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RAO Bulletin Update
1 October 2007
 
 
THIS BULLETIN CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES
 
VA Secretary [02] -------------------- (Mansfield Takes Over)
NDAA 2008 [08] -------------------- (Senate Action)
Defense Health Agency ------------ (Proposed New Agency)
Virginia Vet Homes -------------------- (2nd Home Opens)
VA Budget 2008 [07] --------------- (Another Senate Delay)
Tricare Employer Health Plans --------- ( 1 JAN Stop Date)
POW VA Benefits [04] -------------- (25,000 Vets Eligible)
VA Home Loan [08] -------------------- (New Policy)
GI Bill Rate Increase [01] -------------------- (2008 Rates)
Kansas Vet Cemetery ------------------ (Riley out of Space)
VA Retro Pay Project [09] --------- (Closing Payment Gap)
TRDP [05] -------------------- (Overseas Availability)
Iowa Veterans Home [01] ------------ (State fines $10,000)
Mojave Desert Vet Memorial ---- (Court Allows Removal)
VA Claim Backlog [11] --------------- (VA Distorts Report)
Lifetime Tricare Coverage ----- (Unfit for Duty Discharges)
Montana Vet Cemetery [01] ------------- ($4 Million Grant)
VA Data Breach [37] ------------------- (Risk Still Remains)
South Dakota Veterans Bonus [02] ---- ($500 to Eligibles)
COLA 2008 [07] -------------------- (2.0% to 2.3% realm)
Military ID Cards (Retiree) [01] --- (Obtainment Change)
VA Headstones & Markers [01] --- (VA Regs Amendment)
Passport Obtainment [02] ----- (Temporary WHTI Expires)
Retirement Tax Considerations [02] ------ (Property Taxes)
110th Congress U.S. House ------------------ (Contact info)
Veteran Legislation Status 30 SEP 07 ---- (Where We Stand)
 
 
Editor’s Note:  The downgrading of my new HP Pavillion dv2000 computer
 from its installed VISTA operating program to XP has allowed the 3
 years of missing work files to be restored from my external hard drive.
  However, this has caused a number of other problems which the dealer is
 still trying to rectify. Fortunately, I am now in the position of being
 able to resume publishing the Bulletin. This one is somewhat
 abbreviated as I have only had a few days to work on it. Readers should be aware
 if they have to buy a new computer most likely its operating program
 will be VISTA which is extremely user unfriendly.  Also, I found it to be
 a much slower operating system than XP to the point that I would not
 have been able to continue publishing a twice monthly Bulletin..  In
 response to my 15 SEP notice I received over 500 emails from frustrated
 subscribers who have been exposed to this program.  Only 5 of these
 messages had anything good to say about it.  The remainder described
 numerous horror stories of lost file, excessive expense in trying to
 unsuccessfully get the bugs out, returning computers to dealers out of
 frustration, and an overall degradation of user’s ability to perform the same
 operations they had formerly done with their older


VA SECRETARY UPDATE 02:  Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Gordon H.
 Mansfield becomes the Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs following
 the resignation of Secretary Jim Nicholson.  Secretary Nicholson
 tendered his resignation to President Bush on 17 JUL 07, to be effective no
 later than 1 OCT 07. Mansfield assumes the role on 1 OCT under the terms
 of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, where a Deputy Secretary begins to
 serve as the acting officer immediately and automatically upon the
 occurrence of the vacancy.  Mansfield will serve as Acting Secretary until
 the next nominee of the President is confirmed by the United States
 Senate. Appointed by President Bush in NOV 03, Deputy Secretary Mansfield
 served as the chief operating officer for the federal government's
 second largest department, responsible for a nationwide system of health
 care services, benefits programs and national cemeteries for America's
 veterans and their dependents. He previously served as VA Assistant
 Secretary for Congressional and Legislative Affairs since 1 AUG 01, serving
 as the legislative advisor to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.  He
 was responsible for VA's Congressional relations and representing VA
 programs, policies, investigations and legislative agenda to Congress.

     Prior to joining VA, Mr. Mansfield served as executive director of
 the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) since APR 93. In that
 position, the highly decorated Vietnam veteran oversaw daily operation of PVA's
 national office in Washington, D.C.  Mr. Mansfield held a number of
 positions at PVA from 1981 to 1989, and served as the organization's
 first associate executive director of Government Relations. Mr. Mansfield
 served as Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at
 the Department of Housing and Urban Development from 1989 to 1993 under
 President George H. W. Bush's Administration. Prior to 1981, he
 practiced law in Ocala, Fla. Mr. Mansfield received his undergraduate degree
 from Villanova University and law degree from the University of Miami.
 Following his 1964 enlistment in the Army, Mr. Mansfield served two
 tours of duty in Vietnam. While serving as company commander with the
 101st Airborne Division during his second tour, he was wounded during the
 Tet Offensive of 1968 sustaining a spinal cord injury. For his actions
 while his unit was under fire, he was decorated with the Distinguished
 Service Cross, the second highest personal decoration for valor in
 combat. He was medically retired by the U.S. Army at the grade of Captain.
 His other combat decorations include the Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts,
 the Combat Infantryman's Badge and the Presidential Unit Citation. Mr.
 Mansfield is a recipient of the Presidential Distinguished Service
 Award and the Villanova University Alumni Human Relations Medal. He was
 inducted into the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame in
 1997.  [Source: VA News Release 28 Sep 07 ++]


NDAA 2008 UPDATE 08:  The Senate, having finally taken up consideration
 of its version of the National Defense Authorization Act (S. 1547)
 announced some significant initial action.  That information had to do
 with favorable outcomes in Senate consideration of several hundred
 amendments proposed for S.1547 already passed in the House as H.R.1585).
 
• Sen. Reid's amendment that would provide full, immediate concurrent
 receipt to disabled retirees deemed "unemployable" by the VA retroactive
 to 1 JAN 05.
•  Sen. Nelson's amendment that would accelerate 30-year paid-up
 Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) coverage to 1 OCT 07 and bar deduction of VA
 survivor benefits from SBP annuities (the SBP-DIC fix).
• Sen. Lautenberg's and Sen. Hagel's amendment that would bar any
 increases in TRICARE fees for FY2008 and articulate the sense of Congress
 that military health care is a crucial offset to the adverse conditions
 of service and that military people pay substantial premiums up-front in
 extended service and sacrifice over and above any cash fees.
•  Sen. Chambliss's amendment that would reduce the Reserve retirement
 age by three months for each 90 days served on active duty since
 9/11/01.
• Sen. McCain's amendment that would increase the maximum annual points
 creditable for Reserve component retirement to 130 points (vs. 90) for
 2007 and subsequent years.
• Sen. Coleman's amendment that would authorize paying increased
 reimbursements for mental health care if required to meet needs, and
 requiring a Pentagon report on military beneficiaries' adequacy of access to
 mental health services.
• Sen. Lincoln's amendment that would authorize Guard or reserve
 members to use their mobilization GI Bill benefits up to 10 years after
 separating from the selected reserve.   

There were some big differences between the basic Authorization bills
 passed by the House and considered by the Senate. For example, the
 Lautenberg/Hagel amendment now matches the House position on Tricare Prime
 or Standard copay increases but it’s not clear that the Senate position
 on Tricare payment for certain Rx’s (requiring drug companies to
 provide discounts to the Tricare retail system –which we liked-- ) will
 override the House’s position (barring Tricare payment for specific drugs if
 the manufacturer refuses to apply the Federal discount to the Tricare
 retail system – not good for beneficiaries).   It does not appear there
 will be any further effort this year  to grant Concurrent Receipt
 across the Board. More important, the Senate has not, so far, acted to stop
 the 9.9% cut in Medicare –and therefore Tricare—payments to providers
 that is now scheduled to take effect in 1 JAN 08. The House had passed
 such a provision but made it a part of the update of the Children's
 Health and Medicare Protection Act. The Senate did not include the
 Medicare/Tricare provision in its version of the Act.  [Source:  PMOAANET
 Legislative & Retiree Affairs Advisory 16-07++]


DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY:  A DoD plan to put the Army in charge of all
 military medical training and research could be pulled soon, in favor of
 establishing a Defense Health Agency (DHA) to handle those
 responsibilities and more, senior officials told the DoD Task Force on the Future of
 Military Health Care. The DHA would assume oversight of all medical
 training and research, as well as management of Tricare and
 responsibility for some shared medical activities across the services. The Tricare
 Management Activity would form the foundation of the new agency, with
 additional staff drawn from service medical departments. But the Army,
 Navy and Air Force would continue to run separate medical departments and
 retain control of their medical personnel and most sites. The DHA
 concept is seen as only an incremental step toward the dramatic
 streamlining and greater efficiencies projected from creating a unified medical
 command. The DHA has been endorsed by senior medical leaders and awaits
 final approval of Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England. Unveiling of
 the DHA concept surprised several task force members. That's partly
 because they had just listened to presentations by think-tank economists
 on the merits, potential cost savings and challenges for the department
 of creating a unified medical command. The Army, Navy and Joint Staff
 had backed a unified medical command, saying it would make medical care
 more effective and save several hundred million dollars a year. The Air
 Force opposed the idea, citing a clash of cultures that could weaken
 medical support of operational missions.  [Source: Newport News VA
  Daily Press Tom Philpott article 10 Sep 07 ++]


VIRGINIA VET HOMES:   The Virginia Department of Veterans Services
 dedicated the Sitter-Barfoot Veterans Care Center (SBVCC) located on the
 campus of the McQuire VA Medical Center in Richmond on 25 SEP.  This
 single-level facility features 160 single-occupancy rooms in three nursing
 units: two 60-bed skilled nursing care units and one 40-bed secure
 Alzheimer’s dementia unit with enclosed courtyards. The design of SBVCC
 reflects the latest in health care facility design and research. All rooms
 are single occupancy to limit the spread of infectious disease and
 assure residents a level of privacy. Each room has a floor-to-ceiling
 window, private bath and walk-in shower. The Alzheimer's unit features a
 wander garden and interconnected hallways allowing residents to move
 around freely in a safe and secure environment.  The facility will provide
 physical, occupational, and speech therapy, as well as therapeutic
 recreation, social and spiritual activities, and other amenities such as
 onsite pharmacy, a fully equipped barber and beauty shop, activity and
 games rooms, and resident lounges in each nursing unit, courtyard and an
 outdoor walking trail. Veterans may be admitted as long-term residents,
 or may also be admitted on a short-term basis for rehabilitation as
 the transition from hospital care to home. For additional information
 about SBVCC, contact Robin Davis, Director of Admissions and Marketing,
 (804) 840-7573, or robin.davis@dvs.virginia.gov


