Rio Grande Valley Veterans of America
Valley Vets
March 29, 2011
Operation 10, 10,10
LISTEN UP!
We are launching OPERATION 10-10-10 which is essence an effort directed at members of the Veterans Affairs Committees. We have made little progress and times have changed, but we continue our battle.
Operation 10, 10, 10 has been launched by Rio Grande Valley Veterans to try and get HB 837 and SB 396 passed in Congress. The wording of each bill in their respective chamber is identical. They call for an expansion of the Surgical Center in Harlingen to a Full Service Medical Center.
The Operation has 3 phases:
Phase I will consist of veterans targeting 10 members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. They will be sending their offices letters asking for support and passage of HB 837 as submitted by Congressman Ruben Hinojosa and Co-Sponsored by Congressmen Henry Cuellar and Blake Farenthold. This committee has 24 members representing both Political parties and is chaired by Rep. Jeff Miller.
Phase II will be to target 10 members of the House Veterans Affairs sub-committee on Veterans Health. This Committee has 12 members and its Chair is Rep. Ann Marie Buerkele.
Phase III will be to target 10 members of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee asking for support and passage of SB 396. SB 396 was submitted by Senator John Cornyn and Co-Sponsored by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. This committee has 21 members and its Chair is Senator Patty Murray.
The phonetic pronunciation of the word 10 in Spanish means here, so Operation 10, 10, 10 will be Operation Here, Here, Here. Veterans feel that our Congressional leaders have not asked these committees to work on the bills and the need for such a facility.
Veterans will be calling on veterans to participate in Operation 10, 10, 10. If a Veterans Service organization wants more information the group will sent some one to their posts and provide it. Commanders or Vice Commanders should call Treto Garza at 956.226.9176.
Veterans also ask the community at large to sign an on-line petition at http//:www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/578/551/374.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
What is Happening with Veterans
ALL of a sudden the efforts to bring a VA hospital to the valley have come to almost a stand still. It appears that just about everyone thinks that we have won and that we are indeed getting a Full Service Medical Center. I think that veterans should be cautious on this assumption.
Senator Cornyn's bill S 396 is brief and to the point. But it must be passed at the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and onto the full floor of the Senate. This is something that has never been done before. All our previous bills have died in committee for lack of follow up by the sponsors. We could face the same dilemma this time around again. Unless, unless, and if we do, if we do something about it. We cannot rest and take it for granted that the bill is going to pass. We must make and all out effort to ensure that it gets out of committee. Our Congressional delegation can make all the promises they want, but the fact of the matter remains that the Veterans Affairs does not want anymore hospitals or full medical service centers. Jeff Miller of the House Veterans Committee has made it quite clear that he support private medical contracts to provided said service.
If Congressman Blake Farenthold had been allowed to file House Bill 837 we could have stood a better chance of having it voted on committee in that chamber. But Hinojosa hastily filed the bill. He has in past coponsored the bill from its origin. But then did not do a thing to get it moved. No co sponsors no nada. So what makes us think that he is going to do something about it. Will he be another Solomon Ortiz, promises, promises, and just file a bill. Let us hope not.
As veterans we must wise up and face the facts. We have been at it too long that some think that something is really better than nothing. I sense that many want to quit and was once again the veterans will face defeat until a new batch of veterans comes around later on and picks up the fight. The same old story.
Let us avoid that and get to work one more time. Let's give it our all this time around. For starters you can help by signing a petition in support of SB 396 by going to the link:
read and signed the petition: Full VA Medical Services Center for South Texas veterans
You can view this petition at: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/578/551/374/
And we must make plans as to how we are going to get the necessary votes to get our bills out of committee. Its a lot of work, but it can be done.
Senator Cornyn's bill S 396 is brief and to the point. But it must be passed at the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and onto the full floor of the Senate. This is something that has never been done before. All our previous bills have died in committee for lack of follow up by the sponsors. We could face the same dilemma this time around again. Unless, unless, and if we do, if we do something about it. We cannot rest and take it for granted that the bill is going to pass. We must make and all out effort to ensure that it gets out of committee. Our Congressional delegation can make all the promises they want, but the fact of the matter remains that the Veterans Affairs does not want anymore hospitals or full medical service centers. Jeff Miller of the House Veterans Committee has made it quite clear that he support private medical contracts to provided said service.
If Congressman Blake Farenthold had been allowed to file House Bill 837 we could have stood a better chance of having it voted on committee in that chamber. But Hinojosa hastily filed the bill. He has in past coponsored the bill from its origin. But then did not do a thing to get it moved. No co sponsors no nada. So what makes us think that he is going to do something about it. Will he be another Solomon Ortiz, promises, promises, and just file a bill. Let us hope not.
