New York State Council

Vietnam Veterans of America, June 22, 2022

H.R. 3967, the SFC Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act, was read a third time and passed in the Senate on June 16th by a vote of 84-14, as amended. Because the Senate did not agree to the original bill passed in the House, the bill will not become law until the differences have been agreed upon by the conference committee, which is the committee with authority over the bill. The House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.

The House Rules Committee will be holding a hearing on June 21, at 2:00pm on the Senate amendments to H.R. 3967 and pieces of legislation.Meeting Announcement for H.R. 7666, H.R. 5585, H.R. 4176, and the Senate Amendment to H.R. 3967 | House of Representatives Committee on Rules

What is a conference committee?

A conference committee is a

January 8, 2021

Please note, once proposed legislation has been signed into law, the Executive Branch is responsible for implementing it. VVA will work with Congress and the Department of Veteran Affairs to ensure that these new bills are fully implemented.

On January 1, 2021, H.R. 6395--the FY 2021 NDAA, containing the Tester/Harder Amendment—was passed into law. At long last, Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange who have been diagnosed with Parkinsonism, Bladder cancer, and/or Hypothyroidism will be deemed service-connected and be eligible for healthcare and compensation:

Title XCI—Veterans Affairs Matters, Section 9109 reads as follows: Additional Diseases Associated with Exposure to Certain Herbicide Agents for Which There is a Presumption of Service Connection for Veterans Who Served in the Republic of Vietnam. Section 1116(a) (2) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 12, 2020

No. 20-12

Contact:
Mokie Pratt Porter
301-996-0901

VVA Calls for VA Secretary Wilkie to Step Down Over of Handling Sexual Assault

(Washington, D.C.) "In light of the recent findings of the government audit regarding the handling of an incident in which a veteran was sexually assaulted, Vietnam Veterans of America calls upon VA Secretary Robert Wilkie to step down immediately,” said VVA National President John Rowan.

The audit’s findings showed that Sec. Wilkie repeatedly sought to discredit Andrea Goldstein, who was assaulted by