Stakeholders deserve to be fully informed.

[proverbialwisdom]

BACKSTORY:

Subject:

FW: S. 1203 https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/1203/text
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 2015 21:35:51 -0800
From: Phil Perine

To: Senator Dean Heller
CC: Allen, Margot

Senator Heller,

As a member of your Veterans Affairs Advisory Panel, I have been following the development of S. 1203 very carefully, fully aware of your commitment to improving the lot of Veterans across a wide spectrum of issues. I have one very strong concern with the bill as written that I feel compelled to bring to your personal attention.

The Bill, which you sponsored, was amended in committee to include language submitted by special interests. This included a section requiring the VA to draft a report detailing a plan to ensure that all veterans receive each vaccine on the CDC’s new adult vaccine schedule. Although not specified in the bill, it is clear that this language could very easily be interpreted in a fashion that would open veterans up to coercion to comply with this aggressive vaccine schedule, via some sort of threat of removal of benefits.

For example, should such rulemaking be allowed to take place, a 70 year old veteran would be required to receive a flu shot ever year, as well as vaccines for Chicken pox, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Whooping cough, Shingles, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Meningococcal, Haemophilus influenzae type b, and two different Pneumococcal immunizations, or be subject to loss of their hard earned financial benefits and/or medical care, or whatever consequences those writing this report see fit to impose.

I believe that it would be unconscionable to take away the right of informed consent from the men and women who have risked their lives for our country.

As such, I am submitting three potential amendments to this bill, any one of which will ensure that our veterans are not exploited for financial gain, and that our veterans rights are protected:

1. To delete the clause that mandates the report.

2. To amend the clause that mandates the report, as follows:

(c) Report To Congress.—(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the development and implementation by the Department of Veterans Affairs of quality measures and metrics, including targets for compliance, to ensure that veterans receiving medical services under chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, may receive, if they so choose, each immunization on the recommended adult immunization schedule at the time such immunization is indicated on that schedule, free from threat of loss of benefits for noncompliance or similar coercion.

3. To add the following clause to the bill to assure that future attempts at vaccine mandates, and other medical coercion do not take place:

Subd. 3. Protection of Veteran’s Human Rights and Personal Choice in Medical Treatments. The Department of Veteran Affairs, the federal government, and state governments, shall not mandate that a person receive medical services or a vaccine against a person’s wishes, or infringe upon a Veteran’s human and personal right to make health decisions regarding medical services or preventive health care including, but not limited to, immunizations.

I am sending this to you outside of the Advisory Committee process due to the urgency of the matter and the fact that the committee will not meet until sometime early next year. For that reason I am requesting your urgent, expedited personal attention to this issue. I will also follow up with Joe Heck as the bill moves to the House.

Best regards,
Phil Perine
CAPT, USN (Ret.)
Member, Sen. Heller Veterans Advisory Committee

More: http://canaryparty.org/the-news/102-will-s-1203-result-in-vaccine-mandates-for-u-s-veterans

[Mbrow]

1. K&R

I had not heard this, lets see if we can bounce it up for visibility.

[The Polack MSgt]

2. Kick and rec

I often seem sensitive and a bit paranoid to some folks when I discuss veteran's affairs. But this type of regulatory language could easily become coercive - a tool used to trim costs by trimming the beneficiary list.

After all, if these Vets won't even follow these "common sense" guidelines, why should we spend good tax money on them?

Since I will be going to see the new star worlds movie (hat tip to YITR?) this weekend, this quote seems appropriate "IT'S A TRAP!"