A good day for Mitchell

Today U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-5) declared victory in his fight for transparency on the issue of suicide rates among veterans, as Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Peake declared he would meet Mitchell's May 9 deadline to hand over relevant documents.

"I will close the loop with you before Friday and give you what I think you are asking for," said Peake at a hearing of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs.

Mitchell had requested the documents last year, after a CBS News report uncovered evidence that the VA's internal numbers relating to suicides and suicide attempts among veterans were higher than the official tallies.

In a letter sent to the VA Deparment last month, Mitchell declared "my patience is at an end," and threatened to subpoena the documents if they weren't produced by this Friday.

Mitchell had been told previously to "go file a Freedom of Information request," which Peake today called "inappropriate," saying he was "saddened" that Mitchell's committee hadn't received the cooperation it was looking for.

Hours after the hearing, Mitchell met with more good news: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which Mitchell introduced in the House as the companion to the Senate bill sponsored by Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), would be included in the war spending supplemental being assembled by both bodies.

Speaker Pelosi said in a release:

"With Americans confronting an economy teetering on the brink of recession and struggling to afford rising prices, we are extending unemployment benefits for those searching for work and supporting a new GI Bill to help make the veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan part of our economic recovery."

The bill would extend educational benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill to cover National Guard members and reservists who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan since the attacks of September 11, 2001. The legislation currently has 275 cosponsors in the House, including dozens of Republicans.