Biden will participate in that wreath laying ceremony at 11 00 eastern time. We have got about 15 minutes left with verna jones. We want to get your thoughts on Veterans Issues this morning. Oward is in florida and on the democratic line. Caller i live in seminole, florida. When i was in the service, i was in vietnam. I am finding out, i am turning 65 this year. I notice i am going to be losing some of my benefits over at the v. A. I am going to get Social Security. I dont understand. I have been going there and had operations and everything else. I dont have a lot of money. I am going to be 65 and losing my benefits and i just dont understand why Social Security could go to that to pay for people who can afford it. Guest thank you so much for your service and for sharing that information. I will ask you to call the American Legion. I think we need more information. If your income has changed, it may put you in a different category. Without knowing, i would not be able to give you a good answer about what you need or what we can do. I would ask you to call the American Legion. Someone can help you. We will look at your particular situation and guide you in the right direction to see what you need to do for your benefits. Host tim is on the air with verna jones. Caller verna, thank you for your service and representing the American Legion today. I am a proud American Legion member for 27 years. All of these thats that are coming back thats vets that are coming back, i think they should inquire about embership. They are your voice. They are our voice that will hold the feet to the fire of our congressional leaders and the president when it comes to Veterans Issues. I want to thank you and think the legion for what they have done over the years of service. Guest thank you, tim. Thank you for your embership. We are so proud of what we are able to do for veterans. It is a wonderful thing to be able to be part of the worlds greatest Veterans Service rganization. The American Legion is holding own hall meetings. We do that because we really care about veterans and they deserve what the American Legion s advocating for for them. Host alfred, democratic caller. Caller thank you for take my call. My name is alfred nicholson, disabled veteran from North Carolina. My claim has been on appeal with the department of Veterans Affairs since february 15, 1974. Every Legal Recourse i have used to get my claim resolved, the North Carolina division of Veterans Affairs in raleigh, North Carolina, the Veterans Administration in winstonaslem salem, North Carolina and the board of appeals has blocked every attempt. New evidence was withheld for 21 years. Now theyre trying to change the early Effective Date of my claim, they told me to get an attorney. Currently im a member of the American Legion. Where do i go to get the legal help to get my claim resolved thats been on appeal for 41 years guest thats an amazing story. I wish we hadnt heard that story before but we have. Im going to ask you to call, call and ask directly for me. I want to hear more about your appeal so i can direct you to the right person on the staff to help you with that. Theres so much going on. I wouldnt be able to give you an answer without knowing everything about your claim, i want to be able to look at that. Call 2028612700 and ask for verna jones. Host greenwood, mississippi, troy, independent caller. Caller first of all, i want to say good morning, everyone. Im not a veteran, but i salute all veterans. I also want to salute mrs. Jones. Ive done some work with the American Legion post 200 here in mississippi, Charles Moore is the commander of it, i can tell you right now, if you are the executive director, youre there because you earned it. Nobody they dont give you anything. Youve earned it. You owe no one any apologies. I appreciate the fact that you represent yourself and the american soldier so well. Ive got a question in regards o there are africanamerican posts and there are white posts. American legion post 200 is an africanamerican post but we have another post thats white in our town. Why is there a difference there . Whats the historical nature of that . And if you can dwell on that a little bit, give me a little History Lesson to how that came about, i would appreciate that thank you so much, cspan. Host thank you. Guest there are different posts in different communities and definitely there are some posts that historically were considered africanamerican posts, or historically considered, you know, white posts. As things are now, veterans go to whichever post they feel more comfortable. In they go to those posts where they feel they can be of service to the American Legion in that community. I think as a legionnaire, you go to the post thats where, in your area, where you live, where you the things that you do. Its closest to you, more convenient. Historically, the posts were created like that we were established in 1919. Things were very different then. But i tell you now if you go to an American Legion post you wont be denied membership because of your gender or race. We welcome all veterans into the American Legion. Host charles in indiana, an independent. Good morning. Caller good morning. Host good morning. Caller id like to address some of the things that happened at the in the v. A. System, theyre inconsistent and i know that congress has tried to address them but they havent. My brother goes to the v. A. And i have to take him because he cant drive. Well, they wanted him to have a colonoscopy, one time. They wanted him, i told him, youll have to stay overnight at the v. A. The v. A. Said you cant stay overnight. You have to come in and have the colonoscopy and then you can stay