• Expanded Veterans Healthcare Facility. Congressman Tiberi worked with two VA secretaries, local officials and the commissioners of the Veterans Affairs Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) process to secure a new, expanded care veterans healthcare facility on the grounds of Defense Supply Center Columbus (DSCC). The new 290,000 square foot building is two and a half times the size of the previous clinic and will employ an estimated 350 doctors, nurses, and administrators to serve the area’s large veterans population. The new facility will offer a wide and expanded range of ambulatory services to the estimated 189,000 veterans living in the facility’s service area.

• Community-Based Outpatient Veterans Clinic. For those veterans living more than 30 miles from a medical center, Congressman Tiberi worked with area leaders to have the VA designate the veteran’s satellite facility in Newark a full community-based outpatient clinic. The VA agreed to change the designation in the summer of 2006, thereby expanding their services to include primary care, pulmonary care, treatment for diabetes, mental health services and optometry. The facility served an estimated 2650 patients in 2006.

Securing the Future of Ohio’s Military Installations and Work for Veterans

• Expanding Defense Supply Center Columbus (DSCC). During the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Process, Congressman Tiberi worked with officials from the cities of Whitehall and Columbus, the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, and other members of the Ohio Congressional Delegation worked to showcase the outstanding employees and quality work done at DSCC. As a result, BRAC Commissioners decided to keep the facility operational and positioned it to gain jobs in the coming years.

• Hiring Preferences for Veterans. After returning from deployment in the Global War on Terror a group of reservists came to Congressman Tiberi with what they felt was an oversight in current law. After speaking with them, Congressman Tiberi wrote legislation that guaranteed that any honorably discharged veteran serving more than six months on active duty after September 11, 2001 would receive preference when seeking a U.S. government job. While this measure applies across the services, it is particularly important and levels the playing field for members of the National Guard and Reserves who served in the War on Terror. Congressman Tiberi’s measure was incorporated into the fiscal year 2006 Defense Authorization bill that was signed into law on January 6, 2006.

Responding to Veterans’ Requests for Assistance

• Easing Veterans Claims Load. The VA Regional Office in Cleveland helps veterans in Ohio and surrounding areas receive their guaranteed benefits. In the past, there has been a backlog of claims at the Regional office and Congressman Tiberi has had meetings with the Regional Office Director and other VA officials to see what steps need to be taken to help ease the backlog and ensure veterans receive their benefits in a timely manner.

• Directly Helping Area Veterans. Congressman Tiberi feels one of his main responsibilities is helping residents in his District as much as he can. Therefore he works to break down barriers between constituents and the federal government. He has assisted hundreds of veterans each year work through the bureaucratic red tape to receive the services they need.

Congressman Tiberi’s work on behalf of our nations veterans has earned him legislative awards from AMVETS Department of Ohio and the AMVETS Capitol City Post Commanders Special Award. He is a member of the Congressional POW/MIA Caucus.