Chairman Buyer Holds Annual Legislative Hearing;
19 Veterans Organizations Testify Over Two Days 

Washington, D.C. — Chairman Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) today held the second of two full committee legislative hearings, where veterans’ and military service organizations (VSOs and MSOs, listed below) presented their annual legislative views and priorities for Fiscal Year 2007.   These VSO representatives reiterated concerns about proposals to increase co-pays and enact an enrollment fee for Priority Group 7 and 8 veterans (those who do not have service-connected disabilities and also presumably have other health care options).

Chairman Buyer thanked the witnesses for their contributions of their organizations and members and for their work on behalf of veterans. 

“The advice and counsel we have received from 19 veterans and military service organizations in these hearings prior to formulation of the budget is insightful and valuable,” said Buyer.  “This has never been done before.  We will have you back again in September to do this again,” he said, referring to the Committee's planned fall hearings to review the past year and discuss legislative priorities for the fiscal year ahead.  

These new “look-back, look-ahead” hearings in the fall will further increase VSO and MSO access and ability to share their views with the Committee.  Chairman Buyer is scheduling them to occur as the Administration is developing its budget proposal for the next fiscal year, to leverage their wealth of knowledge by engaging them earlier in the budget process.   

Chairman Buyer, as he did at yesterday's hearing, discussed the potential for the Defense Department to give general discharges to nearly 100 Army Reservists who refused to report for duty in Iraq.  He asked the veterans' groups to consider the inequity that would result should the Pentagon give soldiers who refused to honor their obligation the type of discharges that would allow them access to VA benefits. 

Testimony provided by:
Panel 1:
Ms. Rose Lee, Legislative Director, Gold Star Wives
Mr. Joseph L. Barnes, National Executive Secretary, Fleet Reserve Association
CMSGT James E. Lokovic (Ret), Deputy Executive Director, Air Force Sergeants Association
Ms. Deirdre Parke Holleman, Legislative Director, The Retired Enlisted Association
Mr. Bob Norton, Deputy Director for Government Relations, Military Officers Association of America

Panel 2:
Mr. John Rowan, National President, Vietnam Veterans of America
Mr. John Lopez, Chairman of the Association for Service Disabled Veterans
Mr. George Basher, President, National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs
Mr. Les Jackson, Executive Director, American Ex-Prisoners of War
Ms. Ann Knowles, Executive Director, National Association of County Veterans Service Officers
Mr. Rick Jones, Legislative Director, National Association for Uniformed Services