Durbin, Obama Press VA Secretary to Meet with Them Next Week on Veterans Disability Benefits

DURBIN, OBAMA PRESS VA SECRETARY TO MEET WITH THEM NEXT WEEK ON VETERANS DISABILITY BENEFITS

Secretary Nicholson Plans Second Trip to Illinois Without Scheduling Promised Listening Session With Illinois Veterans

U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Barack Obama (D-IL) in a letter today to U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) Secretary James Nicholson requested that he meet with the Illinois Senators again in Washington prior to the Secretary's scheduled trip to Chicago next Friday, April 22, 2005.

Today's letter is the third attempt by Durbin and Obama to have Secretary Nicholson come to Illinois to hear for himself the concerns of veterans around the state who, according to information released last year by the VA, receive far lower disability payments than veterans from most other states.

"At a January meeting with you, we renewed our request that you participate with us in a listening session in Illinois to hear directly the needs and concerns of our veterans," wrote the Senators. "Four months have passed and the meeting we requested with Illinois veterans has not yet taken place. That is why we are deeply concerned to learn that you are planning your second visit to Illinois since your confirmation without scheduling the listening session we agreed on."

"We are fast approaching the six-month mark in our dialogue with the VA, and while Illinois veterans have been patient in accepting that a serious inquiry takes time, we would like to be able to give them some assurance that their concerns are being taken seriously by the Administration," Durbin and Obama wrote.

In today's letter, Durbin and Obama requested that the Secretary agree to meet with them in Washington prior to Friday, April 22nd, and that he come prepared to brief the Senators on the findings and status of the VA Inspector General's investigation of the Veterans Benefits Administration system for rating disability claims. On December 10, 2004, outgoing VA Secretary Anthony Principi asked the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs to initiate the independent review. At that time, staff of the Inspector General's office stated that the review was expected to take 120 days. That period has now passed.

Durbin and Obama also requested today that the Secretary commit to a date when he could join them at the listening session he agreed to in January.

"Illinois veterans, who have served our nation so honorably, deserve to receive the benefits they have earned and they deserve the undivided attention of those officials who have been appointed to protect their interests," wrote Durbin and Obama.

Senator Durbin is the Assistant Democratic Leader of the United States Senate and a member of the Appropriations Committee which controls funding for the Veterans Administration. Senator Obama is a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.

LETTER TO VA SECRETARY NICHOLSON

April 14, 2005

The Honorable R. James Nicholson Secretary of Veterans Affairs 810 Vermont Ave, NW Washington, DC 20420

Mr. Secretary:

We are writing to request a prompt meeting with you prior to your visit to Illinois next Friday.

In January of this year, shortly after your nomination as Secretary, you came to the Senate at our request to discuss an issue of great concern to us and to Illinoisans - veterans and non-veterans alike. Illinois veterans receive significantly less in disability benefits than veterans in other states and their claims often take an unreasonable amount of time for processing. We also discussed this issue with your predecessor, Secretary Principi.

At our January meeting with you, we renewed our request that you participate with us in a listening session in Illinois to hear directly the needs and concerns of our veterans. If you were unable to participate yourself, we asked that you send either the Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Under Secretary for Benefits to participate in your place. Four months have passed, and the meeting we requested with Illinois veterans has not yet taken place.

That is why we are deeply concerned to learn that you are planning your second visit to Illinois since your confirmation without scheduling the listening session we have discussed.

We are fast approaching the six-month mark in our dialogue with the VA, and while Illinois veterans have been patient in accepting that a serious inquiry takes time, we would like to be able to give them some assurance that their concerns are being taken seriously by the Administration.

Given the sensitivity of this matter, we ask that you agree to meet with us in Washington before your trip to Chicago scheduled for April 22, 2005. We would appreciate being briefed on the status of the VA Inspector General's investigation of the Veterans Benefits Administration system for rating disability claims. If the review is not complete we will be happy to receive an interim report. Finally, we would like to finalize a date for you to join us for the listening session with Illinois veterans we requested in January.

Time is of the essence. Illinois veterans, who have served our nation so honorably, deserve to receive the benefits they have earned and they deserve the undivided attention of those officials who have been appointed to protect their interests.

Sincerely, Dick Durbin Barack Obama United States Senator United States Senator

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