Circle of Friends for American Veterans: Pocan a Champion for Veterans; Affirms National Veterans' Bill of Rights

Press Release

The nationwide Circle of Friends for American Veterans (COFAV) recognized Congressman Mark Pocan today for his affirmation of its Veterans' Bill of Rights. Congressman Pocan readily affirmed the Veterans' Bill of Rights (VBOR) and plans to emphasize it in his work in the House of Representatives. He has affirmed through the VBOR that

1) Veterans are a top priority; 2) He supports reducing the wait time on disability claims from the current 202 day average to 125; 3) The VA should negotiate for its procurement services; and 4) The VA should collect all possible insurance claims owed it.

"We must take a holistic approach to the treatment of those men and women who take on the extraordinary responsibility of defending our nation." Said Rep. Mark Pocan, "Paying for our veterans' health care needs is part of the cost of war and we must fully fund efforts to provide veterans with the support they have earned defending our nation. I am extremely grateful to the servicemen and women who have dedicated their lives and made countless sacrifices to protect our country."

The challenges facing our country's nearly 22 million veterans are many. There are almost 100,000 homeless veterans, nearly 700,000 cases of PTSD & TBI, and 22 veteran suicides each day. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association one half of all veterans returning from a war zone suffer from chronic pain.

The VA can gain literally billions of dollars in new revenue to provide services, without a dollar in new costs for taxpayers, by merely filling out the required paperwork on procurement and insurance claims. The services that can be expanded at zero cost include housing for 20,000 homeless veterans, and new dental procedures for over 300,000 veterans.

Congressman Mark Pocan is committed to ensuring that veterans get the benefits they have earned. Since Congress first convened in January, he has introduced legislation focused on solving the issues veterans face, including the Putting our Veterans Back to Work Act of 2015 and the Veterans Access to Hearing Health Act of 2015. Congressman Pocan has proven that as a Representative for Wisconsin's Second District he is ready and willing to stand up for America's Veterans.

Since 1993, The Circle of Friends for American Veterans has harnessed the power of the media to rally public support on behalf of American Veterans. COFAV has sponsored 196 programs and forums, with well over 100 Members of Congress speaking at its events. The Circle of Friends for American Veterans has supported local homeless veteran transitional facilities by organizing and conducting programs for public support in their local areas, as well as through earned media.

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