are advertising on TV and media, to assist Veterans in filing for their claims, at exorbitant fees, when Veterans Service Officers can do this for free, and at no cost to the Veteran filing a claim.

These sharks are taking a huge fee and percentage of the Veterans benefits for their service, and often use medical offices to inflate the claims, and in turn cost the tax payer more money.  “It’s distasteful that these Claim Sharks take money from veterans. But it’s disgusting that they take money from survivors,” Sarmiento said. This bill will not cost the taxpayer any funding.

H.R. 4157 / S. 928 Not Just A Number Act. This act focuses on Veteran Suicide and its prevention.  It revolves around the Veterans Benefits Administration in analyzing its usage date, in a substantive manner, to studying, identifying, and utilizing existing information to seek root causes of Veteran suicide.  This data then could be used in successfully preventing suicide amongst Veterans.  This bill would not cost the taxpayer any funding.

H.R. 3933 / S. 2888 TAP Promotion Act.  This act focuses on improving the existing Military Transition Assistance Program that all military members go through upon exiting the service.  Unfortunately, at present, the Veterans Administration is not always present in the TAP process.

This Promotion Act will ensure that Veteran Service Officers are available for the TAP process unless the service member opts out.  Too often service members are rushed in the discharge process, and do not fully understand the benefits available to them regarding disability claims and other benefits. This bill would not cost the taxpayer any funding.

Manter also notes, “Although the VFW spearheads these Legislative efforts, there is lots of support on these and other Veteran topics, from many Veterans organizations like AMVETS, American Legion, Disabled Veterans, etc., to only name a few.”

For further information on these Bills and topics, or to listen to the Congressional Testimony, please visit:  www.VFW.org

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