Senator Sherrod Brown “Working to Reduce the Backlog and Serve Ohio Veterans”

Senator Sherrod Brown (picture courtesy Brown.Senate.Gov)

Senator Sherrod Brown (picture courtesy Brown.Senate.Gov)


Senior Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown (D) has always been committed to working with veterans and veterans organizations.  This week, in an article in Loveland Magazine, Senator Brown says that the next step in working with vets and their service organizations is ending the backlog, and ensuring VA members and services are a much higher community and neighborhood priority.  It’s an issue that, says Senator Brown, needs to be addressed soon:
 

Whether it’s mental health services, assistance getting disability benefits, educational or employment support, too many veterans have to put up with excessive response delays from the VA.

 
 

That’s why I am working with civic and community leaders to cut down wait times so veterans can get the benefits they’ve earned. Ohio’s County Veterans Service Commissions and Veterans Service Organizations are critical to getting veterans into the VA. They provide invaluable community service – and help veterans navigate the VA. And, in the process, these vital organizations provide veterans, their families, and the communities they support millions of dollars of benefits – benefits they would not have had without help.

 
Senator Brown is also working to reduce the large amount of paperwork usually required for veterans to get the benefits they not only need, but also deserve:
 

Recently, I sponsored the Veterans Services Outreach Act. This legislation would require the VA to notify veterans filing electronically that they can receive help and important time-saving information from VA-approved organizations tasked with assisting veterans.

 
 

I’m also working to pass the Claims Processing Improvement Act of 2013. This legislation would hold the VA accountable to veterans by reporting on both its projected monthly goals and actual production. We need to know if the VA is working on eliminating the backlog or just passing the buck. This bill would also establish a task force to hire and train people to process claims and develop new tactics to eliminate the backlog.

 

The OVFCC is proud to count Senator Brown as an ally of veterans and fraternal organizations, and we commend him in his efforts to improve the quality of veterans lives on a national stage!