https://townhall.com/columnists/brettvelicovich/2018/07/27/despite-past-failures-of-career-politicians-president-trump-is-delivering-for-americas-heroes-n250 [AS I SEE IT: Here is another success story the mainstream media has chosen not to report on. No, they rather try to find reasons to remove this President from office while largely ignoring so many of his successes. While they continue their biased reporting, the Administration continues to do the work the American people have long sought to be done. (I remember sending an email to the President shortly after he was elected asking him to do something for our veterans. This article is such a great encouragement to me personally.) - Stan]
That’s why Donald Trump promised to change the VA to ensure our veterans receive the care and respect they deserve -- and change he is delivering. As a veteran of both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, I’m proud to finally see our veterans receiving the care they deserve.Where career politicians failed, President Trump succeeded in keeping his promise made to those who have served our country. “We will not rest until all of America’s great veterans can receive the care they so richly deserve. Tremendous progress has been made in a short period of time,” the President declared last year.
President Trump has created real change within one of the most inept and deficient agencies in government. "No one who defends our country in uniform should have to fight for their lives when they come back, when they come to their home,” the President said in June. Thanks to President Trump, they will no longer have to. The President started fixing the problems at the VA by giving agency administrators the power to terminate employees faster and more effectively. Since signing the VA Accountability Act last summer, the Trump administration has already removed more than 1,500 VA employees who failed to give our veterans the care they deserve.
After it was found that more than one-third of calls to the VA suicide hotline were left unanswered, the White House opened a brand new VA hotline staffed principally by veterans and veterans’ relatives to ensure that no complaint goes unaddressed. President Trump’s Executive Order on Improving Accountability and Whistleblower Protection also established a VA Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection.
The administration has also sought to modernize the VA and make the most of available technology. The VA’s “Anywhere to Anywhere” healthcare program, which allows agency providers to use tele-health technology to remotely treat veterans, has been expanded. VA Video Connect, an application which allows veterans and healthcare providers to directly connect from anywhere in the country, has also been rolled out in more locations. Finally, over 100 VA sites across the country have started using the Online Scheduling Tool, which allows veterans to schedule appointments from their phones, tablets, or computers.
President Trump also signed the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017, which streamlines the appeals process for VA disability compensation claims.
President Trump was right when he said that veterans deserved a “real choice”, that the “Democrats didn’t want the vets to have choice”, and that we deserve the freedom to choose other healthcare providers when the VA can’t meet their obligations to those who sacrificed for so many. More recently, the President delivered on a key campaign promise by signing the VA MISSION Act into law. The act allows veterans a broader choice of healthcare providers, including assistance from family caregivers.
President Trump was right when he said, “Our veterans, in many cases, are being treated worse than illegal immigrants, people that come into our country illegally.”
For years, career politicians have tried to fix the problems at the VA, but to no avail. Our own Senator, Claire McCaskill, is the perfect example. Despite McCaskill’s efforts, her more than decade old career in the Senate has produced little to no results for our veterans.
This is why President Trump was elected — to get things done. The failure to provide care for our veterans is unacceptable and needed a massive overhaul. Despite inaction from career politicians, President Trump came to Washington and uprooted conventional wisdom. It’s paying off for our veterans.
[italics and colored emphasis mine]
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Praying Through the Open Doors World Watch List for persecuted believers:To learn more, please go to -https://www.opendoorsusa.org/take-action/pray/monthly-prayer-calendar/
Praying for Central Asia- In countries like Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan,
Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan And Kyrgyzstan, a Bible is a treasured gift—and in some places, a hard thing to come by. These believers rely on the Word of God to help them face increasing persecution. Throughout August, we’ll be focusing on bringing Scripture to this part of the world, and we ask you to join us.
August 2 | KAZAKHSTAN - Pastor Salim*, his wife and leaders of their church were recently
arrested and forced to leave their children alone. While they were in jail, police raided their home and confiscated hundreds of Christian books and Bibles. Please pray with this family who has experienced repeated trauma.
*Names changed to protect identities.
Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan And Kyrgyzstan, a Bible is a treasured gift—and in some places, a hard thing to come by. These believers rely on the Word of God to help them face increasing persecution. Throughout August, we’ll be focusing on bringing Scripture to this part of the world, and we ask you to join us.
August 2 | KAZAKHSTAN - Pastor Salim*, his wife and leaders of their church were recently
arrested and forced to leave their children alone. While they were in jail, police raided their home and confiscated hundreds of Christian books and Bibles. Please pray with this family who has experienced repeated trauma.
*Names changed to protect identities.
The news from this article is encouraging. I heard a little bit about the VA's shortcomings under the previous administration, but I think the most egregious one listed by this article is not answering calls to the veteran suicide hotline. Streamlining appeals and getting care to our veterans, those who sacrificed so much for our country, is a must. I hope that every president makes the care of our veterans a priority.
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