CONGRESS

* * * Letter from Democratic senators to the Veterans’ Affairs Secretary requesting that VA act swiftly to cover the costs of COVID-19 treatment under the VA’s Foreign Medical Program (FMP) for veterans living and traveling abroad

As a reminder, the VA web site currently states this:

“As a Veteran living or traveling abroad, you can receive medical care for VA service-connected disabilities through our VA Foreign Medical Program. Under this program, we assume payment responsibility for the necessary treatment of service-connected disabilities. You can visit our Foreign Medical Program page for more information. There are regional toll-free phone numbers on this page that you can call for additional assistance.”

Op-ed: “Sen. Martha McSally has quarantined herself in Trump's pocket”

Letter from Democratic senators to the Dept. of Treasury, Dept. of Veterans’ Affairs, and the Social Security Administration regarding CARES Act stimulus payments to veterans

Article: “Lamborn Urges DoD To Help Struggling Military Families”

Article: “House Armed Services chairman calls for removal of Navy chief”

New CBO score for H.R. 4153, the Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act

Statement: “House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman & Subcommittee Chairwoman’s statement regarding VA’s delay of the Electronic Health Record Modernization project”

Press release: “Ohio’s Senators Applaud Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Approving Extension for Filing of Claims and Appeals for Veterans’ Benefits”

Statement by Rep. Thornberry, Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, on the resignation of Acting Secretary of the Navy Modly

Elsewhere in Gov’t

Article: “Acting secretary of the Navy resigns after calling ousted aircraft carrier captain 'stupid'”

Article: “Trump Orders VA to Stop Withholding Money from Veterans”

Article: “Veterans Affairs Hospitals Facing ‘Serious’ Shortage of Protective Gear, Internal Memos Show”

Report: “OIG Inspection of Veterans Health Administration’s COVID-19 Screening Processes and Pandemic Readiness”

Artículo: “Los veteranos tienen acceso a pruebas de COVID-19 a través del VA o Tricare”

Dept. of Veterans’ Affairs press release: “CARES Act helping VA boost protections for Veterans”

Article: “With Camp Casey infection, coronavirus spreads to nearly every major U.S. base in South Korea”

News from MN: “Walz announces $6.2 million in coronavirus grants for Minnesota veterans”

Article: “Seven VA health care workers dead from coronavirus as cases mount”

Article: “4th US aircraft carrier hit with coronavirus”

News from WI: “Gov. Evers suspends many Assistance to Needy Veterans Grant program provisions”

Statement from the White House: “Proclamation on National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day, 2020”

Article: “VA Gets New Acting No. 2 Official After Predecessor's Firing”

Article: “Trump says voting by mail is bad. US troops do it all the time”

News from the Dept. of Veterans’ Affairs: “File a pre-discharge claim while overseas”

Article: “VA COVID-19 update: over 3,500 cases, 174 patient deaths as officials downplay equipment shortage concerns”

New CRS report: “Protecting Military Whistleblowers”

Other

American Legion Auxiliary April Newsletter: The pandemic can exacerbate feelings of isolation, economic despair, and depression. The Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the Veterans Crisis Line are experiencing an increase in calls.

Editorial from Virginia: “Deterring veteran suicide remains a Virginia priority”

Report: The U.S. Military’s Role In Response To COVID-19

Op-ed: “Treasury is needlessly requiring millions of veterans, seniors to file taxes to receive stimulus checks”

Editorial: “Veterans Affairs has the country’s largest health system. It might prove useful against COVID-19”

Editorial: “Failing to protect those who protected us”

Article: “What Americans Don’t Know About Military Families”

Article: “Veterans and Gold Star families mobilize to battle coronavirus isolation                                                          

Article: “”VFW Lobbied For ‘Star-Spangled Banner’”

VVA press release: “VVA Calls on President to Reverse the VA’s Removal of the ‘48-Hour Review Policy’”

IAVA press release: “As Veterans Seek Vital Information in Time of Crisis, VA’s Disjointed Communication is Reckless, Counterproductive, Says IAVA CEO”

Joint VSO Letter to Secretary Mnuchin and Secretary Wilkie on Recovery Rebates

Op-ed: “The U.S. Should Fight COVID, Not Venezuela”

Article: “Letter from President Maduro as U.S. threatens Venezuela with war”

Article: “'Trump,' 'chaos,' 'money:' What Mexico and Canada said when asked for one word to describe US”

Article: “Steve Carell to launch Netflix comedy Space Force in May