Congresswoman Walorski Visits North Webster Legion During Veterans Tour
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Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
NORTH WEBSTER - United States Second District Congresswoman Jackie Walorski met with local veterans Thursday afternoon at American Legion Post 253 in North Webster. Walorski, a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, stopped at the legion during her “Supporting Our Veterans District Wide Tour.” She toured Wednesday and Thursday in the 10 counties she represents to meet with veterans to listen to their concerns and to highlight the role of local veterans services officers. Rich Maron, Kosciusko County veterans services officer, attended the event along with 20 Kosciusko County veterans. “After our brave service members return home, congress must ensure the VA is properly utilizing their resources to reduce the backlog and resolve inefficiencies that are delaying claims,” Walorski said. She encourage veterans to meet with their VSO and work with the service officers to file paperwork and expedite claims. “Our goal is to remain an effective sounding board for Hoosier veterans to ensure their needs are addressed at home in Indiana and in Washington,” Walorski said. According to the most recent report from the Veterans Affairs regional office in Indianapolis, the average wait time for a Hoosier veteran is 443 days, with more than 12,000 claims pending over 125 days. During the visit, Walorski spoke with Maron and attending veterans to learn more about local challenges and seeking more effective ways to highlight the role of the VSO and improve veterans’ resources. Indiana’s Second District is home to an estimated 53,318 veterans. “We thank Congresswoman Walorski for spending time with us today to listen to local concerns and offer helpful resources for Kosciusko veterans,” said Maron. “She is clearly invested in our communities and will work hard to represent Hoosiers in congress.” Over the past month, Walorski joined members of the Indiana delegation in a letter to VA Secretary Eric Shinseki inquiring about the impact of the new 2.3 percent medical device tax on the VA and prosthetics for veterans. Last week, a separate letter was sent to President Barack Obama requesting a plan to address the lack of timeliness for VA claims, particularly a decision about the electronic transfer of medical information between the Department of Defense and the VA. For questions about local veterans services Maron can be reached at 574-372-2436 or rmaron@kcgov.com
