McMorris Rodgers backs bill to hire more VA service officers

By TIMOTHY SCHUMANN

THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) – Eastern Washington Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Spokane, and others are trying again with a bipartisan bill that would allocate federal funds to County Veterans Service Officers, allowing for greater flexibility at navigating VA services at the local community level.

“We have a responsibility to ensure that veterans and their families have easy access to the benefits and services that they have earned,” said bill cosponsor Rep. Mike Levin, D-CA, in a statement.

“That is why my colleagues and I are reintroducing this bipartisan, bicameral legislation to support the work of county veterans service officers who interact directly with our local veterans every day.”

The title of the bill, the Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act, or the CVSO Act, is named after the county veterans service officers it seeks to staff up, and give more resources.

“Veteran service officers are often the only lifeline connecting veterans and their families with the benefits they earned in service to our country,” said Rep. McMorris Rodgers in a statement. “This is especially true in rural communities where a shortage of VSOs is resulting in too many veterans slipping through the cracks.”

Rep. Brad Finstad, R-Minnesota, boosted the bill as well.

“This legislation will establish a grant program that can be used by CVSOs to improve veteran outreach, as well as train and hire additional officers,” he said.

The text of the bill gives special priority to awarding grants in “Areas with a critical shortage of county or Tribal veterans service officers, areas with high rates of suicide among veterans”, or areas with a high number of “referrals to the Veterans Crisis Line.”

It also includes outcome-based evaluation for determining efficacy of the grant monies allocated.

The CVSO Act has received endorsements from the National Association of County Veterans Service Officers, America’s Warrior Partnership, the Green Beret Foundation, and the Wounded Warrior Project. It received a more than passing vote of 401-18 in the House during the 117th Congress, but did not receive a vote in the U.S. Senate.

Monty Roberts: A Legend and Animal Hero

Monty Roberts, the man who listens to horses, welcomes AnimalZone into his home where he shares amazing stories about his life with horses. From an early age, he began to understand how horses silently communicate through body language.

He was also known for his relationship with Queen Elizabeth II. He was the Queen‘s personal horse trainer and forged a strong friendship with the monarch. He would get calls in the middle of the night from the Queen to discuss horse issues. The relationship became known as “The Cowboy and The Queen”.

The passing of the Queen had a powerful emotional effect on Monty. He and his wife Pat were honored to be the only Americans invited to the Queen’s intimate committal service at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

It is a fascinating and heart warming episode with a legend and animal hero.