BY DENNIS CAMIRE
GANNETT NEWS SERVICE
WASHINGTON -- In the last-minute scramble before heading home for the fall election campaigns, Congress finally began approving a large catchall package of long-stalled veterans health care and benefits legislation this week that covers everything from expanding mental health programs to speeding up the disability claims system.
The two bills in the omnibus package contain at least 100 provisions gleaned from more than 25 veterans bills that either the House or the Senate approved in the past 21 months.
The House cleared the omnibus bills late Wednesday on a voice vote with the Senate expected to act soon.
The bills would add a final touch to a Congress already credited for action on two major issues -- dramatically increasing Veterans Affairs Department funding for health care and greatly expanding the GI Bill.
"While we might say Congress didn't do this and that, if you just took those two things alone -- VA health care funding and the GI Bill -- you would have to say it is one of the best congresses in recent memory," said Bob Norton of the Military Officers Association of America.
The omnibus bills' provisions include:
- Expanding VA substance abuse treatment programs.
- Providing mental health counseling for veterans' families.
- Reimbursing veterans for use of non-VA emergency rooms.
- Allowing temporary disability ratings for some veterans.
"They are two bills that are really going to be great for our veterans," said Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. "We are going to touch millions of veterans and their families with these bills, and we're doing it on behalf of people that we know deserve no less."
Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said Congress did much more than that, including legislation to improve care for wounded service members and create a smooth transition from active duty to veterans status for them.
"We worked aggressively on preventing suicides and launched a 24-hour hotline for troubled veterans needing immediate help," Akaka said.
The spurt of congressional activity came after veterans advocates began voicing frustration with the a lack of action on many of their issues -- from recognizing and treating mild and moderate traumatic brain injury to ensuring female veterans get appropriate health care.
Filner said Congress has pumped $17 billion of new money into veterans health care at the VA over the past two years, a 40 % increase.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080928/NEWS07/809280458/1009/NEWS07
