OFFICE OF CONGRESSMAN NYE: In Letter to VA Secretary, Glenn Nye Calls for Plan to Reduce Backlog of Nearly 1 Million Claims
- 38 Representatives Co-Sign Letter with Nye

FROM THE OFFICE OF CONGRESSMAN NYE

June 19, 2009

Washington, DC – Congressman Glenn Nye (VA-02) sent a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki today, requesting an immediate plan for reducing the backlog of benefits claims. Recent media reports have suggested that the number of veterans’ claims pending at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will soon reach one million.

“We know the task of the VA is neither easy nor simple, but its mission remains absolutely clear: to provide the full care and benefits that our veterans have earned, need and deserve,” wrote Nye in his letter. “The failures of the past are no excuse for inaction in the present, and these delays must not be allowed to stand.”

Virginia’s Second District is home to the largest concentration of military personnel, veterans, and military families anywhere in the country. Congressman Glenn Nye is a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee where he sits on the Subcommittee on Health.

Nye’s letter to Secretary Shinseki was signed by 39 Members of Congress, including Republicans and Democrats. 

The full text of the letter, along with a list of cosigners, is attached below.

Dear Secretary Shinseki,

For years, we have known that veterans applying for care and benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have faced long lines and long delays.  But the news this morning that the backlog of unprocessed claims may soon reach one million is simply unacceptable.

We know the task of the VA is neither easy nor simple, but its mission remains absolutely clear: to provide the full care and benefits that our veterans have earned, need and deserve.

We also understand that this is a problem that was created over years of neglect; however, the failures of the past are no excuse for inaction in the present, and these delays must not be allowed to stand.

This is even more urgent today, when we have hundreds of thousands of new veterans returning home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. These veterans are being forced to wait an average of four months for their claims to be processed and up to eighteen months for their appeals to be answered.

Our nation must be prepared to welcome back every soldier, sailor, airman and Marine with all the compassion this grateful nation can bestow.  Our injured veterans have a right to get on with their lives and focus on their recovery – not deal with endless paperwork and a stubborn bureaucracy. 

We look forward to working with you to resolve this situation immediately, and we request an immediate plan of action detailing how you will not only reduce the backlog, but prevent this situation from arising in the future.  We must work together now to ensure that every veteran receives the care and treatment that they need in a timely manner.

We have a long way to go to regain the trust of many of our veterans, and we must start by absolutely guaranteeing a level of care worthy of their service and sacrifice.

Sincerely,

Glenn Nye

Charlie Wilson
Frank Kratovil
Rodney Alexander
Don Young
John Salazar
Aaron Schock
Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin
Jason Altmire
Lincoln Davis
Chris Carney
Parker Griffith
John Sarbanes
Phil Hare
James McGovern
Ben Ray Lujan
Kathy Dahlkemper
Steve Cohen
Bruce Braley
Albio Sires
Gary Peters
Hank Johnson
Bobby Scott
Bobby Bright
John Hall
John Adler
Allen Boyd
Sander Levin
Jim Costa
Harry Mitchell
Kurt Schrader
Leonard Boswell
Dennis Moore
Rick Boucher
Bart Gordon
Tim Holden
Mike Ross
Tammy Baldwin