Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Bruce Braley (IA-01) is calling on the Department of Veterans Affairs to take action on the Disability Claims backlog following a recent Washington Post report that states nearly 900,000 veterans’ claims are in pending status.

Rep. Bruce Braley issued the following statement:

"This Veterans Day we are honoring those who serve our country, yet over 900,000 men and women are not getting the care they need from the Veterans Administration. This is completely unacceptable. The VA needs to fix this problem and work with Congress to make sure the necessary resources are provided.

"I have personally told Under Secretary Hickey that I stand ready to ensure the VA has the resources available to fix this backlog, and I'll do everything I can to get these overdue benefits to our nation's veterans. Our heroes shouldn't have to wait in line after they've stood in the line of duty to protect our country.

"I also encourage any Iowa veteran who is currently experiencing delays in their claims processing to contact my office. Working together, we can help cut through this unnecessary red tape."

Rep. Braley has a long history of fighting to secure benefits for our troops and veterans and working to eliminate the claims backlog. Braley has been an avid supporter of creating a fully-integrated electronic processing system for VA records so they can be processed more efficiently. He has also secured GI Bill education benefits for hundreds of members of the Iowa Guard, successfully fought for overdue backpay for Iowa Guard members, and in 2009, introduced legislation to eliminate combat zone documentation barriers which often prevent veterans injured while serving in combat from getting the disability benefits that they deserve.  Braley has repeatedly urged Congress and the Administration to tackle the claims backlog, and make veterans' benefit forms more understandable.

Braley's office is dedicated to ensuring full benefits for Iowa veterans. If you are a veteran or veteran family member and are experiencing difficulties with the federal government, please contact Rep. Braley's Waterloo office at 319-287-3233.

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