National American Legion Convention, Milwaukee, WI.
September 1, 2010

In what, he says, may be his last public speaking appearance before retirement from Congress, Rep. Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) used the American Legion convention in Milwaukee Wednesday as a platform for criticism of what he characterized as a partisan, hypocritical and misguided Congress.

The nine-term Congress-man and Army veteran opened his address with nostalgic tales of a boyhood in and around his father and uncle’s American Legion post in Monticello, Indiana, of which Buyer is a life member today. His talk soon turned to business, however, as he contrasted a previous generation of lawmakers with those serving today,”If God had given me the ability to choose my years of service to the nation in Congress,” Buyer said, “I would have chosen 1948 to 1964, because the individuals who served in Congress at that time…had served the nation in World War II and Korea. They understood the American character. They understood the character that was forged in the crucibles of very difficult times…to go to foreign lands, to go to places they had never been and fight for people they had never met and to leave freedom in their footsteps.”

He continued, “They understood something very powerful, something more powerful than party labels, something more powerful than being a Republican; something more powerful than being a Democrat. How about those in Congress being an American for once?”

Buyer then took Congressional colleagues to task for, in his view, claiming to care deeply for wounded and disabled veterans while enabling their plight by ignoring the needs of active duty war fighters. “When somebody enters the military,” said Buyer, “you make sure that they are properly trained, properly equipped so you don’t have to care of them the rest of their lives.” Read More »

Letter to CMS Cites Need for Open and Transparent Oversight of the Bid Program

ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — A bipartisan group of 136 members of Congress recently requested that the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) disclose the list of homecare providers whose bids were used to calculate home medical equipment reimbursement rates under the Medicare “competitive” bidding program. See letter at www.aahomecare.org.

“Without knowing the identity, as well as the appropriate overall qualifications of these providers, we cannot evaluate the program’s impact in terms of quality and access to care for seniors we represent,” states the congressional letter to CMS Administrator Donald Berwick, M.D.

While CMS intends to release this information in the fall after contracts are finalized, members of Congress are calling on CMS to share this information now to make sure that the disastrous mistakes of the 2008 Round One of bidding are avoided and to uphold President Obama’s pledge of “transparency and open government.”

“We want to ensure that qualified providers have been chosen to provide these items and services to our constituents,” said the congressional letter to CMS.  ”The healthcare community will again have very serious problems if it turns out once more that these companies are unable to provide sufficient access to quality items and services or do not have the financial ability to operate under the new contracted rates.”

When CMS held its Round One bid for home medical equipment in 2008, Congress halted implementation and called for a re-bid of the program after numerous problems emerged. For example, under the Round One bidding in 2008, Medicare contracts were granted to providers that were not appropriately licensed and lacked experience with the devices for which they were awarded contracts.

The American Association for Homecare, which represents durable medical equipment providers, is encouraged by the House letter and urges CMS to comply with this important request.  The congressional letter, sent on August 11, asked CMS to respond by August 20.  At the time of this press release, the Association is not aware of any response so far by the agency. Read More »

By Gary Goldfarb

May 20, 2010/ PHILADELPHIA – With all the recent news of Arizona’s S.B. 1070 law, a Mexican being beaten and the Mexican president calling the law ‘racist’, does this mean that Mexicans are of a certain race?

Last I checked, Mexico is a country. Let’s switch countries around to see: So, if a Mexican police officer said, “I’m going to beat the f***ing American piss out of you, Homey! You feel me?” to an American, would that be racist?
Mexico and the United States were invaded and conquered by the Spaniards [Europeans]- remember, the conquistadors? The Spaniards beat the natives in what is now Mexico. The other Europeans [English] ‘invaded’ and beat the Spanish-Europeans and the United States is now what it is. (See below video):

Now we have the Mexican president, Calderon (which is a Spanish [European] surname), saying that the Arizona 1070 law is ‘racist’.
Once again, switch countries around to let’s say, Canada, which was also conquered by Europeans [French]. Would it be ‘racist’? No, that’s because Canada is just another country. (See video below):

Now, the United States’ people are made-up of mostly European decent, with Blacks making-up 13%. What part of Mexico is European?
In our minds, we have been trained to think of Mexicans as ‘Latinos’ – who came-up with this?
The Latin world, as we know it, is basically every single country south of the U.S. including many Caribbean, but not all, countries. Some Caribbean countries are almost all elusively Black. Are there any Blacks in Mexico? I haven’t seen any, minus tourists. At one point in time, c. 1570, Blacks outnumbered Spaniards 3:1 Brazil has many Blacks but not Mexico. Whatever happened to the Black Mexicans?

Reciprocating, if we call most countries’ people south of the U.S., ‘Latinos’ – what do the Latinos call the northern countries’ peoples?
It’s time we all recognize our true history.
And don’t forget, on these continents, both North and South, we are all Americans.

