On Monday night, the U.S. House passed a bill from a Florida congressman which ensures every veteran receives an ID card from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs without burdening taxpayers. The House passed the vote with 402 representatives backing it and no votes cast against it.
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., introduced the “Veterans ID Card Act” earlier this year. Buchanan’s bill would ensure all veterans receive ID cards from the VA instead of just those who served 20 years in the armed forces or are seeking medical treatment for service-related wounds. Buchanan said veterans are forced to carry DD-214 paperwork, which contains sensitive information including Social Security numbers, and an ID card would be more convenient and would do a better job of keeping their personal information secure.
via Buchanan’s Bill to Replace DD-214 With Veterans ID Card Passes House | Sunshine State News.
In the comments, people are reasonably concerned about not having a DD214.
One suspects that this is simply an example of the author not quite getting the nuances of a story right. Which is understandable. Dealing with the VA is complex at the best of times.
Currently, when you are discharged, your official record of discharge is your form DD214, showing dates of service, rank, awards, education and qualifications.
When you, the recently discharged veteran, wish to avail yourself of some of the benefits you accrued through your service from the VA, you must present your DD214 to the VA. You are not automatically enrolled in any VA programs, not healthcare, nor any others. If you wish, you need never deal with the VA.
But if you do wish to use the VA, it is a rather cumbersome process to get the VA ID card. What we suspect Rep. Buchanan’s bill would do is make the enrollment and issuance of the VA ID card a part of the discharge process. One suspects that the DD214 will continue to be issued, as the form is useful for far more than just enrolling in the VA. For instance, many higher education institutions will grant credit hours based on ones education and training listed on a DD214.
XBradTC 
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