Nominee For VA Deputy Advances In Senate But Faces Bumpy Road Ahead
The nominee to be the next No. 2 official at the Department of Veterans Affairs has been advanced by a Senate panel, but could face a bumpy road to final confirmation.
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More Defense Policy Fights Ahead As Senate Begins Budget Debates
Less than a week after House lawmakers advanced a controversial version of the annual defense authorization bill, Senate lawmakers will take up debate on the must-pass budget policy bill with an eye towards starting inter-chamber negotiations by the end of the month.
Vets In Formerly Redlined Neighborhoods At Higher Risk For Heart Disease, Other Chronic Conditions, Study Finds
More than 50 years after the practice of redlining was banned, veterans living in neighborhoods where previous residents had been denied home loans or other benefits have a higher incidence of heart disease and other chronic conditions, according to research published last week in JAMA Network Open.
Military Veterans Would Get Access To Psychedelics Under Bill From Reps. AOC, Dan Crenshaw
By: Michael McAuliff, New York Daily News
Liberal New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Texas conservative Rep. Dan Crenshaw are teaming up in hopes of letting troops take psychedelic drugs to recover from war.
The goal is to treat illnesses like post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury — notoriously intractable ailments that skyrocketed among service members who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. PTSD is double what it was for Vietnam-era vets, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say more than 450,000 U.S. war fighters suffered TBI from 2000 to 2021.
Those numbers — and a growing stack of data suggest unorthodox treatments with psychedelic help — were enough to bring two of Congress’s more unorthodox members together.
“This is a real wild coalition,” said Crenshaw, a former Navy Seal who lost an eye to an improvised explosive in Afghanistan.
He said he has friends who came home from war damaged and were not cured until they found a way to try psychedelics, which are not legal in the United States, even to study except under restrictive conditions.
“I was turned on to this issue because I had so many friends … who were going down to a specific clinic and doing ibogaine — one treatment of ibogaine would cure them,” he said, referring to a psychedelic drug.
“Psychedelics have shown so much promise,” said Ocasio-Cortez. “We desperately need the resources to treat PTSD, traumatic brain injury and depression. At least one in two PTSD patients cannot tolerate or do not respond adequately to existing treatments.”
The lawmakers managed to get a watered-down version of a bill they wrote into the massive National Defense Authorization Act that is expected to pass the House on Friday. But there is no similar provision in the Senate’s version.
Crenshaw said he has the pledge of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to make sure their full bill — with funding and clinical trials — will get added when the Senate and House meet to mesh their differing defense bills later.
Ocasio-Cortez said veterans and others seeking relief should pressure the Senate.
“I know the power of this community to rise up and make itself heard,” she added.
Below are the campaigns that are currently located on our Action Center. Please take no more than 5-10 minutes to scan through each of the campaigns and click on the custom links provided below.
The Military Spouse Hiring Act would encourage companies to employ military spouses, who frequently face disproportionate impediments in the job market, by extending the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) to include them.
Intends to help military spouses find better work opportunities.
Support the Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act!
Authorizes veterans with a service-connected disability of less than 50% to concurrently receive both retired pay and disability compensation.
Makes qualified disability retirees with less than 20 years of retirement-creditable service eligible for concurrent receipt, subject to specified reductions in retired pay.
Qualify approximately 42,000 military retirees with combat-related injuries to concurrently receive both military retired pay and Veterans Affairs (VA) compensation.
Provide total offset relief to veterans who suffered combat injuries or illnesses who were medically retired with less than twenty years of service.
Allowsthe receipt of both military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation with respect to any service-connected disability.
Extends full concurrent receipt eligibility to individuals who were retired or separated after at least 20 years of military service due to a service-connected disability.
Support the Military Family Nutrition Access Act of 2023!
The Military Family Nutrition Access Act was created to aid military families with active duty members who are facing food insecurity.
By eliminating Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) from the income calculations used to establish eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the bipartisan bill will combat food insecurity.
