American Federation of Government Employees Congratulates Shinseki

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and its 150,000 members in the VA are eager to work with the secretary to meet the many challenges facing the department, said the organization in a press release today.

The VA currently provides health care for 5.5 million veterans, processes disability compensation payments for 3.4 million veterans, and must process the educational and training benefits for those covered by the G.I. bill.

As Secretary Shinseki mentioned in his opening remarks during his Senate confirmation hearing the great challenge of the department will be to turn the VA into a 21st century system. “The VA is facing challenges on all sides, but it is a new day,” said J. David Cox, AFGE national-secretary treasurer.

“The federal employees of the VA have been waiting for someone with the type of courage and strength of character that General Shinseki has shown throughout his career; to say we are excited is an understatement.”

AFGE National Secretary-Treasurer, J. David Cox, spoke briefly with General Shinseki after his confirmation hearing, letting him know that the union is eager to work with him as a partner in meeting our veterans’ needs.

AFGE is the largest federal employee union, representing 600,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia.

Shinseki Sworn In, Vows 21st Century Service to Veterans

Retired Army Gen. Eric K. Shinseki took the oath of office today as the Nation’s seventh Secretary of Veterans Affairs, assuming the leadership of the Department of Veterans Affairs following Tuesday’s confirmation by the Senate.

“The overriding challenge I am addressing from my first day in office is to make the Department of Veterans Affairs a 21st century organization focused on the Nation’s Veterans as its clients,” Shinseki said.

Shinseki plans to develop a 2010 budget within his first 90 days that realizes the vision of President Obama to transform VA into an organization that is people-centric, results-driven and forward-looking.

Key issues on his agenda include smooth activation of an enhanced GI Bill education benefit that eligible Veterans can begin using next fall, streamlining the disability claims system, leveraging information technology to accelerate and modernize services, and opening VA’s health care system to Veterans previously unable to enroll in it, while facilitating access for returning Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans.

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House VA Committee Chair Applauds Shinseki

“Today’s inauguration of Barack Obama as President brings me hope for the future of America’s veterans. I believe the confirmation of General Eric Shinseki as Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs goes a long way in restoring confidence in the VA,” said House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA) in a statement released today.

“Confidence in an agency must be earned, and will only come when there is accountability, transparency, and results. Over the years, little by little, veterans have lost faith in the VA. Now we need to reinvest in our veterans and prove to them that we will fight for them just like they fought for us.

“Throughout Secretary Shinseki’s long and distinguished career in the Army, he produced real results and proved that his character is of the highest caliber. I am certain that he understands the hard work and dedication necessary to make VA stand for ‘Veterans Advocate,’ instead of what many believe the VA has become – ‘Veterans Adversary.’

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Eric Shinseki Confirmed as Secretary

MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann is reporting that the Senate has confirmed by unanimous consent Gen. Eric Shinseki as Secretary of Veteran’s Affairs, along with the majority of President Obama’s nominees. UPDATE: Reuters article here.

Shinseki Interview with Fox Affliate in Honolulu

KHON/FOX’s Gina Mangeiri interviews Gen. Shinseki last night:

“Very exciting and aloha to all our friends in Hawaii looking forward to it and very excited looking forward to it this is about our veterans something about I have a great passion for,” Shinseki added.

The culmination of Shinseki’s role earns the praise of Senator Dan Inouye.

“You have a new administration that will bring the credibility of the United States back,” says Inouye.
And with Obama in the White House, Shinseki on the cabinet - and Inouye himself chairing the senate’s most powerful appropriations committee, there’s just one way to sum up our Island stature.

Shinseki Confirmation Hearing

Retired U.S. Army Gen. Eric Shinseki, center, stands with Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing on Shinseki’s nomination by President-elect Barack Obama to become the next secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. (Gannett News Service, Heather Wines)

Abbreviated from Jen DiMascio’s post on politico.com: Retired Army Gen. Eric Shinseki, who appears in line for breeze-easy confirmation as secretary of veterans affairs, vowed on Wednesday to “treat our vets with respect and dignity.” Shinseki also pledged to quickly implement the G.I. Bill passed last year by Congress and make sure the VA can start rolling out new educational benefits for veterans on Aug. 1 as promised. Other pressing issues include cutting into a sizable veterans health care claim backlog and merging electronic health records of the Pentagon and the VA – two issues he said are connected, because the backlog will be eased by moving toward a paperless, computerized system. 

Shinseki Confirmation Hearing Jan. 14

Hal Donahue, writing yesterday on the Huffington Post, says “General Shinseki deserves quick Senate approval; veterans desperately need him.”

Somehow caring for the veteran and his family is lost as it is in the mission statement. Many current executives at both the national and regional levels appear to have neither the will nor the courage to fight the fight for our veterans. Or perhaps they are just worn out from trying? Perhaps they provided more with less for so long that they now feel that they are being asked to do everything with nothing? Why? The answer is to save money to fight Bush’s Iraq War and for tax cuts for the well off trickle down that never did trickle down.

The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, chaired by Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI), starts at 10 a.m. ET in room 106 of the Dirksen Bldg.