The Road Ahead: Veterans Affairs

Members of the Blinded Veterans Association await the start of a joint hearing by the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs committees. A host of veterans groups will be looking for increased funding in the 111th Congress.

A Veterans’ Congress

October 9, 2008

Conventional wisdom used to hold that the military is so firmly Republican that Congressional Democrats have little to gain by courting veterans. But in an era of discord over Iraq and Afghanistan — and at a time when the public increasingly realizes that the Department of Veterans Affairs has problems — that conventional wisdom has become rather stale.

Read the full article

Video: The Key Issues for Vets

October 8, 2008

Privatization: a Solution or a Disaster?

October 9, 2008

Lawmakers in the 111th Congress are likely to continue a debate that has intensified over the past year — whether the best way to ensure that veterans receive quality health care is to expand access to private medical services.

Staunch Defender of Veterans Heads Spending Panel

October 9, 2008

Rep. Chet Edwards’ journey to the halls of Congress began with two World War II idols
— his father, a naval aviator, and his mentor, the late
Rep. Olin “Tiger” Teague (D-Texas).

Veterans’ Lobby Feels Bailout Heat

October 9, 2008

The 110th Congress has been particularly generous to the newest crop of veterans: After a high-pressure lobbying effort, lawmakers this year approved a sweeping update to the GI bill. The new law mandates that the government pick up the full cost of public college for veterans returning from active duty since 9/11.

Obama, Who Sits on the VA Panel, Says He Was Inspired by Grandfather’s Service

October 9, 2008

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama says his concern over the treatment of those returning from war is personal.

Navy Veteran McCain Pushed Making Educational Benefits Transferable to Family

October 9, 2008

While Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has spoken forcefully on defense-related subjects such as the troop surge in Iraq, he has been less influential on veterans-related issues like updating the GI bill and modernizing the Veterans Affairs Department’s hospital system.

Subscribe to Roll Call

Already registered? Login at the top of the page.

Roll Call is the first and only call for the people, politics and personality of Capitol Hill. Sign up today to get Roll Call delivered to your inbox and/or doorstep.

Already a print subscriber? Click here for instant online access.

Work on Capitol Hill? Click here for free access.

Questions? Call 202/824-6800