Individuals who have lost their jobs during the ongoing recession would receive health-care and unemployment assistance. The bill would provide a $20 billion increase in the food stamps program and $2.1 billion to expand Head Start.
On the tax side, the bill calls for a two-year $400 credit to working individuals and $800 to working couples, distributed through a payroll tax deduction or claimed as a lump sum for the 2009 and 2010 tax years. Social Security recipients would receive a one-time $250 payment. College students and home and car buyers would receive incentives, although the latter two benefits were drastically reduced.
Stimulus Bill Would Aid Military Homeowners, Wounded
By Walter Pincus, Washington Post Staff Writer, Friday, February 13, 2009; A09
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/12/AR2009021203503.html
To help military personnel forced to sell their homes amid the current real estate crisis, the compromise stimulus bill contains $555 million for the secretary of defense to acquire title to a military person's property or reimburse the individual for losses after a private sale or foreclosure. The bill also includes nearly $3 billion in construction funds to repair and modernize military facilities.
The new program established in the stimulus bill is called the Homeowners Assistance Fund. It is primarily for wounded who need to move for medical reasons, surviving spouses of those killed in action or Defense Department personnel suddenly ordered to relocate. The program is also available to the widows of Defense Department civilian employees killed in the line of duty. It builds on a program to help homeowners near military bases being closed.
Senate Appropriations Committee members described $2.3 billion of the military construction money as needed to aid "quality of life and family-friendly military construction projects," such as barracks for those returning from overseas deployments, family housing, child-care centers, and health and dental clinics on bases in the United States.
Another major element in that package is $481 million for new or expanded facilities to take care of medical and social service needs for the wounded and their families.
The only major security item dropped from the measure was $1 billion that the Senate had added for the Energy Department's National Nuclear Security Administration for use in the nuclear weapons program. The Senate report said $900 million was to be used to handle the backlog of maintenance and to rebuild facilities, some of which date to the Manhattan Project during World War II. The remaining $100 million was to be directed at "advanced computer research and development."
An array of arms-control advocacy groups opposed the funding, as did several House members. "When I found out that the Senate had slipped in $1 billion for nuclear weapons programs, even as it was cutting funds for school construction, I was appalled," said Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.). "I'm pleased that this provision was dropped from the final version of the bill."
The compromise bill gives the State Department $228 million to upgrade its computers and computer security, a program that has had trouble getting fully funded.
Friday, February 13, 2009
from Colonel Dan
Filner and Akaka Reintroduce Legislation to Secure Timely Funding for Veterans’
NEWS FROM…
CHAIRMAN BOB FILNER
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 12, 2009
Filner and Akaka Reintroduce Legislation to Secure Timely Funding for Veterans’ Health Care through Advance Appropriations
Chairmen joined by veterans organizations in calling for passage of bipartisan plan
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Bob Filner (D-CA), Chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, joined a bipartisan group of Senators and Members of Congress in reintroducing legislation today to secure timely funding for veterans’ health care through the “advance appropriations” process. Chairman Filner stood with Senate Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), other members of Congress, and leaders from several veterans service organizations and called for sufficient, timely and predictable funding for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) within the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA).
“I appreciate the sentiments of Secretary Shinseki to approve and implement future VA budgets on time, but we must also recognize the various obstacles that frequently prevent this from happening,” said Filner. “The Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009 is a way to explore a new manner in which to fund the VA. We need to consider a historic new approach to guarantee that our veterans have access to comprehensive, quality health care that they deserve and have earned. There is no greater priority facing our nation than providing health care to our veterans and we must be willing to pay the cost, whatever that cost may be. For too many years, VA has had to make do with insufficient budgets resulting in restricted access for many veterans. When funding is short, it is our veterans who pay the price.”
H.R. 1016 would authorize Congress to approve VA medical care appropriations one year in advance of the start of each fiscal year. Unlike proposals to convert VA health care to a mandatory funding program, an advance appropriation does not create PAYGO concerns since VA health care funding would remain discretionary. Congress employs a PAYGO rule which demands that new proposals must either be budget neutral or offset with savings derived from existing funds. In addition, an advance appropriation would provide VA with up to a year in which to plan how to deliver the most efficient and effective care to an increasing number of veterans with increasingly complex medical conditions.
