From the office of the President:
Three main goals of VMFP, as noted on our web site, are to ensure that the rights and needs of veterans, active-duty service members, and their families are:
- understood by the American public,
- endorsed by our elected officials, and
- protected by legislation, regulation, and public policy initiatives
Working toward that first goal, VMFP has been very active in raising awareness of our rights and needs through public appearances, radio programs, press releases and events around the country attended by our members, indeed in some cases originated by our members.
As spokesperson for VMFP, I appeared on radio broadcasts throughout 2007 and 2008 discussing "Coming Home Issues", 21st century veteran and military family policy issues and how the citizenry can become involved.
I spoke during the Potomac Veterans & Military Families Salute to FDR in Washington, DC, participated in a Veterans Day program on Pacifica Radio, and spoke at the Veterans Day Rally on Capitol Hill sponsored by DC Vote.
In January 2009 I participated in the Veterans Radio Show discussing a new President and a new Congress and what it means to our Military and Veterans. I was privileged to meet and speak with then President-elect Obama and his wife Michelle during the MLK Community Service day in Washington, D.C. and spoke to the historic African American 54th Massachusetts Infantry Volunteer Regiment regarding the Coming Home Issues for Veterans and their Families. VMFP members across the nation participated in state and local events in support of veterans, those serving, and their families.
The second goal, making sure our rights are endorsed by our elected officials, requires the effort of all of our members to make sure we elect leaders who are invested in our mission and who are ready, willing, and able to get the job done.
Fourteen VMFP members attended the Democratic National Convention, and delegates attended the Democratic National Veteran & Military Leadership committee, meeting with Dr. Howard Dean.
During the 2008 election cycle VMFP endorsed 40 candidates for the House of Representatives and 10 for the Senate, with an overall election success rate of 54%. VMFP also endorsed (then) Senator Barack Obama in the Presidential race. All of the candidates were vetted by VMFP Campaign and Issues questionnaires and other processes, and were identified as veterans, military family members, or veterans' advocates.
The third stated goal, protecting rights by legislation, regulation, and public policy initiatives involves tremendous dedication and ongoing efforts by our VMFP Government Affairs Committee. Legislation must be identified or proposed, reviewed, prioritized and directed through Congress. In the 110th Congress we endorsed 64 House bills and 22 Senate bills. Eight successfully went through Congress and are now public law.
VMFP, Empowering Veterans, and Veterans for Common Sense leaders met with Senators and their staff urging passage of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act (referred to as the 21st Century GI Bill).
In December 2008, the VMFP Board approved two White Paper Initiatives. Links to the full text of the two documents are on our home page. As your President, I presented both documents to the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the senior staff of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee in Washington D.C. These ground-breaking documents were initially authored and drafted by me and revised and finalized by the dedicated members of the VMFP Operations and Projects Committee.
In the coming year we will continue our great work. I invite you all to take an active role in our organization's future, educate your lawmakers about our White Paper Initiatives, and I urge you to attend our biennial conference in September.
Regards,
Matthew Cary
National President
president@vmfp.org
