Saratoga Springs, D.C. -   After years of waiting, and tireless months of worrying about making ends meet, Joseph Tannenbaum, a Vietnam War Veteran will meet with local Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand to bring closure to his years of struggle for his deserved benefits from the VA on Friday, February 29th at the Stratton VA.

"The men and women of our Armed Forces willingly risk life and limb to fight for our Country. Past and present, their sacrifice for our Country needs to be met by our commitment to honor their service and give them the best care possible," said Gillibrand, a member of the Armed Services Committee. "I am not satisfied with the level of treatment our veterans are currently receiving and am concerned these problems will only get worse as more and more of our troops are injured overseas.”

Gillibrand added, "In just three cases, our office in Saratoga has delivered over $100,000 in back benefits that our local veterans had earned, but were not receiving.   All of our veterans are very important to me and I find this current adversarial approach and inclination to deny benefits, even when the vets clearly have earned their benefits, to be shameful and wrongheaded. These troops fought for their country they shouldn’t have to fight their government for benefits they have earned.”

In addition to presenting Mr. Tannenbaum with his back payments, Congresswoman Gillibrand will call on the Armed Forces and VA system to make serious reforms in how they conduct their benefits protocols and discuss proposed legislative remedies she plans to champion in Congress.

WHO: Congresswoman Gillibrand, Joseph Tannenbaum, Vietnam War Vet

WHAT: Congresswoman Gillibrand’s Presentation of Back Money Owed to a Local Vet

WHEN: Friday, March 1st, 2008
          1:15pm

WHERE: Sheehy Palmer VFW Post; 525 Delaware Ave- Albany, New York

Local Veterans who may have had difficulty with their benefits are urged to call their local Congresswoman’s Office at (518) 581-8247 or visit her website at www.gillibrand.house.gov

BACKGROUND: In Congress, Representative Gillibrand serves on the House Armed Services Committee and locally holds a Veterans Advisory Board of local veterans who advise her on veterans issues.