Working To Reduce The Backlog And Serve Cuyahoga County Veterans

Recently, I had the honor of meeting with veterans at a roundtable I held at the Cuyahoga County Veterans Services Commission. These heroes who have made tremendous sacrifices for our country do not ask for much in return – just the benefits they have earned and deserve. But when 490,000 veterans have waited longer than 125 days to have their claims processed, it’s obvious we need to do more.

That’s why I’ve been proud to work to pass VA budgets that invest more than a half a billion dollars into the Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS), which has added thousands of employees to help process claims.

I recently sponsored the Veterans Services Outreach Act. This legislation would require the VA to notify veterans filing electronically that they can receive help and important time-saving information from VA-approved organizations tasked with assisting veterans.

I’m also working to pass the Claims Processing Improvement Act of 2013. This legislation would hold the VA accountable to veterans by reporting on both its projected monthly goals and actual production. This bill would also establish a task force to hire and train people to process claims and develop new tactics to eliminate the backlog.

Finally, it’s important that Cuyahoga County veterans get connected early on in the process with local service organizations like the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. These organizations have decades of experience and can help streamline this process, cut down the backlog, and connect veterans with the support they need.

Solving the backlog is not a partisan issue. It is a solemn promise our nation must honor.