- Hall Urges New Secretary to Make Reducing the Disability Claims Backlog a Priority -

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Rep. John Hall (D-NY19), chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, said today he supports President-elect Barack Obama's choice of Retired Army General Erik K. Shinseki as Secretary of Veterans Affairs and will work with him to ensure that all veterans promptly receive the pension benefits and high quality health care they have earned.

"Gen. Shinseki is exactly the leader the Veterans Administration needs today," said Hall.  "We will be fortunate to have someone of his character and courage leading the changes that are urgently needed at the VA."

In announcing his support for Shinseki, Hall urged him to make a priority of reducing the number of veterans waiting for approval of their claims for disability benefits. The backlog of more than 800,000 claims forces many disabled veterans to wait months, years and even decades for the benefits they have earned by their service and sacrifice.  In October 2008, President Bush signed into a law a veterans' benefits bill which included legislation written and introduced by Hall to overhaul the VA disability claims system and reduce the backlog. It is now up to the VA to write regulations and implement the new law.

"As a soldier who was seriously wounded in Vietnam, Gen. Shinseki understands very well the hardships that veterans and especially disabled veterans endure," said Hall. "I urge him to make the needs of disabled veterans a high priority, and to aggressively address the problem of the claims backlog so wounded veterans will at last be able to obtain their benefits easier and faster."

Gen. Shinseki is a 1965 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, which is located in Hall's Congressional District.  Hall serves on the West Point Board of Visitors.

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