Dear Board,

After a double dose of med's tonight and a nap, i am feeling remarkably better! Here is an interesting article I received from an old friend, Venus. Congressman Barney Frank's Bill against FERES passed 4 times in Congress, yet never made it through the Senate. Please read this as a reminder of the battle we (VERPA) are in and One battle WE must win in our Congress/Senate NOW (and please feel free to forward it to your contacts):

CONGRESSIONAL FRAUD - EVERYONE IS AFFECTED

The congressional on-line archives (from 1973 to 2003) contain 67 bills to allow disabled military retirees to draw both their retirement pay and VA disability compensation.

You may say, "So what? I'm not affected." But you could be - because this isn't about concurrent receipt, it's about congressional fraud.

Concurrent receipt is only an example of the political smoke and mirrors politicians use to get reelected. They may be doing the same to legislation you believe in and would like to see passed.

All sixty-seven were just political tools. They were buried in committees where they died. But they should be called the Lazarus Acts.

After every election, they are miraculously resurrected, used in another election campaign, and again allowed to die in committee. HR303 has been resurrected seven times and S190 has returned from the dead five times.

The individual records are held by Senator Daschle who has sponsored 13 versions. With 21, Representative Bilirakis (who has to run every two
years), is the all-time champ.

Thirty years, sixty-seven bills, none brought to a vote, none passed. Concurrent receipt is just a political tool - a hammer to be used on veterans and their families.

Independent Medical facility (PL 105- has never been anything but political posturing to allow members of congress to tell disabled military retirees, "I'm trying to get you concurrent receipt, but it's being blocked by (pick one: the President, DoD, VA, OMB, CBO)" - but the only thing they're trying to do is get reelected.

The truth is that no one can be blamed for non-passage of bills except congress.

Congress alone has the authority to fund (war related illness) federal programs. Letting them get away with blaming anyone else plays right into their hands.

One definition of congress in my dictionary is "intercourse" and the Lazarus Bills explain why. For at least 30 years, disabled military and service connection issues have been getting screwed by these "acts of congress."

It's time to let your elected representatives know it's time to stop the games. Legislation you want to see enacted could be getting the same treatment.

Find out at the Library of Congress web site at: http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d107query.html

When an elected official takes a stand on any subject and loses the support of some voters, they pick up the voters who support the other side of the issue.

Forwarded by Jagmedic