VA Claims at Court of Appeals Skyrocket

[Gimpy]

CASES AT U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR VETERANS' CLAIMS SKYROCKET -- Cases more than double in the past two years.

Backlog now stands at 5,800. Senate hearing planned.

This is not good news.

Delay and deny...delay and deny..................

The Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs will hold a hearing on this situation.


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DRAMATIC INCREASES IN VETERANS LEGAL CASES TO BE ADDRESSED BY SENATE - COMMITTEE -- Hearing this Thursday
Over 5,800 cases pending at the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims


July 10, 2006
Media contact: Jeff Schrade (202)224-9093


(Washington, DC) The U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans? Affairs will hold a hearing on Thursday to examine the dramatic increases in both the number of cases being received by the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and the number that are pending. The hearing will also examine what steps can be taken to improve the efficiency of the legal system for veterans.


The Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims is in the judicial branch of government and reviews decisions rendered by VA?s Board of Veterans? Appeals. Most of those claims deal with disability compensation.


Just two years ago there were about 2,700 cases pending before the Court and it was taking in less than 200 new cases per month. But now the Court is taking in approximately 300 new cases per month ? and the number of pending cases is over 5,800. If trends continue, the number of pending cases could reach 10,000 in the next five years.


* The hearing titled, "Battling the Backlog Part II: Challenges Facing the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims," will be held Thursday, July 13 and begin at 10 a.m. in room 418 of the Russell Senate Office Building.
* It will be webcast live, and archived for viewing later, at http://veterans.senate.gov . The hearing may also be audiocast ? during the hearing only ? on C-SPAN?s hearings website, located at http://www.capitolhearings.org .


Panel I

* The Honorable William P. Greene, Jr., Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, accompanied by Norman Herring, the Clerk of the Court.

Panel II

* The Honorable James Terry, Chairman of the Board of Veterans? Appeals, accompanied by Randy Campbell, Assistant General Counsel.
* Joseph Violante, National Legislative Director, Disabled American Veterans


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[Jerry D]

Agreed, and Congress has been using this tactic since the 1870's when they denied benefits to old Confederate Veterans needing disability and medical help after the War. The Congress attitude was let the states take care of them regardless of them being American Veterans who paid their Federal Taxes (except for a short 4 year break) finally when their was just one or two confederate veterans still alive they received the benefits they were entitled to.The Wait and see congress will pass it on to the next administration and they will pass it on till there are so few left alive, then they will approve benefits for those couple of Veterans still alive and they might draw benefits for the last couple of month of their life. "SNAFU" is still alive in Congress....

U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt stated "Those Who Will
Not Fight For The Graves Of Their Ancestors Are Beyond Redemption".

[Gimpy]

In many ways what you say is correct.

However, this has very little to do with Congress.........this is a division of the Judicial Branch of Government. It is something we should ALL be very concerned about.

Hopefully some additional 'oversight' and investigations by the Congress will help correct this sad situation.