-Gary Goldfarb ©
Diverse News

PHILADELPHIA, May 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA), joined by Wounded Warrior veterans including a member of his own staff, today keynoted the national launch of the innovative AMVETS Warrior Transition Workshops.

The workshops were developed by combat veterans for combat veterans to assist in their transition from military to civilian life. The program is being introduced as the nation celebrates its veterans during National Military Appreciation Month.

The Warrior Transition Workshops are a partnership between AMVETS and Freedom & Honor, and will be expanded to five other cities.

AMVETS National Commander Duane J. Miskulin, who has made transitioning programs for recently discharged combat veterans his mission, outlined the Warrior Transition Workshops at the news conference at Elkins Estate in Elkins Park, Penna., where the workshops will be held.

Among those joining Fattah and Miskulin was William Cooper, an Army veteran seriously wounded in Iraq by an improvised explosive device (IED), who is celebrating his first anniversary in Fattah’s District office as a veterans’ caseworker. After 54 surgeries and a remarkable recovery, Cooper’s own transition began with AMVETS and led to his recruitment into the Wounded Warrior Program, an initiative by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to create fellowships that provide employment opportunities for wounded or disabled veterans within the House of Representatives.

“Our obligation to the courageous men and women who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan is only beginning when they return home,” Fattah said. “AMVETS is to be commended for its excellent work since 1944 to help our veterans as they transition to civilian life. Bill Cooper is a Wounded Warrior who is doing an extraordinary service to his fellow veterans in my office. He is a true profile in courage.”

Fattah, Pennsylvania’s senior member on the House Appropriations Committee, advocated for the current $53 billion appropriation for the Department of Veterans Affairs, an unprecedented $19.9 billion increase over the past two years. He supported the Veterans Caregivers Act signed this month by President Obama.

“AMVETS is constantly striving for new and better ways to perform this vital work,” Fattah said. “The national program that we inaugurate today, AMVETS Warrior Transition in partnership with Freedom and Honor, is a major advance in this effort.”

Also participating in the press conference were Angel Fernandez, an AMVETS staffer who served five tours in Iraq and Afghanistan; Major General William Terpeluk, 77th Reserve Support Command (ret); and Freedom & Honor program director Martin Richardson.

Public Forum Also to Activate Black Participation in 2010 Census

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Some noted Black leaders recently have suggested publicly that President Obama does not need to focus on Black issues. In response to mounting evidence showing African Americans are disproportionately lagging behind on all economic indicators despite assertions of a so-called “post-racial” era, Tavis Smiley said Tuesday he will moderate a national conversation examining whether in fact there needs to be a Black agenda and the accountability of leadership to address issues facing Black Americans.

The nationally-televised forum, We Count! The Black Agenda is the American Agenda, will be held from 8 am – noon Saturday, March 20 at Chicago State University’s Emil and Patricia A. Jones Convocation Center, 9501 South King Dr., Chicago, IL. The event is free and open to the public on first-come, first-served basis. Advanced registration is available at www.tavistalks.com.

“From the Carolinas to California millions of Americans are in crisis as a direct result of the recession in historic proportions. Given the joblessness rate compounded by the lack of access to healthcare and the collapse of the housing market, the statistics continue to show that Black Americans in particular are getting crushed,” Smiley said.

“I think the time has come to have an earnest dialogue between Black leaders and Black people about easing the suffering of disaffected communities. A Black agenda is America’s agenda in that what affects the least of us, affects all of us.”

Invited panelists include noted scholar Cornel West, professor and author Michael Eric Dyson, Jesse Jackson, Sr., Marc Morial, National Urban League, and Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor and assistant to the president for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement. Others include Angela Glover Blackwell, founder of PolicyLink; Tom Burrell, author of BRAINWASHED; U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus; Ben Jealous, NAACP President; Al Sharpton, Dorothy Height, and Louis Farrakhan.

The conversation will also raise awareness about participation among Black citizens in the 2010 Census. The forms, which will be mailed in March, are due on April 1. The data collected by the Census helps determine the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Your Census form is your chance to be heard about how nearly $450 billion will be spent in your community for schools, job training, health care centers, etc. It’s too important to bypass the opportunity to be counted,” Smiley said.

NEWTOWN, Pa., Dec. 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) today pledged to donate $400,000 to the Washington Crossing Historical Park in Washington Crossing, Pa. The park, which has experienced recent state budget cuts, is visited by more than one hundred thousand tourists each year.

Lockheed Martin’s donation will fund the addition of a dedicated education wing at the park’s visitor center, which is scheduled for renovation in the latter part of 2010. The donation was announced by Marshall Byrd, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Newtown, Pa. Byrd also pledged, on behalf of the approximate 13,000 Lockheed Martin employees in the Delaware Valley area, a five-year commitment of volunteer in-kind support for the park’s maintenance and operations.

The announcement was made at the park’s annual Christmas Day reenactment of General George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River. In making the announcement, Byrd was joined by U.S. Congressman Patrick Murphy, whose district encompasses both the park and Lockheed Martin’s Newtown facility.

