Jay Inslee: Washington's 1st Congressional District
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Veterans
I am committed to protecting the hard-earned benefits for our country's military retirees. Those who have devoted their life to a career in the military have allowed the United States to enjoy a long period of freedom and peace. I cannot help but feel indebted to those who have made tremendous personal sacrifices for the good of the nation. You can count on me to continue to protect the hard-earned benefits of our nation's military retirees, and fight any attempts to cut money from veterans' programs.
[ Inslee Editorial on Veterans Health Care ]
| Help for veterans at risk for identity theft |
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[ 23 May 2006 ] Up to 26.5 million veterans nationwide were placed at risk of identity theft after a laptop computer was stolen that contained electronic files with their names, birthdates and Social Security numbers from the home of a Department of Veterans Affairs employee on May 3. |
| Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses |
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[ 30 March 2005 ] Inslee met with the owners and some employees of Damar Machine Company to discuss ways that he can help ensure that the federal government increases its federal contracts with Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses. |
| Veterans History Project |
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[ 6 November 2004 ] Make history by interviewing a veteran in your family about his or her experiences in WWI, WWII or the Korean, Vietnam or Persian Gulf Wars. The Library of Congress wants your interviews for the “Veterans History Project,” an oral history that will help to preserve our nation’s memory. |
| Veterans Day Photos |
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[ 11 November 2003 ] Inslee visited the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Redmond. |
| Disability and Retirement Pay |
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[ 1 November 2003 ] I have been fighting for legislation to allow disabled veterans to receive both the disability pay and the retirement pay that they have earned and deserve. Approximately 2,400 veterans in my district lose retirement benefits every year because an old law on the books prevents them from being able to receive both retirement benefits from the Department of Defense and disability pay through the Department of Veterans Affairs. The average amount of lost benefits is $5,430 per affected veteran in my district, according to a special investigation report that I requested from the Committee on Government Reform. You should know that I have cosponsored the Retired Pay Restoration Act (H.R. 303), which would restore full benefits, but the Majority party still refuses to schedule a vote on the measure. This spring, I also helped launch an aggressive maneuver called a "discharge petition" to force a vote on the bill. An updated list of Members of Congress who have signed this discharge petition is available [ here ]. I will continue working hard on a solution to this problem. |
| Military Bonus Amendments |
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[ 17 October 2003 ] The House of Representatives voted on the Stupak/Doyle/Holt/Inslee amendments this morning to increase the military personnel accounts by $265 million -- the amount needed to provide our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan with a $1500 bonus. |
| Families of Service Persons on Active Duty in Iraq |
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[ 9 September 2003 ] Inslee and the families discussed the availability of equipment, and changes in the length of Reservist deployment. |
| Local Veterans to Receive Bronze Star Medal |
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[ 2 July 2002 ] Mountlake Terrace – U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee awarded the Bronze Star Medal to several local World War II Army veterans and their families at an award ceremony in the Edmonds Historical Museum. Veterans from Bothell, Kenmore, Kirkland, Redmond, and Seattle received the medal. |
| Gold Star Medal |
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The family of Mark Clotfelter, who was killed in action thirty-one years ago in Vietnam, finally received the Gold Star medal this Memorial Day. I delivered the medal to the sister of Mark Clotfelter, Susan Clotfelter Blaker, at her home in Poulsbo. |
| Inslee Helps World War II Veterans Obtain Awards |
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In the immediate years following World War II, the Department of the Army decided to award the Bronze Star to all servicemen and women that earned a Combat Infantry Badge or Combat Medical Badge. The little-known decision was recently given public attention, and U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee has helped a number of veterans get their awards by expediting the award request process. [ See photo ] of veteran Trevor Wilkinson receiving the Bronze Star, awarded for his service as Combat Infantryman in World War II. |
| Veteran Disability Pay |
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[ 8 February 2002 ] The practice of making retired military members fund their own disability compensation, by giving up part of their earned military retired pay, is unfair. Over 411,000 veterans are adversely affected by this inequity. I am proud to be a part of the solution, by cosponsoring H.R. 303. |
| Military Survivor Benefits Improvement Act of 2001 |
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As you may already be aware, after age 62, surviving annuitants of civilian federal retirees receive 50-55 percent of the retiree's retired pay, while survivors of military retirees only receive 35 percent. I am a cosponsor of H.R. 548, the Military Survivor Benefits Improvement Act of 2001, which gradually corrects this inequity by increasing the annuity to 55 percent over the next ten years. This is simply a matter of fairness. |
| Veterans' Opportunities Act of 2001 |
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You may also be interested to know that, with my support, the House recently passed the Veterans' Opportunities Act of 2001 (H.R. 801) by a unanimous vote. Should the Senate approve it and the President sign it, this bill will improve programs of educational assistance, expand programs of transition assistance and outreach to departing servicemembers, veterans, and dependents, increase burial benefits, and provide for family coverage under Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance. |
| Veterans Commemoration Act |
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I introduced H.R. 5397, The Veterans Commemoration Act of 2000, which now has 227 cosponsors. This bill would create a coin commemorating Executive Order 5398, signed by President Herbert Hoover on July 21, 1930, which established the Veterans Administration.The proceeds from the sale of this coin would go to fund a transportation program for veterans, provided by the Disabled American Veterans (DAV). As you may know, many veterans have trouble getting to and from VA hospitals. While the DAV provides transportation services for veterans traveling to and from VA hospitals, this bill will help fund the shortfall to allow the DAV to help the many veterans who live far away from VA hospitals. This program has been very successful so far, but it only operates in a few select areas and serves only a handful of veterans. With no cost to the taxpayer, this bill would create the funds necessary to expand this program. The Veterans Commemoration Act of 2000 already has 227 bipartisan cosponsors and I am hopeful that, with such strong support, the House will take action on it in early 2001. |
| Meeting with Veterans |
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Inslee Meets with Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8870 in Edmonds. |