Issue Position: Veterans

Issue Position

Concurrent Receipt and the Survivor Benefit Program (SBP)

Congressman Thompson is a cosponsor of legislation to eliminate the offsets veterans and/or their spouses incur under concurrent receipt and the survivor benefit program. Though progress was made in the concurrent receipt program in 2003, there is much work that remains to be done to ensure that no disabled veteran sees a reduction in their pay. Additionally, Congressman Thompson supports legislation expected to be enacted this year that would phase in a fix to the SBP program over the next 5 years.

Veterans Healthcare

As a Vietnam Veteran and Co-Chair of the Congressional Veterans Caucus, Congressman Thompson believes that one of our first priorities has to be providing for those who have served our country. Some veterans are waiting six months or more for medical appointments. Congressman Thompson voted in 2004 to provide full funding for VA healthcare in order to reduce this waiting time and provide better healthcare to our veterans.

SHAD

Between 1962-1974 the Department of Defense (DoD) conducted chemical and biological testing on U.S. service members and civilians under programs call Project SHAD and Project 112. Notified of the tests in 1999, Congressman Thompson began meeting with the DOD and the VA insisting that an investigation be conducted. When work on the investigation was proceeding at a slower pace than necessary to help exposed veterans, Congressman Thompson introduced legislation that required the DOD to make public all tests, provide veterans with the healthcare that they need and required a General Accounting Office investigation. The language was included in the 2003 Defense Authorization Act. As a result of Congressman Thompson's legislation, the Institute of Medicine is also currently conducting a clinical study to determine the long-term health effects of these exposures which will enable the VA to provide health care and/or compensation.

Veterans History Project

Congressman Thompson calls on veterans from Northern California and across the nation to participate in an extraordinary opportunity to remember the sacrifices of those who have served.

The Veterans History Project focuses on documenting the contributions of military personnel, civilian volunteers and war industry workers who served during major military conflicts from World War I through the Persian Gulf War. Motivated by a desire to honor our nation's war veterans and to collect their stories and experiences, the United States Congress created the Veterans History Project in 2000. The Library of Congress is tasked with collecting and preserving audio- and video-taped oral histories, along with documentary materials such as letters, diaries, maps, photographs and home movies. 19 million war veterans live in the United States, but sadly we lose 1,700 of them every day. It is critical that their experiences be documented so that future generations never lose sight of the sacrifices they made. For more information visit the Veterans History Project Website.

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