As veterans we must wise up and face the facts. We have been at it too long that some think that something is really better than nothing. I sense that many want to quit and was once again the veterans will face defeat until a new batch of veterans comes around later on and picks up the fight. The same old story.
Let us avoid that and get to work one more time. Let's give it our all this time around. For starters you can help by signing a petition in support of SB 396 by going to the link:
read and signed the petition: Full VA Medical Services Center for South Texas veterans
You can view this petition at: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/578/551/374/
And we must make plans as to how we are going to get the necessary votes to get our bills out of committee. Its a lot of work, but it can be done.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
House Bill 837
It appears that Congressman Ruben Hinojosa has filed a similar bill as Senator John Cornyn's version in haste without obtaining the co sponsorship of Congressmen Henry Cuellar and Blake Farenthold. Hinojosa's House Bill 837 has almost identical language as Cornyn's S 396.
Veterans were reaching out to Congressman Blake Farenthold to file a bill in the House of Representatives. A meeting to discuss the wording of the bill was scheduled for the near future with him.
Hinojosa hastily responded because he was surprised to see the huge crowd gathered on Friday's Ribbon Cutting Ceremonies of the new Surgical Center. He had been side-stepping the issue and probably thought it would be another effort in futility. All he did was change the name of the Chamber in Congress and name of the submitting the bill.
I feel he filed because he is running scared and is thinking he might suffer the fate as Solomon Ortiz. Both of theses individuals did not do much to promote the veteran's bill once it was filed. The bills died at the committee level. That was their contribution to the efforts.
At least Senator Cornyn and his staff had the decency to meet and discuss the filing of the bill with veterans before filing. Cornyn listened to veterans and agreed to the wording of insuring that everyone understood that we were talking about expanding the Harlingen Clinic into a full service medical center. We asked for no funding because of the budget and cuts being discussed in D.C. Hinojosa on the other hand, had been avoiding veterans.
Beware the Ides of March. Congressman Hinojosa should have put the Veterans health concerns above his personal gain and political survival. His actions smell like dirty politics, shame on him. I just hope that he has not placed in danger our efforts which have come so close to our goal. Already he is about to make this a partisan political issue. Something that we have been trying to avoid.
Hinojosa could have at least met with veterans to discuss the wording of his bill. It would have had similar wording but yet different. To me, he might want to claim that he is the Senior Congressmen in the South Texas delegation, that only works in politics. Down here it would have been better to share and wait to be called upon after discussing strategy on how to make sure that the bill is supported. Had he really been interested, he could have filed in earlier and, thus, it would have been announced at the Ribbon Cutting Ceremonies on February 25, 2011.
Veterans were reaching out to Congressman Blake Farenthold to file a bill in the House of Representatives. A meeting to discuss the wording of the bill was scheduled for the near future with him.
Hinojosa hastily responded because he was surprised to see the huge crowd gathered on Friday's Ribbon Cutting Ceremonies of the new Surgical Center. He had been side-stepping the issue and probably thought it would be another effort in futility. All he did was change the name of the Chamber in Congress and name of the submitting the bill.
I feel he filed because he is running scared and is thinking he might suffer the fate as Solomon Ortiz. Both of theses individuals did not do much to promote the veteran's bill once it was filed. The bills died at the committee level. That was their contribution to the efforts.
At least Senator Cornyn and his staff had the decency to meet and discuss the filing of the bill with veterans before filing. Cornyn listened to veterans and agreed to the wording of insuring that everyone understood that we were talking about expanding the Harlingen Clinic into a full service medical center. We asked for no funding because of the budget and cuts being discussed in D.C. Hinojosa on the other hand, had been avoiding veterans.
Beware the Ides of March. Congressman Hinojosa should have put the Veterans health concerns above his personal gain and political survival. His actions smell like dirty politics, shame on him. I just hope that he has not placed in danger our efforts which have come so close to our goal. Already he is about to make this a partisan political issue. Something that we have been trying to avoid.
Hinojosa could have at least met with veterans to discuss the wording of his bill. It would have had similar wording but yet different. To me, he might want to claim that he is the Senior Congressmen in the South Texas delegation, that only works in politics. Down here it would have been better to share and wait to be called upon after discussing strategy on how to make sure that the bill is supported. Had he really been interested, he could have filed in earlier and, thus, it would have been announced at the Ribbon Cutting Ceremonies on February 25, 2011.
