This report was posted by Perry Jefferies on, to IAVA.org February 11
I’ve spent the last two days with nearly two dozen committed, skilled, and motivated Veterans and supporters from all walks of life. We’ve all arrived in Washington D.C. with at least one goal in common – to introduce the 2009 Legislative Agenda from Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. We are also engaging in what is, if not the first, then uncommon exercise of near-real-time communications with the public and the donors that helped us get here. IAVA set up a great page at www.StormTheHill.org that consolidates emails, pictures, mms, and twitter feeds from the five teams all moving in different directions on Capitol Hill. It is pretty cool and even integrates stories from other news agencies as they are published.
It is a privilege to be a part of this extraordinary effort and to discuss our agenda with busy lawmakers and staffers that see us. Our prime target this year is to secure a concept known as “advanced appropriation” for the VA budget. Last year we helped push through the 21st Century GI Bill – an 87 billion dollar bill that will positively affect an entire American generation. Although advanced appropriations is a more difficult concept to grasp – it has a price tag easier for the Congress to swallow – it is FREE. The problem is that it can be difficult to explain and the idea of a group coming to Capitol Hill from all over America to ask for something that costs nothing is pretty alien here.
Enough got it however, that it looks like we’ll have some good news soon. Wait for word about a new bill here and know that the crew at IAVA have been able to pull off another success that is a credit well above what could be reasonably expected from them. And call, write, and support the lawmakers that support the troops by seeing IAVA reps, getting good grades on the annual report card (by the IAVA action fund), and follow up promises with action.
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