Host Rob Couture and co-host Brittany Dymond Murray sit down with Kristina Keenan, Ryan Gallucci, and Glenn Umberger, VFW Junior Vice Commander-in-Chief, to break down the key legislative and administrative issues currently affecting America’s veterans.
Keenan recaps her recent congressional testimony, highlighting concerns about VA proposals tied to Medicare Advantage, as well as the growing problem of predatory companies misguiding veterans seeking disability benefits. Gallucci expands on the VFW’s efforts to protect the VA Home Loan program and discusses challenges veterans face when navigating VA’s digital systems, including recent outages and access barriers.
Offering a national leadership perspective, Umberger underscores how these issues impact veterans at the Post and Department levels and emphasizes the importance of informed advocacy throughout the organization.
Links referenced in the episode:
Firms that help military vets with their disability claims can charge exorbitant fees
Why Clark Griswold may be one of the most perfect veterans in film
Join the VFW's Action Corps network
Episode Highlights:
0:00 – Intro and Roll Call
4:20 – Keenan’s congressional testimony and key legislative priorities
7:05 – VA cost recovery proposals and Medicare Advantage concerns
11:30 – Predatory claims companies and protecting veterans from exploitation
15:42 – Trajectory Medical and the fight against misleading “consultant” models
19:08 – Preserving the VA Home Loan program and preventing misuse of the funding fee
23:55 – Digital access challenges: website bottlenecks, outdated systems, and broadband gaps
28:10 – VA system outages, bot-driven traffic surges, and VFW escalation
32:15 – Navigating VA.gov and securing essential veterans’ records
36:42 – Grassroots reporting and the importance of accurate field intelligence
40:58 – National leadership perspective with Glenn Umberger
45:22 – Legislative and administrative priorities for 2024–2025
1:04:30 – Good of the Order – closing reflections
For more information or to continue the conversation, please visit:
Veterans of Foreign Wars Website
Call 1-888-JOIN-VFW
Today’s VFW — Share Your #StillServing Story
Sports Clips Help A Hero — Text HERO to 71777 to donate online