House Bill 837
-Congressman Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15) filed a bill in the House of
Representatives for a Full Medical Service Center in Harlingen, TX
This bill will serve as a sister bill to Senator John Cornyn's S 396 which has been filed.
Hinojosa filed this bill immediately after he saw the large crowd at a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Friday February 25, 2011. He had been dodging the issue. Congressman Blake Farenthold (TX-27) was being reached by veterans so that he would file the bill.
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H.R.837 -- Meeting the Inpatient Health Care Needs of Far South Texas Veterans Act of 2011 (Introduced in House - IH)
HR 837 IH
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 837
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that the South Texas Veterans Affairs Health Care Center in Harlingen, Texas, includes a full-service Department of Veterans Affairs inpatient health care facility.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 28, 2011
Mr. HINOJOSA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that the South Texas Veterans Affairs Health Care Center in Harlingen, Texas, includes a full-service Department of Veterans Affairs inpatient health care facility.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Meeting the Inpatient Health Care Needs of Far South Texas Veterans Act of 2011'.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The current and future health care needs of veterans residing in the Far South Texas area are not being fully met by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(2) The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that more than 117,000 veterans reside in Far South Texas.
(3) In its Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services study, the Department of Veterans Affairs found that fewer than 3 percent of its enrollees in the Valley-Coastal Bend Market of Veterans Integrated Service Network 17 reside within its acute hospital access standards.
(4) Travel times for veterans from the market referred to in paragraph (3) can exceed 6 hours from their residences to the nearest Department of Veterans Affairs hospital for acute inpatient health care.
(5) Even with the significant travel times, veterans from Far South Texas demonstrate a high demand for health care services from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(6) Current deployments involving members of the Texas National Guard and other members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces who reside in Texas will continue to increase demand for medical services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
SEC. 3. INPATIENT HEALTH CARE AT THE SOUTH TEXAS VETERANS AFFAIRS HEALTH CARE CENTER.
(a) In General- The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that the South Texas Veterans Affairs Health Care Center in Harlingen, Texas, includes a full-service Department of Veterans Affairs inpatient health care facility and, if necessary, shall modify the existing facility to meet this requirement.
(b) Report- Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report outlining the specific actions the Secretary plans to take to satisfy the requirements in subsection (a), including a detailed estimate of the cost of such actions, if any, and the time necessary for completion of any modification required by such subsection.
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Representatives for a Full Medical Service Center in Harlingen, TX
This bill will serve as a sister bill to Senator John Cornyn's S 396 which has been filed.
Hinojosa filed this bill immediately after he saw the large crowd at a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Friday February 25, 2011. He had been dodging the issue. Congressman Blake Farenthold (TX-27) was being reached by veterans so that he would file the bill.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
H.R.837 -- Meeting the Inpatient Health Care Needs of Far South Texas Veterans Act of 2011 (Introduced in House - IH)
HR 837 IH
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 837
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that the South Texas Veterans Affairs Health Care Center in Harlingen, Texas, includes a full-service Department of Veterans Affairs inpatient health care facility.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 28, 2011
Mr. HINOJOSA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that the South Texas Veterans Affairs Health Care Center in Harlingen, Texas, includes a full-service Department of Veterans Affairs inpatient health care facility.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Meeting the Inpatient Health Care Needs of Far South Texas Veterans Act of 2011'.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The current and future health care needs of veterans residing in the Far South Texas area are not being fully met by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(2) The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that more than 117,000 veterans reside in Far South Texas.
(3) In its Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services study, the Department of Veterans Affairs found that fewer than 3 percent of its enrollees in the Valley-Coastal Bend Market of Veterans Integrated Service Network 17 reside within its acute hospital access standards.
(4) Travel times for veterans from the market referred to in paragraph (3) can exceed 6 hours from their residences to the nearest Department of Veterans Affairs hospital for acute inpatient health care.
(5) Even with the significant travel times, veterans from Far South Texas demonstrate a high demand for health care services from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(6) Current deployments involving members of the Texas National Guard and other members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces who reside in Texas will continue to increase demand for medical services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
SEC. 3. INPATIENT HEALTH CARE AT THE SOUTH TEXAS VETERANS AFFAIRS HEALTH CARE CENTER.
(a) In General- The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that the South Texas Veterans Affairs Health Care Center in Harlingen, Texas, includes a full-service Department of Veterans Affairs inpatient health care facility and, if necessary, shall modify the existing facility to meet this requirement.
(b) Report- Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report outlining the specific actions the Secretary plans to take to satisfy the requirements in subsection (a), including a detailed estimate of the cost of such actions, if any, and the time necessary for completion of any modification required by such subsection.
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