     Virginia’s other home is the Virginia Veterans Care Center (VVCC)
 which has 240 beds in the facility to provide comprehensive, high
 quality care with on-site laboratory work, x-rays, dental clinic, physical
 therapy, respiratory therapy, podiatry care, and many other ancillary
 health care services. The Salem VA Medical Center is located next door
 for additional services for those qualified. If you have any questions or
 would like an information packet sent to you, contact the Admissions
 Director, Patti Smith at (540) 982-2860 ext. 4052 or by email at
 Patti.Smith@dvs.virginia.gov. To be eligible for admission, a veteran
 must have an honorable discharge and must be a Virginia resident at the
 time of admission. Veterans may also qualify if they were a Virginia
 resident at the time they entered the military or if Virginia is listed
 as their official home of record on their military records. [Source:
 Lynchburg News & Advance article 25 Sep 07 ++]


VA BUDGET 2008 UPDATE 07:  As they have for the better part of a
 decade, Congress has failed to pass an on-time budget for VA. The
 government's new fiscal year begins on 1 OCT, and instead of pressing forward on
 the VA Appropriations bill, each chamber has passed a stopgap funding
 measure while will fund VA and the rest of the government through 16 NOV.
 This means that, in the short term, VA will be funded on last year's
 level – a level that does not account for the growing numbers of
 veterans
seeking care. The stopgap budget they have approved is roughly $6.7
 billion less than what Congress itself has decided what VA needs, and will
 hamper VA's efforts to recruit and retain the highest quality doctors,
nurses and health care professionals. It will also delay VA's ability
 to hire and train disability compensation claims processors, impairing
 VA's ability to manage the ever-growing backlog.  The differences
 between the House and Senate versions are negligible, and the bipartisan
 support for the bill would ensure its success if it had come up for a vote.
 Congressional leaders, however, decided to use the broad support for
 it to attach less politically popular provisions, turning it into a
 large omnibus bill and delaying its passage.
Veteran organizations are calling on Congress to end the political
 games and do what is right for this nation's veterans, especially those
 wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. This nation's 24 million veterans are
 looking to them to do the right thing. [Source: VFW Washington Weekly 28
 Sep 07 ++]


TRICARE EMPLOYER HEALTH PLANS:  Many military retirees who work for
 defense contractors, airlines, and certain state governments are getting
 letters from their employers that their health coverage options will
 change as of 1 JAN.  In many cases, it's a notice that the employer will
 no longer be able to offer a Tricare supplement as one of its health
 plan options. That's because a provision in last year's Defense
 Authorization Act (FY2007) bars civilian employers from offering their employees
 incentives to use Tricare rather than the company's normal health plan.
  It specifically bars offering employees a Tricare supplement.
 Congress has no problem with retirees choosing Tricare on their own
 initiative, since they earned the right to the Tricare benefit through their
 service.  But DoD and Congress developed extensive evidence that many
 employers - including several state governments - have been consciously
 working to shift their health care costs to Tricare, sending letters to
 Tricare-eligible employees urging them to use Tricare rather than the
 employer's plan.  And tens of thousands of Tricare-eligibles across the
 country have taken up those offers in recent years. This was part of the
 reason that DoD proposed raising fees for Tricare enrollees by up to
 $1,000 a year - to help stem the tide of people opting out of
 employer-based plans.  So far, Congress has agreed that imposing steep Tricare fee
 hikes isn't the appropriate reaction.  But the Armed Services
 Committees took a dim view of employers who seek to cut their costs at Tricare's
 expense, and changed the law to try to discourage that behavior.

     Initially, the law was interpreted as barring any reimbursement
 that could be used to cover Tricare expenses.  That strict interpretation
 would have barred Tricare-eligibles from participating in
 company-sponsored cafeteria plans (under which employees can receive a specified
 amount of cash that can be used to purchase coverage) or plans that pay a
 flat monthly amount to any employee who elects to use alternative
 coverage, whether it's Tricare or a spouse's employer plan.  At MOAA's
 urging, the Committees included language indicating that these kinds of
 initiatives should not be barred because they are not specifically aimed
 at Tricare.  But it's hard to argue that a Tricare supplement isn't
 Tricare-specific.
So what can Tricare-eligibles do if they get a letter notifying them
 that their employer is terminating a company-offered Tricare supplement?
• The first option is to ask the employer to offer a flat-rate payment
 in lieu of the supplement.  If the company was willing to pay the cost
 of a supplement, one would think they'd be willing to pay up to the
 cash equivalent.  But to be allowed under the new law, the payment needs
 to be non-Tricare-specific.  That is, it should be the same amount for
 an employee who chooses Tricare as it is for an employee who chooses
 coverage under a spouse's employer plan.  Many employers already offer
 such cash payment plans; it's just a matter of including Tricare-eligibles
 in them.
• Another alternative is to enroll in Tricare Prime, if Prime is
 available in your area. 
[Source: MOAA Leg Up 28 Sep 07 ++]


POW VA BENEFITS UPDATE 04:   The Department of Veterans Affairs is
 searching for prisoners of war who may not be getting the benefits they
 deserve. VA officials estimate that about 25,000 former prisoners of war
 are still alive today, about 600 from the Vietnam War, 2,100 from the
 Korean War and the rest from World War II. VA officials believe only
 about one-third are receiving any VA benefits or health care. VA officials
 are trying to contact veterans who are not receiving any benefits or
 health care but who might be eligible. They are also trying to locate the
 surviving spouses and children of former POWs who might be unaware of
 the help VA could provide. VA officials said they have the most
 difficulty tracking down former POWs from World War II because the military
 used service numbers, not Social Security numbers, for identification.
 Tracking down a veteran by service number is extremely difficult if they
 have not had any contact with the VA in years, officials said. In a
 statement, Veterans Affairs Secretary James Nicholson said meeting the
 needs of former POWs is “one of VA’s highest priorities.”
“They are extraordinary men and women who have endured captivity,
 suffered extreme deprivation and sacrificed their own freedom to preserve
 the freedom of all Americans,” said Nicholson, himself a Vietnam veteran.
 Some former POWs may be unaware that available help has expanded over
 the years. For example, VA provides disability pay for former POWs who
 suffer strokes or some common heart diseases.

     To try to contact former POWs, VA officials have been reaching out
 to veterans’ groups and civic organizations in search of leads. They
 are also encouraging people who know of former POWs to ask them to
 contact a VA toll-free number to learn about help that may be available. The
 number is (800) 827-1000.
A similar effort several years ago resulted in about 1,000 former POWs
 or their survivors qualifying for VA assistance or increasing their
 existing benefits, VA officials said. Every VA regional office also has a
 POW coordinator to help former POWs and their families receive benefits
 and health care. There are seven medical conditions for which a former
 POW can automatically receive disability benefits: psychosis;
 depressive neurosis; post-traumatic osteoarthritis; anxiety; cold-related
 injuries; strokes or stroke complications; and heart disease and related
 heart complications. Veterans who were held as POWs for 30 days or longer
 may be eligible for benefits if they have other conditions. These
 include: avitaminosis, chronic dysentery, helminthiasis, malnutrition,
 peptic ulcers, beriberi, cirrhosis of the liver, irritable bowel syndrome,
 nutritional deficiencies and peripheral neuropathy. In each case, the
 presence of one of the medical conditions in a former POW will be
 presumed to have resulted from their military service — qualifying them for
 disability benefits — unless there is evidence of another cause. Details
 on benefits and health care for former POWs and their families are
 available at http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/Benefits/POW/index.htm  [Source:
 AF times Rick Maze article 27 Sep 07 ++]
 

VA HOME LOAN UPDATE 08:  In a 30 AUG press release the Government
 National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae) announced that it has eliminated
 the $417,000 home loan limit on Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
 mortgage loans that can be used as collateral for Ginnie Mae securities.
  "We expect this change will expand the availability of low-cost
 financing and increase homeownership opportunities for America's veterans,
 particularly in high-cost areas, by encouraging lenders to make more VA
 loans," said Michael J. Frenz, Executive Vice President of Ginnie Mae.
  Frenz was referring to home loan realities like that in California.
 Although 10% of the nation's veterans live in California, less than one
 percent of the VA loans in the Ginnie Mae securities portfolio issued
 during the last two years were to California veterans because loan limits
 were below most house prices in the state. This policy change is
 designed to make it easier for lenders to help veterans and servicemembers use
 their VA Home Loan benefit to purchase homes valued at more than
 $417,000. However the Department of Veterans’ Affairs is careful to point
 out that Ginnie Mae’s new policy does not change the current VA Home Loan
 Guaranty program rules and loan limits.  The most attractive feature
 of the VA Home Loan Guaranty program is that it eliminates the need for
 eligible veterans and servicemembers to provide cash down payments for
 homes valued at $417,000, or less, by guarantying 25% of a home’s
 purchase price. The new Ginnie Mae policy will require borrowers to use the
 VA Home Loan Guaranty in combination with a cash down payment to
 guaranty the loan for homes exceeding the VA limit. This means that veterans
 and servicemembers who wish to purchase homes priced higher than the VA
 limit, will be required to provide an additional cash down payment to
 ensure the loan is guarantied for at least 25% of the of the purchase
 price. For example, a veteran wishing to purchase a home valued at
 $600,000 will need to provide a cash down payment of $45,750 – 25% of the
 difference between the $417,000 VA loan limit and the actual purchase
 price of $600,000. [Source: Military.com Terry Howell article 14 Sep 07
 ++]


GI BILL RATE INCREASE UPDATE 01:   Each year in October the GI Bill
 payment rates increase to meet the growing cost of education. The rate
 increase effects all GI Bill benefit programs including Active Duty GI
 Bill Chapter 30, Reserve GI Bill chapters 1606 and 1607, the GI Bill OJT
 and Apprenticeship program and the Survivors and Dependents Education
 Assistance (DEA) program. Although the past years have seen larger
 increases in the payment rates, this year's modest rate increase has pushed
 the full-time payment rate effective 1 OCT 07 to $1,101 a month. Thus,
 the GI Bill will be worth $39,636 - a total increase of nearly $1,000
 over last year's rate. This total is based on the new monthly full-time
 student payment rate  multiplied by the 36-month limit.  For all rates
 refer to
 http://www.gibill.va.gov/GI_Bill_Info/rates/CH30/ch30rates100107.htm.
  [Source: Military.com Veterans Report 17Sep 07 ++]


