Noem Urges VA to Pull Aside Curtains, Allow Ft. Meade Chapel’s Stained Glass to Show

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Kristi Noem wrote a letter to Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin this week, urging him to pull aside the curtains and allow the Christian-themed stained glass within the Ft. Meade hospital’s chapel to shine through.

“The VA’s policy regarding religiously neutral spaces has the effect of obscuring the cherished windows within the Ft. Meade hospital’s chapel for a majority of those who visit,” said Noem. “While I understand our veterans come from diverse backgrounds, many South Dakotans have shared concerns with me about the chapel’s windows being covered. There seems to be a commonsense, alternate path forward. Rather than keeping the windows continuously covered, only opening the blinds when a service is occurring, the windows should be left uncovered as a matter of course, with the option to cover them should a religiously-neutral space be requested. Let’s pull aside the curtains and let this cherished stained glass shine through.”

The Veterans Health Administration’s Directive 1111 requires that VA facilities’ chapels be “religiously neutral, reflecting no particular faith tradition” at all times, unless a religious service is occurring. In the case of chapels that were built with permanent religious symbols in the walls or windows, like Ft. Meade, a separate religiously neutral room must be designated. It was decided that Ft. Meade would comply with Directive 1111 by instituting a policy whereby the windows are covered with blinds or curtains, except when a religious service is in process. This policy ostensibly ensures a consistently religiously neutral space, save for occasions dedicated specifically for religious services. Unfortunately, the policy also has the effect of obscuring the cherished windows for a majority of those who visit the chapel.

In her letter, Rep. Noem proposes that the windows be left uncovered as a matter of course, with the option to cover them at any time, using the existing blinds and curtains, should a religiously-neutral space be requested. This solution could respect the desires of most chapel visitors for the windows to remain uncovered, while ensuring a religiously neutral space, when appropriate.

—

January 11, 2018

Dear Secretary Shulkin,

Thank you for your efforts, and those of the entire Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), to ensure our country lives up to the promises it has made to our veterans. I write to you today to make you aware of an issue that has been of concern to many of my constituents for several years.

The Fort Meade VA Medical Center is located in Veterans Integrated Services Network 23, and is one of two VA medical centers in western South Dakota. It serves veterans from across South Dakota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana. While the Ft. Meade hospital obviously serves veterans’ physical ailments, it also serves their spiritual needs, especially in its chapel facility.

The chapel features two permanent stained glass windows – one interior and one exterior – that display Christian themes. These windows are visually impressive and have considerable value to those who visit the chapel regularly. Indeed, I understand one of the windows, which is approximately 30 years old, was a gift from several veteran organizations that raised money for its installation. Unfortunately, since 2014, these windows have been largely obscured in an effort to comply with Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Directive 1111, published in 2016.

As you know, Directive 1111 requires that VA facilities’ chapels be “religiously neutral, reflecting no particular faith tradition” at all times, unless a religious service is occurring. In the case of chapels that were built with permanent religious symbols in the walls or windows, like Ft. Meade, a separate religiously neutral room must be designated. I am told space is at a premium at Ft. Meade, so no separate religiously neutral space can be offered.

I understand that Ft. Meade’s leadership, in conjunction with the national VHA, decided to comply with Directive 1111 by instituting a policy whereby the windows are covered with blinds or curtains, except when a religious service is in process. This policy ostensibly ensures a consistently religiously neutral space, save for occasions dedicated specifically for religious services. Unfortunately, the policy also has the effect of obscuring the cherished windows for a majority of those who visit the chapel.

In discussions with some who utilize the chapel facility at Ft. Meade, it has come to my attention that this policy may be objectionable to many of the veterans served there. Chapel patrons seem to prefer leaving the windows visible and accessible for visitors. To accomplish that end, I believe there may be an alternative path forward: the windows may be left uncovered as a matter of course, with the option to cover them at any time, using the existing blinds and curtains, should a religiously-neutral space be requested. This solution could respect the desires of most chapel visitors for the windows to remain uncovered, while ensuring a religiously neutral space, when appropriate.

While much thought and discussion has gone into the current policy at Ft. Meade, I respectfully urge you to respond to my constituents’ concerns by considering the alternative I have proposed.

Thank you for your assistance. If you have questions, please contact my office at 202-225-2801.

Sincerely,

Kristi Noem

###

Lora Hubbel apparently can’t stop being Lora Hubbel.

That includes the ugly side she exposes which highlight why she should never be elected to office.