Senator Akaka said: “We are a step closer towards securing timely, predictable funding for the nation’s largest health care system – the Veterans Health Administration. Our plan would create a transparent process that will help VA use its funding more efficiently and care for veterans more effectively than it has in the past. I am proud to be joined by a bipartisan group of Congressional leaders and major veterans service organizations in calling for an end to VHA’s unpredictable funding.”
“There is no question that we’ve made great strides towards correcting these funding problems during the past two years,” said Chairman Filner. “However, this new legislation offers us a historic opportunity to permanently reform the VA health care budget process in a commonsense way to help ensure that future generations never again face these kinds of problems.”
The new legislation would also task the Governmental Accountability Office (GAO) with studying and reporting to Congress for the next three years on VA’s budget forecasting model and estimates. By shedding sunlight on VA’s internal budget process, Congress will have a much greater ability and incentive to develop appropriation bills that provide sufficient funding to meet the best estimate of anticipated demand for VA health care services in future years.
Five years free VA care for veterans
Five years free VA care for veterans
By Arlene Gross
February 11, 2009 | 02:59 PM
Two recent changes by the Veterans Administration will expand health care eligibility for veterans, thanks to a provision under the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008.
Military veterans who served in combat since Nov. 11, 1998, including veterans of the wars of Iraq and Afghanistan, are now eligible for five years of free medical care for most conditions from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The measure increases a two-year limit that has been in effect for nearly a decade.
"In these hard times, anything to help, particularly returning vets, is great," said Mario Buonpane, chairman of the Huntington Veterans Advisory Board.
The five-year deadline has no effect upon veterans with medical conditions related to their military service, according to a statement issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans may apply at any time after their discharge from the military — even decades later — for medical care for service-connected health problems. The new provision applies to care in a VA hospital, outpatient clinic or nursing home. It also extends VA dental benefits to 180 days after discharge, from a previous limit of 90 days for most veterans.
Combat veterans discharged between Nov. 11, 1998, and Jan. 16, 2003, who never took advantage of the VA's health care system have until Jan. 27, 2011, to qualify for free VA health care.
The five-year window is also open to activated reservists and members of the National Guard, if they served in combat after Nov. 11, 1998 and were discharged under other than dishonorable conditions.
A second initiative announced by the VA last month opens enrollment to its health care system to about 265,000 veterans whose incomes exceed current limits.
Starting July 2009, Priority 8 veterans, whose incomes are up to 10 percent higher than current VA eligibility limits, will be eligible for coverage.
In 1996, Congress established a priority-based enrollment system for VA and a uniform package of medical benefits for all enrollees. The legislation required that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs reassess the demand for services each year, and determine whether to change eligibility requirements to provide timely, quality care to all enrollees.
A tremendous growth in the number of veterans seeking enrollment led the VA to initially suspend enrollment for Priority 8 veterans, the lowest priority classification.
VA Department computer systems are being modified to accommodate the changes.
Originally opened in April 1928, the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center, on Middleville Road, is the only federally funded hospital for veterans on Long Island. Northport also has three community-based primary care/mental health clinics in Plainview, Patchogue and Westhampton.
With 201 hospital beds and 150 long-term care beds, the Northport facility treated more than 33,500 outpatients last year and 1,781 patients returning from Iraq and Afghanistan since October 2001, said Joe Sledge, spokesman for the facility.
Any expansion of veterans' health care is obviously a good thing, Sledge said. He added that veterans who haven't yet used VA services but are interested should contact the medical center director and speak with an eligibility specialist.
"We'll assist them in any way possible to determine their eligibility for health care," Sledge said. "It's our privilege to serve veterans. That's why we're here."
