Jerry McNerney's website

BREAKING NEWS: Veterans Bill Signed Into Law

Dear Friends,

I have great news to share with you.  Just a few days ago, the president signed a bill I wrote to improve medical treatment for veterans with severe injuries.

Unfortunately, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), often caused by the blast of explosives, have become the signature wounds of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  I wrote this law to address the urgent need to improve care for these men and women.  

My legislation establishes a panel to evaluate how the Department of Veterans Affairs cares for veterans with TBI and make recommendations for improvements.  The bill also helps to establish classes and training programs on TBI for VA health care professionals.

I’ve worked on this legislation for three years.  During that time, the conversations I’ve had with veterans at home in California and the time I’ve spent visiting with injured service members at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and at the National Naval Medical Center motivated me to keep pushing for this legislation.

We owe a debt of gratitude to our veterans.  They put their lives on the line for our country and now it’s in our hands to keep our promise to these brave men and women. 

Today, we’re one step closer to keeping that promise. 


Sincerely,


Jerry
Congressman Jerry McNerney

P.S.  Will you help me share the great news?  Click here to find out how you can write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper about this important legislation.

Thank You Veterans

Dear Friends,

 

Today is Veterans Day, a time to pay tribute to the men and women who have served our country in uniform.  America owes its freedom to our veterans.   We must never forget their sacrifice.

  

As a member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, I’m fighting for our veterans.  Earlier this year, I wrote and passed legislation that will help improve care for the new generation of veterans who are returning home with severe and traumatic brain injuries.

 

Recently, the House of Representatives also passed a resolution I wrote to honor the Sentinels of Freedom program.  Sentinels of Freedom provides support to veterans severely wounded on, or after September 11, 2001, including assistance finding housing, securing a job and enrolling in school.

Thank You Veterans

Friends,
 

Monday, May 25th, is Memorial Day, a time to remember the men and women of honor who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. I hope you’ll join with me in observing this solemn holiday and giving thanks for the freedom we enjoy.

McNerney endorsed by Veterans of Foreign Wars PAC

Jeff Mitchell with PolitickerCA just wrote a story about the Veterans of Foreign Wars PAC endorsement of Jerry!

Jerry McNerney receives major veterans endorsement

Today, I was honored to be endorsed by Dave Norris. As a Tracy resident, decorated Vietnam veteran, and immediate past President of the California Veterans of Foreign Wars, his support means much to me, as I continue to work to serve our nation's veterans.

The Tri-Valley Herald just wrote about it, and I'm proud to share it with you.

Rep. Jerry McNerney announced endorsements from Northern California veterans Wednesday at the Veterans Memorial in Manteca.

David Norris, past state commander of the California Veterans of Foreign Wars, as well as other veterans who live in the 11th Congressional District, voiced their support for McNerney, a Democrat from Pleasanton. "He has stood up for veterans," Norris said to the small group gathered.

You can read the rest of the story here.

McNerney continues fight for Livermore V.A.

Today, Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner from San Diego joined Congressman McNerney in touring the Livermore VA and discussing ways to keep the much-needed facility open and available for our local veterans.

ABC7News covered the story.

LIVERMORE, CA (KGO) -- The government's move to shut down a Veterans Affairs Hospital in Livermore is running into opposition from veterans and some high level supporters. They want to change the hospital's mission, to specialize in returning veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Bob Filner (D) of Chula Vista, the chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, came to Livermore at the request of East Bay Congressman Jerry McNerney (D) of California's 11th District. McNerney sits on that committee and together they both lit into the V.A. accusing the agency of worrying more about saving money, than saving lives.

Click this link to watch the video.

Contra Costa Times: Law would help veterans homeowners

Lisa Vorderbrueggen wrote about Congressman McNerney’s efforts to help veterans who face exploding monthly payments on adjustable rate mortgages or the prospect of foreclosure keep their homes.

From the Contra Costa Times:

Military veteran homeowners struggling under the weight of rising subprime mortgage payments could see a rise in the federally backed refinance loan cap in legislation that passed out of a congressional committee this week.

Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, wrote an amendment to the Helping Our Veterans Keep Their Homes Act of 2008 that would increase the existing $144,000 loan cap to $729,750.

The lower figure is useless in Northern California, especially in the Bay Area where housing prices are among the highest in the nation.

"We have heard complaints about the low, $144,00 figure in the past, but now, it's a crisis," McNerney said. "We had bipartisan support for the legislation in the subcommittee, and I can't imagine why anyone would oppose it."

Click here to read the full story from the Contra Costa Times.

