According to a report from the Center for Investigative Reporting, more than 900,000 veteran’s benefits health care claims are currently backlogged in the Department of Veterans Affairs' system. The report further states that, while the average wait time to receive a response to a claim is 273 days, veterans in cities like Reno, Nevada are waiting up to 681 days to receive a response from the Department.
This backlog is unacceptable and a response from the executive branch is a moral imperative. As such, we petition President Obama to establish a Presidential Commission on the Department of Veterans Affairs Backlog. This commission should be directed to further study the issue of veterans' health care claims and issue recommendations to the president on possible policy resolutions.