Gov. Dannel P. Malloy made a post-election visit to the White House on Monday for a summit on veterans’ homelessness that ended with a wistful plea by First Lady Michelle Obama for the administration of President-elect Donald J. Trump to continue a successful local, state and federal partnership to address homelessness.
Department of Veterans Affairs
Posted inHealth, Politics
Blumenthal leads bipartisan Senate effort to reform VA
WASHINGTON — With continuing scandals at the nation’s veterans’ hospitals, Sen. Richard Blumenthal and a Republican colleague introduced a sweeping new bill Thursday aimed at protecting whistleblowers and speeding the firing of bad actors at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Posted inNews
New program for CT women vets would be unfunded
The Senate voted unanimously Wednesday for a bill that creates an unfunded program for the 16,545 women living in Connecticut who are veterans of U.S. military service.
Posted inPolitics
Malloy names Sean Connolly to lead Veterans’ Affairs
Sean Connolly, a lawyer, Army reservist and decorated veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, is giving up a senior defense industry post to become Connecticut’s commissioner of veterans’ affairs.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
We owe a big debt to veterans — and should pay it
Veterans groups are a long way from their goal. But as the story of the Bonus Army of 1932 demonstrates, there can be no surrender in the nonviolent campaign to repair the long-term damage of war.
Posted inNews
Op-Ed: We owe a big debt to veterans — and should pay it
Veterans groups are a long way from their goal. But as the story of the Bonus Army of 1932 demonstrates, there can be no surrender in the nonviolent campaign to repair the long-term damage of war.
Posted inHealth
Suicide by veterans remains a daunting problem as VA struggles to improve care
Connecticut has one of the lowest rates of veteran suicide in the nation, but the situation remains daunting. While there’s evidence some progress has been made, the state’s veterans commit suicide at nearly twice the rate of non-vets.
Posted inNews
House overwhelmingly approves VA overhaul
WASHINGTON – The House of Representatives Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a $17 billion bill aimed at coming to the aid of the scandal-plagued Department of Veterans Affairs.
All five Connecticut House members joined the majority as the bill was approved on a vote of 420 to 5.
Posted inNews
Number of long waits for VA healthcare in CT much larger than first reported
WASHINGTON –Since the scandal this spring over long wait times and cover ups of poor performance at veterans’ health facilities, there’s been a sharp upturn in the numbers of Connecticut veterans who have waited more than 30 days to receive medical help.
Posted inNews
CT lawmakers lean on Harry Reid to schedule Schwartz VA vote
WASHINGTON – Members of the state’s congressional delegation on Thursday told Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid they are tired of tapping their feet waiting for a confirmation vote for Linda Schwartz, the head of the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs, who has been nominated by President Obama for a top VA job in Washington.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Op-Ed: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs needs fixing
After its many reported transgressions, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs needs an attitude adjustment and it must start at the top.
Posted inNews
Op-Ed: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs needs fixing
After its many reported transgressions, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs needs an attitude adjustment and it must start at the top.