“In looking for a way to support the important educational mission of Washington Crossing Historical Park, we sought Congressman Murphy’s advice and counsel,” Byrd said. “He put us in touch with Doug Miller (Site Administrator, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission), whose enthusiasm and encouragement became key factors in our decision to make this contribution.”

“Lockheed Martin also thanks Congressman Murphy for his tireless advocacy on behalf of this park and its new neighbor, Washington Crossing National Cemetery,” Byrd added. “He has helped lead our community’s efforts to recognize the sacrifices made by America’s military veterans. Those sacrifices are commemorated today and will be honored both here and at the cemetery for generations to come.” Read More »

Colonel Van Barfoot
RICHMOND, Va., Dec. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Col. Van Barfoot has until Friday at 5 pm to remove his flagpole or face a civil suit. The 90-year-old veteran is shocked and gratified by the outpouring of support from around the country.

His daughter, Margaret Nicholls said, “The response has been unbelievable. What started as a local story has grown into a national outcry to help my Dad.”

The neighborhood association has yet to decide whether Colonel Barfoot will be fined $10 per day every day he raises the American Flag but the 5:00 Friday deadline is looming.

“No matter the outcome,” said Margaret, “we want something good to come out of this.”

To donate in honor of Colonel Barfoot, please send your donations to the address below. Make all checks payable to USO. All donations will be turned over immediately to the USO, so we can continue to support our troops.

Send donations to:

Stand Tall for Colonel Barfoot

c/o The Hoople Group

12105 Browning Court

Richmond, VA 23233

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — In the midst of the great recession, a depressed job market is hitting veterans particularly hard. Unemployment numbers for all veterans continues to hover near 12 percent, but for service members who left the military in the past three years unemployment is 18 percent, nearly twice the national average.

“The way we treat our veterans when they return home is an indication of our national character,” said J. David Cox, AFGE national secretary-treasurer, who was a registered nurse in the VA for over 20 years prior to being elected to the union’s executive leadership. “These brave men and women volunteered, served valiantly, and have to come home to stand in the unemployment line. There is something very wrong with that.”

The high unemployment rate of returning service members has not escaped the attention of the White House. On Nov. 9, President Obama issued an executive order aimed at enhancing the recruitment and promotion of employment opportunities for veterans. The order established a multi-agency “Council on Veterans Employment” and is supposed to develop a strategic plan on how to recruit and employ veterans for federal civilian service. According to the union, however, any plan developed by the Council should address the systemic risk to federal civilian employment of veterans posed by the expanded use of for-profit contractors. Ironically, the VA – the agency that strives to be the model employer of veterans — has contracted out more jobs held by veterans than most other agencies. Read More »

Permanent repeal of the Medicare physician payment formula is essential to comprehensive health system reform

Statement attributable to: J. James Rohack, M.D. President, American Medical Association:

“The AMA is deeply disappointed that the Senate today blocked consideration of S. 1776, legislation to preserve access to health care for America’s seniors, baby boomers and military families. Senator Stabenow is a long-time champion for patients and physicians, and the AMA, AARP and MOAA strongly supported her bill that would have laid the foundation to permanently fix the Medicare physician payment formula and keep Medicare strong as millions of baby boomers enter the program in just two years.

“As we work to improve the health system, permanent repeal of the payment formula is essential to ensuring the security and stability of Medicare. On January first, Medicare physician payments are scheduled to be cut by 21 percent, with more cuts in years to come. Nearly 90 percent of people age 50 and older are concerned that the current Medicare physician payment formula threatens their access to care.

“While short-term fixes have temporarily averted widespread access problems, they have also grown the size of the problem – and the cost of reform. The AMA is committed to fixing the Medicare payment problem once and for all for seniors, baby boomers and the physicians who care for them.

“There is widespread agreement among Republicans and Democrats that the formula is broken and needs to be repealed. Congress created the Medicare physician payment system, and Congress needs to fix this problem once and for all to fulfill its obligation to seniors, baby boomers and military families. Permanent repeal of the Medicare physician payment formula is essential to comprehensive health system reform.”

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA) today called on state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate a possible bias motive for vandalism of the home of a Muslim woman who is running for elected office.

CAIR said the house of Nadja Adolf, a Newark resident running for a seat on her local city council, was egged on Sunday, October 11. Adolf is a long-time Newark resident and has never had any previous complaints about property vandalism. A picture of her, wearing an Islamic head scarf, or hijab, was published in a local newspaper just days before the incident.

“Because of the circumstances surrounding this incident, we believe it is important that a possible bias motive be investigated,” said Zahra Billoo, programs and outreach director for CAIR-SFBA. “Our community’s religious, political and community leaders need to be vigilant of and address the growing anti-Muslim rhetoric in our society that can lead to such incidents.”

Billoo also urged American Muslim individuals and institutions to review advice on security procedures contained in its “Muslim Community Safety Kit.”