KANSAS VET CEMETERY:  The Fort Riley cemetery has officially run out of
 space and Kansas lawmakers are urging the Veterans Affairs Department
 not to delay funds for a new cemetery. Sens. Sam Brownback and Pat
 Roberts, both Republicans, asked VA officials 20 SEP to make money
 available for the new veterans cemetery before the end of the year. The
 senators said the timeline for finding money to build the new cemetery already
 had been pushed back. VA spokeswoman Jo Schuda said the agency’s
 National Cemetery Administration plans to pay for the new cemetery during
 the next fiscal year, which begins 1 OCT 07, but could not provide more
 specifics. There is no room to expand the existing cemetery, which is
 flanked on two sides by roads, with housing and other buildings nearby.
 Twenty-two burial plots that were reserved before 1975 will be honored,
 said Fort Riley spokeswoman Alison Kohler. The last two unreserved
 plots at Fort Riley’s cemetery were taken in late SEP. The military base
 has lost 133 soldiers and airmen in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
 since 2003, though not all are buried in the Fort Riley cemetery. About
 5,000 veterans and family members have been interred at the cemetery since
 it opened in the 1850s. Fort Riley already has transferred 90 acres of
 land to the state for a new cemetery that will be about 10 miles from
 the old site. Under a 1950 federal law, veterans cemeteries that fill
 up are replaced with new cemeteries built by VA and then operated by
 states. Once federal money becomes available, it will take about a year
 before the new cemetery could open for burials, Kohler said. Meanwhile,
 eligible veterans can be buried at a different national veterans
 cemetery such as Fort Leavenworth or at one of three other state veterans
 cemeteries in Kansas. Kohler said she has heard of people “who are holding
 urns waiting for the new cemetery to open.” [Source: AP Sam Hananel
 article 21 Sep 07 ++]


VA RETRO PAY PROJECT UPDATE 09:   Almost 75,000 military retirees with
 disabilities who were underpaid for months or even years after becoming
 eligible for one of two concurrent receipt programs have received
 their retroactive payments, officials in charge of the retro pay program
 say. Approximately 33,000 pay files still need to be reviewed from a pool
 of 133,000 potential recipients, said Thomas J. Pamperin, deputy
 director of the compensation and pension service for the Department of
 Veterans Affairs. That review is expected to be completed by mid-November,
 according to the Defense Finance and Account Service. The catch-up
 payments, necessary because of difficulties implementing the Combat-Related
 Special Compensation and Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay
 programs, so far total close to $150 million. The average size of payments
 made by VA has climbed to $2,100, up from an average of $1,500 paid to
 the first 30,000 or so retro pay recipients last fall. When all files
 have been reviewed, DFAS will turn its attention to a new pool of
 underpaid retirees. That second group of 12,000 to 16,000 retirees became
 eligible for CRSC or CRDP between the time the retro pay program began last
 summer and April of this year, when DFAS finally had computer programs
 in place to make accurate and timely concurrent receipt payments as
 retirees become eligible. “This has proved to be an incredibly complex
 process for all involved” said Pamperin, who leads a team of VA officials
 that has worked closely with DFAS on the retro pay program for two
 years.

     Until CRSC began on 1 JUN 03, and CRDP on 1 JAN 04, all military
 retirees with service-related disabilities had to accept a
 dollar-for-dollar reduction in taxable retired pay when they began to receive
 tax-free VA compensation for their service-related injury or illness.
 Congress enacted CRSC to allow concurrent receipt for combat-related
 disabilities. It approved CRDP, under a phased schedule, to benefit retirees
 with service-related disabilities rated at least 50% disabling. Most of
 the underpayments being corrected occurred when retirees eligible for
 CRDP or CRSC saw their VA disability rating raised. A higher rating means
 more VA compensation, and that higher amount is payable back to the
 date the retiree applied for reconsideration of his or her disability
 award. Pay records of about half of all retirees drawing CRDP or CRSC are
 being reviewed but the total amount of retro payments needed is far
 below the $500 million figure initially projected.

     The pay review process also is slower than was expected. Last
 year, DFAS officials predicted that all back payments would be made by the
 end of SEP 07. The target now is mid-NOV 07. DFAS has the lead in
 reviewing pay records. VA is making most of the retro payments. Through late
 AUG, Pamperin said, VA had paid 56,140 retirees a total of $119
 million in back pay. DFAS, on behalf of the Department of Defense, had paid
 an additional $28 million to 17,000 retirees. About one of every three
 pay records reviewed shows no underpayment.  That means many more
 retirees than projected have been properly compensated and will be getting no
 retro payments after all. DFAS and VA officials notify retirees only
 if an underpayment is discovered. Most of the remaining 33,000 files are
 CRSC recipients. Unlike CRDP, which involves an automatic payment,
 CRSC is paid only to retirees who apply for it.  To do so, they must
 receive their VA disability rating and show that their disabilities are
 combat-related. DFAS has set up a retro award hot line for retirees with
 questions about their entitlement to a back payment. The Hotline number
 is (877) 327-4457. Customer service representatives are available at
 that number M-F 08-1630. Military retirees can also find periodic updates
 on the retro pay at DFAS Web site at: www.dfas.mil. [Source: Stars &
 Stripes Tom Philpotts article Sep 07 ++]


TRDP UPDATE 05:  The Tricare Retiree Dental Program is being opened to
 military retirees living in all overseas locations. However, retirees
 outside the current coverage areas — the U.S., its territories and
 Canada — will have to pay premiums for those services, as all retirees do.
 Monthly premiums in the U.S. generally run between $30 and $50 for an
 individual, $60 to $90 for a family of two, and $100 to $155 for a family
 of three or more, depending on where the retiree is located. Delta
 Dental organizes the TRDP into five regions, with premiums based on the
 average cost of living in each region. Information on how TRDP premiums
 will be set overseas was not available. Federal law has never
 specifically restricted the geographic scope of the Tricare Retiree Dental
 Program, run under contract by Delta Dental of California, but until now it
 has served retirees living only in the U.S., Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico,
 the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the
 Northern Mariana Islands. The Defense Department decided to expand the
 program to overseas areas based on requests from retirees and their
 families who live abroad.
     The change would make about 100,000 retirees and family members
 who live abroad eligible for the TRDP, according to a notice published in
 the 16 APR Federal Register. "Expanding the geographic scope of the
 program will ensure that all Tricare-eligible retirees are eligible for
 the same dental benefits, regardless of their location," defense
 officials said in the Federal Register notice. Officials said expanding the
 TRDP overseas will not increase the government’s costs for the program,
 because it is maintained entirely by enrollees through premium payments.
 Enrollees also pay for dental costs in excess of the TRDP coverage
 limits, and the contractor is solely responsible for program costs in
 excess of annual premium payments. Tricare spokeswoman Bonnie Powell said
 details are being worked out about when the expanded service will become
 available (i.e. possibly by MAY 08). For more about the Tricare
 Retiree Dental Program refer to www.trdp.org/.  [Source: The Drifter
 http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46551
article by Kelly Kennedy 21 May 07 ++]


IOWA VETERANS HOME UPDATE 01:  The Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown
 faces a $10,000 fine over hundreds of alleged medication errors and the
 reported theft of painkillers and other drugs intended for veterans.
 State records also show that an aide at the state-run facility was fired
 this summer for dispensing medications while she was under the
 influence of drugs. She also was accused of stealing the veterans' medicine to
 finance her own use of methamphetamine and marijuana, according to
 state records. Dan Steen, the care center's commandant, said he is
 appealing the $10,000 fine imposed by the Iowa Department of Inspections and
 Appeals. He said he is confident the appeal will result in "the truth"
 coming out, and he questioned the decision by state inspectors to levy a
 large fine against a government-run facility that provides care for 700
 veterans. "We just cause these homes to become deeper in the hole,"
 Steen said. "If a home has done something wrong and there is a fine, you
 know, those are dollars that could have bought electric lifts or other
 equipment." According to the inspections department, the Iowa Veterans
 Home has documented hundreds of medication errors at the facility this
 year. But because the facility has 700 residents, some of whom may
 receive a dozen medications daily, the overall error rate has remained well
 below the 5% limit imposed by federal officials.
     Steen says the home's error rate of 0.0176 of 1% is so low that
 it's close to perfection and is unheard of in the health care field. In
 July, however, state inspectors visited the Iowa Veterans Home, reviewed
 its medication policies and practices, and declared that veterans
 there were in "immediate jeopardy." Within hours, the home changed its
 medication policies. The inspectors' report alleges that on 28 JUN, the
 staff gave one veteran 10 medications that were to be administered to
 another, much heavier resident. The veteran initially refused some of the
 drugs, which included anti-psychotic drugs and medications for seizures,
 but he ultimately accepted them. After the error was discovered, a
 doctor at the home told workers to monitor the veteran through the night.
 A few hours later, the man turned red and became incontinent and
 unresponsive, with his tongue protruding from his mouth. The doctor initially
 wanted to keep the man at the facility but within a half-hour decided
 to have him taken by ambulance to a hospital. At the hospital, a
 breathing tube was inserted, and the veteran was moved to the hospital's
 intensive care unit. About eight hours later, he showed the first signs of
 becoming responsive. He was discharged from the hospital two days later
 and was returned to the Iowa Veterans Home.  [Source: Register Staff
 Writer Clark Kaufman article 9 Sep 07 ++]


MOJAVE DESERT VETERAN MEMORIAL:   The leader of the nation’s largest
 veterans organization criticized a SEP 07 decision by the 9th Circuit
 Court to remove a cross from a World War I veterans memorial in
 California’s Mojave Desert as the beginning of the slippery slope of extreme
 secularism. “This is one more prime example of wrong-headed political
 correctness and one more critical reason why the current Congress must pass
 the Public Expression of Religion Act,” said American Legion National
 Commander Marty Conatser. “This is not about freedom of religion. The
 First Amendment also says Congress shall pass no law prohibiting the free
 exercise of religion. The cross is an important symbol to millions of
 veterans, some of whom had to make the ultimate sacrifice for this
 nation.” Referring to the federal Court’s 6 SEP decision, Conatser said
 that across the nation litigation is being brought by the ACLU and other
 groups attacking the Boy Scouts, the public display of the Ten
 Commandments and other symbols of America’s religious history.  “Today’s lawyers
 and judges are outlawing the values and religious symbols that the
 Founding Fathers revered and proclaimed as the very foundation of the
 American republic. Today it’s a memorial. Tomorrow, these same judges can
 order the removal of crosses on veterans gravestones, the dismissal of
 military chaplains and the closure of base chapels.”
 
