As many of you know, I’m blessed by geography because every Saturday morning I get to have my favorite breakfast (Army SOS on scrambled eggs and a biscuit) with my favorite people (those young people who’ve paid the price for my freedom) at the Walter Reed messhall. No matter how I feel when I get there, my spirits are raised by the great attitudes I encounter there. <\/p>\n
No matter what their injuries are, they always have a smile, they always have a firm hand shake and they’re always humble about their injuries and optimistic about their futures. <\/p>\n
The hardest part, though, is to look into the eyes of 20-something wives faced with an uncertain future of caring for the men they love unconditionally. I just want to give them all a hug if it didn’t make me look like a dirty old man (mostly because I’m unclean and an old man). <\/p>\n
Well, the good news is that Congress is considering a bill to improve the support for family caregivers next week in House Resolution 3155 – Caregiver Assistance and Resource Enhancement Act (you can see it at thomas.loc.gov<\/a>). I’m no lawyer, but looking at the resolution and the U.S. Code that it modifies (38 U.S.C.<\/a> 111, 1720B , 1720G, and 1782) it provides for training, counseling and lodging and subsistence for family caregivers.<\/p>\n According to the email TSO sent me;<\/p>\n The July 2007 report of the President’s Commission on Care for America’s Returning Wounded Warriors (Dole-Shalala Commission) found that of the 1,730 injured OEF\/OIF veterans surveyed, about 21 percent of active duty, 15 percent of the reserve, and 24 percent of retired or separated service members had friends or family who gave up a job to be a caregiver. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n This bill, by no means a panacea, goes a long way towards making a down payment on the debt we owe these wonderful young people. <\/p>\n The bill’s sponsor is Rep Michaud, Michael H. [ME-2] and the co-sponsors are; So I’m calling my uber-Leftist Congressman Chris VanHollen Monday and find out why he’s not a co-sponsor. I’m sure it’s not his fault.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\n
\nRep Brown, Corrine [FL-3] – 7\/20\/2009
\nRep Crenshaw, Ander [FL-4] – 7\/20\/2009
\nRep Donnelly, Joe [IN-2] – 7\/9\/2009
\nRep Halvorson, Deborah L. [IL-11] – 7\/9\/2009
\nRep Klein, Ron [FL-22] – 7\/21\/2009
\nRep Rodriguez, Ciro D. [TX-23] – 7\/9\/2009
\nRep Smith, Christopher H. [NJ-4] – 7\/20\/2009
\nRep Teague, Harry [NM-2] – 7\/9\/2009
\nRep Wolf, Frank R. [VA-10] – 7\/21\/2009 <\/p>\n