Veterans Benefits Committee Update March/April 2023
BY JOHN H. RILING III, CHAIR
VB-1 Judicial Review. In collaboration with the Government Affairs Department, the VVA Veterans Benefits Department) furthered this resolution by submitting an Amicus Brief in support of a veteran and his wife in the case of Beaudette v. McDonough before the Federal Circuit, in which the VA is attempting to deny judicial review to those denied access to VA’s Caregiver Program.
VB-13 Preservation of VVA Service Representation at the National Level. At the close of the VA’s 2021 fiscal year, VVA represented 54 percent more veterans and family members than we did in 2019. Despite this increase, we now have only 236 accredited Veterans Service Officers), roughly half what we had in 2019. This is a far cry from 2010 when VVA had some 1,000 VSOs. With the closure of the Illinois program in August 2022, the National office will be absorbing 4,454 VVA claimants, bringing VVA National’s total to 16,453.
In furtherance of this resolution, that “[t]he first priority of VVA is as a veteran’s service organization,” the Veterans Benefits Department has expanded its staff to meet the increased demand and is actively seeking additional grant funding to help support our local benefits programs.
VB-29 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Quality Assurance Program. During a January 2023 meeting with Jaime Ariezaga-Soto, the new chair of the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, National President Jack McManus, Vice President Tom Burke, and Veterans’ Voice of America President Nadhal Eadah, VVA formally requested a review and improvement of the Board’s quality assurance program.
VB-31 Protection of the Right to Representation in Appeals. The Veterans Benefits Department zealously opposed the former Chair Cheryl Mason’s memo, which was ultimately rescinded. The department has dedicated additional resources and reached an agreement with the new BVA chair to substantially reduce VVA’s backlog, without sacrificing quality, by September 2023.
The Committee continues to support the following resolutions:
VB-3 Less than-honorable administrative discharges
VB-5 Civil Liberties of Active-Duty Military Personnel
VB-6 Just Compensation for Injuries Sustained by Active-Duty Military Personnel
VB-12 Department of Veterans Affairs (CVA) Service-Connected Disability Compensation Payments & Military Retirement Pay Offset
VB-27 Reduction of DIC Survivor Waiting Period
VB-28 Removal of 5 Percent Annual Deductible for VA Pension Eligibility
VB-30 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Spina Bifida and Birth Defects Program
VB-32 Taxpayer-Funded medical Examinations
VB-33 Improved Quality and Legal Accuracy in VA Decisions
The Veterans Benefits Committee: John H. Riling III, Chair.
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