    Conatser pointed out that a loophole in the current law allows the
 ACLU and other groups to collect millions of dollars in attorney’s fees
 from the taxpayers, who, by and large, support the memorials.
Congress, in 2004, passed legislation that transferred one acre of the
 Mojave Desert Memorial on which the cross sits to private ownership, in
 exchange for five acres of land and thereby effectively removing it
 from federal jurisdiction.  But the circuit court decreed that the
 federal government couldn’t exchange federal lands for private lands in order
 to maintain the cross that has been the center of the Mojave Desert
 Veterans Memorial for three quarters of a century.  The American Legion
 is spearheading a nationwide effort to develop a grassroots groundswell
 of support to pass legislation in Congress that would amend federal law
 to prevent the use of the legal system in a manner that extorts money
 from state and local governments. 
“Passage of ‘The Veterans Memorials, Boy Scouts, Public Seals, and
 Other Public Expressions of Religion Protection Act of 2007’ (PERA) would
 prevent the ACLU from mugging America’s taxpayers in this manner,”
 Conatser said. “I hope all Americans who are angry about this, write their
 senators and representatives and demand that they pass PERA. The bills,
 H.R. 725 and S. 415 are languishing in the Judiciary Committees of both
 chambers. It’s time for Congress to make this public law, before other
 veterans’ memorials are literally desecrated at the whim of judges.”
  [Source:  AL Public Relations Division msg 10 Sep 07 ++]


VA CLAIM BACKLOG UPDATE 11:   Sen. Daniel Akaka, Chairman of the
 Veterans' Affairs Committee has expressed concern about a report from the
 Department of Veterans Affairs Inspector General (OIG) that says VA
 repeatedly understated data on waiting times for injured veterans seeking
 medical care. Chairman Akaka said that the Inspector General's report
 demonstrates VA "continues to skew" information reported to Congress that
 nearly all primary and specialty care appointments were scheduled within
 30 days or less.  He called the report on patient waiting times
 "disturbing," especially in light of the fact that a similar report on wait
 times was issued by the OIG in 2005. The OIG report contradicts VA
 claims that 96% of all veterans seeking primary care and 95% of all veterans
 seeking specialty care were seen within 30 days of their desired
 dates.  The OIG found that veterans waited 30 days or less for only 75% of
 them. Additionally, OIG found VA's electronic waiting lists were
 incomplete, with 10 facilities understating lists by more than 53,000
 veterans, of whom 62% had waited more than 30 days for a scheduled appointment.
  The chairman noted that VA's underreporting of waiting times and
 backlog volumes makes it harder to identify problem facilities and allocate
 resources effectively. The OIG examined 700 outpatient appointments
 for primary and specialty care scheduled for OCT 06 at 10 VA medical
 facilities in the following cities: Atlanta; Birmingham; Columbia; San
 Antonio; Dallas; Temple, Texas; Cincinnati; Detroit; Indianapolis; and
 Chillicothe, Ohio. For more info refer to the OIG report at www.va.gov/oig.
  [Source: NAUS Weekly Update 14 Sep 07 ++]


DISABLED VET LIFETIME TRICARE COVERAGE:   The Bush administration will
 ask Congress to provide lifetime Tricare coverage to any servicemember
 discharged as “unfit” due to service-related physical or mental health
 conditions, said Donna Shalala, co-chair of the President’s Commission
 on Care for America’s Returning Wounded Warriors. The Tricare change
 will be one of the most expensive initiatives in a legislative package
 the White House will send to Congress by the end of SEP 07. The package
 is to implement key recommendations of the wounded warrior panel, also
 known as the Dole-Shalala Commission.  The Tricare proposal, if enacted
 into law, would open military health care to a wave of new
 beneficiaries, potentially as many as 9,000 to 10,000 newly disabled veterans each
 year plus families. The Dole-Shalala commission report, released in JUL
 07, said the Tricare change should apply only to servicemembers
 separated for combat-related disabilities. But White House officials, at the
 urging of Defense officials and service associations, have decided to
 ask Congress to extend lifetime Tricare coverage to all medically
 discharged veterans.  Shalala said the White House will propose that the
 Tricare expansion be applied retroactively to veterans medically separated
 since 2001. Shalala didn’t mention a specific retroactive date, but
 Congress two years ago made eligibility for traumatic injury insurance
 retroactive to 7 OCT 01, the day U.S. forces invaded Afghanistan and began
 the global war on terrorism.

     Under current law, members are separated rather than retired if
 found unfit for duty because of conditions rated below 20 percent
 disabling. They receive a disability severance award rather than retired pay.
 Because they are not “retirees,” they and their families are ineligible
 for lifetime Tricare coverage. They can get VA health care, but family
 members cannot. From 2000 to 2006, an average of 9,600 servicemembers
 a year were separated as medically unfit with disability ratings of 20%
 or less, according to statistics gathered by the Veterans’ Disability
 Benefits Commission, which is due to release its report on 3 OCT.
 Nearly nine of 10 disabled soldiers were separated rather than retired.
 Sixty-four percent of sailors with disabilities, 73 percent of disabled
 airmen and 82 percent of disabled Marines also were released with ratings
 of 20 percent or less. Shalala and her co-chairman, retired Sen. Robert
 Dole, said six of 34 action steps that their commission recommends
 requires legislation. They urged lawmakers to enact the White House
 initiatives this fall if possible. In addition to expanding Tricare, they
 said, Congress should:

1.) Authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide
 lifetime treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder to any veteran deployed
 to Iraq or Afghanistan who seeks treatment.
2.) Strengthen support for military families caring for wounded
 warriors by making them eligible for Tricare-provided respite care and aid
 and attendant benefits.
3.) Amend the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) so that families of
 combat-injured servicemembers see unpaid leave protection extended from
 the current limit of 12 weeks to up to 6 months.

Dole said, “End the dual Department of Defense and VA disability
 systems, by giving DOD responsibility only for finding a member unfit for
 duty. DOD should pay disabled members an immediate lifetime annuity based
 on rank and years of service. The revised VA disability pay system
 should include a monthly transition payment, perhaps equal to final
 military basic pay. That would be replaced after the veteran settles into
 civilian life with payment to replace reduced earnings tied to their level
 of disability and payable until age 65. Veterans also should get a
 lifetime quality-of-life payment to compensate for life effects of their
 disabilities.” The commission gave no amounts for these payments, leaving
 that for the Bush administration and Congress to decide. Congress
 shouldn’t worry about the cost, Dole added. “My view was if we spent
 billions and billons and billions of dollars on getting young men and women
 in harm’s way, we ought to spend what it takes to get them back to
 nearly a normal life as possible.”  [Source: Stars and Stripes Tom Philpotts
 article 22 Sep 07 ++]


MONTANA VET CEMETERY UPDATE 01:   The U.S. Department of Veterans
 Affairs has awarded more than $4 million to begin construction on the
 Western Montana State Veterans Cemetery in Missoula MT.  The money will be
 used for the first phase of the cemetery's construction and the agency
 has agreed to pay any additional costs associated with the 23-acre
 cemetery. Plans call for an operations and equipment building, a local
 veterans services office and another building with visitor information and
 restrooms. Groundbreaking is expected this fall. Democratic U.S. Sens.
 Max Baucus and Jon Tester noted that Missoula-area veterans worked for
 six years to get funding for the project.  Shortly after Tester was named
 to the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, organizers asked him for
 help in cutting through some red tape stalling the project.  Tester wrote
 to and met with VA Secretary James Nicholson to ask for help.  "I
 really appreciate it when you sit down with people and they respond
 appropriately,'' Tester said this spring in announcing the project's approval.
 "That means government is working for us.''  The new cemetery will be
 open to any veteran who was honorably discharged from the Armed Forces
 and to his or her spouse. Montana also has state veterans' cemeteries in
 Helena and Miles City. [Source: Great Falls Tribune article 20 Sep 07
 ++]


VA DATA BREACH UPDATE 37:  Veterans’ personal data and health
 information remain at risk of identity theft because the Veterans Affairs
 Department has yet to implement several safety measures, government
 investigators said. The report by the Government Accountability Office, released
 19 SEP, comes more than a year after the VA pledged renewed security
 efforts after the loss of personal information for 26.5 million veterans
 and active-duty personnel. It found that VA had not yet fully secured
 access to its computer network and department facilities nor worked to
 ensure that only authorized changes and updates to VA computer programs
 were made. Moreover, VA has operated without a chief information
 security officer JUN 06 to oversee changes and still lacks clear and
 adequate procedures for quickly notifying veterans when their sensitive data
 is lost, the report said. “Because these recommendations have not yet
 been implemented, unnecessary risk exists that the personal information
 of veterans and others, such as medical providers, will be exposed to
 data tampering, fraud and inappropriate disclosure,” investigators said.
 Responding, VA Deputy Secretary Gordon Mansfield said he generally
 agreed with the findings but insisted that VA’s data security was legally
 adequate. Many of the recommendations, which were proposed a year ago by
 the GAO and VA inspector general, were in the process of being
 implemented, he said. “VA has taken aggressive and proactive measures that
 are, or were at the time, above and beyond legal requirements, such as
 mandating encryption of sensitive data accessed remotely or used outside
 VA facilities,” Mansfield wrote.

