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Congress in Your Inbox - VA Facility Reports Improved Staffing, Funding
10/03/07Plane Talk – Monday, October 1, 2007
(Plane Talk is a regular series of articles I write on my airplane rides back and forth between Kansas and Washington, D.C.)
Flying back to DC from Wichita this morning. We just finished an excellent briefing with the VA Regional Office, where all the VA claims are handled from all over Kansas. I've heard so often that care provided at our VA hospitals is good -- the problem is getting through all the red tape. There is such a backlog.
Earlier this Congress provided $5.8 billion (that's with a B!) dollars of emergency spending to the VA. The amount was unprecedented, but that's how dire the situation had become.
The meeting in Wichita was just one of many we've held to find out how the money is being spent. Here's what we've learned: The VA facility in Wichita received authorization to increase its staff from 79 to 87 full-time people. They are beyond thrilled!
Since their new director was hired a year ago, they have already showed some real improvements in the backlog. But believe me, they know there is still a long way to go. This mess didn't get created overnight, and it won't disappear overnight -- it takes 3-5 years to train someone to handle claims. I'm just glad we're getting started cleaning the mess up.
Our Topeka and Leavenworth VAs are also sighing with relief after years of very skinny budgets. They are in continuous hiring mode for nurses and other healthcare staff. Congress recently provided over $2 million in new funds for mental health care, among the most important dollars being spent. And finally, our VA hospitals have received additional funds for badly needed renovations and maintenance.
It's rewarding to see something good happen and know that Congress's actions have really made a difference.
So, go hug a veteran and say thank you. Then, go find a VA employee and give them a hug too. They're taking care of our veterans and need our support too.
With warm regards,
Nancy Boyda
Member of Congress
Casework Corner – Passport Agency May Refund Your Expedite Fee
Since January of this year, over 500 Kansans have contacted Congresswoman Nancy Boyda's office to request help with their problems applying for a U.S. passport. Many of their applications were mired in a massive backlog over the summer, after the State Department changed travel regulations to require a passport for air travel to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. During the worst stretch, the average application processing time nearly doubled, from 10 to 18 weeks.
If you paid to expedite your passport application and believe that you did not receive expedited service, there's good news: You may be eligible to receive a refund of your $60 expedite fee.
(Continue reading...)
Letter of the Week – Expanding American Home Ownership
Thank you for writing me about H.R. 1852, the Expanding American Homeownership Act. This bill, which revitalizes the Federal Housing Administration, passed the House on September 18, 2007, and I was proud to vote for it.
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) serves many good purposes. It makes homes more affordable. It makes banks safer. It makes taxes lower. All of this it does by insuring home mortgages – to make them more reliable for banks and affordable for borrowers, especially first-time homebuyers.
(Continue reading...)
This Week in Congress – 9/24 to 9/30
On Monday, my staff and I met with the Kansas Manufactured Housing Authority in my Topeka office. Afterward, I caught a flight back to Washington, D.C. in time for evening votes.
On Tuesday, members of the Kansas Bankers Association dropped by my D.C. office to discuss issues of concern to the banking industry. That evening, the House of Representatives voted on – and passed by a wide, bipartisan margin – legislation to extend the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which provides health insurance to 47,000 Kansans.
On Wednesday, Joan Vitt, the president of AFIX Technologies in Pittsburg, visited my office. Also visiting were Bob Carmichael, Hugh O'Reilly, Jr., Ron Seeber, and Al Ward of the Kansas Restaurant and Hospitality Association.
On Thursday, I met with Sherwood Applegate of the Kansas Association of Letter Carriers and Judy Lair of the Southeast Kansas Education Service Center. I was also pleased to welcome Verlean Brown and Mark Farr of the Kansas National Education Association to my office, as well as Mike Murray and Doug Gallway of the Kansas Embarg Corporation. Also visiting were Jeffrey Little and Jeffrey Pierce of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.
On Friday, I flew home to Kansas for weekend meetings. During the day I spoke with the University Daily Kansan at the University of Kansas about the recently passed College Cost Reduction Act, and I spoke to WIBW in Topeka about the House appropriations process.
About This E-Newsletter
This is an occasional informational e-mail sent to residents of the Kansas Second Congressional District. If you would prefer not to receive future mailings, please visit the "Unsubscribe" link at the top or bottom of this message.