If you’ll note her new comments on a story by Lakota Country Times about her attack on Democrat State Senator Troy Heinert…:

Hubbel was lambasted by Native Americans who took offense to the tone and implication of Hubbel’s post. Pat Powers of the South Dakota War College called on Hubbel to exit the race. Hubbel would continue in the post saying that she is not a racist and that the choice of Bruce Whalen, an Oglala Lakota citizen, as a running mate was further evidence.

Hubbel did not seem to understand the offensive nature of her Pocahontas comment. President Donald Trump angered much of Indian Country when he referred to Sen. Elizabeth Warren as Pocahontas in the past. Trump says that she has attempted to use a claim of Native ancestry to gain political favor. Hubbel’s use of the term was a low-blow and many Native Americans take offense to non-Native people attempting to decide who warrants tribal-citizenship.

Hubbel stood by her comments in statement provided to LCT.

“If I called someone “King Tut” I would be doing so because I thought they held a much higher opinion of themselves then what others do. I meant similar with Sen. Heinert. I tried to reduce Troy Heinert a bit by calling him a famous Indian. Others have said similar when we hear the now infamous quote, “and you, sir, are no Ronald Reagan!” I have been told I erred and should have called him, Faux-cahontas because he pretending to be a caliber of a person that he is not. Troy is nothing like the heroine Pocahontas,” said Hubbel.

First, he has a much diluted blood line to the American Indians. Second of all he threw the Indian kids under the bus by refusing to call the perpetrators of the Gear Up Scandal in for questioning.

And…

Heinert condemned the comments.

Read it all here.

New offensive comments trying to deflect criticism by claiming Heinert has a “much diluted blood line to the American Indians?”   Good god.   Lora Hubbel still doesn’t get it.

And as before, she needs to resign from the race.

Senator Tapio Pushes Back at Critics, Says Politicians Lack Courage for Tough Issues

January 12, 2018

After criticizing an interfaith gathering at the state capitol and chastising his own party leaders for being asleep at the switch on the issue of Islamic terrorism, District 5 State Senator, Neal Tapio hammered back at critics even among his own Republican caucus for openly distorting what actually happened at the close of the interfaith event.

“I knew full well the task that I was undertaking and I knew what the response would be,”  Tapio said.  “Frankly, I’m outraged and appalled at what is the repeated and predictable attempt both by the political establishment to suppress open and honest dialog on this crucial issue of national security or on any other issue they believe can be made into a shame game of political correctness.”  Tapio said.

“If I’ve learned anything, it’s that modern political discourse has a lot in common with sharia law these days,” Tapio said.  “Suppression of discourse and dialog are the name of the game in both arenas.  And in both examples, the penalty for criticizing the wrong people or the wrong ideas is a price on your head.”

Ahead of Wednesday’s first so-called, ‘Interfaith Day,’ at the capitol, Tapio and other conservative and Christian leaders had voiced concern and opposition to the combining of Christians and Jewish voices with those of the Islamic faith, saying the intolerance and violence advocated by portions of the Muslim population made their inclusion an inappropriate presence in the state house.  For voicing his concerns, critics called Tapio racist, bigoted and Islamophobic.

“14 Islamic nations believe it their moral and legal duty to kill anyone who leaves the Islamic faith or who speaks against it.  And yet if I as a South Dakota state senator, attempt to point out the dangers of publicly endorsing and sanctioning the most violent and least tolerant belief system on the planet, I am called a racist, a bigot, an Islamophobe and a hateful person,”  Tapio said.

“My heart is with the nearly 2-billion people globally who live under the violence, fear and oppression of Islamic law.  My heart is with the victims of Islamic terrorism around the world and here in the United States.  My heart is with the women who are stoned to death for not wearing a head covering or for speaking in public.  My heart is with the young girls whose genitals are mutilated and who are forced as children to marry and be raped by men old enough to be their grandfathers,”  Tapio said.

“In Newsweek magazine, just yesterday, (January 10) was an article reporting that three American Muslim Imams have spoken publicly, calling for death to all Jews,” Tapio said.

“These are American muslims, on American soil, making threats and incitements of violence against an entire race of people.  And yet, fake news and political opposition are trying to twist and spin and shift the focus, painting me, the son of a Lutheran minister, as hateful, intolerant and racist.” Tapio said.

“Jesus very clearly said to love thine neighbor as thyself and to do good to those who hurt you,” Tapio said.  “I think that’s a very different message than the promotion of terrorist Jihad and calls to kill all non-believers that are coming from Muslim leaders right here in America, and even from the very organization that was given a nice dose of public relations assistance by being invited to enjoy equal credibility and equal participation with Christians and other faiths who just want to live peacefully and safely with their neighbors, regardless of differences of belief.”  Tapio said.

