FREEP Action Needed NOW, Wounded Soldiers' Benefits at risk

Soldiers' Angels and the Wounded Warrior Project sent out the following alert regarding pending legislation. If you're willing and able, please make a phone call, or send a letter/fax/email to the appropriate committee member.

We will keep this entry at the top of the page today, so scroll down for newer entries. *****

On Thursday April 21st the United States Senate passed legislation yesterday creating Traumatic Injury Insurance that will issue active duty service members a payment ranging from $25, 000 to $100,000, should they incur a life altering injury while serving their nation. This legislation, known as the Wounded Warrior Bill, was introduced as an amendment to the Emergency Supplemental Funding Bill by Senator Larry Craig (R-ID), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, at the urgent request of three injured soldiers from the Wounded Warrior Project. The Traumatic Injury Insurance will make an immediate payment to the service member and their family within days of sustaining their injury to support them during their hospitalization. Additionally, the legislation passed will make Craigâ€™s measure retroactive to the start of Operation Enduring Freedom, which began in Afghanistan on October 7, 2001.

This payment will ensure that newly injured soldiers can concentrate more fully on their recovery and transition back into civilian life rather than on the financial hardship that their disability will have on them and their families.

The Emergency Supplemental bill must now go through Conference Committee, where differences between the House of Representatives and Senate versions of this bill will be reconciled. As this Traumatic Insurance Provision is only in the Senate version of the Legislation, we must make sure that it remains in the final version of the bill to be approved by both the House and Senate.

Please Call the Members of the Conference Committee and Demand That They Include the Craig Amendment That Creates Traumatic Injury Insurance Coverage for Our Troops

I would prefer to see a bill which requires first the military and then later the veterans administration to purchase durable medical equipment and house modifications for disabled vets. $100,000 might only be a band-aid for some of these kids. If you need a modified vehicle, a wheelchair, fixtures installed in your house etc, $100K might not cover it.

Dear Senator Clinton,
I am writing to express my support for something called the Craig Amendment which creates Traumatic Injury Insurance that will issue active duty service members a payment ranging from $25,000 to $100,000, should they incur a life altering injury while serving their nation.

This legislation, known as the Wounded Warrior Bill, was introduced as an amendment to the Emergency Supplemental Funding Bill by Senator Larry Craig (R-ID).

This provision, The Wounded Warrior Bill, was part of the senate version but not part of the House version of the Emergency Supplemental Funding

The Emergency Supplemental bill is (as I understand it) currently in Conference Committee where differences between the House of Representatives and Senate versions of this bill will be reconciled.

I recognize that neither you, nor anyone from New York is part of the conference (list of conferees provided below) so I am asking that you office contact one or more of the persons who are conferees and express your support for the Craig amendment aka the Wounded Warrior Bill.

Thank you for your time.
~Bob Hyneman
EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL SENATE CONFEREES

Republicans

Senator Cochran (R- MS)

Senator Stevens (R-AK)

Senator Specter (R-PA)

Senator Domenici (R- NM)

Senator Bond (MO)

Senator McConnell (R- KY)

Senator Burns (R- MT)

Senator Shelby (R-AL)

Senator Gregg (R-NH)

Senator Bennett (R-UT)

Senator Craig (R- ID)

Senator Hutchison (R- TX)

Senator DeWine (R- OH)

Senator Brownback (R- KS)

Senator Allard (R-CO)

Democrats

Senator Byrd (D-WV)

Senator Inouye (D- HI)

Senator Leahy (D- VT)

Senator Harkin (D- IA)

Senator Mikulski (D- MD)

Senator Reid (D- NV)

Senator Kohl (D-WI)

Senator Murray (D-WA)

Senator Dorgan (D-ND)

Senator Feinstein (D-CA)

Senator Durbin (D-IL)

Senator Johnson (D- SD)

Senator Landrieu (D- LA)

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