By Treto Garza VARGV
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN TEXAS - Veterans met via satellite with Dave Hanke of Senator John Cornyns Washington DC office. He is the Military and Veterans Coordinator for the Senator. The discussion centered around SB 699 plans for the 112Th session and the upcoming Ambulatory and Surgical Care Center possibilities of Phase II.
On SB 699 Hanke that is was more or less told us a dead issue. The Congress will not be looking at any bill that has not made it out of committee. He also stated that it was going to be very hard to attach it as a stand alone attachment to the Defense Budget Bill.
The total on that bill is 700 billions dollars and covers all defense and military expenditures. In the past attachments have been allowed.
Senator Cornyn attached it to the Defense Bill in the prior session but it was not allowed to come before a vote. In this session Cornyn tried again to attach it but the Senate Majority Leader did not allow any attachments and delayed vote on the bill until after the elections.
But as it stands now Hanke does not think much will be done in this two months. First he said that probably Congress will meet and discuss future organizational issues.
Probably no votes will be taken.
Then they will break for Thanksgiving and when they come back the same thing could happen. He told veterans to consider alternatives to filing another bill. He told veterans that it was critical because we really could not pressure a bill in a committee for a vote because legislators might take it wrong. Once they do not like a bill it will be very hard to promote.
So veterans need to be careful. He asked that now that in all probabilities Congressman Solomon Ortiz will be out if we had anyone else in the House that could carry the bill on that side should one be introduced.
Tony Cordova told him that veterans had been told by many elected officials and others that Washington was a little shy when they heard a request for a VA hospital. He told Hanke that we have thought about that and that we did not really care whether its called a VA hospital or any other name.
As long as emergency services are provided 24/7 and that inpatient health care is also provided that veterans would be satisfied. Hanke appeared glad to hear that comment in case they do have to prepare a new bill for the 112Th Session. This led to the discussion on Phase II with him. Homer Gallegos brought up the issue and explained to him how veterans felt about it. We endorse the idea and will work for it.
Gallegos also asked him to tell the Senator to help us get
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki to the valley to meet with veterans during the grand opening of the new Surgical Center in Harlingen of January 18Th 2011. Hanke stated that we needed to work on softening up the VA with facts and figures and solutions.
He was told the Alliance had already prepared a package for Shinseki that proved the Booz Allen Hamilton study was not correct in its assumption that there was no need for a VA hospital. He requested a copy so that he could look at the figures. The figures used in the package were VAs own figures taken from power point presentations made by the local VA to justify the expenditures on the contracted hospital services.
Hanke told the veterans to make sure that someone in the VA should invite the Secretary to attend. If possible he needed a copy of the letter of invitation so that the Senator could follow up. He also mentioned that Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison would help on this.
All in all it veterans felt that it was a good meeting. Senator Cornyn has allowed us to use his office in Harlingen to communicate with his office via satellite in the past. Hutchison does not have such a set up.
Cordova conclude by stating that veterans felt that everyone was on the same page on Phase II and that we should work toward that end goal. Cordova is the Commander of the Military Order of Purple Heart. Gallegos is Commander of VFW Post 8788.
Veterans will meet at their next monthly meeting to discuss strategy for the next Legislative Session.
