Shinseki: Six-Month Wait for Military Disability Unacceptable

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Gen. Eric K. Shinseki told senators he doesn't understand why veterans are currently waiting six months on average to have a claim processed.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama's choice to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs said Wednesday that six-month waits to process a disability claim would not be acceptable under his watch.

Retired Gen. Eric K. Shinseki, 66, promised to modernize the nation's second largest agency.

He told the senators he doesn't understand why veterans are currently waiting six months on average to have a claim processed. "We need to do something about this," he said.

Shinseki said another priority would be to ensure that new GI benefits are rolled out in August, as planned.

He promised to work to reopen benefits to many "Priority 8" middle-income veterans who didn't qualify under the Bush administration. Such "Priority 8" veterans, whose income exceeded roughly $30,000 annually, were blocked from enrollment in the VA system in January 2003.

right on . . . about damn time

read: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/01/14/shinseki-month-wait-military-disability-unacceptable/

[That Is Quite Enough]

1. Great news. K/R

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2. oh yes

they also need to abolish the VA enrollment fee

[That Is Quite Enough]

3. Agreed. I'm so excited at the prospects of what Shinseki could do as SoVA.

It's great to have people in the government who actually seem to care about the veterans. :)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. I was so pleased to see him nominated for DVA!

We need people of his caliber running things.

About damn time is right!

K&R

:patriot:

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5. I've been fighting for this for almost a decade

It's so nice to hear the Sec. saying the right things. Music . . .