one night after. I said, well this doesnt i told my brother this doesnt make sense, i cannot drive you three hours to chicago to have a colonoscopy after youve had that medicine. And the other issue, i drive him over to maryville where his clinic is one day ill take him over for a blood test, the next week i take him over for a urine test, the next week i take him over for another, a hearing test. And then he might have a doctors appointment the next week or month. And so they are inconsistent and i want to know, you know, congress is working i understood they have tried to, that uh someone has to drive over an hour and a half to get to a clinic should be able to go to a local clinic and have their blood tests or urine test taken. Host ok, charles. Verna jones . Guest thank you, charles. Thank you for calling in the veterans choice will catch on with some of veterans having to drive so far. Truly its an inconvenience and veterans should be able to be accommodated better than that your brother should receive his choice card and as soon as he gets that choice card, have him call, last number with a letter with the letter attached, and ask those questions about what hes entitled to based on the appointments that he has to have and how far you live from the v. A. And then if you have additional questions after you call that 1800 number listed on the letter, call the American Legion at 2028612700. Well be able to help you if you have other questions. Thank you for your service. Host we have time for a few more phone calls as we continue to talk with american low les executive director verna jones on this veterans day, november 11, 2014. Youve seen shots, our camera out on the National Mall before the Vietnam Memorial here in washington. You can see the vets and their families and friends gathering around these memorials, world war ii memorial as well in washington and most cities across the country, marking veterans day today on this november 11, 2014. Well go to ann. Fresno, california. Democratic caller. Go ahead, ann. Caller hi. Good morning. Mrs. Jones, im a widow of a korean veteran, and im calling to ask you, who do you contact by writing and email for suggestions and complaints . My husband had filed a claim, the same year he had died in and which was back in 2007 and all they kept sending was letters that they were working on it, working on his case. When they die when he died, everything stopped and so i went to the Veterans Affairs and they had to call the Oakland Office on the head person because there was nothing in the book that says that, once, you know, the person is deceased, that everything just stopped. He wasnt receiving any benefits or anything because he had not filed since he came out of the korean war he had a claim number from back during that time. But he didnt know what the results was. This pain his paperwork got burned in a fire or something they had according to the letters. So the thing that im still struggling with and disturbed with is that i dont know if he was ever entitled or not entitled to benefits because they completely stopped and he had authorized, you know, the paperwork where they could go to your, get your doctors, hospital, whatever. They turned around and sent me one to sign, didnt explain why i had to sign it being that he was deceased, it should have been good, what he had signed for. And also he sent in the claim, i guess for the dependent, or i did, and i dont know if they it looked like they never looked at both issues where he was whether i was entitled or not but they main thing is not only that but the veterans, my dad was in the navy and i dont know when the policy changed with the veterans hospitals, but you used to could just go in with your dog tags or your dd214 paperwork and get help my dad went in on emergency and they treated him, he was in the hospital there, i was only a teenager at the time. Host theres a lot there, lets have verna jones address it. Guest i apologize that youre having to go through that. You shouldnt have to wonder whats going on with your husbands claim. There are so many things that have you brought up a lot of issues. The paperwork, im not sure whats happening. I want to be able to help you with that. Im going to ask you to call the American Legion or leave your phone number so we can contact you. I want to be able to help you. Well have to look at the paperwork and see whats going on. The claim shouldnt stop because your husband passed away. You may be entitled to your to benefits because of your husbands service. Call the american heat 2028612600. Theyll connect you with someone to look over the paperwork and help explain everything to you so that youll know what you may be entitled to and what needs to happen next and we can help you through that process. Is the American Legion open today on veterans day or should people wait to call until later in the week . The building is closed today but the American Legion staff and legionnaires are sell celebrating across the country. Host and peter is next a republican and a veteran. Caller good morning. Id like to salute verna and the American Legion. I served in vietnam from 1961 and 1965. Id also like to salute the v. A. , for taking good care of me. When i woke up in the v. A. , there was the american he le john with a packet and card and really supportive. Thank you so much. Host we hear peters comments while we look at the Vietnam Memorial here in washington. You can see the folks gathering around the memorial. Looking at the name, leaving flowers and other memorabilia at the memorial this morning. Well go to chuck in hawaii, an independent and a veteran. Hi, chuck. Caller hello, aloha. Id like to thank mrs. Jones for her