We owe our men and women in uniform, both present and past, a debt of gratitude for their service to our country. I believe it is incumbent upon us to see that our veterans receive the best quality medical care and benefits and that those services are provided with promptness and respect.

-    Congressman Donnelly

Click each bullet point below to learn more about Congressman Donnelly’s work on behalf of veterans:

• Promoting and Supporting Veterans’ Legislation
  
• Serving on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee
• Opening VA Health Facilities
• Helping Veterans Get back to Work
• Providing Constituent Services for Veterans

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Promoting Veterans’ Legislation in Congress

Currently in Congress:

This congress, Congressman Donnelly introduced The Rating and Processing Individuals’ Disability (RAPID) Claims Act, H.R.  2377, and The Ensuring Servicemembers’ Electronic Records’ Viability (E-SERV) Act, H.R. 2470, to address two veterans’ issues.

Congressman Donnelly’s RAPID Claims Act would improve the turnaround time and efficiency of the VA’s disability claims process.  The legislation would permanently enshrine into law improvements in the process that can reduce the time a veteran must wait for the VA to determine a veteran’s claim. For details on the RAPID Claims Act, please click here.

The 112th Congress is not the first time that Congressman Donnelly has focused on improving the processing of veterans’ claims. He first introduced The RAPID Claims Act in June 2010, and it passed the House with bipartisan support as a part of The Veterans Benefits and Economic Welfare Improvement Act of 2010. The 111th Congress adjourned without the Senate holding a vote on the bill, so Congressman Donnelly reintroduced the RAPID Claims Act in June of 2011.

Congressman Donnelly’s E-SERV Act would improve the efficiency of the current electronic health records system for military personnel and veterans.  The E-SERV Act would establish the Interagency Program Office as the single point of accountability and authority for electronic health records development, streamlining the communication between the Veterans Administration (VA) and Department of Defense (DOD).  Donnelly’s legislation would also require that the DOD and VA eliminate their individual electronic health records efforts that duplicate the IPO’s efforts and require these health information technology funds and personnel to be reassigned to the IPO’s operations.  By eliminating the existing, duplicative operations, Donnelly’s legislation would ensure that there is one, authoritative office coordinating the electronic record system for the two agencies.

For details on the E-SERV Act, please click here.

Past Congresses:

Improving the quality of life for veterans has been a top priority for Congressman Donnelly since he was elected to Congress. Congressman Donnelly has introduced and supported legislation relating to veterans’ health care, educational benefits, life insurance, and the disability claims process. Congressman Donnelly’s work in Congress on veterans’ issues includes the following:

• The Veterans' Benefits Act of 2010: Congressman Donnelly helped shape H.R. 3219, The Veterans' Benefits Act of 2010, which included his proposal to increase the supplemental life insurance coverage for veterans who have been rated 100 percent service-connected disabled. This bill was signed into law by President Obama in October of 2010 (Public Law No: 111-275).

• The Immediate Benefits for Wounded Warriors Act: Congressman Donnelly introduced The Immediate Benefits for Wounded Warriors Act (H.R. 4219) in 2007 to provide immediate disability benefits for severely injured service members whose injuries are clearly combat-related.  Language based on Congressman Donnelly’s legislation was included in a disability benefits bill (S. 3023) which was signed into law in October of 2008 (Public Law No: 110-389). The law makes temporary disability ratings mandatory for severely injured service members so that they can begin collecting benefits immediately until the VA has provided them a permanent rating.

• Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008: Congressman Donnelly helped enact the landmark GI Bill for the 21st Century, The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, H.R. 2642, It became law in June of 2008 (Public Law No: 110-252). This law restores the promise of a full, four-year college education for returning veterans—covering up to the cost of the most expensive in-state public school.

• The Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act: Congressman Donnelly voted for passage of H.R. 1016, The VA Health Care Advanced Appropriations Act.  It was signed into law by President Obama in October of 2009 (Public Law No: 111-81). This law allows Congress to fund VA medical accounts one year ahead of schedule to ensure adequate and timely funding for veterans’ health care and end chronically late budgets for the VA. 

Serving on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee

Congressman Donnelly has served on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee since he first came to Congress in 2007. In 2011, he was honored to be named the Ranking Member of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the Veterans Affairs Committee.
   
At hearings for the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, for example, Congressman Donnelly has testified in support of his RAPID Claims Act and questioned VA officials about their electronic health records system.

Watch a Congressman Donnelly give a tour of the House Veterans Affairs Committee Room here.

Opening VA Clinics in North Central Indiana

Congressman Donnelly is a strong supporter of VA facilities in north central Indiana to improve access to care for veterans. Since he’s been in Congress, he has successfully advocated for the opening of the Goshen VA Community-Based Outreach Clinic (CBOC) in October 2008, and the Peru VA Community-Based Outreach Clinic (CBOC) in June 2010.

Congressman Donnelly touring the Goshen VA CBOC in November 2008.

In September 2011, Congressman Donnelly supported The Veterans Health Care Facilities Capital Improvement Act of 2011, H.R. 2646, which authorizes $6,731,000 for an expanded VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic in South Bend. It was signed into law on October 5, 2011. This authorization of $6.7 million is the most significant step towards opening the new facility since the VA announced approval of a larger South Bend VA facility in April of 2009. 

As planned, the expanded VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic will be a leased 65,000 square foot facility, nearly 10 times the size of the current South Bend clinic. It will offer primary care, expanded mental health care, laboratory, radiology, audiology, and pharmacy services and outreach programs for newly-returning veterans. Donnelly will continue to advocate for the clinic to contract with local hospitals to provide routine inpatient care for area veterans. The location and whether it will be new construction or in an existing building have not yet been determined by the VA. The VA expects to open the new facility in 2015.

Helping Veterans Get back to Work after Serving Our Country

Congressman Donnelly has promoted specific initiatives to help veterans obtain jobs. At his Job Seeker Workshop in July 2011, there was a breakout session titled, “Veterans: Re-entering the Job Force after Serving Your Country,” focused on helping veterans get good jobs. Resources from that session are available here.

Congressman Donnelly is also an original co-sponsor of the Wounded Veteran Job Security Act, H.R. 466 to ensure that our veterans are not discriminated against in the workplace for time spent receiving treatment for injuries caused by their service. 

Providing Constituent Services for Veterans

Congressman Donnelly’s office provides several constituent services to veterans, such as helping veterans receive benefits from the VA and the military service medals that they earned.  Congressman Donnelly hosted a veterans’ benefits panel in August 2010 and November 2011 to give area veterans information on how to access the benefits and health care they’ve earned. For more information, please visit Congressman Donnelly’s veterans’ constituent services page or call Congressman Donnelly’s South Bend office at (574) 288-2780.

Several veterans who have worked with Congressman Donnelly’s office to solve problems have also filmed short video messages explaining how his office helped them. You can watch Howard of North Liberty talk about how he worked with Congressman Donnelly’s office to receive hearing aids here. You can watch Tom of Jimtown speak about working with Congressman Donnelly’s office to receive the military service medals he earned while serving in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War here.