President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors

The President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors was created by President George W. Bush following the Walter Reed Army Medical Center scandal.

Background
On March 2, 2007, it was announced that Bush "will appoint a bipartisan commission to review health care for military veterans." the commission was

Speaking before the American Legion on March 6, 2007, Bush said "that he was appointing a presidential commission to investigate what he called 'unacceptable' treatment of wounded veterans. He said the commission would be led" by former Senate majority leader and Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole, and by Donna E. Shalala, a former Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Clinton administration, who is currently president of the University of Miami. 

In his speech delivered at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, D.C., the Bush said:


 * "The Commission will conduct a comprehensive review of the care America is providing our wounded servicemen and women returning from the battlefield. This review will examine their treatment from the time they leave the battlefield through their return to civilian life as veterans -- so we can ensure that we're meeting the physical and mental health needs of all. As this commission begins its work and considers its recommendations, I have also directed the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to lead a task force composed of seven members of my Cabinet to focus and respond to immediate needs."

Dole and Shalala met with Bush on March 7, 2007, and the "other members of the commission will be announced in the coming days." 

Dole said the Commission "will coordinate its review with Congress and an interagency task force of seven Cabinet secretaries [see below] named by Bush to determine what can be done immediately to improve veterans' care. That task force is led by Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson." 

PR For the Commission
In late March 2007, PR Week reported that the Washington Headquarters Services (WHS), which provides "operational support to several Department of Defense agencies", had awarded a contract to the Bethesda-based PR company LMW Strategies to help the commission. According to PR Week, the no-bid contract runs until August 1, 2007. 

The FedBizOpps database described the contract as to provide "strategic communications services in support of the President's Commission on Care for Americas Returning Wounded Warriors.Requirements include extensive knowledge of strategic communications, health affairs and the ability to interface with high level Government Officials." 

O'Dwyer's PR Daily reported that the contract was worth $100,000, according to the contracting officer, Michael Murtha. (sub req'd)

Other SourceWatch Resources

 * Walter Reed Army Medical Center scandal
 * Washington Headquarters Services
 * LMW Strategies