service. And two comments. The first one is about the Veterans Crisis centers that the American Legion conducts. Theyre very successful. Ive been witness to them. They allow a veteran and the v. A. A neutral ground to meet. A lot of veterans a disenchanted with the v. A. , dont want to go up there, but the American Legion has put together this program to allow veterans to come new york its a good thing for the veteran and its a great conduit between the v. A. And the vet. Host ok, chuck, thank you. Verna jones, your final thoughts. Guest thank you, chuck. We did do a crisis cent threr in hawaii and were able to hope a lot of veterans. I want to say happy veterans kay day to all veterans. The American Legion is here to help you with whatever it is that veterans need. We honor Veterans Service and feel very grateful and very proud to be who we are and to be able to help veterans that we help. If any veteran has any questions or needs the American Legion they can call us or contact us at www. Legion. Org. Host thats the website, legion. Org and follow them on americanleon. Thank you for spending your veterans day talking to our viewers. My pleasure. On tomorrow mornings washington journal a conversation on the lame duck sofingse congress, congressional leadership elections and what to expect in the next session. Then the institute on women and politics, jennifer lawless on the role of women in the 2014 mid terms. Erika fry joins us to talk about drugs made from tobacco plants that can be used to treat illness. As we mentioned the house and senate are back in session tomorrow for the lame duck session of the 113th congress. Both bodies coming in at 2 00 p. M. Eastern. Heres a preview of what to expect. The 2014 mid terms are over or just about over in most races anyway and we look ahead to the lame duck session. Were joined by the hills rebecka cra chabat. Looking ahead to the 113th lame dung session, the headline is, funding bill will wait until december. You write the timing would give lawmakers a day or two to debate and vote. Theyve got a deadline in december. What is that and what will be included in this omnibus bill . They basically have a day or two based on what ive been told by people at the House Appropriations committee to pass an omnibus spending bill that would fund the government through the rest of the fiscal year which would be to the end of next september. The problem is that the spending bill that lawmakers approved in september expires on december 11, which is that week. And people will only just a few days to debate and vote on the bill, otherwise what could happen is lawmakers might choose to extend the continuing resolution thats currently in place for maybe a short period of time until they pass this omnibus spending bill. That shortterm extension sounds like theyve done that in the past, how much is in this bill . Is this basically the levels they agreed to, the budget that was passed yerler earlier this year . And what other surprises may we see in that omnibus spending bill . Thats correct. The level that will be in the omnibus spending bill will be at the level set by the budget deal that pall ryan and patty murray reached last december. 1. 014 around the trillion mark. Otherwise its hard to tell exactly whats going to be new in this omnibus spending bill. Obviously the white house has asked for two separate new funding requests that are pretty major. One is for the ebola fight and one is for the war on isis. Those are the two funding requests that the administration sent to congress in the last week. Lawmakers will obviously have to debate these requests and its possible they could wind up in the omnibus spending bill. Thats what the administration is hoping for. But of course there could be republicans who oppose those requests. You tweeted about that administration request, that 5. 6 billion, heres your tweet, it says, democrats call for isis war vote in the lame duck. Not only is there consideration of how much money but whether the president has the authority to do this, right . Right. President obama has said he does have the authority to carry out military operations in iraq. And syria. However, he has said in the last week that he will seek an authorization to carry out these operations in the middle east. The problem is that a lot of democrats do want this war authorization vote to happen in the lame duck session since they do have control of the senate. However, republicans want it to be pushed until next year when they have the majority in the senate. I think that that might be what winds up happening, the republicans might get their way here, because they only have about 15 working days in session during the lame duck session at the end of this year. And i dont think theyll be able to get much done besides a spending bill and maybe a few other things. I think something as large as an authorization vote would have to have more time for them to debate and vote on it. Lets move over to the senate and the nomination of Loretta Lynch to replace eric holder as attorney general. The president making the announcement last weekend. Interesting that the hill and other organizations reporting about a possible delay in her nomination. The headline in the hill says democrats unlikely to ram through the obama attorney general pick. Why would Democratic Leaders delay considers of her nomination and wait until a republican majority takes control of the senate . I think democrats are not too concerned about her nomination. I think the white house put her forward as somewhat of a bipartisan choice. She has been confirmed twice before by the senate to be u. S. Attorney in new york. So quong theyll have too hard of a so i dont think they