Woman fighting UPMC rejection of military health plan
Woman fighting UPMC rejection of military health plan
Thursday, February 12, 2009
By David Templeton, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Bill Wade/Post-GazetteJean Rohal, 40, of Bridgeville, is protesting that UPMC will not accept Tricare, a health insurance plan that covers active-duty military personnel.A Bridgeville woman is seeking congressional help in an effort to reverse a UPMC policy against accepting the health insurance plan for the region's 7,808 active-duty military personnel, their families and retirees.
Jean Rohal, 40, said it's shameful that University of Pittsburgh Medical Center hospitals and medical centers turn away active-duty service members from all branches, including the National Guard and reservists, especially in a time of war and economic distress.
She said she's been told UPMC doesn't accept Tricare, the military health plan, because of low reimbursement rates.
"I'm lucky that my husband is currently at home, but what about the people with spouses deployed?" Mrs. Rohal said. "They have spouses overseas, and now they have to deal with this."
She said that UPMC is the region's largest health-care provider, so its refusal to accept Tricare puts undue burden on military families.
Mrs. Rohal and her husband, an Army staff sergeant whose name she asked not be published, received a Jan. 15 letter from Tricare assigning the Rohals a new physician. The change was necessary because their current physician is affiliated with UPMC.
She also would have to find a gynecologist unaffiliated with UPMC. "I guess they don't think our soldiers and military families deserve the best in health care," she said.
Only three of UPMC's 15 hospitals -- Mercy, Horizon in Mercer County, and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh -- accept Tricare. Because most hospitals don't accept the insurance, UPMC doctors don't accept Tricare patients.
Mrs. Rohal said lack of answers from UPMC prompted her to take her complaint public. She contacted U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, on Tuesday with plans to contact U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., and other officials, to pressure UPMC to accept the military insurance plan.
Mr. Murphy said he was appalled to learn that UPMC accepts elderly patients on Medicare, whose reimbursement rates are similar to Tricare's, but not active-duty military, their families and retirees.
"We should be finding ways to support and comfort military families and soldiers, not send them a cold letter that says, 'Sorry,' " Mr. Murphy said. "This situation is not satisfactory or acceptable."
He said he's scheduling a meeting with UPMC officials to get answers.
Mrs. Rohal said she received a voice-mail message Tuesday from a UPMC official who said it was unlikely UPMC would accept Tricare due to its reimbursement rate.
But Frank Raczkiewicz, UPMC spokesman, said the health system now is considering joining the network.
"As demand grows for this, we're addressing the issue," Mr. Raczkiewicz said. "We are going to get into discussions with Tricare so we can expand the coverage system-wide."
The surprise news delighted Mrs. Rohal: "I think it's great if they get it to happen soon."
Molly Tuttle, spokeswoman for Health Net Federal Services, which administers the Department of Defense's Tricare insurance program in the North region, also said it was "excellent news."
Ms. Tuttle said Health Net officials unsuccessfully contacted UPMC twice a year for the past five years to persuade it to join the network. While soldiers and their families can get treatment at any UPMC facility, there they would be assessed higher out-of-pocket expenses.
There's no government mandate requiring hospitals or medical facilities to accept Tricare, she said.
"They are a business," Ms. Tuttle said. "They can choose what health-care insurance companies they accept. Unfortunately, it's not Tricare. They are in the driver's seat as to whether they accept Tricare patients."
The West Penn Allegheny Health System, the region's other health-care provider -- including West Penn and Allegheny General hospitals and the West Penn Forbes Regional campus in Monroeville -- accepts Tricare.
"West Penn Allegheny understands the burden placed upon those who serve and those who have served this great country during time of crises," spokesman Dan Laurent said. "We are in the midst of two ongoing wars as well as the severest recession since the Great Depression. We will continue to accept Tricare patients as we have in the past."
Health Net's network includes 125,630 hospitals, medical centers and physician groups, with ongoing negotiations to expand it for the convenience of military families.
Health Net's coverage area extends from Maine to North Carolina and as far west as St. Louis. It and two other Department of Defense Tricare contractors, Humana Military in the South and TriWest out West, supplement the military health care system so military personnel, families and retirees can use civilian medical services.
