Archive for the ‘Veterans’ Category

Making Veterans Part of the Recovery

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

bartgordonBY CONGRESSMAN BART GORDON

On this Veterans Day, more than 190,000 of our brave men and women are currently fighting for our country in Afghanistan and Iraq. Going to war takes incredible courage, and each and every service member currently deployed is in our thoughts and prayers. All Americans appreciate their commitment to defending our freedoms.

We owe them more than just our gratitude though; we have an obligation to serve those who have volunteered to serve our country. The unfortunate reality is that here at home, there are about 185,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who are unemployed and looking for work. These veterans bravely served our country, and the skills they developed during their military service – from their strong work ethic and unwavering loyalty to their commitment toward achieving goals bigger than themselves – would be of great value to any business.

Many, however, have been caught in the turmoil of the current economic climate. As the United States climbs out of this recession, my goal has been to support efforts aimed at helping them obtain the additional skills needed to compete for today’s jobs.

Last year, Congress passed the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, legislation that expanded educational benefits for military veterans who have served since September 11, 2001. In August, military veterans throughout Middle Tennessee and across the United States started receiving benefits from the new G.I. Bill, which includes covering 100% of a four-year public undergraduate education.

I strongly supported this bill because it will allow an estimated 2 million veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to return to the classroom and get the education they need and deserve without having to worry about costs. Not only does the new G.I. Bill cover tuition, but it also helps with books and housing expenses.

In addition to the new G.I. Bill, the U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the Veterans Retraining Act, which will further help veterans obtain the skills needed to get a new job. This legislation would authorize the U.S. Labor Department to pay monthly living and housing stipends to veterans enrolled in employment-training programs that teach skills in particular demand.

In Smyrna, the Department of Veterans Affairs recently announced its plans to open a new patient service call center to help serve veterans and 19 VA hospitals. This center is expected to create as many as 450 new jobs. Hiring will begin later this year, and the federal government will offer veterans special preference for these jobs, which will provide much needed job opportunities for veterans in our area.

As the current economic climate improves, I remain committed to ensuring that veterans are part of the recovery.

Posted in Economy, Education, Heroes, Jobs, Legislation, Military, Rep. Bart Gordon (D-6), Soldiers, Veterans | No Comments »

Gordon Encourages Stop Loss Soldiers To Apply For New Funds

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

bartgordonWASHINGTON – Congressman Bart Gordon announced today that the U.S. Department of Defense is making special payments available for service members who have had their enlistments involuntarily extended since September 11, 2001.

“It takes a tremendous amount of courage for service members to continue standing in harm’s way when they’ve been apart from their families for so long,” said Gordon who voted for the 2009 War Supplemental Appropriations Act, which established this new initiative. “While no amount of money can make up for the burden of extended deployments, I hope these payments will help our soldiers know how much we appreciate their commitment and honor their service.”

The U.S. Department of Defense is providing service members with $500 for every month they were held under stop loss orders between September 11, 2001 and September 30, 2009. Since 2001, more than 185,000 service members have been held under stop loss orders.

Service members from all branches of the military, including members of Reserve units, can submit claims for retroactive stop loss pay until October 21, 2010. Each service member will be required to submit documented proof that they were stop lossed. Family members of deceased service members may also apply for payments.

For specific information about how service members from each branch of the military can apply for payments, please visit the following websites:

Army: https://www.stoplosspay.army.mil
Navy: send an email to – NXAG_N132C@navy.mil
Marine Corps: https://www.manpower.usmc.mil/stoploss
Air Force: http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/stoploss

“While each branch of the military would like eligible service members to apply online, if you don’t have access to the Internet, you can call my office for assistance,” added Gordon.

Those who have questions or need assistance with the application process should call Congressman Gordon’s Murfreesboro office at (615) 896-1986.

Posted in Heroes, Legislation, Military, Rep. Bart Gordon (D-6), Service, Soldiers, Veterans | No Comments »

Veterans’ Health Care Is Bart Gordon’s First Budget Priority

Friday, October 9th, 2009

bartgordonWASHINGTON – For more than two decades, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ health care system has been plagued by consistently late and, at times, inadequate budgets. On Wednesday (October 7), the U.S. House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation to ensure timely funding for veterans’ health care.

