VFW Shares Concerns with President
Fixing the VA Remains Job #1
WASHINGTON (February 24, 2016) — The national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. met with President Obama in the Oval Office this afternoon to share the issues and concerns of America’s largest and oldest major war veterans organization.
John A. Biedrzycki Jr., who leads nearly 1.7 million members of the VFW and its Auxiliaries, voiced his organization’s strong support of Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald and his team, whose ongoing efforts to reorganize the department into a more veteran-centric, customer service-oriented organization is long overdue, plus the VFW supports a blended VA health care system that maximizes the best of VA and non-VA health care in the communities where veterans reside. Along with VA health care was a discussion about better serving women veterans, homeless veterans, and ways to improve the overall disability claims and appeals process.
The VFW national commander also praised the great military family support work of first lady Michelle Obama and second lady Dr. Jill Biden. “Our military is fully aware and sincerely appreciative of their outspoken support of military families,” said Biedrzycki. “Likewise, the VFW will continue to do whatever we can to support those who have singularly borne the brunt of almost 15 years of war, as well as the generations of veterans and their families before them.”
Also mentioned was the VFW’s strong support of America’s Full Accounting Mission. “Taking care of people also includes those who gave their lives to this country and their families,” said Biedrzycki. “Any effort that helps to recover, identify and return more missing servicemen to their loved ones is a positive initiative, and the VFW looks forward to working with every president and their administrations to make that happen.”
The VFW’s issues and concerns will be presented in-depth when the national commander testifies next week before a joint hearing of the Senate and House Veterans Affairs Committees at 10 a.m., March 2, in Dirksen Senate Office Building room G-50.
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ABOUT THE VFW: The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is a nonprofit veterans service organization comprised of eligible veterans and military service members from the active, Guard and Reserve forces. Founded in 1899 and chartered by Congress in 1936, the VFW is the nation’s largest organization of war veterans and its oldest major veterans organization. With nearly 1.7 million VFW and Auxiliary members located in more than 6,700 Posts worldwide, “NO ONE DOES MORE FOR VETERANS.” The VFW and its Auxiliaries are dedicated to veterans’ service, legislative advocacy, and military and community service programs. For more information or to join, visit our website at www.vfw.org.