Washington D.C. Office
713 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-2854
(202) 228-4260 fax
(202 228-1404 TDD
Email our office

Chicago Office
John C. Kluczynski Federal Office Building
230 South Dearborn St.
Suite 3900 (39th floor)
Chicago, Illinois 60604
(312) 886-3506
(312) 886-3514 fax
Toll free: (866) 445-2520
(for IL residents only)

Springfield Office
607 East Adams Street
Springfield, Illinois 62701
(217) 492-5089
(217) 492-5099 fax

Marion Office
701 North Court Street
Marion, Illinois 62959
(618) 997-2402
(618) 997-2850 fax

Moline Office
1911 52nd Avenue
Moline, Illinois 61265
(309)736-1217
(309)736-1233 fax

Illinois Senators Hold Hearing On Veterans' Benefits

Thursday, July 7, 2005

NBC 5 WMAQ

Benefit Payouts To Illinois Veterans Increase

CHICAGO -- Illinois U.S. Sens. Barack Obama and Dick Durbin heard testimony on Wednesday about the benefits for the state's veterans.

Illinois' U.S. senators held a hearing on Wednesday to see if veterans are receiving their due when they come home from war.

Officials from the VA told the senators that conditions have improved substantially, but there are worries that conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are about to flood the already-overburdened system, NBC5's Phil Rogers reported.

"I don't want the men and women risking their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan to be greeted by a system that tells them, 'Thanks for fighting for your country, now take a number,'" Obama said.

The VA already serves more than 5 million veterans from conflicts like Vietnam, Rogers reported. Last week, a congressional report stated that the agency is under funded by at least $1 billion.

Stephen Harris, who told the committee that his hands were crushed in an on-duty accident in 1974, said his VA claim still hasn't been satisfied more than 30 years later.

"It's supposed to be erring on the side of the veteran," Durbin said. "It certainly didn't do that for Mr. Harris."

"I don't feel betrayed by my country -- I love my country," Harris said. "But I feel betrayed by the system."

Other veterans told the committee that some in the Chicago office almost automatically reject veterans claims. As proof, they claimed more than 60 percent of those rejections are actually bounced back to the Chicago office on appeal.

"If we had cars on the road, 60 percent of which were being recalled, the auto manufactuer would go out of business," said veterans' advocate Al Lynch.

The Chicago office, which once ranked 50th in the nation, now ranks in the upper half of benefit payouts, Rogers reported.

Chicago VA officials said they've put on more staff and insist services have improved, Rogers reported. The senators applauded that but said returning veterans deserve a quicker hearing, and a more lenient approach. VA officials promised to meet within the next week with veterans' advocates to determine who is rejecting so many claims.

"You should see this as an opportunity to improve the management of your office," Obama said.