Military personnel risk their life to protect our nation; they shouldn't have to worry about providing for their families.
The Not Just a Number Act would oblige the VA to look into how veterans use their benefits in their yearly report on suicide prevention in order to assess the connection between VA benefits and suicide outcomes.
In its fight against veteran suicides, the VA evaluates which VA benefits have the best impact on preventing suicide and requires the Department to submit recommendations for an increase in such benefits.
If you have any questions, please reach out to AFSA's Military and Government Relations team at milgov3@hqafsa.org.
AFSA Professional Education, Personal Development Symposium Registration isLIVE!!!
THE SUMMIT23/AFSA International Convention Registration is LIVE!!! This year’s Summit/AFSA International Convention will convene Friday, August 4, through Wednesday, August 9,2023,(Departures: Thursday, August 10, 2023) in Dallas, Texas, at the Hilton Anatole Resort, 2201 North Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, Texas. For more details, please click on the link below:
THEME:The Theme for THE SUMMIT 23/AFSA International Convention is“Back to Basics and Beyond.”
NOTE:Main arrival and registration is on Friday, August 4, 2023.
WELCOME CEREMONY BREAKFAST: The Welcome Ceremony Breakfast is on Saturday, August 5, 2023. The Dress Code for the Welcoming Ceremony Breakfast is:
Business Casual, Military Personnel on Funded TDY orders: OCPs.
THEME PARTY/ICE BREAKER:THE SUMMIT23/AFSA International Convention Theme Party/Ice Breaker is on Saturday, August 5, 2023.The Theme for the Theme Party/Ice Breaker is “Super Heroes & Sheroes.” The Dress Code for the Theme Party/Ice Breaker is:
Dust off your Cape!
AFSA PRESIDENT’S DINNER & AWARDS CEREMONY. The AFSA President’s Dinner and Awards Ceremony is on Sunday, August 6, 2023. The Dress Code for the President’s Dinner and Awards Ceremony is:
AFSA Members: Gentlemen: Tuxedo or Dark Suit, Ladies: Dress evening wear (long or short);
Military Personnel on Funded TDY Orders: Mess Dress or Semi-Formal Uniform;
Top Performer Club members (Formerly TwinFLIER, SKYHIGHER and/or HighFLIER Club members): Wear the AFSA blue blazer. If they are active-duty military members, they may wear the AFSA blue blazer, but are highly encouraged to wear their service dress uniform.
AIR & SPACE HONORS BANQUET AND CMSAF AWARDS CEREMONY. The Air & Space Honors Banquet and CMSAF Awards Ceremony is on Wednesday, August 9, 2023. The Dress Code for the Air & Space Honors Banquet and CMSAF Awards Ceremony is:
Gentlemen: Tuxedo or Dark Suit,
Ladies: Dress evening wear (long or short);
Military Personnel on Funded TDY Orders: Mess Dress or Semi-Formal Uniform
THE SUMMIT23/AFSA International Convention
REGISTRATION FEE: The registration fees are as follows:
AFSA International Convention
Complete Registration (1 June - 31 July)$300.00
Complete Late Registration (1 August - 4 August) $325.00
AFSA International Convention Plus PEDs and Air & Space Honor’s Banquet
Complete Registration (1 June - 31 July)$350.00
Complete Late Registration (1 August - 4 August) $375.00
On Monday, August 7-9, there will be a full day of Professional Development. All Professional Development Forums are open to all military members on Active Duty and DoD civilian personal at no cost.
BEAUTIFUL EVENT LOCATION- Book your rooms now!The Summit 23/AFSA International Conventionis held at the Hilton Anatole, 2201 North Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, Dallas, Texas where you'll find an entertainment complex designed to relax and delight you and your family. We've partnered with the Hilton Anatole to offer special AFSA/SUMMIT ROOM RATES at $154+ tax a night.
