2010 Testimony

July 29 , 2010
NAUS submitted written testimony to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight for its hearing on the mismanagement of contracts at Arlington National Cemetery and related matters. NAUS noted that the recent findings of mismanage-ment raise serious questions about the competency of Arlington’s administration and has caused great discomfort to our members, their families and patriotic Americans across the country. "It is past time that Arlington National Cemetery update procedures and use Informational Technology (IT) to support and maintain administrative systems. There is a clear need to establish appropriate burial processes, to upgrade Arlington’s systems’ infrastructure and to hire the right people needed to operate them." Read NAUS testimony.

June 23 , 2010
Legislative Director Rick Jones testified before the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommitee on Defense Appropriations, calling for necessary funding for TRICARE, TRICARE For Life for retirees, and the entire military health care system. NAUS also testified in support of a 1.9% pay raise in 2011, to continue to reduce the military pay gap. The testimony covered several other important issues including diagnosis and treatment of PTSD and TBI, and combatting the enemy's use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Read NAUS testimony, or watch video by clicking on image below (Rick's testimony starts at minute 63):

March 23, 2010
NAUS delivered its recommendations for fiscal year 2011 spending on military construction and veterans’ affairs in testimony before the House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies. NAUS endorses The Independent Budget, a comprehensive budget and policy document created by veterans for veterans, calls VA health care a national treasure, critical to veterans and the nation, and requests an increase in VA medical care over current year level ($52.0 billion for medical care, an increase of $4.5 billion over fiscal year 2010). NAUS cites the backlog in disability claims of more than 1 million claims as deeply troubling and calls for improvements in the Veterans Benefits Management System and related areas that deal with benefit claims issues. NAUS also draws attention to veterans electronic medical records, medical and prosthetic research, and advances in the care of troops demonstrating symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and trauma injuries. Read NAUS testimony.

March 18 , 2010
NAUS Veterans Benefits Advisor Mike Plumer testified before the VA Claims Summit 2010 held by the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, promising that NAUS will continue to be a "squeaky wheel" concerning fixing the claims process. He said that year after year, budget after budget, NAUS and our nation's veterans continue to hear that fixing the disability claims process is high on the priority list, yet here we are again discussing what to do. "Now if some of our suggestions are heard and actions follow, then we will know that we are all on the same page working for veterans and survivors," Plumer said. Read NAUS testimony.

2009 Testimony

June 18 , 2009
NAUS Legislative Director Rick Jones testified before the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Sub-commitee on Defense Appropriations, expressing concern about the amount of our investment in our national defense. "At the height of the War on Terror, our current defense budget represents only a little more than 4 percent of the gross national product, as opposed to the average of 5.7 percent of GNP in the peacetime years between 1940 and 2000," Jones said. NAUS reminded the Senators that we need to balance our priorities and ensure our defense in a dangerous world.

View video of Rick Jones testimony

The testimony urged the Senate to provide proper health care for the military community and recognize the funding requirements for TRICARE for retired military. NAUS also testified in support of a 3.4% pay raise in 2010, to continue to reduce the military pay gap. Several other important issues including care of wounded warriors, seamless transition of health care of veterans from DoD to the VA system, and force readiness funding were addressed. Read NAUS testimony.

2009 Testimony (continued)

May 19, 2009
In congressional testimony on outreach to veterans and their families to improve health care of veterans, NAUS told Rep. Mike Michaud (D-ME), chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Subcommittee on Health, "... if we do not make veterans aware of the benefits and services available to them, there is a hidden cost in lives lost, families disrupted and long suffering in homelessness and related problems for decades to come." As a staunch advocate for veterans, the National Association for Uniformed Services said, "... these brave men and women did not fail us in their service to country.  They did all our country asked and more.  Our responsibility is clear.  We must uphold our promises and provide the benefits they earned through honorable military service." Read NAUS testimony.

April 23, 2009
NAUS delivered its recommendations for fiscal year 2010 spending on military construction and veterans’ affairs in testimony before the House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies. NAUS urged panel members to continue efforts to address the critical medical care needs facing service members as they return home. NAUS also addressed the importance of sufficient funding to reduce veterans disability claims backlog, which currently stands at nearly 697,000, an increase of more than 30,000 from last year at this time. NAUS also recommended attention to accounts for upgrades in military construction of housing, medical facilities, schools, childcare and training facilities for returning troops and their families. NAUS also spoke to concerns about related priority matters including the coordination between DoD and VA on the electronic health record, the essential funding needs of the Armed Forces Retirement Homes in DC and Gulfport, and the importance of federal assistance in State Veterans Nursing Homes for a growing population of elderly, vulnerable veterans. Read NAUS testimony.

2008 Testimony

June 4 , 2008
NAUS Legislative Director Rick Jones testified before the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Sub-commitee on Defense Appropriations, urging the Senate to reject Pentagon plans to hike TRICARE costs and fees by fully funding the military health care system. NAUS also testified in support of a 3.9% pay raise in 2009, to continue to reduce the military pay gap. The testimony covered several other important issues including seamless transition of health care of veterans from DoD to the VA system, research and care in the areas of prosthetics, PTSD and TBI, and force protection from IEDs. Read NAUS testimony.

May 22, 2008
NAUS Legislative Director Rick Jones testified before the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Sub-committee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs regarding the effectiveness of  Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) outreach efforts. In the testimony, NAUS expressed concerns about the health care needs of Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans – Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). While applauding the VBA’s apparent commitment to its outreach effort, NAUS remains “guardedly optimistic,” and urged the Subcommittee to continue its work to ensure resources are ready not only to provide a veteran’s earned benefits, but for the veteran’s awareness of these services as well. Read NAUS testimony.

May 7, 2008
NAUS submitted a written statement for the record in support of S. 961, the Belated Thank You to World War II Merchant Mariners Act, to the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. Read NAUS testimony.

March 13, 2008
Rick Jones, NAUS Legislative Director, presented testimony before the House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies. NAUS testimony addressed the need for continued adequate funding for the Base Realignment and Closure accounts, adequate resources for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care, and appropriate resources to train and maintain a support staff sufficient to reduce VA’s disability claims backlog. A number of related priority concerns such as the diagnosis and care of troops returning with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), the need for enhanced priority in the area of prosthetics research and traumatic brain injury, and providing improved seamless transition for returning troops between the Department of Defense (DoD) and VA are also included. Read NAUS testimony

February 7, 2008
Rick Jones, NAUS Legislative Director, testified before the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs about the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) FY 2009 budget request. NAUS testimony called on Congress to use the recommendations of the Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission as a "road map" for the future. NAUS urged increased funding for the VA health care system, recommending $1.6 billion more than the President's 2009 budget request. Read NAUS testimony.