IRRESPONSIBLE BILL WOULD FORCE VA TO POTENTIALLY WASTE BILLIONS, JEOPARDIZE VETERANS’ HEALTH CARE

by: Concerned Veterans for America

Arlington, VA - March 29, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) announced its opposition to legislation to eliminate the asset and infrastructure review (AIR) mandated by the bipartisan VA MISSION Act. This bill, introduced by Sens. Rounds and Manchin, would force the VA to maintain excess and aging infrastructure and would take valuable resources away from providing the best care possible for our veterans. The AIR provision of the VA MISSION Act would create a commission to evaluate the VA’s current medical facility footprint to ensure that it is best aligned with the current needs and demands of the VA patient population across the country.

Dan Caldwell, CVA’s executive director had this to say regarding the bill:

“This irresponsible and misguided legislation would force the VA to potentially waste billions in taxpayer dollars to maintain VA facilities that are clearly outdated and not serving the needs of the current or future veteran population. The asset and infrastructure review is critical to protecting the VA’s ability to serve our veterans, allowing the VA to modernize and adapt as the veteran population continues to change, and ensuring the VA is spending taxpayer dollars in the most responsible way when serving those veterans. We urge the Senate to reject this bill and we hope that Senators Rounds and Manchin reconsider this counterproductive proposal.”

Secretary Wilkie, during a Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing Tuesday, stressed the importance of modernizing the VA, including the importance of making sure the VA’s facilities are up to the task of caring for our nation’s veterans. He pointed out that “ more than half of the buildings [he is] responsible for age in range from over 50 years to 100 years.” And he reminded the members that it was the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee which, through the VA MISSION Act, directed the VA to conduct market assessments and create “the asset and infrastructure review commission to bring the VA up to speed where the veterans are.”

The VA is one of the largest federal property-holding agencies, owning buildings covering more than 151 million square feet and leasing over 1,500 buildings costing more than $340.6 million annually in rent. Former VA Secretary Shulkin has testified in previous hearings that the VA has hundreds of empty or under-utilized VA buildings that cost the federal government $25 million annually to maintain.

The VA MISSION Act – which contained the provision mandating the asset and infrastructure review –passed Congress on an overwhelming bipartisan vote and was signed into law by President Trump on June 6, 2018.

REPEAL OF PREVAILING WAGE LAW WILL EXPAND OPPORTUNITY FOR WISCONSIN VETERANS

Source: Concerned Veterans for America

Madison, WI - September 22, 2017  (The Ponder News) -- Governor Scott Walker signed the state budget, which includes a full repeal of Wisconsin’s prevailing wage law. Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) recently urged members of the Assembly and Senate to move forward with a repeal of the prevailing wage.

CVA Policy Director Dan Caldwell issued the following comment:

“The prevailing wage will no longer stand between Wisconsin veterans and the employment opportunities they deserve in the construction industry. The prevailing wage law padded the pockets of unions while limiting opportunity for veterans and sticking taxpayers with the costs. This law restricted competition and prevented small businesses from creating and maintaining jobs.

“It is important to acknowledge Senator Leah Vukmir and Rep. Rob Hutton who spent years working for this reform. We applaud Governor Walker for speeding up a repeal of the prevailing wage in Wisconsin through a line-item veto and thank Senators Stroebel, Kapenga and Nass for fighting to make that possible.”

Earlier this year, CVA released web ads targeted at Wisconsin legislators. The ads highlighted the positive impact that a prevailing wage repeal would have on veterans in the state. CVA also released a memo which refutes the myth, propagated by union-backed groups, that veterans support prevailing wage laws.

Prevailing wage laws, which were adopted in Wisconsin nearly 85 years ago, mandate that contractors are paid based on rates decided by unions. Instead of having the market determine how much these services are valued by the state, union bosses get to decide – and then taxpayers get stuck with the bill. Prevailing wage laws result in higher taxpayer costs and can limit the ability of many small businesses to compete for government work.

CONGRESS SHOULD MOVE ON BILL TO MODERNIZE VA

Source: Concerned Veterans for America

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====Washington, D.C. - September 7, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Recently, Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) introduced the VA Information Technology Restructuring Act, or H.R. 3640, as a measure to modernize the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The bill is identical to a Senate measure introduced by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) earlier this year, which Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) supported immediately.

The bill will create a Chief Information Officer (CIO) position within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to help streamline the upgrading, acquisition, and operation of IT systems in the department.

CVA Texas Field Director Ben Rangel issued the following statement:

“The VA’s outdated IT system is one of the many barriers to veterans accessing timely care and benefits. Rep. Ratcliffe’s new bill would enable the VA to make well-informed decisions to upgrade, modernize, and consolidate its IT department. We applaud the efforts of Sen. Cruz and Rep. Ratcliffe to make the VHA more effective, and we proudly support the VA Information Technology Restructuring Act. With strong momentum in the House and Senate, there is no reason for Congress to delay taking up this important measure to improve the care our veterans receive.”

CVA URGES ACTIVISTS TO ATTEND HEARING ON SECRETARY OLIVER’S UNCONSTITUTIONAL ANTI-FREE SPEECH MEASURE

Source: Concerned Veterans for America (CVA)

Santa Fe, NM - September 3, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver will hold a hearing on her revised, unconstitutional anti-free speech measure in Santa Fe. The hearing will give citizens the opportunity to share their opinions about the measure.

Secretary Oliver recently announced revisions to her formerly-proposed measure forcing citizens who support causes to list their names and personal information publicly – leaving them open to harassment and intimidation. This effort represents a massive overreach by Secretary Oliver, who does not have the authority to implement such drastic changes to New Mexico’s laws.

Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) Policy Director Dan Caldwell issued the following statement:

“Secretary Oliver is circumventing the legislative process to push forward a measure that would inhibit the First Amendment rights of citizens. It’s important that New Mexicans are given the opportunity to voice opposition to this deeply flawed and unconstitutional measure. We’ve seen an overwhelming response to Oliver’s rule from New Mexicans who have serious concerns about the impact it would have on their right to free expression. This measure will limit open debate in New Mexico and we encourage citizens of the state to stand up for their rights today.”

After Secretary Oliver released her revised measure, CVA launched a digital tool that allows New Mexicans to submit comments to her office.

In July, CVA joined a coalition of 29 individuals representing 14 different organizations that submitted a letter to the Secretary asking her to end her attack on free speech in New Mexico. Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson was among the signers urging the Secretary to abandon her measure.

Earlier this year, Governor Susana Martinez vetoed S.B. 96, a similar anti-free speech measure that passed the legislature in April. CVA led a coalition of 11 different organizations and sent a letter to Governor Martinez asking her to reject S.B. 96. The group also launched a targeted digital campaign, including a tool which allowed New Mexico constituents to contact Governor Martinez directly via email, Facebook, Twitter, and phone to warn her about the dangers of S.B. 96.

Last year, CVA launched “Defend the First,” a project focused on protecting the free exchange of information and ideas at the state and federal level.