“Our veterans deserve the best available care – red tape and bureaucratic budgetary issues shouldn’t get in the way of their health care,” said Congressman Bart Gordon, who strongly supported the bill’s passage. “Over the years, the VA has had to make do with insufficient budgets resulting in restricted access for many veterans. This bill will change that.”

In 19 of the past 22 years, the VA has not received its budgetary funding prior to the start of the fiscal year. The legislation, the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act (H.R. 1016), would require the VA to provide detailed budgetary estimates sooner so that Congress can allocate funds for the VA’s medical care programs one year in advance of the start of each fiscal year.

“My father and uncle served during World War II and they taught me the importance of taking care of those who volunteer to defend our country,” added Gordon. “Delays in VA funding do a disservice to those who have served. By streamlining the budgetary process, the VA will have up to a year to plan how to deliver the most efficient and effective care to our veterans.”

The bill would require the VA to submit a report each July on the resources it needs for the upcoming fiscal year in order for Congress to address any funding imbalances. This will help to safeguard against the budget shortfalls that the VA has faced in recent years.

The bipartisan bill is supported by a coalition of veteran service organizations, including the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, AMVETS, and Disabled American Veterans, who have endorsed the bill as “an historic legislative victory on behalf of all veterans.”

The bill now moves to the Senate where it is expected to pass and then be signed into law by the President.

Posted in Budget, Health care, Legislation, Rep. Bart Gordon (D-6), Veterans | 1 Comment »

Gordon Bill Protects Social Security and Veterans Benefits

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

bartgordonWASHINGTON – Congressman Bart Gordon has introduced legislation aimed at protecting the bank accounts of Americans receiving Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Veterans benefits. Federal law prevents these benefit payments, which are the sole source of income for many seniors and veterans, from being seized by creditors to pay past-due debt. However, a loophole has enabled creditors to obtain these funds when directly deposited into a beneficiary’s bank account.

“The Treasury Department is spending $50 million a year encouraging seniors, veterans and the disabled, who rely on government assistance, to sign up for direct deposit payments,” explained Gordon. “At the same time, financial institutions are being forced by creditors to freeze the bank accounts of beneficiaries, preventing them from accessing their money.”

Since 2007, the U.S. Treasury Department has been drafting regulations to close this loophole and prohibit the freezing of accounts that contain these direct deposit benefit payments. However, the rules have yet to be formalized – a process that could take a year or longer. Gordon’s legislation, the Illegal Garnishment Prevention Act (H.R. 3366), would prohibit the Treasury Department from using funds to promote the use of direct deposit among Social Security, SSI and Veterans beneficiaries until the Department implements regulations protecting their bank accounts.

“According to a recent report, from 2006-2007, more than $170 million was seized from bank accounts that included Social Security benefits and other deposits,” said Gordon. “When these bank accounts are frozen, millions are left with nothing to pay their day-to-day living expenses. The Treasury Department shouldn’t be promoting direct deposit payments until financial institutions and creditors are prohibited from seizing benefit payments.”

A companion-version of Gordon’s bill has been introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senator Herb Kohl. Gordon is committed to working with his House and Senate colleagues to see that regulations protecting the funds of Social Security, SSI and Veterans beneficiaries are implemented as soon as possible.

Posted in Rep. Bart Gordon (D-6), Seniors, Veterans | No Comments »

Rebuilding Confidence Among Middle Tennessee Veterans

Saturday, June 20th, 2009

bartgordonBy Congressman Bart Gordon

WASHINGTON – In December, officials at the Alvin York VA Hospital in Murfreesboro discovered that an endoscopy machine used for colon cancer screening had not been properly equipped with a specific valve. As a result, more than 6,800 veterans were at risk of having been infected with Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C or HIV – all blood borne diseases.

On June 16th, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs held a congressional hearing entitled “Endoscopy Procedures: What Happened, What Has Changed?” I don’t sit on this Committee but received special permission to participate in the hearing and voice my concerns on behalf of the Middle Tennessee veterans.

Since the problem was revealed, 28 of the veterans who received a colonoscopy at the York VA during the period in question tested positive for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C or HIV. While there may be no way to definitively determine if the Murfreesboro VA caused any or all of these infections, one thing is certain – veterans’ confidence in the VA health system has been shaken.

