Charles Woods
Guest Column
When the 109th Congress convened last month, Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ) was removed as chairman of the Veterans Affairs (VA) Committee. He was not only replaced as chairman, he was removed from the committee entirely.
As commander of Sayreville Memorial Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 4699 and as an American, I do not agree with what has happened. Rep. Smith has been a true friend to veterans, our families and this entire free nation in which we live. This man has been a crusader for our men and women in the armed forces. As Rick Weidman, director of government affairs for Vietnam Veterans of America, stated, “That he’s being punished for being too pro-veteran in the Congress, while we are at war, is breathtaking.”
The average age of veterans in the United States is about 54 and increasing. Rep. Smith made it his priority to make sure that these men and women who have defended this nation are taken care of from active duty through middle age and into retirement. He has authored and supported many bills during his time as chairman of the VA and has seen the approval of many of these bills into law.
On Nov. 30 President George W. Bush signed the Veterans Health Improvement Act of 2004 (VHIA). This act increases assistance to homeless veterans, extends the list of those exempt from co-payments for hospice care and extends long-term care for veterans until 2005 for geriatric evaluation, adult day health care, home care and assisted living pilot programs.
As we draw closer to the end of war, God willing, more veterans will be returning home. Some of our youngest and newest veterans will need additional care, and it is people such as Rep. Chris Smith who have been active in making sure that these defenders of our freedom are well taken care of. Not only does the VHIA provide for our aging veterans, it also designated four facilities in the handling of casualties caused by nuclear, biological and chemical warfare.
This act will also help the community as a whole by recruiting nurses in areas where they are most needed. This not only helps in getting veterans the medical services they need, it also provides jobs in areas that need them most. The VA also has been authorized to lease facilities in 16 different cities for community-based outpatient clinics that will benefit our aging veterans, newest veterans and the surrounding communities of those cities.
In addition to the VHIA, Rep. Smith also authored the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act of 2003 (SCRA). This law prevents even more military members and their families from being evicted from housing while on active duty, assists in relocation with permanent change of station or deployment, increases life insurance for activated National Guard and Reserve members, clarifies a previously established maximum interest rate at 6 percent on credit obligation for active-duty service members, and prevents double taxation of spouses who work in a state other than their permanent legal residence.
The last example of Rep. Chris Smith’s desire to help veterans that I will include is the Veterans Benefit Act of 2003 (VBA). This act allows the VA to provide specially adapted housing grants to severely disabled service members, increases the specially adapted automobile grant, increases monthly education benefits for spouses and dependent children of disabled veterans, expands the Montgomery GI Bill program, allows surviving spouses or dependent children to receive the full amount of accrued benefits of pending claims, and gives many more benefits to veterans and their families.
These are just a few examples of the measures that Rep. Smith has put into place to fight for the rights of all veterans, young and old, and their families. It should be clear to all who read this that he is a true friend to our veterans, and we should demand that Rep. Smith get his job back so that he can continue to help veterans.
If you feel as strongly as I do, please send your letters to the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, 335 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, or call (202) 225-3527 and voice your concerns.
Charles Woods is commander, Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial Post No. 4699, Sayreville