VA Receives Full-Year Funding - VFW Posting 9-30-16

[Boats]

VA Receives Full-Year Funding - VFW posting 9-30-16
RE: https://www.vfw.org/News-and-Events/...unding-for-VA/.

VA Receives Full-Year Funding:

A government shutdown was averted Wednesday night when Congress passed a continuing resolution to temporarily fund the federal government for 10 weeks into fiscal year 2017, which begins Saturday. Congress also approved full-year funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs, which was a significant VFW victory. The VA/military construction budget that the president is expected to sign will provide $74.4 billion in discretionary spending to VA next year, as well as $7.72 billion for military construction. Included in the new funding package are a number of VFW-supported initiatives and programs, such as authorizing VA to provide In Vitro Fertilization and covering the cost of adoptions, eliminating copayments for medications that counter potential opioid overdoses, expanding VA childcare pilot programs and whistleblower protections, and increasing the transparency of VA Office of Inspector General reports. “Stop-gap budget measures harm veterans” said VFW National Commander Brian Duffy, “which is why we are glad that Congress agreed and acted on full-year appropriations for the VA, which will allow it to properly plan and execute its numerous programs to better serve wounded, ill and injured veterans, as well as their families and survivors.”

Read more at: https://www.vfw.org/News-and-Events/...unding-for-VA/.

[Boats]

President Signs Bill Helping 37,000 GI Bill Users:
RE: VFW Posting 9-30-16

After working closely with Congress to ensure legislation was introduced and passed, the VFW applauds President Barack Obama for signing the Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2016, which extends various forms of funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs. One of the timeliest of those extensions pertains to benefits for nearly 37,000 veterans using their GI Bill to attend one of the institutions which recently lost its accreditation through the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS). After an extended investigation, the Department of Education terminated the organization’s accreditation for numerous cases of fraud and skewing data of student success, amongst other reasons. The bill now provides Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald the authority to extend funding of the GI Bill for student veterans attending these schools for up to 18-months. The VFW plans to continue pushing Congress to pass the Veterans First Act, which would provide assistance for veterans who were attending schools that shut down, such as ITT Technical Institute. Under current legislation, there are no benefits assisting veterans who used their GI Bill benefits to attend schools which closed. For VA resources being provided to ITT and ACICS students, please visit: http://benefits.va.gov/gibill/.

For more understanding of ACICS and what this means for its students, please visit: http://studentveterans.org/aboutus/g...-affairs/acics. Veterans who have been negatively impacted financially due to school closings can request assistance here: https://www.vfw.org/UnmetNeeds/.