     In MAY 06, VA stunned the veteran community when it announced that
 thieves had stolen a computer hard drive containing millions of names,
 Social Security numbers and birth dates from a VA employee’s Maryland
 home. The hard drive was eventually recovered intact, but not until
 after VA suffered blistering criticism from Congress for waiting more than
 two weeks to call in the FBI. VA Secretary Jim Nicholson, who wasn’t
 immediately informed either, said he was outraged and pledged to make VA
 the gold standard in data security. “The security regimen at VA has
 been totally revised,” Nicholson, who stepped down 1 OCT, reported to
 Congress in late SEP. “I believe that this reorganization, and the
 modification and strengthening of our regulations governing IT, its use, and
 its security will minimize the risk of a significant data loss in the
 future.” The GAO said 19 SEP, VA had made progress by developing a plan
 to correct identified weaknesses in its information technology system,
 requiring security and privacy training for VA employees, and providing
 regular reports to the VA secretary. But significant gaps remain
 because responsibility for overseeing VA data security is split among several
 offices and no clear process exists for the officials to work
 together. The GAO cited last January’s threat of identity theft for 1.8 million
 veterans and physicians after a backup hard drive with their Social
 Security numbers went missing from a research site in Birmingham AL.
 Medical providers involved in the incident were not notified until 85 days
 after the data loss because VA did not have clear plans in place for
 coordinating with other agencies, which in this case was the Department
 of Health and Human Services. “Until VA addresses recommendations to
 resolve identified weaknesses, it will have limited assurance that it can
 adequately protect its systems and information,” the GAO said.
  [Source: NavyTimes Hope Yen article 19 SEP 07 ++]


SOUTH DAKOTA VETERANS BONUS UPDATE 02:   The State of South Dakota is
 paying a veterans bonus of up to $500 to certain servicemembers based on
 monthly service during qualifying dates. Bonuses are available to
 servicemembers who:

-- Were legal residents of the State for at least six months
 immediately preceding entry into the Armed Forces.
-- Are currently on active duty or were honorably discharged from the
 Armed Forces.
-- Served on active duty during one of the following periods.

a. For service between Mar. 4, 1991, and Sept. 10, 2001, payment will
 be made to those who served in an imminent danger pay area or were
 awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal,
 Kosovo Campaign Medal or any other United States campaign or service
 medal awarded for participation in combat operations against hostile
 forces.
b. All active duty service between the dates of Sept. 11, 2001, and a
 date to be determined qualifies for a bonus payment.  This program also
 allows payment for active duty servicemembers during the Operation
 Desert Storm dates of Aug. 2, 1990, to Mar. 3, 1991.

Application forms may be obtained by writing to: SD Veterans Bonus, 500
 E. Capitol, Pierre, SD 57501, or by calling (605) 773-7251.  Forms can
 also be requested by e-mail by writing to john.fette@state.sd.us.
  Writers should include their service branch and dates of service, street
 or post office box number, city, State and zip code.  South Dakota
 residents can apply through the nearest county or tribal veterans service
 officer.  [Source: NAUS Weekly Update 21 Sep 07 ++]

COLA 2008 UPDATE 07:  A steep drop in energy prices heavily influenced
 the continued decrease in the August Consumer Price Index (CPI), the
 measure used to determine the annual cost of living adjustments (COLAs)
  for military retired pay, Social Security, and other federal annuities.
 On 19 SEP the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced the August CPI
 value, indicating that inflation decreased 0.2% from the July figure. That
 means inflation has risen a cumulative 2.1% for the first 11 months of
 FY2007. Last month it was reported that based on past years'
 experience, the COLA could be in the 2.3% to 2.5% range for 2008. With continued
 deflation in August we'll have to modify our prediction. This is the
 only year during the last three decades that inflation decreased in both
 July and August. September may bring an increase, but expect a COLA in
 the 2.0% to 2.3% realm for 2008. The Bureau of Labor Statistics
 announced that the September CPI value (the final value needed to calculate
 the 2008 COLA) will be announced on 17 OCT. For more information refer to
 MOAA's Website http://moaaonline.org/ct/Odwy1DS1mmnc/. [Source: MOAA
 Leg Update 21 Sep 07 ++]


MILITARY ID CARDS (RETIREE) UPDATE 01:  A single form of identification
 is no longer sufficient for retiree ID card renewals at issuing sites
 using updated software for the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting
 System/Realtime Automated Personnel Identification System. Retirees
 and their dependents need to provide a primary photo form of
 identification and a secondary non-photo form of identification. Examples of photo
 IDs: military ID card; driver's license; federal, state or local
 government ID; U.S. or foreign passport; and foreign national ID. Examples of
 non-photo IDs: Social Security card; voter registration card; birth
 certificate; U.S. citizen ID card (INS I-97); school record or report
 card: clinic, doctor, or hospital record; and a day care or nursery
 record. ID cards for retirees need updating only if the card was lost, stolen
 or damaged, or if the retiree undergoes a change in status. Retirees'
 family members and survivors age 75 or over may receive a permanent ID
 card.  [Source: Armed Forces News 21 SEP 07 ++]


VA HEADSTONES & MARKERS UPDATE 01:   The Department of Veterans Affairs
 (VA) published a final rule to amend VA regulations applicable to
 Government-furnished headstones or markers for placement in a national,
 State veterans, or private cemetery. The final rule specifies that a
 veteran's spouse or surviving spouse, whose remains are unavailable for
 burial, and who died after 11 NOV 98 is eligible for a memorial headstone
 or marker for placement in a national or State veterans cemetery. This
 final rule also specifies that a veteran's dependent child, whose
 remains are unavailable for burial, and who died after 22 DEC 06 is eligible
 for a memorial headstone or marker for placement in a national or State
 veterans cemetery. Lastly, this final rule extends for 1 year the
 authority to provide a Government-furnished headstone or marker for already
 marked graves of eligible veterans whose deaths occurred on or after
 11 SEP 01 for placement in private cemeteries. This final rule is
 necessary to incorporate statutory amendments into VA regulations. [Source:
 Federal Record 19 SEP 07 ++]


PASSPORT OBTAINMENT UPDATE 02:   Congressman John Carter (TX-31)
 reminded U.S. citizens traveling in the Western Hemisphere that the temporary
 Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) accommodation allowing
 U.S. citizens to travel by air using a Department of State (DOS) official
 proof of passport application receipt ended at midnight on 30 SEP 07.
  Effective 1 OCT 07 U.S. citizens traveling by air to Canada, Mexico,
 the Caribbean and Bermuda must present a passport or other WHTI-compliant
 document to enter or depart from the United States. U.S. citizens who
 depart the country under the proof of application accommodation prior
 to 1 OCT will be readmitted with these same documents if returning to
 the United States after 30 SEP. Currently, citizens traveling by vehicle
 or on a cruise across the border to Mexico or Canada do not need a
 passport, but must show government-issued identification. U.S. citizens
 arriving by land and sea must prove that they are U.S. citizens. This rule
 may change as early as JAN 08, when the Departments of Homeland
 Security and State begin to implement the WHTI at land and sea ports of
 entry. For more information on passport regulations, visit www.dhs.gov.
  [Source: Federal Record 19 SEP 07 ++]


RETIREMENT TAX CONSIDERATIONS UPDATE 02:  Taxes on land and the
 buildings on it are the biggest source of revenue for local governments.  They
 are not imposed by states but by the tens of thousands of cities,
 townships, counties, school districts and other assessing jurisdictions.
 The state's role is to specify the maximum rate on the market value of
 the property, or a percentage of it, as the legal standard for the local
 assessors to follow.  The local assessor determines the value to be
 taxed. You can't escape property taxes in any state.  But you can find
 significantly low rates in certain parts of the country. Most states give
 residents over a certain age a break on their property taxes.  With
 some taxes, you'll need a relatively low income to qualify.  Forty states
 provide either property tax credits or homestead exemptions that limit
 the value of assessed property subject to tax. There may be other tax
 breaks available, depending on where you live.  All 50 states offer some
 type of property tax relief program, such as freezes that will lock in
 the assessed value of your property once you reach a certain age, or
 deferral of taxes until the homeowner moves or dies.  They ultimately
 have to be paid.  In addition, counties and municipalities often have
 their own property tax relief plans. Based on data from the 2002 census,
 the following five states have the lowest local property taxes per
 capita/year:  Arkansas ($191), Alabama ($285), Kentucky ($376), New Mexico
 ($380), and Oklahoma ($425). The states with the highest local property
 taxes per capita/year are: New Jersey ($1,871), Connecticut ($1,733),
 New York ($1,402), and Rhode Island ($1,369).

Property Tax Circuit Breaker - Retirees with low incomes and high
 housing costs may face property tax bills that are higher than they can
 manage.  Some states target property tax relief to those homeowners bearing
 the greatest burden.  Property tax reform that takes into account a
 homeowner's ability to pay, such as a so-called "property tax circuit
 breaker," can better protect low-income homeowners from rising property
 taxes that accompany rising property values.  Targeted property tax
 relief avoids sharp reductions in funding for locally provided public
 services and inequities based solely on date of purchase.  A property tax
 circuit breaker prevents property taxes from "overloading" a taxpayer.
 Under a typical circuit breaker, the state sets a maximum percentage of
 income that an eligible family can be expected to pay in property taxes.
 If property taxes exceed this limit, the state then provides a rebate
 or credit to the taxpayer. Currently, of the 31 states and the District
 of Columbia with circuit breakers for homeowners, only six and the
 District of Columbia permit all households to participate in the program
 without regard to age.
Other property tax relief strategies that may be used to target
 property tax relief include homestead exemptions which exempt a certain amount
 of a home's value from taxation, credits to rebate a certain
 percentage of taxes paid, and deferral programs to allow low-income elderly
 homeowners to defer payment of property taxes until property is sold.

