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16 April 2024

Axios | Biden told Bibi U.S. won't support an Israeli counterattack on Iran

President Biden told Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a call on Saturday that the U.S. won't support any Israeli counterattack against Iran, a senior White House official told Axios.

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Military Times | Annual defense authorization work to ramp up in the next few weeks

Congressional committees continue their annual spring budget deliberations with an eye towards releasing their drafts of the annual defense authorization bill in early summer.

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Washington Post | Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil refineries deepen tensions with U.S.

The Biden administration views the attacks as reckless and likely to raise energy prices. Kyiv sees them as essential to raising the cost of Russian aggression.

Military.com | A Decade After Scandal, VA Health Care May Be at Another Crossroads

Ten years after a scandal over wait times at Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers sparked new programs to increase veterans' access to private health care services, a divided Congress is debating the future of VA medical care and how best to fund the department.

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Responsible Statecraft | Top House Dem blasts 'nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine' approach

Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) offered a rare Democratic rebuke of the Biden administration’s rhetoric on the war in Ukraine during a House Armed Services Committee hearing [last week].

New York Times | The Math on Ukraine Doesn’t Add Up

President Biden wants the world to believe that the biggest obstacle facing Ukraine is Republicans and our lack of commitment to the global community. This is wrong.

The Conversation | From Reagan to Obama, presidents have left office with ‘strategic regret’ − will leaving troops in Iraq and Syria be Biden or Trump’s?

U.S. presidents often leave the White House expressing “strategic regret” over perceived foreign policy failures.

April 10 marked the 10-year anniversary of the tragic Phoenix VA Wait Time Scandal that claimed the lives of at least 40 veterans. Today, many veterans are still struggling to access quality and timely care in Phoenix and all across the country. In fact, according to the VA's data, wait times for primary care range from 20 days to 59 days, and mental health appointment waits range from 45 to 105 days. VA's guidelines call for a 20-day primary and mental health care wait. Under the VA MISSION Act, which was signed into law in 2018 and implemented in 2019, veterans are to be offered the option of community care if those time frames aren't met.

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Last week, CVA hosted press conferences to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the Phoenix VA scandal and discussed the legislative solutions to removing the barriers to veterans’ accessing community care. Check out some of the news stories:

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DC News Now | 10 years since the Phoenix VA Scandal

This month marks the 10th anniversary of the Phoenix VA scandal. 40 veterans died while waiting for treatment. The Arizona hospital faced a scandal over long wait times for veterans seeking medical care and falsifying records to cover those delays.

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Fox 5 DC | Senators sponsor legislation to improve health care for veterans

Senator Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., is sponsoring legislation Veteran Health Care Reform Act that would provide veterans with healthcare in a timely manner, eliminate hurdles to access and wipe out some requirements to allow veterans to seek care anywhere that’s convenient.

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ABC 15 Arizona | A decade after scandal, Phoenix VA wait-time concerns return

Whistleblowers from 2014 again urge action to avoid delays in veterans' appointments

12 News | On 10-year anniversary of V.A. health care scandal, problems persist

On 10-year anniversary of V.A. health care scandal, problems persist

Veteran advocates are now demanding Congress and the Department of Veterans Affairs address lingering systemic failures.

AZ Family | Veteran advocates calling for better treatment at VA clinics 10 years after scandal

A decade after a whistleblower exposed problems at VA hospitals, advocates say our veterans are still facing long wait times.

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Arizona PBS | Veteran Affairs Wait Time Scandal 10 years later

In April 2014, an investigative report uncovered a disturbing truth: the Phoenix VA hospital had been concealing Veterans’ appointment wait times by maintaining secret lists, resulting in at least 40 Veterans tragically passing away while awaiting medical care.

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