Maine’s first veteran legal needs survey, administered by Pine Tree Legal Assistance from September to December 2012, showed that 70 percent of surveyed veterans experienced a legal problem in the past year, but only 16 percent contacted an attorney. A complementary survey revealed that 98 percent of service providers had worked with veteran clients in the past year who demonstrated some type of legal need. These findings bolster the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) National survey findings that 3 out of 10 unmet needs for veterans have legal causes or solutions.

Maine is ranked third nationally in veterans per capita. With one out of nine veterans estimated to be in poverty, this survey’s findings are consistent with previous studies by the Maine Justice Action Group that revealed Mainers in poverty experience 1 to 2 legal problems a year.

The top five needs identified by veterans were problems accessing military benefits, job problems including hiring and payment, debt collection including collections harassment, child visitation, custody or support and getting or keeping social security benefits. Service providers reported similar needs for their clients with the additional concerns of problems with landlords, divorce, and getting and keeping government benefits.

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Congresswoman Chellie Pingree introduced an amendment today to a major defense bill that would instruct the Pentagon to inform military personnel that they don’t have to report counseling for sexual assault whenapplying for or renewing a security clearance.

Pingree said she’s heard from military personnel around the country and overseas who say they don’t seek counseling after a sexual assault because they knew they would have to disclose it on the national security questionnaire. Pingree pushed for a change in policy that would allow those survivors not to disclose the counseling.

“Knowing that question was there and believing that answering ‘yes’ might jeopardize their chances at a security clearance, survivors of sexual assault often decided not to get the mental health counseling they so desperately need,” said Pingree. “The Director of National Intelligence has listened to us on this, and has issued guidance saying survivors of sexual trauma do not have to report counseling related to that assault. But that change won’t do the survivors any good unless they know it has taken place.”

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The U.S. House today unanimously passed a bill written by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree aimed at making it easier for veterans who survive military sexual assault to get benefits.

“These veterans’ disabilities were not the result of fire from the enemy. They are not a result of injuries incurred during training. They are the result of the Armed Services’ continual failure to systematically address the culture that perpetuates sexual assaults in the military. This situation is unconscionable and unacceptable. We must act,” said Congressman Mike Michaud, ranking Democrat on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee as he introduced the bill for a vote in the House of Representatives. “With this legislation, we hope to ensure that the VA helps these disabled veterans. We have a duty to make these men and women’s lives a little better. They never should have had to deal with these events in their service to our nation, and they should never have to struggle to get care and benefits after they leave.”

The bill, which enjoyed broad bipartisan support, is the first legislation addressing the issue of military sexual assault to pass in this Congress.

“The Ruth Moore Act will make a big difference in the lives of tens of thousands of veterans who are survivors of sexual assault in themilitary and are struggling to get the benefits they are owed. Almost every day we hear from another veteran who is fighting for their benefits and has been repeatedly turned down because they are being held to an unreasonably high standard of proof,” said Pingree after the vote.

Pingree’s bill pushes the VA to make a policy change that would make it easier for veterans to qualify for benefits. Under Pingree’s proposal, veterans would only have to show a medical diagnosis of a mental health condition and a link between an assault and that mental health condition—similar to standards applied to veterans who file claims for combat-related PTSD.

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Representatives Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree introduced a bill to reverse the Department of Defense’s (DOD) avoidance of the Berry Amendment, which requires DOD to purchase American-made military uniforms. For decades the military issued servicemembers American-made uniforms, including athletic footwear. Since 2002, DOD has skirted the law when it comes to footwear by issuing new recruits cash allowances for training shoes.

“This is something the Obama Administration can do right now to boost the economy and ensure that our military is outfitted from head to toe in American-made uniforms,” said Michaud. “It’s long past time that the Defense Department complies with the letter and spirit of the law. It’s not only the right thing to do, it could provide a shot to the arm to companies like New Balance that employ hundreds of Mainers in Norway, Norridgewock and Skowhegan.”

The bill requires DOD to comply with the Berry Amendment by treating the purchase of athletic footwear in the same way as other uniform items. The introduction of today’s bill builds on legislation Michaud introduced in 2011 to accomplish the same goal and could help companies like New Balance that manufacture footwear in the United States.