Property Tax Swaps - More and more states are cutting property taxes in
 exchange for increases in sales or other taxes.  Idaho, New Jersey,
 South Carolina and Texas took this step in 2006.  In New Jersey the state
 increased the sales tax by one cent with half of it designated for
 property tax relief in 2006 and possibly the full amount in future years.
  Voters in Idaho also approved a one cent sales tax increase that
 reduces property taxes by $260 million.  South Carolina's Republican
 governor, Mark Sanford, signed a measure that promises to cut average
 property taxes by 60% and makes up the revenue by increasing the sales tax by
 one cent.  The revenue will be used to support the Homestead Exemption
 Fund.  In Texas the state lowered property taxes by increasing the
 taxes on cigarettes and some business activity.
Best and Worst States: Based on data from the 2002 census, the
 following five states have the lowest local property taxes per capita/year.
 They are Arkansas ($191), Alabama ($285), Kentucky ($376), New Mexico
 ($380), and Oklahoma ($425). The states with the highest local property
 taxes per capita/year are: New Jersey ($1,871), Connecticut ($1,733), New
 York ($1,402), and Rhode Island ($1,369).
[Source: www.retirementliving.com/RLtaxes.html Jul 07 ++]


110th CONGRESS U.S. HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES:  Want to call or see you
 congressman regarding legislation that affects your benefits or well
 being.  Following is an alphabetical listing of all House of
 Representative’s phone numbers and room assignments at the Capital:

1.  Members who have died or resigned appear in bold brackets.
2.  Room numbers with 3 digits are in the Cannon HOB, 4 digits
 beginning with 1 are in the Longworth HOB, 4 digits beginning with 2 are in the
 Rayburn HOB. Room assignments are effective January 4, 2007
3.  Incoming calls: Calls from the public may be made by dialing (202)
 22 plus the five-digit number listed in this directory.
4.  Democrats are indicated in roman; Republicans in italic; Resident
 Commissioner and Delegates in boldface.
5.  Compiled by KAREN L. HAAS, Clerk of the House
 http://clerk.house.gov Washington, DC 20515 January 1, 2007