Rounds Statement on VA Rule Change to Begin Reimbursing Veterans for Emergency Care

WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, today made a statement after the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it has revised its regulations related to payment or reimbursement to veterans who have had to seek emergency care at a non-VA facility.

“After seven years of an improper rule being on the books and thousands of veterans being denied reimbursement by the VA, this announcement is a significant step in the right direction,” said Rounds. “The majority of the veterans impacted by this rule change are elderly veterans, many of whom live on a fixed income and have limited resources to pay their medical bills. These men and women have made incredible sacrifices for our country, and I’m glad the VA has taken action to fulfill its legal obligation to cover their emergency care costs. We will continue to review the revised rule to make certain the VA is acting in the best interest of our veterans.”

This rule change complies with the Emergency Care Fairness Act (ECFA), which was enacted in 2010 and directs the VA to cover veterans with private health insurance when that insurance doesn’t cover the full amount of non-VA emergency care. Previously, the VA had not been paying these costs despite its legal obligation to do so, denying hundreds of thousands of veterans’ claims. The new rule directs the VA to pay claims submitted on or after April 8, 2016, which is the date that the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims reversed a Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision in Staab v. McDonald.

Rounds has been working to get the VA to comply with its legal obligation to pay for these costs for over a year. During a June 2017 Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing, VA Secretary David Shulkin told Rounds of the VA’s decision to withdraw its appeal and begin writing rules to cover these costs. The rules released yesterday are a result of that announcement.

More information on the revised regulation can be found here.

###

I was included as part of an e-mail blast this morning about a “Reproductive Freedom Leadership Council (RFLC),” a new national network of state legislators committed to embracing leadership on abortion rights. Apparently, the group is being featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine today:

Amid crackdowns on abortion access nationwide, Shannon and more than 200 other state legislators across the country have signed on to a new Reproductive Freedom Leadership Council launched on Thursday by the State Innovation Exchange (SiX), a nonprofit policy and resource center for progressive state legislators. The council’s objective is to put reproductive rights at the forefront of progressives’ — and the country’s — agenda.

and…

Last year, some Democrats, including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, faced backlash when they suggested that there shouldn’t be a litmus test on abortion rights and the party should be open to anti-abortion politicians. SiX categorically decries progressives who claim reproductive rights aren’t a necessary component to membership in the Democratic party. “Reproductive freedom is a central and necessary component of an inclusive progressive agenda,” reads the new council’s platform.

Athena Salman, a state representative in Arizona who has signed onto the effort, says reproductive rights is one of the main reasons she decided to run for office in 2016. On Thursday, she plans to submit legislation that would repeal major restrictions on abortion access in the state, such as the mandatory 24-hour waiting period and the ban on state insurance coverage for the procedure.

and…

This new coalition of progressive legislators, says Shannon, represents something of an offensive strike. “We are saying and affirming up-front: These rights are important to us. We want to advance reproductive rights. And we will not apologize for that.”

Read it here.

Take note that the article expressly notes that the group “decries progressives who claim reproductive rights aren’t a necessary component to membership in the Democratic party.”

According to the roster provided with the release, South Dakota’s lone participant in this group of Abortion activists who are decrying pro-life Democrats and proposing legislation to expand abortion rights is Democrat State Representative Susan Wismer.

From her legislative profile, there’s no immediate indication of any abortion related legislation Wismer is planning to bring as a result of her membership with the group. As for the statement decrying pro-life Democrats in the party?  That might make for some uncomfortable Dem meetings…

US Senator John Thune is in the news today for asking Apple why they didn’t fix iPhone batteries if they knew they were bad, instead of making iPhones slower:

Among other things, Thune wants to know if Apple made any effort to notify its customers that its recent software updates would make several types of iPhones released before 2017 slow down when their batteries weakened.

Thune also asked Apple whether it considered replacing the batteries for free, instead of the current discounted charge of $29 that it began offering in late December after acknowledging how its updates affected older iPhones. He also inquired whether Apple plans to throttle aging iPhones in the future and whether it plans to let consumers know what it’s doing.

Thune demanded a response by Jan. 23. Apple declined to comment.

The inquiry represents the latest backlash against Apple’s decision to slow down older iPhones, a move that the company says is designed to prevent the devices from abruptly shutting down when older batteries are running low or operating in cold weather.

Read that story here.