Delay In New Agent Orange Presumptives?

[JustPLS]

I read this today on Military.com's newsletter (Copyright 2010 Tom Philpott) and hadn't heard it before. Has anyone else heard of this? I am paraphrasing a bit, but a link to the entire article is below.

Webb: Delay Agent Orange Claims, Stop Bigger Pay Raises

Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va) could become a new champion, for taxpayers, against what he perceives as excessive spending on a new wave of Agent Orange claims.

Webb risked the anger of thousands of veterans from that war when he won Senate approval last week of an amendment to block, at least temporarily, the Department of Veterans Affairs from paying new disability claims on three prominent diseases presumed linked to wartime herbicide exposure.

As many as 86,000 Vietnam veterans with ischemic heart disease, Parkinson's disease or B-cell leukemia are awaiting a final VA regulation to receive disability compensation based on a decision last fall by VA Secretary Shinseki of evidence linking these diseases with exposure to deadly defoliant used during the war.

VA officials not only have published interim regulations already but, for months, have been encouraging veterans stricken with these diseases, or their surviving spouses, to file new claims or re-file claims as soon as possible because benefits would be paid back to claim filing dates.

But Webb proposed, and senators accepted May 27, an amendment to the fiscal 2010 war supplemental funding bill (HR 4899) to limit spending on claims filed for these new presumptive Agent Orange diseases for 60 days. That will allow Congress time to study the VA decision and examine more closely the link found between these diseases and herbicide exposure.

What worries Webb, said one Capitol Hill source, is that, based on modest scientific evidence, VA could be paying claims on diseases that a large proportion of any population will contract through normal aging.

Webb's amendment language, if agreed to by the House, would invoke the Congressional Review Act which allows a funding freeze on any major government regulation or initiative so Congress can review the proposed changes. If in 60 days opposition strengthens and a majority of lawmakers will risk the wrath of expectant veterans with these ailments, Congress could pass a joint resolution to prevent a final regulation from taking effect.

a link to the entire article: http://www.military....00.html?wh=news

Edited June 4, 2010 by JustPLS

[john999]

They are simply waiting for the army to die. It is just about money. If they delay this a few years thousands of RVN vets will die thus saving the feds millions of bucks. DIC is much less than 100% compensation. Every day I read about Nam vets dying in my local area. Delay long enough and we will all be dead. Webb of all people who was so much against the war in Iraq while turning his back on his brothers and sisters from Vietnam.

[mozartplayer]

Having just read the article pasted below, I plan to write a letter or email to Senator Webb and both of my Senators, Levin and Stabenow to express my feelings about Senator Webb's attempt to delay those VA claims involving any of the three new presumptive diseases. I have had a compensation claim pending since last August which I filed after reading that hairy cell leukemia was being added to the presumptive list. I was treated for prostate cancer in August 2005 and diagnosed with hairy cell leukemia in 2007 which does not yet require chemotherapy , but will in due time. I spent time during the early 60s in Vietnam, Okinawa, and the Canal Zone, all countries where Agent Orange was sprayed althought the VA does not consider Okinawa and the Canal Zone on a presumptive basis. I know the VA is not going to adjudicate my claim until the new reg is implemented which could be as late as this October, if not later. However, if Senator Webb has his way, it may never get implemented. He needs to get thousands of letters and phone calls from all veterans. I don't think my acquiring both prostate cancer and hairy cell leukemia was random.

Webb: Delay Agent Orange Claims, Stop Bigger Pay Raises

June 5, 2010 posted by Bob Higgins · 3 Comments

Share* By Tom Philpott Kitsap Sun *

Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), chief architect of the pricey Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefit for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan war era, could become a new champion, for taxpayers, against what he perceives as excess spending on military pay and on a new wave of Agent Orange claims.

Webb, a former Navy secretary and decorated Vietnam War veteran, risked the anger of thousands of veterans from that war when he won Senate approval last week of an amendment to block, at least temporarily, the Department of Veterans Affairs from paying new disability claims on three prominent diseases presumed linked to wartime herbicide exposure.

As many as 86,000 Vietnam veterans with ischemic heart disease, Parkinson’s disease or B-cell leukemia are awaiting a final VA regulation to receive disability compensation based on a decision last fall by VA Secretary Eric Shinseki of evidence linking these diseases with exposure to deadly defoliant used during the war. Many more vets could file first-time claims.

VA officials not only have published interim regulations already but, for months, have been encouraging veterans stricken with these diseases, or their surviving spouses, to file new claims or re-file claims as soon as possible because benefits would be paid back to claim filing dates.

But Webb proposed, and senators accepted May 27, an amendment to the fiscal 2010 war supplemental funding bill (HR 4899) to limit spending on claims filed for these new presumptive Agent Orange diseases for 60 days. That will allow Congress time to study the VA decision and examine more closely the link found between these diseases and herbicide exposure.

[Berta]

Veterans have succeeded in proving AO exposure in Okinawa, Guam, Alaska, and even in CONUS.(James Cripps AO at Fort Gordon)

Thailand AO veterans -due to the extraordnary efforts of one of our members Kurt Priessman -has resulted in- I believe- at least 20 AO awards so far.

Evidence of exposure is everything.

If your MOS put you on a base perimeter or you can prove exposure to AO in any other way- they will at some point-award your claim.

These claims needs lots of leg work.James Cripps and Kurt were relentless in finding the evidence they needed.

It can be done.

[john999]

I wrote Webb and told him just what I thought of him. He is a rat and dirty SOB and I told him so. It probably goes into automatic delete bin.

[25thinfdivpio]

Write your congressperson a letter on paper, not email.

Get everyone you know (civilians particularly) to get on this big time.

Truckloads of snail mail will get this done.

(the bigger they come, the harder they fall...Jimmy Cliff)

[Lorraine]

YIKERS! Catching up on my reading after being gone an extended time over the Memorial Day w/end, so am just now reading this disturbing delay tactic by Senator Webb. I know it's the w/end and all so responses can be slow on this site; but,if anybody reading this has some direction for me in finding out how our individual Senators voted on this, I'd appreciate it. We need to do more than just target Senator Webb, what we have to say won't matter as much to him unless we are from Virginia and can vote there!

Hopefully, if we send emails or letters to the entire Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, we'll make them aware that we are watching and that we VOTE! We need to find out how our individual Senators from each state voted. Many of them are coming up for re-election this November and they WILL pay attention to what our views are. I'm personally contacting our niece and her husband who vote in Virginia and any of our military buddies who live there and BEGGING for them to contact Senator Webb on our behalf.

Thanks to those of you who stay on top of the issues and keep the rest of us informed.

Lorraine