This mailing was prepared and sent at taxpayer expense.
(Plane Talk is a regular series of articles I write on my airplane rides back and forth between Kansas and Washington, D.C.)
Flying back to DC from Wichita this morning. We just finished an excellent briefing with the VA Regional Office, where all the VA claims are handled from all over Kansas. I've heard so often that care provided at our VA hospitals is good -- the problem is getting through all the red tape. There is such a backlog.
Earlier this Congress provided $5.8 billion (that's with a B!) dollars of emergency spending to the VA. The amount was unprecedented, but that's how dire the situation had become.
The meeting in Wichita was just one of many we've held to find out how the money is being spent. Here's what we've learned: The VA facility in Wichita received authorization to increase its staff from 79 to 87 full-time people. They are beyond thrilled!
Since their new director was hired a year ago, they have already showed some real improvements in the backlog. But believe me, they know there is still a long way to go. This mess didn't get created overnight, and it won't disappear overnight -- it takes 3-5 years to train someone to handle claims. I'm just glad we're getting started cleaning the mess up.
Our Topeka and Leavenworth VAs are also sighing with relief after years of very skinny budgets. They are in continuous hiring mode for nurses and other healthcare staff. Congress recently provided over $2 million in new funds for mental health care, among the most important dollars being spent. And finally, our VA hospitals have received additional funds for badly needed renovations and maintenance.
It's rewarding to see something good happen and know that Congress's actions have really made a difference.
So, go hug a veteran and say thank you. Then, go find a VA employee and give them a hug too. They're taking care of our veterans and need our support too.
With warm regards,
Nancy Boyda
Member of Congress
Casework Corner – Passport Agency May Refund Your Expedite Fee
Since January of this year, over 500 Kansans have contacted Congresswoman Nancy Boyda's office to request help with their problems applying for a U.S. passport. Many of their applications were mired in a massive backlog over the summer, after the State Department changed travel regulations to require a passport for air travel to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. During the worst stretch, the average application processing time nearly doubled, from 10 to 18 weeks.
If you paid to expedite your passport application and believe that you did not receive expedited service, there's good news: You may be eligible to receive a refund of your $60 expedite fee.
(Continue reading...)
Letter of the Week – Expanding American Home Ownership
Thank you for writing me about H.R. 1852, the Expanding American Homeownership Act. This bill, which revitalizes the Federal Housing Administration, passed the House on September 18, 2007, and I was proud to vote for it.
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) serves many good purposes. It makes homes more affordable. It makes banks safer. It makes taxes lower. All of this it does by insuring home mortgages – to make them more reliable for banks and affordable for borrowers, especially first-time homebuyers.
(Continue reading...)
This Week in Congress – 9/24 to 9/30
On Monday, my staff and I met with the Kansas Manufactured Housing Authority in my Topeka office. Afterward, I caught a flight back to Washington, D.C. in time for evening votes.
On Tuesday, members of the Kansas Bankers Association dropped by my D.C. office to discuss issues of concern to the banking industry. That evening, the House of Representatives voted on – and passed by a wide, bipartisan margin – legislation to extend the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which provides health insurance to 47,000 Kansans.
On Wednesday, Joan Vitt, the president of AFIX Technologies in Pittsburg, visited my office. Also visiting were Bob Carmichael, Hugh O'Reilly, Jr., Ron Seeber, and Al Ward of the Kansas Restaurant and Hospitality Association.
On Thursday, I met with Sherwood Applegate of the Kansas Association of Letter Carriers and Judy Lair of the Southeast Kansas Education Service Center. I was also pleased to welcome Verlean Brown and Mark Farr of the Kansas National Education Association to my office, as well as Mike Murray and Doug Gallway of the Kansas Embarg Corporation. Also visiting were Jeffrey Little and Jeffrey Pierce of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.
On Friday, I flew home to Kansas for weekend meetings. During the day I spoke with the University Daily Kansan at the University of Kansas about the recently passed College Cost Reduction Act, and I spoke to WIBW in Topeka about the House appropriations process.
About This E-Newsletter
This is an occasional informational e-mail sent to residents of the Kansas Second Congressional District. If you would prefer not to receive future mailings, please visit the "Unsubscribe" link at the top or bottom of this message.
This mailing was prepared and sent at taxpayer expense.