Name                                                             
  Phone    Room
Abercrombie, Neil, 1st HI ................ 52726 1502
Ackerman, Gary L., 5th NY ............. 52601 2243
Aderholt, Robert B., 4th AL ............. 54876 1433
Akin, W. Todd, 2d MO ...................... 52561 117
Alexander, Rodney, 5th LA .............. 58490 316
Allen, Thomas H., 1st ME ................ 56116 1127
Altmire, Jason, 4th PA ..................... 52565 1419
Andrews, Robert E., 1st NJ ............. 56501 2439
Arcuri, Michael A., 24th NY ............ 53665 327
Baca, Joe, 43d CA ............................. 56161 1527
Bachmann, Michele, 6th MN ........... 52331 412
Bachus, Spencer, 6th AL .................. 54921 2246
Baird, Brian, 3d WA ......................... 53536 2443
Baker, Richard H., 6th LA ............... 53901 341
Baldwin, Tammy, 2d WI .................. 52906 2446
Barrett, J. Gresham, 3d SC .............. 55301 439
Barrow, John, 12th GA .................... 52823 213
Bartlett, Roscoe G., 6th MD ............. 52721 2412
Barton, Joe, 6th TX .......................... 52002 2109
Bean, Melissa L., 8th IL .................. 53711 318
Becerra, Xavier, 31st CA .................. 56235 1119
Berkley, Shelley, 1st NV .................. 55965 405
Berman, Howard L., 28th CA .......... 54695 2221
Berry, Marion, 1st AR ...................... 54076 2305
Biggert, Judy, 13th IL ...................... 53515 1034
Bilbray, Brian P., 50th CA .............. 55452 227
Bilirakis, Gus M., 9th FL ................. 55755 1630
Bishop, Rob, 1st UT .......................... 50453 124
Bishop, Sanford D., Jr., 2d GA ........ 53631 2429
Bishop, Timothy H., 1st NY ............. 53826 225
Blackburn, Marsha, 7th TN ............. 52811 509
Blumenauer, Earl, 3d OR ................. 54811 2267
Blunt, Roy, 7th MO .......................... 56536 217
Boehner, John A., 8th OH ................ 56205 1011
Bonner, Jo, 1st AL ............................ 54931 422
Bono, Mary, 45th CA ........................ 55330 104
Boozman, John, 3d AR ..................... 54301 1519
Bordallo, Madeleine Z., (Delegate) GU ..... 51188 427
Boren, Dan, 2d OK ........................... 52701 216
Boswell, Leonard L., 3d IA .............. 53806 1427
Boucher, Rick, 9th VA ...................... 53861 2187
Boustany, Charles W., Jr., 7th LA .. 52031 1117
Boyd, Allen, 2d FL ............................ 55235 1227
Boyda, Nancy E., 2d KS ................... 56601 1711
Brady, Kevin, 8th TX ........................ 54901 301
Brady, Robert A., 1st PA .................. 54731 206
Braley, Bruce L., 1st IA ................... 52911 1408
Brown, Corrine, 3d FL ..................... 50123 2336
Brown, Henry E., Jr., 1st SC ........... 53176 1124
Brown-Waite, Ginny, 5th FL ............ 51002 414
Buchanan, Vern, 13th FL ................. 55015 1516
Burgess, Michael C., 26th TX .......... 57772 1224
Burton, Dan, 5th IN ......................... 52276 2308
Butterfield, G. K., 1st NC ................ 53101 413
Buyer, Steve, 4th IN ......................... 55037 2230
Calvert, Ken, 44th CA ....................... 51986 2201
Camp, Dave, 4th MI ......................... 53561 137
Campbell, John, 48th CA ................. 55611 1728
Cannon, Chris, 3d UT ...................... 57751 2436
Cantor, Eric, 7th VA ......................... 52815 329
Capito, Shelley Moore, 2d WV ......... 52711 1431
Capps, Lois, 23d CA ......................... 53601 1110
Capuano, Michael E., 8th MA ......... 55111 1530
Cardoza, Dennis A., 18th CA ........... 56131 435
Carnahan, Russ, 3d MO ................... 52671 1710
Carney, Christopher P., 10th PA ..... 53731 416
Carson, Julia, 7th IN ........................ 54011 2455
Carter, John R., 31st TX .................. 53864 408
Castle, Michael N., At Large, DE .... 54165 1233
Castor, Kathy, 11th FL .................... 53376 317
Chabot, Steve, 1st OH ...................... 52216 129
Chandler, Ben, 6th KY ..................... 54706 1504
Christensen, Donna M., (Delegate) VI ..... 51790 1510
Clarke, Yvette D., 11th NY .............. 56231 1029
Clay, Wm. Lacy, 1st MO .................. 52406 434
Cleaver, Emanuel, 5th MO .............. 54535 1641
Clyburn, James E., 6th SC .............. 53315 2135
Coble, Howard, 6th NC .................... 53065 2468
Cohen, Steve, 9th TN ....................... 53265 1004
Cole, Tom, 4th OK ............................ 56165 236
Conaway, K. Michael, 11th TX ........ 53605 511
Conyers, John, Jr., 14th MI ............. 55126 2426
Cooper, Jim, 5th TN ......................... 54311 1536
Costa, Jim, 20th CA ......................... 53341 1314
Costello, Jerry F., 12th IL ................ 55661 2408
Courtney, Joe, 2d CT ........................ 52076 215
Cramer, Robert E. (Bud), Jr., 5th AL ..... 54801 2184
Crenshaw, Ander, 4th FL ................. 52501 127
Crowley, Joseph, 7th NY .................. 53965 2404
Cubin, Barbara, At Large, WY ........ 52311 1114
Cuellar, Henry, 28th TX ................... 51640 336
Culberson, John Abney, 7th TX ....... 52571 428
Cummings, Elijah E., 7th MD ......... 54741 2235
Davis, Artur, 7th AL ........................ 52665 208
Davis, Danny K., 7th IL ................... 55006 2159
Davis, David, 1st TN ........................ 56356 514
Davis, Geoff, 4th KY ......................... 53465 1108
Davis, Jo Ann, 1st VA ...................... 54261 1123
Davis, Lincoln, 4th TN ..................... 56831 410
Davis, Susan A., 53d CA .................. 52040 1526
Davis, Tom, 11th VA ........................ 51492 2348
Deal, Nathan, 9th GA ....................... 55211 2133
DeFazio, Peter A., 4th OR ............... 56416 2134
DeGette, Diana, 1st CO .................... 54431 2421
Delahunt, William D., 10th MA ...... 53111 2454
DeLauro, Rosa L., 3d CT .................. 53661 2262
Dent, Charles W., 15th PA ............... 56411 116
Diaz-Balart, Lincoln, 21st FL .......... 54211 2244
Diaz-Balart, Mario, 25th FL ............ 52778 328
Dicks, Norman D., 6th WA .............. 55916 2467
Dingell, John D., 15th MI ................ 54071 2328
Doggett, Lloyd, 25th TX ................... 54865 201
Donnelly, Joe, 2d IN ......................... 53915 1218
Doolittle, John T., 4th CA ................ 52511 2410
Doyle, Michael F., 14th PA .............. 52135 401
Drake, Thelma D., 2d VA ................. 54215 1208
Dreier, David, 26th CA ..................... 52305 233
Duncan, John J., Jr., 2d TN ............ 55435 2207
Edwards, Chet, 17th TX ................... 56105 2369
Ehlers, Vernon J., 3d MI .................. 53831 2182
Ellison, Keith, 5th MN ..................... 54755 1130
Ellsworth, Brad, 8th IN ................... 54636 513
Emanuel, Rahm, 5th IL ................... 54061 1319
Emerson, Jo Ann, 8th MO ............... 54404 2440
Engel, Eliot L., 17th NY ................... 52464 2161
English, Phil, 3d PA ......................... 55406 2332
Eshoo, Anna G., 14th CA ................. 58104 205
Etheridge, Bob, 2d NC ..................... 54531 1533
Everett, Terry, 2d AL ........................ 52901 2312
Faleomavaega, Eni F. H., (Delegate) AS ... 58577 2422
Fallin, Mary, 5th OK ........................ 52132 1432
Farr, Sam, 17th CA .......................... 52861 1221
Fattah, Chaka, 2d PA ....................... 54001 2301
Feeney, Tom, 24th FL ....................... 52706 323
Ferguson, Mike, 7th NJ .................... 55361 214
Filner, Bob, 51st CA ......................... 58045 2428
Flake, Jeff, 6th AZ ............................ 52635 240
Forbes, J. Randy, 4th VA ................. 56365 307
Fortenberry, Jeff, 1st NE .................. 54806 1517
Fortun˜ o, Luis G., (Resident Commissioner) PR ..... 52615 126
Fossella, Vito, 13th NY ..................... 53371 2453
Foxx, Virginia, 5th NC ..................... 52071 430
Frank, Barney, 4th MA .................... 55931 2252
Franks, Trent, 2d AZ ........................ 54576 1237
Frelinghuysen, Rodney P., 11th NJ 55034 2442
Gallegly, Elton, 24th CA .................. 55811 2309
Garrett, Scott, 5th NJ ....................... 54465 1318
Gerlach, Jim, 6th PA ........................ 54315 308
Giffords, Gabrielle, 8th AZ ............... 52542 502
Gilchrest, Wayne T., 1st MD ............ 55311 2245
Gillibrand, Kirsten E., 20th NY ...... 55614 120
Gillmor, Paul E., 5th OH ................. 56405 1203
Gingrey, Phil, 11th GA ..................... 52931 119
Gohmert, Louie, 1st TX .................... 53035 510
Gonzalez, Charles A., 20th TX ........ 53236 303
Goode, Virgil H., Jr., 5th VA ........... 54711 1520
Goodlatte, Bob, 6th VA ..................... 55431 2240
Gordon, Bart, 6th TN ....................... 54231 2310
Granger, Kay, 12th TX ..................... 55071 440
Graves, Sam, 6th MO ....................... 57041 1415
Green, Al, 9th TX .............................. 57508 425
Green, Gene, 29th TX ....................... 51688 2335
Grijalva, Rau´ l M., 7th AZ ................ 52435 1440
Gutierrez, Luis V., 4th IL ................ 58203 2266
Hall, John J., 19th NY ..................... 55441 1217
Hall, Ralph M., 4th TX .................... 56673 2405
Hare, Phil, 17th IL ........................... 55905 1118
Harman, Jane, 36th CA ................... 58220 2400
Hastert, J. Dennis, 14th IL .............. 52976 2304
Hastings, Alcee L., 23d FL ............... 51313 2353
Hastings, Doc, 4th WA ..................... 55816 1214
Hayes, Robin, 8th NC ....................... 53715 130
Heller, Dean, 2d NV .......................... 56155 1023
Hensarling, Jeb, 5th TX ................... 53484 132
Herger, Wally, 2d CA ........................ 53076 2268
Herseth, Stephanie, At Large, SD ... 52801 331
Higgins, Brian, 27th NY .................. 53306 431
Hill, Baron P., 9th IN ....................... 55315 223
Hinchey, Maurice D., 22d NY .......... 56335 2431
Hinojosa, Rube´n, 15th TX ................ 52531 2463
Hirono, Mazie K., 2d HI ................... 54906 1229
Hobson, David L., 7th OH ............... 54324 2346
Hodes, Paul W., 2d NH .................... 55206 506
Hoekstra, Peter, 2d MI ...................... 54401 2234
Holden, Tim, 17th PA ....................... 55546 2417
Holt, Rush D., 12th NJ .................... 55801 1019
Honda, Michael M., 15th CA ........... 52631 1713
Hooley, Darlene, 5th OR .................. 55711 2430
Hoyer, Steny H., 5th MD ................. 54131 1705
Hulshof, Kenny C., 9th MO .............. 52956 409
Hunter, Duncan, 52d CA .................. 55672 2265
Inglis, Bob, 4th SC ............................ 56030 330
Inslee, Jay, 1st WA ........................... 56311 403
Israel, Steve, 2d NY .......................... 53335 432
Issa, Darrell E., 49th CA .................. 53906 211
Jackson, Jesse L., Jr., 2d IL ............ 50773 2419
Jackson-Lee, Sheila, 18th TX .......... 53816 2435
Jefferson, William J., 2d LA ............ 56636 2113
Jindal, Bobby, 1st LA ....................... 53015 1205
Johnson, Eddie Bernice, 30th TX .... 58885 1511
Johnson, Henry C. ‘‘Hank’’, Jr., 4th GA .... 51605 1133
Johnson, Sam, 3d TX ....................... 54201 1211
Johnson, Timothy V., 15th IL .......... 52371 1207
Jones, Stephanie Tubbs, 11th OH ... 57032 1009
Jones, Walter B., 3d NC ................... 53415 2333
Jordan, Jim, 4th OH ........................ 52676 515
Kagen, Steve, 8th WI ....................... 55665 1232
Kanjorski, Paul E., 11th PA ............ 56511 2188
Kaptur, Marcy, 9th OH .................... 54146 2186
Keller, Ric, 8th FL ............................ 52176 419
Kennedy, Patrick J., 1st RI .............. 54911 407
Kildee, Dale E., 5th MI .................... 53611 2107
Kilpatrick, Carolyn C., 13th MI ...... 52261 2264
Kind, Ron, 3d WI .............................. 55506 1406
King, Peter T., 3d NY ....................... 57896 339
King, Steve, 5th IA ............................ 54426 1609
Kingston, Jack, 1st GA ..................... 55831 2368
Kirk, Mark Steven, 10th IL .............. 54835 1030
Klein, Ron, 22d FL ........................... 53026 313
Kline, John, 2d MN .......................... 52271 1429
Knollenberg, Joe, 9th MI .................. 55802 2349
Kucinich, Dennis J., 10th OH .......... 55871 2445
Kuhl, John R. ‘‘Randy’’, Jr., 29th NY ..... 53161 1505
LaHood, Ray, 18th IL ....................... 56201 1424
Lamborn, Doug, 5th CO ................... 54422 437
Lampson, Nick, 22d TX .................... 55951 436
Langevin, James R., 2d RI ............... 52735 109
Lantos, Tom, 12th CA ...................... 53531 2413
Larsen, Rick, 2d WA ......................... 52605 107
Larson, John B., 1st CT ................... 52265 1005
Latham, Tom, 4th IA ........................ 55476 2447
LaTourette, Steven C., 14th OH ....... 55731 2371
Lee, Barbara, 9th CA ....................... 52661 2444
Levin, Sander M., 12th MI .............. 54961 1236
Lewis, Jerry, 41st CA ....................... 55861 2112
Lewis, John, 5th GA ......................... 53801 343
Lewis, Ron, 2d KY ............................ 53501 2418
Linder, John, 7th GA ....................... 54272 1026
Lipinski, Daniel, 3d IL ..................... 55701 1717
LoBiondo, Frank A., 2d NJ .............. 56572 2427
Loebsack, David, 2d IA ..................... 56576 1513
Lofgren, Zoe, 16th CA ...................... 53072 102
Lowey, Nita M., 18th NY ................. 56506 2329
Lucas, Frank D., 3d OK ................... 55565 2311
Lungren, Daniel E., 3d CA ............... 55716 2448
Lynch, Stephen F., 9th MA .............. 58273 221
McCarthy, Carolyn, 4th NY ............. 55516 106
McCarthy, Kevin, 22d CA ................. 52915 1523
McCaul, Michael T., 10th TX .......... 52401 131
McCollum, Betty, 4th MN ................ 56631 1714
McCotter, Thaddeus G., 11th MI ..... 58171 1632
McCrery, Jim, 4th LA ....................... 52777 242
McDermott, Jim, 7th WA ................. 53106 1035
McGovern, James P., 3d MA ........... 56101 438
McHenry, Patrick T., 10th NC ......... 52576 224
McHugh, John M., 23d NY .............. 54611 2366
McIntyre, Mike, 7th NC ................... 52731 2437
McKeon, Howard P. ‘‘Buck’’, 25th CA ..... 51956 2351
McMorris Rodgers, Cathy, 5th WA .. 52006 1708
McNerney, Jerry, 11th CA ............... 51947 312
McNulty, Michael R., 21st NY ......... 55076 2210
Mack, Connie, 14th FL ..................... 52536 115
Mahoney, Tim, 16th FL .................... 55792 1541
Maloney, Carolyn B., 14th NY ......... 57944 2331
Manzullo, Donald A., 16th IL .......... 55676 2228
Marchant, Kenny, 24th TX ............... 56605 1037
Markey, Edward J., 7th MA ............ 52836 2108
Marshall, Jim, 8th GA ...................... 56531 504
Matheson, Jim, 2d UT ...................... 53011 1323
Matsui, Doris O., 5th CA ................. 57163 222
Meehan, Martin T., 5th MA ............. 53411 2229
Meek, Kendrick B., 17th FL ............ 54506 1039
Meeks, Gregory W., 6th NY ............. 53461 2342
Melancon, Charlie, 3d LA ................ 54031 404
Mica, John L., 7th FL ...................... 54035 2313
Michaud, Michael H., 2d ME ........... 56306 1724
Millender-McDonald, Juanita, 37th CA ..... 57924 2233
Miller, Brad, 13th NC ...................... 53032 1722
Miller, Candice S., 10th MI ............. 52106 228
Miller, Gary G., 42d CA ................... 53201 2438
Miller, George, 7th CA ..................... 52095 2205
Miller, Jeff, 1st FL ............................ 54136 1535
Mitchell, Harry E., 5th AZ ............... 52190 2434
Mollohan, Alan B., 1st WV .............. 54172 2302
Moore, Dennis, 3d KS ....................... 52865 1727
Moore, Gwen, 4th WI ....................... 54572 1239
Moran, James P., 8th VA ................. 54376 2239
Moran, Jerry, 1st KS ........................ 52715 2202
Murphy, Christopher S., 5th CT ..... 54476 501
Murphy, Patrick J., 8th PA ............. 54276 1007
Murphy, Tim, 18th PA ..................... 52301 322
Murtha, John P., 12th PA ................ 52065 2423
Musgrave, Marilyn N., 4th CO ........ 54676 1507
Myrick, Sue Wilkins, 9th NC ........... 51976 230
Nadler, Jerrold, 8th NY ................... 55635 2334
Napolitano, Grace F., 38th CA ........ 55256 1610
Neal, Richard E., 2d MA .................. 55601 2208
Neugebauer, Randy, 19th TX ........... 54005 429
Norton, Eleanor Holmes, (Delegate) DC .... 58050 2136
Norwood, Charlie, 10th GA .............. 54101 2104
Nunes, Devin, 21st CA ...................... 52523 1013
Oberstar, James L., 8th MN ............ 56211 2365
Obey, David R., 7th WI .................... 53365 2314
Olver, John W., 1st MA .................... 55335 1111
Ortiz, Solomon P., 27th TX .............. 57742 2110
Pallone, Frank, Jr., 6th NJ .............. 54671 237
Pascrell, Bill, Jr., 8th NJ ................. 55751 2464
Pastor, Ed, 4th AZ ............................ 54065 2465
Paul, Ron, 14th TX ........................... 52831 203
Payne, Donald M., 10th NJ ............. 53436 2209
Pearce, Stevan, 2d NM ..................... 52365 1607
Pelosi, Nancy, 8th CA ....................... 54965 235
Pence, Mike, 6th IN .......................... 53021 1317
Perlmutter, Ed, 7th CO .................... 52645 415
Peterson, Collin C., 7th MN ............. 52165 2211
Peterson, John E., 5th PA ................ 55121 123
Petri, Thomas E., 6th WI ................. 52476 2462
Pickering, Charles W. ‘‘Chip’’, 3d MS .... 55031 229
Pitts, Joseph R., 16th PA ................. 52411 420
Platts, Todd Russell, 19th PA .......... 55836 1032
Poe, Ted, 2d TX ................................. 56565 1605
Pomeroy, Earl, At Large, ND .......... 52611 1501
Porter, Jon C., 3d NV ....................... 53252 218
Price, David E., 4th NC .................... 51784 2162
Price, Tom, 6th GA ........................... 54501 424
Pryce, Deborah, 15th OH .................. 52015 320
Putnam, Adam H., 12th FL ............. 51252 1725
Radanovich, George, 19th CA .......... 54540 2367
Rahall, Nick J., II, 3d WV ............... 53452 2307
Ramstad, Jim, 3d MN ...................... 52871 103
Rangel, Charles B., 15th NY ........... 54365 2354
Regula, Ralph, 16th OH ................... 53876 2306
Rehberg, Dennis R., At Large, MT .. 53211 516
Reichert, David G., 8th WA ............. 57761 1223
Renzi, Rick, 1st AZ ........................... 52315 418
Reyes, Silvestre, 16th TX ................. 54831 2433
Reynolds, Thomas M., 26th NY ....... 55265 332
Rodriguez, Ciro D., 23d TX .............. 54511 2458
Rogers, Harold, 5th KY .................... 54601 2406
Rogers, Mike, 3d AL .......................... 53261 324
Rogers, Mike, 8th MI ........................ 54872 133
Rohrabacher, Dana, 46th CA ........... 52415 2300
Roskam, Peter J., 6th IL .................. 54561 507
Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana, 18th FL ......... 53931 2160
Ross, Mike, 4th AR ........................... 53772 314
Rothman, Steven R., 9th NJ ............ 55061 2303
Roybal-Allard, Lucille, 34th CA ....... 51766 2330
Royce, Edward R., 40th CA ............. 54111 2185
Ruppersberger, C. A. Dutch, 2d MD 53061 1730
Rush, Bobby L., 1st IL ..................... 54372 2416
Ryan, Paul, 1st WI ........................... 53031 1113
Ryan, Tim, 17th OH ......................... 55261 1421
Salazar, John T., 3d CO ................... 54761 1531
Sali, Bill, 1st ID ................................ 56611 508
Sa´nchez, Linda T., 39th CA ............. 56676 1222
Sanchez, Loretta, 47th CA ............... 52965 1230
Sarbanes, John P., 3d MD ............... 54016 426
Saxton, Jim, 3d NJ ........................... 54765 2217
Schakowsky, Janice D., 9th IL ........ 52111 1027
Schiff, Adam B., 29th CA ................. 54176 326
Schmidt, Jean, 2d OH ...................... 53164 238
Schwartz, Allyson Y., 13th PA ......... 56111 423
Scott, David, 13th GA ....................... 52939 417
Scott, Robert C. ‘‘Bobby’’, 3d VA ...... 58351 1201
Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr., 5th WI ..... 55101 2449
Serrano, Jose´ E., 16th NY ................ 54361 2227
Sessions, Pete, 32d TX ...................... 52231 1514
Sestak, Joe, 7th PA ........................... 52011 1022
Shadegg, John B., 3d AZ .................. 53361 306
Shays, Christopher, 4th CT .............. 55541 1126
Shea-Porter, Carol, 1st NH .............. 55456 1508
Sherman, Brad, 27th CA .................. 55911 2242
Shimkus, John, 19th IL ................... 55271 2452
Shuler, Heath, 11th NC ................... 56401 512
Shuster, Bill, 9th PA ........................ 52431 204
Simpson, Michael K., 2d ID ............. 55531 1339
Sires, Albio, 13th NJ ........................ 57919 1024
Skelton, Ike, 4th MO ........................ 52876 2206
Slaughter, Louise McIntosh, 28th NY ..... 53615 2469
Smith, Adam, 9th WA ...................... 58901 2402
Smith, Adrian, 3d NE ...................... 56435 503
Smith, Christopher H., 4th NJ ........ 53765 2373
Smith, Lamar S., 21st TX ................ 54236 2409
Snyder, Vic, 2d AR ............................ 52506 1330
Solis, Hilda L., 32d CA ..................... 55464 1414
Souder, Mark E., 3d IN .................... 54436 2231
Space, Zachary T., 18th OH ............. 56265 315
Spratt, John M., Jr., 5th SC ............ 55501 1401
Stark, Fortney Pete, 13th CA .......... 55065 239
Stearns, Cliff, 6th FL ....................... 55744 2370
Stupak, Bart, 1st MI ........................ 54735 2352
Sullivan, John, 1st OK ..................... 52211 114
Sutton, Betty, 13th OH .................... 53401 1721
Tancredo, Thomas G., 6th CO ......... 57882 1131
Tanner, John S., 8th TN .................. 54714 1226
Tauscher, Ellen O., 10th CA ............ 51880 2459
Taylor, Gene, 4th MS ....................... 55772 2269
Terry, Lee, 2d NE .............................. 54155 1524
Thompson, Bennie G., 2d MS .......... 55876 2432
Thompson, Mike, 1st CA .................. 53311 231
Thornberry, Mac, 13th TX ................ 53706 2457
Tiahrt, Todd, 4th KS ........................ 56216 2441
Tiberi, Patrick J., 12th OH .............. 55355 113
Tierney, John F., 6th MA ................. 58020 2238
Towns, Edolphus, 10th NY .............. 55936 2232
Turner, Michael R., 3d OH .............. 56465 1740
Udall, Mark, 2d CO .......................... 52161 100
Udall, Tom, 3d NM ........................... 56190 1410
Upton, Fred, 6th MI ......................... 53761 2183
Van Hollen, Chris, 8th MD .............. 55341 1707
Vela´zquez, Nydia M., 12th NY ........ 52361 2466
Visclosky, Peter J., 1st IN ................ 52461 2256
Walberg, Timothy, 7th MI ................ 56276 325
Walden, Greg, 2d OR ........................ 56730 1210
Walsh, James T., 25th NY ............... 53701 2372
Walz, Timothy J., 1st MN ................ 52472 1529
Wamp, Zach, 3d TN .......................... 53271 1436
Wasserman Schultz, Debbie, 20th FL .... 57931 118
Waters, Maxine, 35th CA ................. 52201 2344
Watson, Diane E., 33d CA ............... 57084 125
Watt, Melvin L., 12th NC ................ 51510 2236
Waxman, Henry A., 30th CA ........... 53976 2204
Weiner, Anthony D., 9th NY ........... 56616 1122
Welch, Peter, At Large, VT .............. 54115 1404
Weldon, Dave, 15th FL ..................... 53671 2347
Weller, Jerry, 11th IL ....................... 53635 108
Westmoreland, Lynn A., 3d GA ........ 55901 1213
Wexler, Robert, 19th FL ................... 53001 2241
Whitfield, Ed, 1st KY ....................... 53115 2411
Wicker, Roger F., 1st MS .................. 54306 2350
Wilson, Charles A., 6th OH ............. 55705 226
Wilson, Heather, 1st NM .................. 56316 442
Wilson, Joe, 2d SC ............................ 52452 212
Wolf, Frank R., 10th VA .................. 55136 241
Woolsey, Lynn C., 6th CA ................ 55161 2263
Wu, David, 1st OR ............................ 50855 2338
Wynn, Albert Russell, 4th MD ........ 58699 2470
Yarmuth, John A., 3d KY ................ 55401 319
Young, C. W. Bill, 10th FL .............. 55961 2407
Young, Don, At Large, AK ............... 55765 2111