One of the veterans I heard from served in Vietnam and is 100% disabled. Fortunately, he tested negative for the infections. However, he told me he would not have another colonoscopy until he was reassured this type of error couldn’t happen again. I voiced this concern at the hearing and encouraged the VA to be forthcoming with veterans about how the situation is being handled to assure them all precautionary measures are being taken to avoid the problem from occurring again.

Another veteran I spoke with from Lewisburg, who tested positive for Hepatitis C, recently lost his job. He is only rated 30% disabled and has great concerns about how he is going to afford the necessary treatment.

I also asked the VA to consider waiving any costs associated with the treatment now needed by the infected veterans. Most veterans are required to pay a fee for non-service-connected treatment at the VA hospitals.

The VA officials at the hearing didn’t have an answer to my question regarding treatment payments. Immediately after the hearing, I wrote a letter to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Eric Shinseki, asking that he directly respond to the question of waiving treatment costs for the infected veterans.

A mistake was no doubt made with the endoscopy machine, and it is hard to say if the situation could have been prevented. However, paying for the treatment costs would definitely be one step in the right direction to rebuild the confidence veterans have in the Murfreesboro VA.

If you have any questions or concerns about the situation, please feel free to contact me at 615-896-1986. I remain committed to ensuring veterans get the quality health care they deserve.

Posted in Health care, Rep. Bart Gordon (D-6), Veterans | No Comments »

A Memorial Day Message From Our Chairman…

Monday, May 25th, 2009
Sergeant Alvin C. York, a Tennessee Hero

Sergeant Alvin C. York, a Tennessee Hero

My Great Great Great Great Great Grandfather, John S. Fagan, is buried near an enormous hickory tree on the Rutherford/Cannon County line. He was wounded storming the breastworks in the Battle of Kings Mountain during the Revolutionary War. He survived. Many did not. The freedom from tyranny they won afforded us a democracy that survives to this day, and is allowed to flourish because of the great sacrifice of our soldiers and their families.

Alvin C. York was one Tennessean who did not want to be a soldier. Raised on the Cumberland Plateau in Pall Mall, his Church of Christ faith discouraged war and violence, and he applied for Conscientious Objector status when drafted in 1917. Though he was declined and joined the 82nd Infantry Division, he came to realize that warfare could be justified through discussion of the Biblical stance on war with his company commander at Camp Gordon, Georgia.

Alvin single-handedly killed 30 German machine gunners and captured 132 enemy soldiers that were cutting his platoon to pieces. For that he received the Medal of Honor, a ticker tape parade in New York City, and a personal thank you from his Congressman Cordell Hull. But York’s greatest achievement came after the war was won. He wanted rural children to have the chance to get a high school education, so he worked to build a school in Jamestown, Fentress County, Tennessee. Alvin C. York Institute is now a nationally recognized school of excellence and boasts the highest high school graduation percentage in the state. It is home to almost 800 students, who honor and memorialize Alvin every day by living and learning in a free nation.

So it is with us all. We are living, breathing memorials to those who have come before and given us the liberty to live our lives and do our deeds. In the words of George S. Patton, “War is hell.” Whenever we help our fellow man or work to allow others the chance for a better life, we honor those who went through hell to defend our freedom.

Sincerely,
Jonathon Fagan
Chairman, Rutherford County Democratic Party

Posted in From the Chair, Service, Veterans | No Comments »

Stimulus money creates jobs in Rutherford County

Monday, May 11th, 2009

constructzonePresident Barack Obama’s stimulus funds are creating jobs for Rutherford County families in Rep. Donna Rowland (R-34) and Rep. Joe Carr’s (R-48) districts.

Bids are currently being accepted for three road projects in Rutherford County that total roughly $3.5 million dollars.

Rutherford County Republicans recently took to the square in Murfreesboro by the hundreds protesting stimulus spending. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act they protested also provides $13.9 million for Rutherford County schools, enhances health care for veterans, extends unemployment benefits for Rutherford County’s growing unemployed and provides $30 million to retrain dislocated and low-income workers.

Rep. Joe Carr went as far as demanding Gov. Phil Bredesen refuse stimulus funds that extend unemployment benefits.

Despite Republican protests, several construction companies are now placing bids to spend the stimulus funds and create jobs for Rutherford County families. Below is a list of the stimulus funded road projects in our county and the current company bids being considered by the state.

