veterans
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Delayed surgeries. A mass staff exodus. A culture of fear. New IG reports outline issues at Aurora VA hospital
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The Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Aurora has stopped all cardiac surgeries for 11 months amid an exodus of clinical staff and leadership problems that created a culture of fear. That is according to two VA Office of Inspector General reports released last week. The documents outlined the problems that led to numerous clinical…
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Pioneering military women recognized on groundbreaking Washington D.C. Honor Flight
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Pioneering military women – including women who manned missiles, trained troops, and translated Vietnamese – traveled together to Washington D.C. this week on a trip dedicated to recognizing their contributions. Pioneering female veterans from Colorado gathered Friday around bronze Vietnam nurses and their patient in Washington, D.C. – a frozen moment of loss representing years of…
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After denials, PACT Act making a difference for those hurt by toxic exposure
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After previous denials, Michelle Hill received an official letter earlier this year from the Department of Veterans Affairs acknowledging her husband’s deadly cancer was caused by exposure to toxic burn pits. “It was saying, ‘Yes, your husband’s service mattered,’” she said during an event Wednesday at the Mount Carmel Veterans Service Center. Congressional approval of the…
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Veteran tax relief bills from Colorado Springs lawmakers killed in committee | FOCUS ON THE SPRINGS
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Two bills to provide tax relief for veterans sponsored by Colorado Springs Republicans were killed in committee on Thursday – the day before the state legislature celebrated Military and Veterans Appreciation Day. Senate Bill 106, sponsored by Sen. Bob Gardner and Rep. Mary Bradfield, would have made permanent the military retirement benefits tax deduction, which…
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Audit uncovers numerous issues in Colorado’s veterans service program
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Colorado is failing to adequately plan for, supervise and support its veterans service program, according to a performance audit released on Wednesday. As of last year, there were around 388,000 veterans living in Colorado. These veterans rely on state service officers to help them obtain benefits and resources, such as pensions, disability compensation, medical care…
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Gardner bill would force VA to pay student veterans full benefits
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Colorado’s U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner said Tuesday he plans to introduce bipartisan legislation aimed at forcing the Department of Veterans Affairs to pay benefits to student veterans who have been shorted because of the VA’s information processing and accounting difficulties. “The VA let these veterans down and this cannot be tolerated,” Gardner said in a…
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Colorado brothers to roll from Tijuana to D.C for deported veterans
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Two Colorado Springs brothers will drive a message-draped RV from Colorado to Tijuana, Mexico, then to the Veterans Day parade in Washington, D.C., to make a plea for deported veterans. Valente and Manuel Valenzuela, Vietnam vets in their 60s, have avoided deportation while their own cases linger in the courts. They were brought to the…
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201 new Colo. laws and rules take effect
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The biggest batch of new laws from the last legislative session hit the Colorado books Wednesday. The 201 new rules and regulations took effect 90 days after the end of the 120-day General Assembly. The laws run the gamut from marijuana and hemp to rural economic development and deregulation of taxis, as well as removing…
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This Independence Day, let’s celebrate patriots of all stripes
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As my family and I get ready to celebrate Independence Day, I cannot help but reflect, and be thankful to our men and women in uniform who fought for, and continue to fight for, our independence and freedoms both at home and abroad. While the 4th of July is a day where we join together…
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Democrats’ midterm weapon: Veterans for Congress
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Texas’ 23rd District stretches along the Mexico border from San Antonio to El Paso, and Gina Ortiz-Jones has been traveling it a lot lately. The former Air Force intelligence officer is hoping to be the Democratic candidate who can wrest the district’s House seat from Rep. Will Hurd, the Republican incumbent, in the November midterm…
