Jerry McNerney's website

Thank You Veterans

Friends,
 

Monday, May 25th, is Memorial Day, a time to remember the men and women of honor who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. I hope you’ll join with me in observing this solemn holiday and giving thanks for the freedom we enjoy.

You can join millions of your fellow Americans by observing the “National Moment of Remembrance,” a minute of silence Monday at 3 p.m. local time. As Moment of Remembrance founder Carmella LaSpada says, this is “a way we can all help put the ‘memorial’ back in Memorial Day.”

This is also a time to renew our commitment to caring for our nation’s veterans. Over the past weeks, I’ve hosted the Veterans History Project in cities throughout our area in an effort to preserve the stories of the men and women who have served our country. In Stockton, Lodi and Pleasanton, veterans have come to share their remembrances with college, high school and middle school students. The video and audio recordings from these sessions will later be housed in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. for future generations to watch and listen.

Recently, I was proud to announce that the Department of Veterans Affairs selected San Joaquin County as the location of a new clinic and nursing home for veterans. This facility will provide the Central Valley's more than 80,000 veterans with much needed local medical care. I’m going to continue to fight in Congress for all our veterans to have access to the health care services they’ve earned.

I hope you’ll take a moment to reflect on all that the men and women who have served our country have given each and every one of us.

Sincerely,

Jerry
Congressman Jerry McNerney

McNerney endorsed by Veterans of Foreign Wars PAC

Jeff Mitchell with PolitickerCA just wrote a story about the Veterans of Foreign Wars PAC endorsement of Jerry!

Here's a bit from his report:

Leaders of the 2.2 million member-strong VFW-PAC said they made the decision to endorse McNerney who is running for reelection in CA-11 for his "strong support for veterans, national security/defense, and military personnel issues" as because of "comments received from VFW leaders in [California]."

I am humbled by the endorsement of the VFW Political Action Committee.  I believe that our nation has a commitment to our veterans and military retirees and I will never stop fighting to ensure that we keep that promise.

Click here to read the full story from PolitickerCA.

Jerry McNerney receives major veterans endorsement

Today, I was honored to be endorsed by Dave Norris. As a Tracy resident, decorated Vietnam veteran, and immediate past President of the California Veterans of Foreign Wars, his support means much to me, as I continue to work to serve our nation's veterans.

The Tri-Valley Herald just wrote about it, and I'm proud to share it with you.

Rep. Jerry McNerney announced endorsements from Northern California veterans Wednesday at the Veterans Memorial in Manteca.

David Norris, past state commander of the California Veterans of Foreign Wars, as well as other veterans who live in the 11th Congressional District, voiced their support for McNerney, a Democrat from Pleasanton. "He has stood up for veterans," Norris said to the small group gathered.

You can read the rest of the story here.

McNerney continues fight for Livermore V.A.

Today, Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner from San Diego joined Congressman McNerney in touring the Livermore VA and discussing ways to keep the much-needed facility open and available for our local veterans.

ABC7News covered the story.

LIVERMORE, CA (KGO) -- The government's move to shut down a Veterans Affairs Hospital in Livermore is running into opposition from veterans and some high level supporters. They want to change the hospital's mission, to specialize in returning veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Bob Filner (D) of Chula Vista, the chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, came to Livermore at the request of East Bay Congressman Jerry McNerney (D) of California's 11th District. McNerney sits on that committee and together they both lit into the V.A. accusing the agency of worrying more about saving money, than saving lives.

Click this link to watch the video.

Contra Costa Times: Law would help veterans homeowners

Lisa Vorderbrueggen wrote about Congressman McNerney’s efforts to help veterans who face exploding monthly payments on adjustable rate mortgages or the prospect of foreclosure keep their homes.

From the Contra Costa Times:

Military veteran homeowners struggling under the weight of rising subprime mortgage payments could see a rise in the federally backed refinance loan cap in legislation that passed out of a congressional committee this week.

Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, wrote an amendment to the Helping Our Veterans Keep Their Homes Act of 2008 that would increase the existing $144,000 loan cap to $729,750.

The lower figure is useless in Northern California, especially in the Bay Area where housing prices are among the highest in the nation.

"We have heard complaints about the low, $144,00 figure in the past, but now, it's a crisis," McNerney said. "We had bipartisan support for the legislation in the subcommittee, and I can't imagine why anyone would oppose it."

Click here to read the full story from the Contra Costa Times.

