Jody's Contract with Virginia's Veterans

Jody's plan to help provide Virginia's veterans with the support they deserve

Download a .pdf of the plan here.

There are few responsibilities more important for a community than to care for its veterans. Virginia is fortunate to have one of the highest populations of military service in the country, and the Commonwealth is currently home to more than 813,000 veterans.

Throughout her time in state government, Jody Wagner has been strongly committed to helping veterans and their families. Working with Governors Warner and Kaine, Jody played a key role in helping to fully fund and construct the Sitter-Barfoot Veterans' Care Facility, which now houses nearly 160 veterans who require assisted living care. The Warner and Kaine teams worked to make the Albert Horton Cemetery in Suffolk a reality, while also helping to advance plans for the much-needed Southwest Virginia Veterans' Cemetery. Over the last eight years, the number of veterans' benefits field agents has increased, helping veterans across the Commonwealth get the efficient and effective care and service they deserve. Finally, in a sign of their commitment to effective government, Jody worked with Governor Warner to consolidate three different veterans' agencies into one comprehensive Department of Veterans Services, leading to greater efficiency and accountability.

Senator Webb's historic 21st Century G.I. Bill will help veterans returning from active duty in Afghanistan and Iraq pay for college. Last month, there was a backlog in G.I. Bill payments from the federal government to the Universities that put veterans at risk of being dropped from classes for non-payment. Jody recognized this problem and immediately called on Virginia's Universities to waive the tuition requirement for veterans who had not been issued payment from the federal government. No veteran should be held out of class because of government bureaucracy.

As Lieutenant Governor, Jody Wagner will be committed to fighting for those who fought for us. By helping to move veterans' causes forward, Jody will continue the Warner-Kaine legacy. Specifically, Jody will advocate for the following initiatives and projects:

Establish two additional veterans care facilities. We are extremely fortunate to have the Virginia Veterans' Care Center in Roanoke and the Sitter & Barfoot Veterans' Care Center in Richmond. Both facilities provide veterans with state-of-the-art medical care, including critical long-term care. However, there are two glaring holes in veterans care - mainly, the lack of veterans' care facilities in Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia, both regions being home to some of the highest concentrations of veterans in the country. Jody will work with Virginia's Congressional delegation to push for funding for new veterans' care facilities in the Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia regions, just as she did to help secure funding for the Sitter & Barfoot facility in Richmond. Our veterans deserve quality care near their homes and loved ones.

Fund the Wounded Warrior program. One of the Kaine administration's greatest successes has been the Wounded Warrior program, which assists veterans and family members on their road to recovery from the effects of stress-related injuries (such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) or traumatic brain injuries. With Jody's assistance, Governor Kaine has dedicated $5.5 million to the program. The program fills a critical void: according to estimates, nearly 20% of service members returning from Iraq or Afghanistan report symptoms of PTSD or depression, yet only half seek treatment. Jody would seek to continue to fund the Wounded Warrior program, and help to expand efforts to ensure veterans know the options and resources available to them. Doing so will help ease veterans' transition into non-military life, and will save Virginia taxpayers millions of dollars in the long-term by reducing unemployment, further health care costs, and other problems faced by many veterans.

Emphasize the Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Service Organizations. The JLC provides an important vehicle for veterans' service organizations to collaborate with the Department of Veterans Services on meeting the needs of Virginia's veterans. As Lieutenant Governor, Jody would work with the service organizations to help strengthen the Joint Leadership Council. She would also play an active role in helping to move their legislative agenda forward to ensure that Veterans' needs are being met by state government. Furthermore, Jody would stress the importance of communication with veterans by attending regular meetings with the Veterans Service Organizations throughout the state.

Implement the "TurboVet" portal. The "TurboVet" system is an "all-agency" case management vehicle that would maximize service enrollment and streamline service delivery for veterans. It would help to revolutionize the way we process Veterans' benefits and claims, making the process more efficient and effective. Currently, it takes veterans an average of twelve months to adjudicate claims. Using TurboVet, the wait time would be cut to a week - nearly 98% faster. "Ready to rate" claims current stands at 5% due to errors. Though the program would cost an estimated $1.2 million to implement and a further $250,000 per year to operate, the JLC has estimated the increased economic benefit could be nearly $195 million per year, by getting benefits in the hands of veterans in Virginia, instead of backlogged in an office. Our veterans deserve the benefits they're owed - and they shouldn't have to wait a year to get them.

Ensure In-State Tuition for Children of Service Members. Jody believes we should wave the one-year residency waiting period required to apply for in-state tuition at state colleges and universities for both service members and their families. Military families and veterans are constantly on the move, and they deserve quality and affordable higher education.

Make the Southwest Virginia Cemetery a reality. We owe a debt of gratitude to Congressman Rick Boucher for his tireless efforts at the federal level to make the Southwest Virginia Veteran's Cemetery a reality, by helping to secure land from the U.S. Army and an $11 million federal grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Despite the difficult economic climate, we must ensure that the Commonwealth's commitment to the Southwest Virginia Cemetery remains steadfast, with a groundbreaking expected in October. Jody will ensure that the cemetery project remains a high priority for state government, and will work in coordination with federal officials to ensure our obligations are met.