Can Anyone Tell If This Happen To Them?

[JayBrown1]

I CALLED THE VA TODAY TO CHECK ON THE STATUS OF MY APPEAL, I WAS TOLD THAT A CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW WAS REQUESTED AND MY FILE WAS PULLED AND IS IN REVIEW. I TOLD HIM THAT I DID NOT REQUEST NOR DID I CONTACT MY CONGRESSMAN. HE THEN TOLD ME THAT PROBABLY MY SERVICE ORGANIZATION REPRESENTATIVE (AL) REQUESTED A CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW ON MY BEHALF. I ASKED IF THEY CAN DO THAT WITHOUT NOTIFYING ME AND HE TOLD ME, "YES."

CAN ANYONE TELL ME IF THIS IS TRUE? CAN A SERVICE ORGANIZATION REPRESENTATIVE CONTACT A CONGRESSMAN WITHOUT TELLING YOU?

[LarryJ]

I, personally, would never do anything like this to one of my clients claims without having the courtesy of asking them if THEY wanted such an action to take place.

First of all, it is un-professional.

Secondly, it will now add from 3 weeks to 12 weeks to the claim.

Thirdly, I hate it when someone walks into my office and beats the crap outta me, 'cause I'm gettin old and tired of attempted healing on a regular basis.

Not only that, but it seems to me that your VSO should have better contacts in your Regional Office that would preclude them from having to contact someone OUTSIDE of your Regional Office. Whoever you have representing you needs to take someone out to Starbucks for a Cheese Danish and some Java, regularly.

but, wth do I know?

But, then again, I swear that the #800 people have a boss that writes down the "answer dejour" on the breakroom chaulkboard every morning!

[Pete53]

I think that you better check this out and agree with prior posters.

Larry are you a VSO now? I want to give you my POA.

[Berta]

I have never heard of a Rep doing that themselves.

They might suggest this to the claimasnt but a Congressional Inquiry goes through some steps that seem to be missing here.I have requested some over the last 2 decades,

Did something else trigger the inquiry since it isnt certain that your rep actually requested it?

I have had 2 (maybe 3) Congressional Inquiries since last year.

Congressman Filner inquired about my claim but I had not formally requested this nor signed any authorization form for him to do this.

But he did this- I believe -because of my testimony to the Sub Committee HVAC Investigations/Oversight-last year.

I received a BVA award and then got 2 more letters from him and also from Chairman Terry (head of BVA)-

I think they might have expected a thank you letter but instead I sent them copy of the totally deficient award letter I got-

I was furious when I read it as it overlooked VA case law and regs-and the Nehmer decision- and only because I am vets advocate did I recognize that the wording of the letter was attempt to prevent me from receiving the cash they owe me on 6-7 issues the award generated.

I by passed the RO with direct contact to OGC here in NY, VA EDu Dept, Burial Allowance place, and VA REPS dept.

In each case these entities are working on what the VA owes me-

REPS said they would get on this benefit right away and VA Edu has already processed some of my paperwork and responded with Entitlement Award-

it took VA Edu only 3 weeks and REPS immediately started processing my REPS benefit.

Then last week-calling 800# for status on my pending issues-they told me ( got a second opinion on this too) that in June another COngressional Inquiry had been generated, prior even to my response to H VAC CHairman Filner with the faulty award letter-

I was delighted.

However a Congressional Inquiry can hold up a decision.

I usually don't advise vets to request them unless the circumstances are unusual-as in my case.

Best to call the AL and see if they did this.Did you ever talk to your Congressperson at a local meeting or anything about your VA claim?

[Berta]

Better yet call your district Congressman's office to see if they generated this inquiry- try your 2 Senators too- A Senate inquiry as well as letters to the President about a claim are all sent to VA and are designated as "Congressional Inquiries"-as in my personal experience with doing all of above.

[LarryJ]

I think that you better check this out and agree with prior posters.

Larry are you a VSO now? I want to give you my POA.

I just, a couple of hours ago, completed the TVC Fall Training Seminar (took all week).

My Regional Commander for the JWV is, at this very moment, at the VAMC in Dallas, getting my office situation straightened out and keys taken care of, etc.

I am meeting with him this Sunday morning (our normal meeting time for our post is the last Sunday morning of the month) and I will know more and have more info to offer you once that meeting is over. I did talk with him today and he has sent in all the documentation for my accreditation and was told that that was no problem and I could go ahead with "the program".

So, having said all that, let me "get settled in" and you will be my first "client".

LarryJ

[magician2000]

Have you contacted your VSO? Before you waste any time being upset, you might want to verify the facts first... I would do this before contacting your Congressman's office.