At page 515 Jurisdiction over claims challenging VA benefit decisions25 citing casesconstruing section 511’s predecessor to foreclose all review of claim that VA violated due process by ignoring its own regulations
- Stroud v. United States, No. 3:18-cv-05891 (W.D. Wash. May 26, 2020).Tietjen v. U.S. Veterans Admin., 17 884 F.2d 514, 515 (9th Cir. 1972).
- Constance Copeland v. Eric K. Shinseki, 26 Vet. App. 86 (Vet. App. 2012).published (stating that 38 U.S.C. § 211 (a), now § 511(a)
- