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Sen. Casey Introduces Bill to Address VA Backlog

500-Bob-CaseySenator Bob Casey (D-PA) addressed difficulties faced by veterans while submitting disability claims and discussed his own proposed legislation for mitigating such challenges during a press conference today in Kingston, PA. He was joined by several Northeastern PA veterans who helped him to explain the problems that the VA claims backlog has caused for veterans in the area.

“We must take actions that are worthy of the valor and sacrifice of our veterans. These are commonsense steps that can reduce the claims backlog and help our veterans,” Senator Casey said. “No veteran should have to wait an unnecessary amount of time for their disability claim to be processed. I’m hopeful that we can pass this legislation this year and the VA will implement the recommendations contained in this report.”

The 21st Century Veterans Benefits Delivery Act, introduced by Casey and fellow Senator Dean Heller (R-NV), proposes three initiatives intended to increase the efficiency of the disability claims process.

First, stronger efforts to educate veterans during the claims submission process and easier access to help throughout the process so that veterans can submit all of the needed information.

Next, increasing the consistency and accountability among the management at each of the VA Regional Offices (VAROs) via audits by the Government Accountability Office. This will ensure that claims are processed quickly at every regional office, and that no single VARO works much more quickly or more slowly than the others.

Finally, other federal agencies, such as the Department of Defense and the Social Security Administration, must make their work with the Department of Veterans Affairs a top priority so as to avoid delay in communication across agencies.

Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA), a co-sponsor of the bill, has also proposed his own legislation that would make the withholding of health information from a veteran by a federal employee illegal. The VA Accountability Act, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, would “ban workers in the Department of Veterans Affairs from manipulating or intentionally withholding a veteran’s health information from the affected patient” or from other federal workers.

3 Responses

  1. well guess backlog is not the only problem i have abuse in the system for 10 years and again i try to have a social worker contract me for help no one call me me this happen 3 other times and because i reported crimes in the VA System my medical care has been less than helpful i have to much to say but just give you the highlights my life has been threaten for reporting crimes i been refuse care because of harassment by federal employees and the patient advocate refuse to help by saying what do you expect me to do about it and the director refuse to see me to help resolve this matter even the chief of staff refuse to help me so now i am force to writ to the VA and remove me form the veterans status i cannot go back to the VA after 10 years of abuse and the VA refuse to help yes i try congressman senators the IG president no help so now this is my only answer oh IG can go back has soon i stop talking about the abuse but i don’t make deals anyway since they took my doctor and med’s away in July 2014 i will soon die due to the fact that i have heart trouble and they took my meds away from me in 2012 for 15 plus days to show that if i don’t stop the abuse talk that it would be forever and also the fact that i was sexual abuse during an exam an nothing was done they look the other way just like they did everything else so this is my future to be force out from the VA

  2. Good day Sir,

    Hello, my name is Mr. Donald Baker. I am a Federal Employee. I worked as a GS-11 Instructing Armament systems for the past 27 years. I bought back my 10 years military time in 2004 giving me 37 years. I worked at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD from 1987 until 2009. I was hired in a carrier conditional progression positions at GS-05, 07, 09. I was too young and not educated enough to ask the correct questions, how the Federal Government works when it comes to promotions, pay increases, awards, bonuses. My past supervisors never explained what I needed to do to achieve the higher goals of management positions. 2008 the Aberdeen federal employees that had to move to Fort Lee were promoted automatically to GS-11 because the Redstone federal employees coming were already GS-11’s. 2009 once the brac movement went into effect I feel I was forced into moving to Fort Lee, VA from Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD. I was also told that if I do not go to Fort Lee Don’t expect to be employed with the Federal Government at APG, MD. My family lives in Pennsylvania thirty-two miles from APG, MD. I have to maintain living conditions here for myself at Fort Lee and commute every weekend to and from Pennsylvania. I would like to work longer if I can get a Federal Job back at APG, MD. Being in VA is putting a very big strain on my marriage and family life. I have been divorced twice because of being deployed and I don’t need something like this to happen again.
    My emailing you in reference to your failed Labor-Management Relations practices within the Federal hiring process needs fixed. It may work for some employees but surly not all Federal Employees. As I stated I have been a dedicated Federal employee for the past 37 years. My supervisors have less time than I do, and I was told by my supervisor that I will never get promoted unless I complete a degree. I have two semesters to complete my Business Administration in Management. I have been Appling to a lot of jobs on Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD, War college Carlisle Barracks, PA, Letterkenny depot, PA and I still get turned down on all jobs I applied to. I know people who got promoted have less Federal time and did not have a degree but they completed their degrees while in the GS-12/13positions.
    I have eighteen Instructional Design college credits in education. I applied to over 600 plus Federal positions for the past fifteen years with no prevail. I feel that the Federal hiring system is a big joke and it abuses the federal employee trying to get ahead within their careers to their high three pay scale. All supervisors and course managers working around me have been promoted right from military service to the higher paying jobs. I am a retired National Guard soldier with thirty years service just like them and they get the high paying jobs while I’m left behind and degraded all the while with thirty-seven dedicated years service. My past supervisor never groomed their employees to move up the federal ladder. So every time a federal position comes out, I feel I will never get hired so I stopped applying to jobs being posted by USAJOBS. How would you and the employees that work around you never get a better paying job? I know you and your co-workers would not like it to much either.
    The Federal hiring process is broke and needs fixed. I hate reading all the negative feedback from any and all Federal job rejection notices from the hiring businesses. A copy of this letter will be sent to my senator for comment and to inquire as to why the Federal hiring process is so negative who is and has been broken for years. I just find it degrading and discriminatory the way the Federal Hiring Process has been going. If one is not a good old boy being taken care of by the employing establishments looking to hire. I thought the federal government is to look out for their federal employees. What I would like to see is action as to what the problem is when Government establishment are hiring. I also think that all establishments need to be taken to Federal court for neglecting their employees and discriminating against Federal employees when they are looking for upward mobility within the Federal ranks.
    Thank you for your attention into this matter which needs attention.
    My cell is 717-880-4788, email is debaker55@verizon.net
    Frustrated Federal Employee
    Signed
    Mr. Donald Baker

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