October 2012 E-Newsletter

Last month, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4057, the Improving Transparency of Education Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2012. The bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to develop a comprehensive policy to improve outreach and transparency to veterans and members of the military regarding institutions of higher learning. The aim of the bill is to make sure veterans have all the information they need to compare schools and make an informed decision about their educational opportunities under the GI Bill. It also creates a formal process for veterans to file complaints and bars schools that pay a commission to recruiters that lure veterans to their schools from receiving tuition or fees under the GI Bill. The bill also requires the VA to establish a burn pit registry for individuals who may have been exposed to toxic chemicals from open burn pits.

We have an all-volunteer military. Men and women who choose everyday to serve without reservation or consideration of the inherent dangers that exist when they raise their right hand.  As a nation it is our duty to commit whatever it takes to ensure that they are taken care of whether that is education benefits or health and safety concerns. 

That’s why the Democratic Congress passed the Post – 9/11 GI Bill, which has opened the doors to educational benefits to nearly 800,000 veterans and their families. It allows veterans to make informed decisions about their education and in turn ease the burden for this generation of veterans by ensuring they receive the information they need when deciding on a post-secondary institution.  We owe this to our veterans. 

When I was Chairman of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, one of our highest priorities was to address the health and exposure-related issues from previous conflicts, whether radiation testing, Agent Orange, depleted uranium shells, or the possible health effects of exposure to toxic fumes from open burn pits.  Every time we send men and women into combat we need to do all we can to understand the risks associated with exposures to toxic substances.  We should learn from history.  It has taken years even decades to understand and assess the risks associated with exposure to Agent Orange.  We should not repeat that pattern.

That is why in July 2009 I requested the General Accountability Office to help us in our efforts to better understand health risks associated with open burn pit operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.  We all know that preliminary reports have indicated that fumes from these burn pits produce a considerable amount of contaminants that may cause short and long-term harm to our servicemembers.  I believe this provision is a very proactive measure and one that will hopefully benefit our veterans in a positive way.

I’m proud that the House has passed H.R. 4057.

Constituent Mail Bag

From Chula Vista:

The global demand for shark fins, meat, liver oil, and other products has driven numerous shark populations to the brink of extinction. Their life history characteristics, such as slow growth, late maturation, and production of few offspring, make sharks particularly vulnerable to overfishing and slow to recover from decline.

In particular, global populations of oceanic whitetip sharks have fallen significantly. They are listed as Critically Endangered in the Northwest and Central Atlantic Ocean, and Vulnerable globally, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. In the Gulf of Mexico, scientists estimate that oceanic whitetip populations have dropped by 99 percent in just over four decades.

Although a few countries and regional fisheries management organizations have started to take steps to address the worldwide oceanic whitetip decline, these measures do not have the global reach that a listing under the Convention on International Trade in

Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) would have in helping this vulnerable species. The next opportunity to protect additional species under CITES will be in March 2013 in Bangkok. 

I am writing to urge you to ensure that the United States submits a proposal to list oceanic whitetip sharks on Appendix II of CITES and to do so far enough in advance of the Oct. 4 deadline to allow other governments to co-sponsor it.

Congressman Filner replies:

Thank you for contacting me in support of protecting sharks. 

I wholeheartedly agree with you that we must do more to protect these majestic creatures! Each year, human activity kills more than 100 million sharks worldwide, many of them killed only for their fins. Rest assured, you can count on me to continue working with my colleagues to preserve and protect our oceans' sharks. 

I appreciate your advocacy and share your concern on this important issue!