Letter to Honorable Eric K. Shinseki, Secretary of Veterans Affairs - VA Claims Backlog

Letter

May 28, 2013

The Honorable Eric K. Shinseki
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
810 Vermont Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20420

Dear Secretary Shinseki,

I am writing to you today on behalf of more than 600,000 veterans that are stuck in the VA's disability claims backlog. I urge you to invest all available resources in ending this backlog. This country is eternally grateful for the sacrifice made by the brave men and women who have selflessly served this nation. We must do everything we can to ensure our commitment to helping all those who have fought for our freedoms.

Too often we hear from veterans who report delays in the processing of their benefit claims. According to a report by the Center for Investigative Reporting, over the last four years claims that are pending over a year have grown by over 2000 percent. Currently, the average wait time for a first time disability claim ranges between 316 and 327days, and many veterans across the country are waiting significantly longer. Solving this problem is critical for all veterans and we as a nation need to make this a priority. I am calling on you to end this backlog in an effective and timely manner.

I appreciate you taking the time to consider this request and look forward to hearing back from you.

Sincerely,

Bruce Braley

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