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McNerney announces Listening Tour events for veterans and military families

Congressman Jerry McNerney has announced that two listening tour events will be held with veterans and military families in Stockton and Pleasanton on Saturday, March 24.

“I want to hear directly from veterans and military families about the kinds of issues they face in getting the help, treatment and benefits they deserve,” Rep. McNerney said.  “As we in Congress consider legislation affecting veterans and their loved ones, it’s important to me to actually talk to the people that would be affected.”

Details of the two listening tour events are below:

Pleasanton
Saturday, March 24
1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Pleasanton Library
400 Old Bernal Ave.
Pleasanton, CA 94566

Stockton
Saturday, March 24
4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Cesar Chavez Central Library
605 N. El Dorado St.
Stockton, CA 95202

McNerney to Bush on VA: "Put money where his mouth is"

Congressman Jerry McNerney was interviewed Friday on KCBS about veterans affairs issues, including the deplorable conditions at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. Congressman McNerney serves on the House Veterans Affairs Committee.

The Congressman, whose son Michael is a veteran, said he was "shocked" at the conditions at Walter Reed. He was also blunt about the importance of prioritizing the ongoing treatment and long-term care of veterans, and encouraged President Bush to "put his money where his mouth is" in funding that treatment.

You can listen to the full KCBS interview here.

In February, Congressman McNerney spoke before an advisory panel on the need to keep the Livermore VA nursing home open as well as opening up a new facility in San Joaquin County:

Rep Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, said at Friday's meeting that he hopes there is enough room in the Department of Veterans Affairs' budget for nursing homes in both places. He said the Livermore area's large population of veterans warrants consideration of a facility there.

"We should be expanding, not cutting, veterans' services, and I'm hopeful that the panel will ultimately agree with me," McNerney told the panel. "As we look at future options for the use of Livermore, we must keep in mind that increasing numbers of veterans will be looking to the VA for care as overseas conflicts continue."

You can read the rest of that post on Jerry's Blog here. 

McNerney on VA nursing home: "We should be expanding, not cutting, veterans' services"

It's one of the most difficult issues facing veterans and their families in the 11th Congressional District -- what will happen to the Veterans Affairs nursing home in Livermore? 

A couple hundred veterans and other supporters attended Friday's final public hearing on the issue and heard Congressman Jerry McNerney tell the advisory panel that closing the Livermore facility was not the answer. Instead, as the Contra Costa Times reported, McNerney pushed for expanding services for veterans into San Joaquin County as well as preserving Livermore's unique facility:

However, the idea of abandoning the Livermore site does not make sense to everyone. Rep Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, said at Friday's meeting that he hopes there is enough room in the Department of Veterans Affairs' budget for nursing homes in both places. He said the Livermore area's large population of veterans warrants consideration of a facility there.

"We should be expanding, not cutting, veterans' services, and I'm hopeful that the panel will ultimately agree with me," McNerney told the panel. "As we look at future options for the use of Livermore, we must keep in mind that increasing numbers of veterans will be looking to the VA for care as overseas conflicts continue.

"Livermore is in an ideal location to support soldiers returning to life at home," McNerney continued. "This facility has stood the test of time and offers a welcome respite for men and women from the Tri-Valley area. I strongly urge this panel to preserve the Livermore VA, and expand health care options for veterans in the region."

Willie Monroe, from KGO-ABC7, was there as well and filed this report, including this brief televised interview with the Congressman:

Rep. Jerry McNerney, (D) Pleasanton: "You know, in the past several years, the relative money for veterans has gone down compared to the need, so they had to start making tough decisions, but I think with the new Congress, our determination is to meet the needs rather than to worry about cutting back."

To see aerial photos of the Livermore facility, check out eLivermore.com's Livermore History page.

If you care about this important issue, there's still time to register your comments with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Written comments can be submitted through Feb. 23 at www.va.gov/cares or to Livermore Site Study, VA CARES Studies, P.O. Box 1427, Washington Grove, MD 20880-1427.