Remembering Sacrifices, Protecting Our Veterans

On Memorial Day we pause to remember the men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. Their noble sacrifices protect the civilian democracy we enjoy, and by carrying out the mission assigned to them, they earn our admiration and support.

The traditional value of military service is a fundamental part of our American identity going all the way back to our War of Independence, when a ragtag assemblage of farmers, merchants, and tradesmen coalesced into the Revolutionary Army that defeated the vaunted British military. Memorial Day is a time to reflect on the selflessness of generations of American patriots.

This Memorial Day, let us also recommit ourselves to taking care of our veterans and surviving family members.

Thousands of courageous men and women are now serving overseas. They need our unwavering support, as do the veterans who have returned home from these and earlier conflicts. America must fulfill the promises we made to those who fight to defend us and ensure they never lack for healthcare, a livelihood or the benefits they have earned.

As the chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, it is my responsibility to keep our promises and honor the legacy of our veterans. Veterans should not return from war to face homelessness, unemployment, untreated psychological or physical wounds. That is why I have devoted the resources of my Subcommittee this year to finding new ways to address the backlog of pending claims at the VA, which by some estimates stand at over one million.

Contributing to this backlog is the fact that, according to the VA’s own accounting, 16 percent of compensation claims are decided incorrectly. An independent audit of the program found that the actual number may be 10 percent worse. This mires thousands of veterans in an appeals process that can last years.

I am working for solutions the VA can implement to decide a claim quickly, simply and accurately the first time. We need to make sure the VA stands for “Veterans’ Advocate,” not “Veterans’ Adversary.”

Our returning soldiers deserve no less than a state of the art, efficient and accurate claims system that is the best in the world.

As long as I am your representative in Congress, I am committed to honoring the legacy of the valiant men and women of our armed services, and I will fight for our veterans as they fought for us.

Congressman John Hall, represents New York’s 19th District. He is chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Benefits and Memorial Affairs.