View the complete list of stimulus funded TDOT projects by county, current bids and the companies bidding to spend it. Click here to look at what stimulus money is funding in Tennessee.

1) CONSTRUCTION OF 2 CONCRETE BOX BRIDGES ON SR 102 (ALMAVILLE ROAD) OVER MAXWELL CREEK (LM 1.89) AND ROCKY FORK CREEK (LM 5.31)

  • BROWN BUILDERS, INC. $1,694,385.65
  • GENERAL CONSTRUCTORS, INC. $1,794,725.10
  • ROAD BUILDERS, LLC $1,812,762.08
  • W. L. HAILEY AND COMPANY, INC. $1,863,125.04

2) RESURFACING ON US 41(SR 2) FROM NORTH OF RUTHERFORD BLVD. (LM 1.80) TO EPPS MILL ROAD (LM 8.60)

  • HOOVER, INC. $997,594.70
  • LOJAC ENTERPRISES, INC. $1,128,503.00
  • HMA CONTRACTORS, LLC $1,149,665.60

3) THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NOISE WALL ON I-24 FROM EAST OF SR 96 TO THE STONES RIVER

  • BROWN BUILDERS, INC. $671,989.40
  • ROGERS GROUP, INC. $682,504.05
  • W. L. HAILEY AND COMPANY, INC. $731,885.00
  • BELL & ASSOCIATES CONSTRUCTION, L.P. $794,506.54
  • DEMENT CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, LLC $944,148.60

Posted in ARRA, Economy, Jobs, Rep. Donna Rowland (R-34), Rep. Joe Carr (R-48), Rutherford County Republican Party, Taxes, Veterans | 1 Comment »

Rutherford County’s unemployed and low-income workers get help

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009

If Rep. Joe Carr (R-48) gets his way, thousands of unemployed Rutherford County residents will not get an extension of their unemployment benefits in some of the hardest times many have ever experienced in Middle Tennessee. Rep. Carr is sponsoring a bill to reject the stimulus funds. The extension of unemployment benefits is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Today’s Daily News Journal reports that Tennessee will also receive over $30 million to retrain dislocated or low-income workers through the ARRA. You can learn more about what the ARRA federal stimulus is funding here in Tennessee.

“The training, particularly in emerging occupations, that will be provided with these Recovery Act funds will help prepare unemployed Tennesseans for new jobs at a time when that’s more important than ever,” Bredesen said.

The funding is anticipated to increase participation of the dislocated worker program by more than 1,300, which is 40 percent, over the number of individuals who received training services last year.

Adult services are expected to increase by approximately 2,000 slots, or 20 percent, over last year.

“Being out of work is especially difficult in this economic environment,” Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development James Neeley said. “Many laid-off workers and adults haven’t had to worry about updating their skills for years, and this Recovery Act funding provides an opportunity to do just that.”

The Rutherford County Republican Party took to the streets by the hundreds April 15 to protest this much needed help after eight long years of failed economic policy, unprecedented government expansion and out of control spending that resulted in a recession.

Republicans also protested the millions of dollars to be spent on Rutherford County and Murfreesboro schools as well as enhanced benefits for Rutherford County veterans.

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Posted in Economy, Education, Gov. Phil Bredesen, Jobs, RCDP, Taxes, Veterans | No Comments »

Rep. Bart Gordon (D-6) improves veterans benefits

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009

bartgordonRep. Bart Gordon (D-6) stands up for those who serve our country by voting to improve veterans benefits. Here’s the report from the Daily News Journal.

WASHINGTON – With more than 500,000 veterans in Tennessee and 23 million living throughout the country, the U.S. House passed two measures Monday to improve veterans benefits.

“Veterans have earned the best quality care and services,” said Congressman Bart Gordon, who strongly supported passage of both bills. “Once their time in uniform has ended, we owe it to them to ensure that they are not overwhelmed with excessive medical bill costs.”

“Veterans have earned the best quality care and services,” said Congressman Bart Gordon, who strongly supported passage of both bills. “Once their time in uniform has ended, we owe it to them to ensure that they are not overwhelmed with excessive medical bill costs.”

The other measure, H.R. 1513, would provide cost-of-living increases to disability benefits for veterans who have service-related disabilities.

Posted in Legislation, Rep. Bart Gordon (D-6), Veterans | 2 Comments »