Here's the reservation link for the Courtyard and Fairfield Inn by Marriott:
You will find the information for your online reservation link below. If you have questions or need help with the link, please do not hesitate to ask. We appreciate your business and look forward to a successful event.
Event Summary:
2023 AFSA Military Conference
Start Date: Thursday, August 3, 2023
End Date: Thursday, August 10, 2023
Last Day to Book: Friday, July 21, 2023
Hotel(s) offering your special group rate:
Courtyard Dallas Medical/Market Center for 154 USD per night Fairfield Inn & Suites Dallas Medical/Market Center for 154 USD per night
This edition features Port Mortuary and America’s Missing Heroes, Living with Bipolar Disorder in the Military, Fly-By Wire Defense and AFSA’s American Award Recipient – Don Ward. Read, download, print and share: https://www.hqafsa.org/fallmagazine.html
Greetings AFSA Division and Chapter Leadership,
We are pleased to share the AFSA Set-It-Forever/Auto Pay procedures and marketing materials to help share the process with our members, your membership and potential new recruits.
The Set-It-Forever/Auto Pay program creates an opportunity to JOIN AFSA or RENEW a membership by making a $36 once-a-year/every-year auto payment, or a $4-each-month/every- month auto payment. The $36 once-a-year option is set at $36, and the $4-a-month option includes a bank processing fee of $1 each month.
Review the two ways to enroll, the benefits to using the auto-pay option, and the marketing materials to help share the details of this program and ensure its success.
For questions, please contact AFSAHQ Member & Field team at 800-638-0594 x 288.
Please Update Your Contact Information Today!
Dear Air Force Sergeants Association Member,
In order for the AFSA to effectively communicate with our members, it is essential to ensure we have your current and / or valid e-mail address. We are in the process of updating our records and need your help! Please take a moment to ensure that we have your most current mail and email address (no .mil's); and accurate membership listing information.
We've made it easy, as you can update your information in either one of three ways:
Call Member & Field Relations team directly at 800-638-0594 x 288 (Mon. - Fri. 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (EST)
Email to: msvcs@hqafsa.org
Visit www.hqafsa.org and select the UPDATE button on the right
We thank you in advance for your support and prompt updates.
In sum, Tanya Bradsher, the candidate put up by President Joe Biden to serve as the next deputy VA secretary, was approved by the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee on Thursday by a vote of 13-6. Bradsher, a retired Army lieutenant colonel who is presently the chief of staff for the VA, would be the first woman to hold the position on an ongoing basis if her nomination is approved.
However, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has hinted he would put obstacles in Bradsher's way to preventing complete Senate approval due to worries that an IT system under her control is not adequately securing whistleblowers' identities.
In addition, the two sides may not be able to come to an agreement by the end of the fiscal year in September, despite that deadline. The Democratic-controlled Senate is poised to flatly reject a legislative draft that the Republican-controlled House enacted on July 14 that placed major restrictions on troops' access to abortions, transgender service members' medical care, and diversity training initiatives.
The identical ideas are likely to be introduced by Senate Republicans during floor debate over the coming days, but they won't succeed since they don't have enough support in the upper house. Instead, during the prolonged congressional late summer holiday, staffers will likely resolve the concerns behind closed doors in the upcoming weeks.
And lastly, the researchers discovered that veterans living in neighborhoods that had previously been designated as undesirable by the federal government had a nearly 13% higher risk of death from any cause and a 15% higher risk of a major heart attack than veterans who lived in the HOLC's most desirable areas after reviewing the medical records of nearly 80,000 cardiovascular patients in the Veterans Health Administration.
Additionally, there was a higher prevalence of smoking, obesity, diabetes, chronic renal disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among veterans residing in previously redlined areas.
And that's the way it is for Tuesday, July 18, 2023.
Stay tuned for our next M&G-B, where we will continue to keep you in the loop on all things pertinent to the coronavirus, veterans, active-duty members, guards and reservists, and military family members. Stay happy, and stay healthy!
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