"We're working hard to continually provide more choices for active-duty members and their families in all areas, and in the last five years we've doubled the size of our network," Ms. Tuttle said. "We'd love to have UPMC as a network provider."
Correction/Clarification: (Published 2/12/2009) All University of Pittsburgh Medical Center hospitals accept military personnel, their families and retirees who have the military health insurance plan, Tricare. But patients who use UPMC hospitals not in the Tricare network potentially face higher out-of-pocket expenses for medical care. Three of UPMC's 15 hospitals -- Mercy, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and Horizon in Mercer County -- are in the Tricare network. This story was unclear about what UPMC's policy is.
David Templeton can be reached at dtempleton@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1578.
First published on February 12, 2009 at 12:00 am
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Any hospital that takes federal funds of any kind which they all do, should NOT be allowed to turn away Tricare patients because the DOD does not pay enough of the bills that the hospitals think they should pay. Most Tricare enrollees have no choice in what amount Tricare pays, they have to enroll in it as military retirees and dependents for their medical care, and then they must also enroll in Medicare when they turn 62 or 65 despite the promise of "free medical care for life" if their spouses spent 20 years or more on active duty. The greatest lie ever told to millions of military personnel and we all believed them from WW2 until the early 80s when the lie was exposed. This is BS plain and simple
Guest Opinion: Obama and Shinseki should let vets get benefits
Guest Opinion: Obama and Shinseki should let vets get benefits
By AARON GLANTZ
President-elect Barack Obama should make it easier for disabled veterans to get their benefits.
The Department of Veterans Affairs routinely delays disability claims by wounded soldiers for months and years, often shunting them into poverty and homelessness. Retired Gen. Eric Shinseki, Barack Obama's pick for Veterans Affairs Secretary, should change this policy.
Former Lance Cpl. Bob O'Daniel's story is far too common. The proud Navajo has been fighting for more than 17 years to receive the veteran's benefits he earned.
During the 1991 Gulf War, O'Daniel worked on board the USS Nassau, which was stationed in the Persian Gulf. Even before he came home, O'Daniel knew something wasn't right. He was always tired, and he couldn't see or sleep properly. He experienced sexual dysfunction and "just a lot of things that a young man shouldn't have," he told me.
O'Daniel suffers from Gulf War Syndrome. This comes with a range of symptoms including - but not limited to - rashes, stomach distress, brain lesions, fatigue, severely swollen muscles and memory loss.
"Memories are what all people cherish," he said. "Good times, bad times - whatever. But I was missing a lot of those things."
Pentagon doctors now believe Gulf War Syndrome affects more than 175,000 veterans of the 1991 conflict. A blue-ribbon government report released in November said the condition is most likely due to exposure to toxic pesticides and pills that were given to soldiers to protect them against nerve gas.
Subsisting on charity
But even though O'Daniel's VA doctors tell him he has the syndrome, bureaucrats at the Department of Veterans Affairs refuse to grant him the benefits he earned in combat. O'Daniel lives in his wife's parents' home in North Carolina, subsisting off their charity with his wife and two children while they wait for the VA to begin paying his claim.
Across the country, more than 600,000 wounded veterans find themselves in the same position, twisting in the wind as they wait for the government to keep its promise to care for them.
Many descend into poverty during the months and years of waiting.
Others are simply unable to outlast the bureaucracy. In the six months leading up to March 31 of last year, 1,500 veterans died while they waited for the VA's response.
Trust the vets
There is a better way to handle military disability claims: Trust the vets.
In her exhaustive study of the long-term costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Linda Bilmes, who teaches management, budgeting and public finance at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, notes that almost all veterans tell the truth in their disability claims, with the VA ultimately approving nearly 90 percent of them. Given that reality, Bilmes suggests scrapping the lengthy process described above and replacing it with "something closer to the way the IRS deals with tax returns." Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand all use similar systems to compensate their injured veterans.
