Veterans! Here’s your Top 10 News stories of the day compiled from the latest sources

We encourage you to browse our list so that you can take what you want and keep what you need

1.   Justice Department sues Michigan for overseas ballot violations.  The U.S. Justice Department is suing Michigan for failing to send ballots to overseas voters in time for the state’s Aug. 7 federal primary.
 
2.   NATO awarding new medals for counter-piracy, Libya missions.  Two NATO medals have been approved for wear by U.S. troops and civilian personnel who took part in a series of operations in Africa, according to the Defense Department.
 
3.   Lawmakers told failure to realign US Pacific forces would pose strategic risks.  The United States faces serious strategic risks if it does not push ahead with plans to shift military forces in the Pacific, experts told House lawmakers Wednesday.

4.   Government Motors: Feds keep expanding fleet of cars.  Washington Times (blog)  Budgets may be tight, but the federal government has increased its fleet of cars to 449000 vehicles — or nearly one for every seven federal employees — according to the Government Accountability Office. The Department of Veterans Affairs saw the …

5.   Department of Housing & Urban Development News Briefs.  Novogradac Company LLP  The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are working to improve data on the HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) …

6.   CalVet exceeds small business and disabled veteran enterprise contract goals.  Lake County News  The California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) has increased its support for California Small Business/Microbusiness (SB/MB) over the last three years, awarding more than $9.5 million in SB/MB contracts in FY 2011-12, according to a Wednesday report. That represents more than 28 percent of CalVet’s total contract … CalVet’s contracting performance has exceeded the State’s 25% SB/MB goal and more than doubled the State’s 3 percent DVBE goal. CalVet’s contracting efforts also exceeded its own more …

7.   VA eyes Yellowstone Veterans Cemetery for national designation.  Laurel Outlook  The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced Tuesday that it is moving forward with a plan to provide burial services for veterans in rural areas where there are no available VA national cemeteries, state veterans’ cemeteries or tribal veteran’s …
 
8.   Medicare Card ID Protections Overdue.  AP “Five years after being told to look at taking Social Security numbers off Medicare cards, Medicare officials told lawmakers at a sometimes-tense House hearing Wednesday that they still need six more months to figure out how much it will cost.” Both Veterans Affairs and the Defense Department have already “stopped issuing ID cards and health authorization cards that show” veterans’ Social Security numbers. However, Medicare Chief Information Officer Tony Trenkle told lawmakers at Wednesday’s hearing that both agencies are set up differently than Medicare, so Medicare cannot just do what VA and the DOD did to stop showing such information on cards.
 
9.   Congress Approves Bill To Address Backlog In VA Claims. Burlington County (NJ) Times  “Legislation penned by Rep. Jon Runyan to help reduce the Department of Veterans Affairs’ backlog of more than 900,000 pending disability and pension claims is headed” to President Obama’s desk. The Veterans’ Benefit Bill of 2011 was “incorporated into an omnibus measure to provide health benefits to Marines and family members exposed to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune, N.C., as well as other improvements to veterans’ services and benefits.” The “Veterans’ Benefit Bill component of the legislation would create a four-year pilot program at five of the Veterans Administration’s regional offices to test the skills and proficiency of employees and managers who process claims and pension benefits, with the goal of determining where improvements can be made and if new training can speed the process.”
 
10.  Bill Includes Veterans Sexual Assault Prevention and Health Care Enhancement Act.  Greece (NY) Post “The House of Representatives passed a bill on Tuesday that aims to provide health care, housing, education, and memorial services to military families.” The Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 “includes legislation called the Veterans Sexual Assault Prevention and Health Care Enhancement Act, which was first introduced by Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle (R-Syracuse).” Buerkle said, “My legislation will correct a fundamental weakness in the VA system by setting in place the procedures and accountability measures necessary to ensure the protection of veterans and staff.”

Have You Heard?

On June 28, the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The court’s decision has generated considerable news coverage and interest among the public who will want to understand the associated impact of this legal decision on their personal situation, “The provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court will not affect the current role the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has in the lives of America’s Veterans. We will continue to provide Veterans with high quality, comprehensive health care and benefits they have earned through their service. VA health care does not change as a result of the ACA.”