Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary (DAVA) Unit #63 Commander Shirley Plahovinsak (left), a constituent of Congressman Greg Landsman (right), meets with the Representative at the Rotunda of the United States Capitol during the 2023 DAV Annual Mid-Winter Conference. Commander Plahovinsak had just briefed the Congressman on the DAV’s Critical Legislative Issues, focusing on ensuring equity in VA’s care, benefits, and health outcomes for women veterans of all eras. “In his capacity on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, he can play a pivotal role in requiring the VA to provide women’s gender-specific services which are essential for women veterans,” stated the Unit #63 Commander. Photograph provided by DAVA Unit #63, Batavia.
In terms of all Ohio Representatives, Congressman Greg Landsman is the most important Representative for disabled veterans to meet. He is the only Congressman from Ohio on the select thirty-five member House of Representatives Veterans Affairs Committee.
This is why officers of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Chapter #63 (Clermont County) and DAV Auxiliary Unit #63 (Batavia) journeyed to Washington to meet with him recently.
The purpose of their visit was to participate in the 2023 Annual DAV Mid-Winter Legislative Conference and to visit and discuss critical disabled veterans-related legislation with our elected leaders in Congress.
DAVA Unit #63 Commander Shirley Plahovinsak, DAV Chapter #1 (Greater Cincinnati) Commander Aaron Cunningham and Past Department of Ohio Commander John Plahovinsak composed the designated Legislative Team to meet with Congressman Landsman in the Capitol.
Congressman Landsman had just participated in a two-hour-long House Veterans Affairs (VA) Committee meeting which was discussing critical issues with Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) officials.
One of the DAV’s primary Legislative Issues was for Congress to correct the existing injustices in compensation benefits for veterans and their survivors. One such injustice could be corrected by Congress with the enactment of the Major Richard Star Act (MRSA) of 2023.
The H.R. 1282 proposed legislation bill will fix the unjust federal policy that prevents thousands of severely wounded combat veterans from receiving their earned retirements.
The federal policy states that if a veteran is separated from the military due to combat-related injuries – before completing 20 credible years – the federal government will keep the veteran’s earned retirement.
The passage of the Major Richard Star Act of 2023 will correct this injustice and allow veterans to receive their earned retirement pay.
The funding for this policy change will come from the existing Military Retirees Trust Fund with no increase to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or Department of Defense (DoD) budgets.
As of March 8, 2023, there are 220 co-sponsors of H.R. 1282. Among the Ohio Representatives currently co-sponsoring this bill are Joyce Beatty; Mike Carey; Bill Johnson; David Joyce; and Marcy Kaptur.
Another pending House Bill is H.R. 333, the Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act, introduced by Representative Stanford Bishop. This bill will permit retired members of the Armed Forces, who have a service-connected disability rating of less than 50%, to receive both their retired pay and veterans disability compensation.
Title 10, of the United States Code, currently permits only retired veterans with a disability rating of 50% or higher to receive both their retired pension and their disability compensation. Passage of H.R. 333 would also extend eligibility for both pension and disability compensation to service members forced to medically retire under Chapter 61.
The third, yet to be introduced Act in the 118th Congressional Session is the Caring for Survivors Act. This pending legislation would provide equality for survivors of veterans receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC).
The DIC is an earned benefit, established by Congress in 1993, paid to surviving spouses of service members who die in the line of duty or of veterans whose death is due to a service-related injury of disease.
Federal Civil Service retirees receive a similar benefit for survivors which is calculated up to 55% of their retirement. In direct contrast, the DIC benefit paid to survivors is approximately only 41% of compensation for a 100% service-disabled veteran with a spouse.
This significant difference of nearly 14% presents an injustice for survivors of our nation’s heroes compared with survivors of federal employees.
Congressman Landsman pledged that he would review these three critical DAV legislative issues and give them careful consideration. He also pledged to work closely with his Republican counterparts for the benefit of disabled veterans to resolve these three injustices.
Unit #63 Commander Shirley Plahovinsak discussed increasing the VA’s Outreach Programs for women veterans with Congressman Landsman. Although the VA has increased the number of gender-specific medical services for women veterans, there is still much work that needs to be accomplished.
For example, Congress should enact a similar version of the 117th Congressional Session introduced H. R. 2521, the Delivering Optimally Urgent Labor Access (DOULA) for Veterans Affairs Act of 2022.
This proposed bill would require the VA to provide doula services to veterans. A doula provides physical assistance and emotional support to pregnant women before, during, and after childbirth. Under the five-year pilot program authorized by the bill, eligible veterans would receive up to 10 sessions of care from a doula.
On December 1, 2022, a total of 376 Representatives voted to pass the DOULA Act for VA Act of 2022, however a compromise bill with the Senate was not achieved. Therefore, a new DOULA Act Bill must be introduced in the House of Representatives for the 118th Congressional Session.
Congressman Landsman indicated that he wanted to be on the House Veterans Affairs Committee because he wanted to make a positive impact for disabled veterans and he will work through his Legislative Director Dominque Wardell to enact proposed legislation.