Obama and Shinseki should streamline the benefits process. Our disabled vets have waited too long already.
Aaron Glantz, a Rosalynn Carter for Mental Health Journalism fellow at the Carter Center, is the author of "The War Comes Home: Washington's Battle Against America's Veterans" (University of California Press). Guest Opinion: Obama and Shinseki should let vets get benefits
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Congress by Rep. Ellen Tauscher which calls for increasing dwell time
Dear Supporter:
Today, a long-overdue bill is being introduced in Congress by Rep. Ellen Tauscher which calls for increasing dwell time for our servicemembers who will serve in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Current deployment policies and operational tempo, which usually consists of a 1:1 ratio of time deployed and time at home, are compounding the wounds of war for our troops. It is a medical fact confirmed by DoD studies (see Mental Health Advisory Team reports IV and V) that repeated exposure to high-intensity combat with inadequate dwell time greatly increases the incidence of service-connected psychological problems.
In June 2007, the DoD Mental Health Task Force reported that almost half of the members of the Guard and Reserve who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan are experiencing such problems, as are 38% of active duty Soldiers, and 31% of active-duty Marines. Those percentages -- and the damage done to our troops and their families -- will only increase if more troops are deployed with inadequate dwell time.
This bill, which would restore an approximately 1:2 ratio of time deployed to time at home, will help ensure that our brave men and women in uniform have the time they need to rest, recuperate, and retrain.
I, and all of us at Veterans for America, urge the members of the House Armed Services Committee and all members of Congress to support this important legislation. The well-being of our servicemembers depends on it.
Please join us in calling on congress to provide more dwell time for our troops. Click here to sign our letter to the House Armed Services Committee encouraging them to support this bill.
V/R,
Bobby Muller
President
Veterans for America
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It seems a House Member is renewing Senator Webbs call last year for ensuring our nations military get enough dwell time in the states or at their home base before being redeployed back into the war zones, thus decreasing the burn our rate currently hurting our all volunteer forces under the stress of fighting 2 wars at the same time.
LEGISLATION INTRODUCED TO SECURE TIMELY FUNDING FOR VETERANS’ HEALTH CARE
LEGISLATION INTRODUCED TO SECURE TIMELY FUNDING
FOR VETERANS’ HEALTH CARE
House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Chairmen joined by bipartisan cosponsors, major veterans’ organizations and a former VA official in calling for passage
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, was joined by a bipartisan group of lawmakers in reintroducing legislation today to secure timely funding for veterans’ health care through the advance appropriations process. Chairman Akaka joined House Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA), other members of Congress, leaders from military and veteran organizations, and a former VA executive in calling for prompt consideration of the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009.
Under the bill, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) would be funded one-year ahead of the regular federal funding process. Currently, VHA’s budget is subject to delay and uncertainty, hampering budget planning and threatening health care quality for wounded and indigent veterans. The Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act has already received broad support from its Democratic, Republican, and Independent sponsors in Congress.
Senator Akaka said: “We are a step closer towards securing timely, predictable funding for the nation’s largest health care system – the Veterans Health Administration. Our plan would create a transparent process that will help VA use its funding more efficiently and care for veterans more effectively than it has in the past. I am proud to be joined by a bipartisan group of Congressional leaders and major veterans service organizations in calling for an end to VHA’s unpredictable funding.”
Congressman Filner said: “I appreciate the sentiments of Secretary Shinseki to approve and implement future VA budgets on time, but we must also recognize the various obstacles that frequently prevent this from happening. This bill is a way to explore a new manner in which to fund the VA. We need to consider a historic new approach to guarantee that our veterans have access to comprehensive, quality health care that they deserve and have earned. For too many years, VA has had to make do with insufficient budgets resulting in restricted access for many veterans. When funding is short, it is our veterans who pay the price.”
Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) said: “The breakdown in the process of providing funding for our veterans has a bipartisan history spanning over two decades – under Republican and Democratic control of the White House and Congress. However during this time, health care funding for veterans has only been approved on schedule three times! This is unconscionable. With this bipartisan initiative, we can ensure our veterans and their families truly benefit from the healthcare that these patriots have rightfully earned and deserve.”
Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) said: “It’s about time we take the uncertainty out of the annual funding for VA health care. Making sure all veterans have access to quality, affordable health care—so they don’t have to come to Congress every year with hat-in-hand—is a promise we owe all men and women who served in uniform.”
Congressman Phil Hare (D-IL) said: “Like the mandatory funding legislation I introduced in the last Congress, advanced appropriations is the means to an end. That end is ensuring veterans receive the best care possible from a VA that has access to timely, sufficient, and predictable resources. I enthusiastically support this bill and commend Chairmen Akaka and Filner for introducing it.”
Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) said: “One of the best ways we can honor the service of our brave veterans is by providing them with the high-quality health care and services they need. Advance funding for veterans health care will allow the VA to make strategic budgetary decisions that will improve the care provided to our veterans.”
Senator Bernard Sanders (I-VT) said: “The VA needs to receive its budget in advance so it can hire the right number of staff to take care of our veterans without waiting for Congress to pass their spending bill. How can we expect the second largest agency in the federal government, which provides health care to over 5.5 million people, to function when they don’t know when they will get their budget? That is why the time for advanced funding for the VA has come. I look forward to working with the president, Secretary Shinseki, Chairman Akaka and our nation’s veterans’ service organizations to make sure this bill is signed into law this Congress.”
Senator Mark Begich (D-AK) said: “Our veterans deserve to know that they will receive the health care they need in a timely and predictable fashion. This is just one small way we can thank them for their service to our country. By authorizing two-year budget authority for the VA, the nation’s largest health care provider will have the funding and stability to adequately plan and prepare to deliver a level of service and care that our nation’s veterans so richly deserve and have so honorably earned.”
Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) said: “We owe our veterans and their families the best quality care we can provide. Our soldiers and sailors do their duty to protect America, so it’s our duty to provide for them when they return home.”
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) said: “Setting funding two years in advance will help ensure that no veteran is ever turned away, and I am pleased to support this important legislation introduced by Senator Akaka.”
Congressman Mike Michaud (D-ME), Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health, said: “Too often in recent years, VA has been funded after the beginning of the fiscal year and in one case, so underfunded that they required a supplemental appropriation. This cannot be allowed to occur when we are dealing with the health care of our veterans. There must be a timely, sufficient, and predictable funding stream for VA health care. That is what this legislation will achieve.”
Senator David Vitter (R-LA) said: “Veterans’ health care is a particularly important issue, and as our servicemembers return from combat theatres in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Veterans’ Administration has seen a significant growth in demand for health services. Historically, the VA’s health care budget has been delivered late, and appropriations levels have been often too low. This bill would allow the VA to plan better by allowing appropriations to be made for the upcoming and following fiscal years.”
The Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act is supported by the Partnership for Veterans Health Care Budget Reform, a coalition of major veterans service organizations including The American Legion, AMVETS, Blinded Veterans of America, Disabled Veterans of America, Jewish War Veterans, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Vietnam Veterans of America. The bill received unanimous support from a panel of six veterans organizations at a recent Senate hearing.
For Chairman Akaka’s prepared remarks on the bill, click here.
Contacts:
Kawika Riley (Senate Veterans’ Affairs): 202-224-9126
Jesse Broder Van Dyke (Akaka): 202-224-6361
Kristal DeKleer (Filner): 202-226-9756
Julia Wanzco (Snowe): 202-224-1304
Patrick Devlin (Tester): 202-224-2644
Tim Schlittner (Hare): 202-225-5905
Stephanie Allen (Landrieu): 202-224-5824
Will Wiquist (Sanders): 202-228-6357
Julie Hasquet (Begich): 907-258-9304
Lautenberg Press Office: 202-224-4858
Nathan Britton (Boxer): 202-224-8120
Ed Gilman (Michaud): 202-225-6306
Joel DiGrado (Vitter): 202-224-4623