Tracy Press backs McNerney on Livermore VA and French Camp clinic

The Tracy Press has joined the list of major newspapers serving residents of the 11th Congressional District in praising Congressman Jerry McNerney's effort to save the Livermore VA from closure and expand its services to veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder:

... the Pleasanton Democrat has set himself apart by continuing a crusade to provide the best medical and psychological care for servicemen and -women returning from battle. One aspect is keeping the Livermore Veterans Affairs Medical Center open; it’s proposed to be closed with a new VA medical clinic built in French Camp or Stanislaus County.

[...]

The pastoral setting of the campus in southern Livermore is picture-perfect for medical and psychological treatment for veterans shocked by the horrors of war. It has a 120-bed hospital for long-term care and 30 beds for sub-acute inpatients.

The Press also expresses support for expanding services at the French Camp clinic.

This opportunity for PTSD care should not preclude the VA from maintaining clinical services at its quarter-century-old hospital/clinic in Livermore. Also deserving of similar services is the Central Valley where, because of home prices, more returning soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen are living. It makes sense to expand the French Camp VA clinic that is a neighbor to San Joaquin General Hospital so northern San Joaquin Valley veterans can have comprehensive treatment without driving over the Altamont Pass. This care should include nursing home beds.

Are there enough medical and mental health patients and enough budgetary patience from the government panel considering realignment of VA facilities to have VA hospitals in Livermore and French Camp? There are if Livermore becomes the western mental health center for veterans who return with PTSD and French Camp assumes more of the Livermore VA hospital’s traditional role.

This editorial follows other supportive editorials in the Contra Costa Times, Stockton Record, The Argus, and the San Jose Mercury News.

As support grows for Congressman McNerney's proposals, veterans are watching to see if Secretary James Nicholson will do the right thing. Stay tuned to this blog for the news or read previous posts about Veterans Affairs issues here.

Mercury News joins Record, Times and Argus in supporting McNerney on Livermore VA

Four regional newspapers have now gone on record supporting Congressman Jerry McNerney's proposal to save the Livermore VA hospital by expanding its services to veterans suffering from post-traumatic disorder.

First, the Contra Costa Times took the lead. Then the Stockton Record went on the record. The Argus (of Fremont) chimed in with their support late last week.

And now the latest paper to get behind the Congressman's plan is the San Jose Mercury News, which serves readers in Morgan Hill and has the largest circulation in Northern California. The Merc laid out the case for why keeping the Livermore VA open is the right thing to do:

The open-ended nature of our two Middle East wars, not to mention the longer-term war on terror, means the VA must re-evaluate its needs for the next several decades, including a careful re-examination of the notion of closing Livermore's 115-acre VA hospital.

Four years ago, we concurred with the VA report urging the closure of seven VA hospitals, including Livermore, believing that unusually high costs of operating those facilities should be redirected into building more outpatient clinics throughout the region. We remain alarmed that a General Accounting Office report found the VA spends one out of every four dollars on maintaining and operating outdated medical buildings and grounds.

But the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have gone on far longer and produced far more casualties than expected. The influx of 420,000 PTSD patients will put servere strains on the VA system without a corresponding increase in budget, staff and facilities to meet injured veterans' needs.

The chorus of mainstream media opinion leadership is getting louder. So, when will Veterans Affairs Secretary James Nicholson do the right thing? Stay tuned...

Pleasanton Weekly: "Hundreds turn out for Memorial Day ceremonies..."

Congressman Jerry McNerney joined Mayor Jennifer Hosterman and hundreds of citizens to a historic cemetary in Pleasanton on Memorial Day to honor those who have given their lives in service to our nation.

The Tri-Valley Herald recognized the context of this year's Memorial Day:

Against a backdrop of fluttering American flags and the serenity of Pleasanton's Memorial Gardens, somber words and thoughts went out Monday to the men and women fighting overseas.

The deadly conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan leant solemnity to this Memorial Day ceremony, one of several held in the East Bay.

The event drew over 200 people, according to the Pleasanton Weekly:

Calling this "a very difficult time for our country," Congressman Jerry McNerney (D-Pleasanton) nevertheless praised soldiers serving in the Middle East and other parts of the world and their families in brief remarks that he gave Monday at Memorial Day ceremonies in the Pleasanton Memorial Gardens cemetery.

"Our nation is very proud of their accomplishments and what they have given us and what they have shown the world about freedom," McNerney said. "We also need to give a special recognition to the families of those young men and women. These families are sacrificing more than us, more than the rest of us can even imagine. Our nation will honor you and your sacrifice and your loved ones forever."

If you haven't read Congressman McNerney's blog post on Memorial Day, please click here.