Tracy Press backs McNerney on Livermore VA and French Camp clinic

The Tracy Press has joined the list of major newspapers serving residents of the 11th Congressional District in praising Congressman Jerry McNerney's effort to save the Livermore VA from closure and expand its services to veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder:

... the Pleasanton Democrat has set himself apart by continuing a crusade to provide the best medical and psychological care for servicemen and -women returning from battle. One aspect is keeping the Livermore Veterans Affairs Medical Center open; it’s proposed to be closed with a new VA medical clinic built in French Camp or Stanislaus County.

[...]

The pastoral setting of the campus in southern Livermore is picture-perfect for medical and psychological treatment for veterans shocked by the horrors of war. It has a 120-bed hospital for long-term care and 30 beds for sub-acute inpatients.

The Press also expresses support for expanding services at the French Camp clinic.

This opportunity for PTSD care should not preclude the VA from maintaining clinical services at its quarter-century-old hospital/clinic in Livermore. Also deserving of similar services is the Central Valley where, because of home prices, more returning soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen are living. It makes sense to expand the French Camp VA clinic that is a neighbor to San Joaquin General Hospital so northern San Joaquin Valley veterans can have comprehensive treatment without driving over the Altamont Pass. This care should include nursing home beds.

Are there enough medical and mental health patients and enough budgetary patience from the government panel considering realignment of VA facilities to have VA hospitals in Livermore and French Camp? There are if Livermore becomes the western mental health center for veterans who return with PTSD and French Camp assumes more of the Livermore VA hospital’s traditional role.

This editorial follows other supportive editorials in the Contra Costa Times, Stockton Record, The Argus, and the San Jose Mercury News.

As support grows for Congressman McNerney's proposals, veterans are watching to see if Secretary James Nicholson will do the right thing. Stay tuned to this blog for the news or read previous posts about Veterans Affairs issues here.

Mercury News joins Record, Times and Argus in supporting McNerney on Livermore VA

Four regional newspapers have now gone on record supporting Congressman Jerry McNerney's proposal to save the Livermore VA hospital by expanding its services to veterans suffering from post-traumatic disorder.

First, the Contra Costa Times took the lead. Then the Stockton Record went on the record. The Argus (of Fremont) chimed in with their support late last week.

And now the latest paper to get behind the Congressman's plan is the San Jose Mercury News, which serves readers in Morgan Hill and has the largest circulation in Northern California. The Merc laid out the case for why keeping the Livermore VA open is the right thing to do:

The open-ended nature of our two Middle East wars, not to mention the longer-term war on terror, means the VA must re-evaluate its needs for the next several decades, including a careful re-examination of the notion of closing Livermore's 115-acre VA hospital.

Four years ago, we concurred with the VA report urging the closure of seven VA hospitals, including Livermore, believing that unusually high costs of operating those facilities should be redirected into building more outpatient clinics throughout the region. We remain alarmed that a General Accounting Office report found the VA spends one out of every four dollars on maintaining and operating outdated medical buildings and grounds.

But the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have gone on far longer and produced far more casualties than expected. The influx of 420,000 PTSD patients will put servere strains on the VA system without a corresponding increase in budget, staff and facilities to meet injured veterans' needs.

The chorus of mainstream media opinion leadership is getting louder. So, when will Veterans Affairs Secretary James Nicholson do the right thing? Stay tuned...

Pleasanton Weekly: "Hundreds turn out for Memorial Day ceremonies..."

Congressman Jerry McNerney joined Mayor Jennifer Hosterman and hundreds of citizens to a historic cemetary in Pleasanton on Memorial Day to honor those who have given their lives in service to our nation.

The Tri-Valley Herald recognized the context of this year's Memorial Day:

Against a backdrop of fluttering American flags and the serenity of Pleasanton's Memorial Gardens, somber words and thoughts went out Monday to the men and women fighting overseas.

The deadly conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan leant solemnity to this Memorial Day ceremony, one of several held in the East Bay.

The event drew over 200 people, according to the Pleasanton Weekly:

Calling this "a very difficult time for our country," Congressman Jerry McNerney (D-Pleasanton) nevertheless praised soldiers serving in the Middle East and other parts of the world and their families in brief remarks that he gave Monday at Memorial Day ceremonies in the Pleasanton Memorial Gardens cemetery.

"Our nation is very proud of their accomplishments and what they have given us and what they have shown the world about freedom," McNerney said. "We also need to give a special recognition to the families of those young men and women. These families are sacrificing more than us, more than the rest of us can even imagine. Our nation will honor you and your sacrifice and your loved ones forever."