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Joined by veteran groups on Capitol Hill, House lawmakers unveiled a legislative package of ten bills designed to help the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) accomplish its goal to eliminate the backlog by 2015.

“I applaud the VA’s ambitious goal, but the time for relying on them to get the job done alone is over,” said Rep. Mike Michaud (Maine-01), the Ranking Member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, who spearheaded the introduction of the legislative package. “Congress needs to act in order to get veterans the benefits they’ve earned faster. This legislation represents a pragmatic and commonsense approach that members of Congress of all political stripes should support.”

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The Maine Legislature today gave unanimous final passage to Rep. Lori Fowle’s measure to provide transportation to disabled veterans who are unable to visit their doctors on their own.

“A big part of helping veterans get access to health care is making sure they are able to travel to doctor’s appointments when they need to,” said Fowle, D-Vassalboro. “When money is tight, or when friends and family aren’t around to provide a ride, there needs to be a stopgap so nobody slips through the cracks. It’s really the least we can do.”

Fowle’s measure was rolled into a larger measure aiding Maine’s veterans. Fowle worked hard to make sure the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, on which she serves, included this critical service for Maine’s disabled veterans in the new bill sponsored by Sen. John Patrick.

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The Maine House gave unanimous initial support this morning to Rep. Lori Fowle’s measure providing transportation to disabled veterans who aren’t able to visit their doctors on their own.

“A big part of helping veterans get access to health care is making sure they are able to travel to see their doctors when they need to,” said Rep. Fowle. “When money is tight, or when friends and family aren’t around to provide a ride, there needs to be a stopgap so nobody slips through the cracks. It’s really the least we can do.”

Fowle’s measure was rolled into a larger measure aiding Maine’s veterans. Fowle made sure the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, on which she serves, included this critical service for Maine’s disabled veterans in the new bill sponsored by Sen. John Patrick.

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Congresswoman Chellie Pingree. photo by Ramona du Houx

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree and about a dozen other Representatives and Senators from both parties met with top White House officials this morning to discuss the issue of sexual assault in the military. The bipartisan group met with Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Obama, and Tina Tchen, Chief of Staff to First Lady Michelle Obama. President Obama was traveling to Texas and could not attend. Both Jarrett and Tchen are members of the President’s Council on Women and Girls.

“It was a good discussion and it’s clear President Obama is committed to addressing the problem of sexual assault in the military. Sexual assault is criminal behavior that isn’t tolerated in the civilian world and shouldn’t be tolerated in the military—and I think the Administration gets that,” said Pingree.

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Lobster boat fishing off Belfast, Maine. photo by Ramona du Houx

“Anyone who goes overseas and puts their life on the line should be able to return home and re-enter the fishery like they never left. I believe we owe our service members that much,” said Rocky Alley, a Lobstermen from Jonesport. Alley’s son Jamie was in this situation, when he went to serve overseas and lost his place in line for a license.

Lobstermen members of the newly formed Maine Lobstering Union (IMLU) spoke up at a public hearing for LD 1448, a bill to allow lobstermen and other marine harvesters to maintain their licenses while serving in the military.

Under current law, individuals who hold lobstering or other marine resource licenses who go to serve in the military must pay fees to keep their license active while they are serving, even though they are not lobstering. If they don’t pay the fees while they are serving in the military they forfeit their license, and have to go to the bottom of the waiting list when they return. This bill would allow active duty service members to maintain their license while serving in the military without paying the fees, so they can return from service and resume their work as a lobstermen or other harvester.

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A day after a new report from the Pentagon showed a significant increase incases of sexual assault in the military, a House committee has approved a bill written by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree aimed at making it easier for veterans who survive those assaults to get benefits. The bill received broad bipartisan support from the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and will now go to the full House for a vote.

“This is a major step forward in our fight to level the playing field for veterans who were victims of sexual assault and have beenfighting to get the benefits they deserve,” said Pingree.

Pingree said a new Pentagon report, based on an anonymous survey of military personnel, highlights the need for her legislation. The Pentagon reported an increase in the number of sexual assaults in the military last year, from 19,000 to 26,000. But just over 3,000 of those assaults were reported to authorities.

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