A Victory, but We Need More Calls

On Tuesday night, November 30, 2010, the U.S. House of
Representatives passed the Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of
Rights (H.R. 5428) as part of a larger bill, H.R. 5953, the Women
Veterans Bill of Rights. Congressman Filner, Chairman of the House VA
Committee, led the charge in placing this bill on the "suspension
calendar," leading to a favorable vote in the House.

The bill now goes to the U.S. Senate for consideration in the closing
days of the 111th Congress. The hope is that the Senate will consider
this bill under "unanimous consent" procedures, where, if no one
objects, it automatically passes the Senate. However, there are many
barriers that lie ahead, particularly with the contents of the Women
Veterans Bill of Rights, and it is very late in the Congressional
calendar.

NAAOP is working hard to secure passage of this important legislation
and will continue to do so in the days and weeks ahead. Other O&P
organizations have been supportive at critical stages. We call on all
NAAOP members and friends in the O&P community to contact their
Senate offices and encourage passage in the Senate of the Injured and
Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights (part of H.R. 5953 - the Women
Veterans Bill of Rights).

To contact your Senate office,please dial the Capitol switchboard at
(202) 224-3121 and ask to speak with your Senator or Senate staffer
in charge of VA issues.

The Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights is designed to make
quality orthotic and prosthetic care more consistent to veterans
across the country. The bill would require the VA to post on its
website and in every VA O&P clinic a list of rights that veterans
have. These rights include access to appropriate technology, a
practitioner of the veteran's choice (both inside and outside the VA
system), a second opinion with respect to treatment decisions, access
to a functional spare orthoses or prostheses, and several other
important provisions.

We hope you will take the time to make your support for this
important legislation clear to your Senators.

Thank you for your assistance and to those who assisted with the
House victory, congratulations!