If you haven't read Congressman McNerney's blog post on Memorial Day, please click here.

On this Memorial Day: One Nation, One Moment, One Action

Today is Memorial Day, a time to recognize and honor the men and women who have given their lives in service to our nation for over two centuries, from the American Revolution to the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

While this day is always a solemn national event, I know many Americans are feeling a profound sense of pain on this particular Memorial Day. The thoughts and feelings you have expressed to me about how to support our troops in this time of war -- in-person at my “Congress At Your Corner” events, by phone, through email, or in the hundreds of comments on my blog -- is a reflection of that deep sentiment.

While our country may be divided about how best to support our troops in these conflicts abroad, this day is about uniting to remember those who have given their all to our nation.

Today, you can join millions of your fellow Americans in reconciliation and respect by observing the “National Moment of Remembrance,” a national minute of silence at 3 p.m. local time. As Moment of Remembrance founder Carmella LaSpada says, this is “a way we can all help put the ‘memorial’ back in Memorial Day.”

We have a duty as Americans to remember the people who have sacrificed for our country. And, we also have a duty to take care of returning veterans whose body, mind or spirit may be wounded in the conflicts they fight abroad. That’s why I’ve recently led the effort to pass legislation that will significantly increase funding and research into Traumatic Brain Injury (or “TBI”), often caused by roadside bomb explosions.

Last year, I asked you on Memorial Day to financially support a grassroots organization called “Operation Helmet,” which provided special blast-protective headgear to troops in combat to prevent TBI. Your generosity -- and the response by thousands of other Americans -- was so profound that Operation Helmet recently announced that it no longer needed to solicit donations.

This year, no matter your feelings about the war, I want to ask you to join together again in collective action to heal our soldiers and our nation. Bob Woodruff, the former ABC News anchor who suffered a serious brain injury after a roadside bomb explosion last year, has founded the Bob Woodruff Family Fund for Traumatic Brain Injury to help soldiers suffering from TBI to receive cognitive rehabilitation.

http://www.bobwoodrufffamilyfund.org/

On behalf of all the veterans who continue to suffer the ill effects of these horrific injuries, today I would like you to seriously consider making a contribution of whatever amount you can afford to the Bob Woodruff Family Fund for Traumatic Brain Injury.

Rest assured that contributions to the Woodruff Family Fund will actually go to the cause of caring for our veterans. When you click the “Donations” link at the web site above, you will be redirected to the Brain Injury Association of America. Under the section “Program Area," please click the scroll bar to select “Bob Woodruff Family Fund for TBI” as the recipient of your donation.

Thank you for your time and consideration of this important request on this solemn day.

Sincerely,

P.S. Many of you have recently asked me how we can save the veterans hospital facility in Livermore from closing due to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs federal budget cutbacks. Rest assured that I will continue to focus my energy on keeping the Livermore VA hospital open and potentially expand its services to help veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

With growing support for my PTSD proposal for Livermore from major newspapers across our region, there is a growing consensus that keeping the Livermore VA open and reshaping its mission would be in the best interests of our veterans. You can read those newspapers editorials and other posts on my efforts to keep the Livermore VA open by clicking here to read the “Veterans Affairs” section of my campaign blog.

The Argus: McNerney's proposal "makes sense"

First, the Contra Costa Times stepped up. Then the Stockton Record added their support. And now The Argus (of Fremont) is praising Congressman Jerry McNerney's proposal to not only keep the Livermore VA hospital open -- but expand it to serve veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder:

Rep. Jerry McNerney has made a proposal to Veterans Affairs officials in Washington that makes sense for both troubled VA bureaucrats concerned about the quality and quantity of mental health care for troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the freshman congressman's constituents.

The Argus goes one step further than the Times and Record by advocating that other congressional members recognize the importance of expanding the Livermore facility:

The first-term lawmaker's proposal is a viable, well-timed alternative to our failure to provide adequate mental health care, which we've traditionally fallen short on during and in the aftermath of our nation's wars. It has sufficient validity that the entire California congressional delegation — including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — should get behind it.

We trust McNerney will pursue his goal in upcoming conversations with VA Secretary James Nicholson. And, considering the need for more and better mental health care for veterans, Nicholson would do well to adopt the congressman's proposal.

We couldn't agree more, of course. Now, with a local consensus building in support of Congressman McNerney's proposal, will Secretary Nicholson do the right thing?