For complete contact info go to www.visi.com/juan/congress/index.html
 and fill in your home address to find your legislator’s political
 profile, committee membership,  distinct office address along with maps on
 how to get there, email/web site, local and DC Fax numbers, personal bio,
 and names of their key office staff members.  [Various:  Jan 07 ++]


VETERAN LEGISLATION STATUS 30 SEP 07:   For a listing of Congressional
 bills of interest to the veteran community that have been introduced in
 the 110th Congress refer to the Bulletin attachment.  By clicking on
 the bill number indicated you can access the actual legislative language
 of the bill and see if your representative has signed on as a
 cosponsor. Support of these bills through cosponsorship by other legislators is
 critical if they are ever going to move through the legislative
 process for a floor vote to become law.  A good indication on that likelihood
 is the number of cosponsors who have signed onto the bill. A cosponsor
 is a member of Congress who has joined one or more other members in
 his/her chamber (i.e. House or Senate) to sponsor a bill or amendment.
 The member who introduces the bill is considered the sponsor.  Members
 subsequently signing on are called cosponsors. Any number of members may
 cosponsor a bill in the House or Senate. At http://thomas.loc.gov you
 can also review a copy of each bill, determine its current status, the
 committee it has been assigned to, and if your legislator is a sponsor
 or cosponsor of it.  To determine what bills, amendments your
 representative has sponsored, cosponsored, or dropped sponsorship on refer to
 http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d110/sponlst.html.  The key to increasing
 cosponsorship on veteran related bills is letting our representatives know
 of veteran’s feelings on issues.  At the end of some listed bills is a
 web link that can be used to do that. Otherwise, you can locate on
 http://thomas.loc.gov who your representative is and his/her phone
 number, mailing address, or email/website to communicate with a message or
 letter of your own making.  [Source: RAO Bulletin Attachment 30 Sep 07
 ++] 

Lt. James "EMO" Tichacek, USN (Ret)
Director, Retiree Assistance Office, U.S. Embassy Warden & IRS VITA
 Baguio City RP
PSC 517 Box RCB, FPO AP 96517
Tel: (760) 839-9003 when in U.S. & Cell: 0915-361-3503 when in
 Philippines.
Email: raoemo@sbcglobal.net Web:
 http://post_119_gulfport_ms.tripod.com/rao1.html
AL/AMVETS/DAV/FRA/NAUS/NCOA/MOAA/USDR/VFW/VVA/CG33/DD890/AD37 member

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