Barack Obama

Senators press on for vets' benefits

Friday, April 15, 2005

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
By Rudolph Bush

Durbin, Obama decry inaction by VA official

WASHINGTON -- Increasingly frustrated at Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson's response to the comparatively low benefits awarded to Illinois' disabled vets, Illinois Sens. Dick Durbin and Barack Obama fired off a terse letter to him Thursday, insisting that he meet with them before he visits the state next week.

Durbin and Obama, both Democrats, have embraced the issue of benefits disparity after learning that Illinois' disabled veterans receive among the lowest benefits in the country.

Obama said he voted to confirm Nicholson's nomination for the veterans post "because Secretary Nicholson assured me that he would promptly investigate the issue and come to Illinois to report his findings."

Obama is particularly frustrated that Nicholson's planned trip to Illinois next Friday will be his second to the state since his confirmation, but that he has yet to participate in a large scale, public "listening session" with veterans.

"This is going to be yet another visit in which he is not making himself available on this issue," Obama said.

In his first trip in early March, Nicholson met with House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and a roundtable of veterans, Veterans Affairs spokeswoman Jurita Barber said.

That meeting was private. Obama and Durbin are calling for a wider audience with all interested disabled veterans given the opportunity to participate.

The senators also are upset that Nicholson has not scheduled a meeting with them to discuss the department's investigation into the benefits disparities.

Barber said there are no plans to meet with Obama or Durbin prior to his trip despite their request.

The report Obama and Durbin had expected to receive by now isn't ready yet, she said.

Obama insisted on seeing some results from the inquiry.

"If they have not completed their report, we want an interim report. That is not too much to ask for," he said.

Barber said no interim report is expected.