At the invitation of Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), the Chair of the Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee, and Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), the Senate Majority Leader, I joined colleagues from 15 other veteran and military organizations for a roundtable discussion about ensuring that our veterans are provided with the resources and services worthy of their efforts.

23 other Senators also participated in the meeting. Among those attending were Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI), Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel Akaka (D-HI), Ben Nelson (D-NE), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), James Webb (D-VA), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Kent Conrad (D-ND), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Robert Casey (D-PA), Ken Salazar (D-CO), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Benjamin Cardin (D-MD), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Thomas Carper (D-DE), Russ Feingold (D-WI), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Herbert Kohl (D-WI) and Bernard Sanders (I-VT).

A number of issues were discussed by the Senators and the organizational representatives. Of significant importance is ensuring that our service members returning from combat duty have sufficient medical and psychological treatment available to them and their families. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Combat Adjustment Stress Disorder and a host of combat-related diseases and injuries are receiving significant attention by the Senators as they continue to craft legislation for 2009. The Wounded Warrior Act, The Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act, the new GI Bill as well as increased funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs and medical/rehabilitation programs in the DoD Health Care System are destined to improve services to veterans and their families.

Also of note was significant discussion about the proposed revisions to the GI Education Bill as offered by Senator James Webb (D-VA), himself a combat veteran from Viet Nam. Senator Webb’s bill enjoys significant bi-partisan support in the Senate. Updating the program will bring the benefit’s provisions more in-line with current education costs and special workplace demands not present when the original post-World War II GI Bill was enacted into law. Also discussed was the continuing need to modify certain provisions of the Survivor Benefit Program (SBP) and to come up with some reasonable formula for the increase of TRICARE fees. AFA and the Washington, DC-based Military Coalition have been attempting to work with DoD Health Affairs to come up with a mutually agreeable formula for such increases. It now appears, however, that such a formula will be developed by the Congress and enacted into law after lengthy hearings and significant constituent input are received. We look forward to participating in that process to ensure the interest of our members is well represented and spoken for.

This meeting was an outstanding opportunity to meet with the Senate’s senior leadership and to share, along with our other veterans and military associations, key issues common to all of our members. I will continue to seek other opportunities to bring our members’ concerns to the attention of decision makers in the United States Congress.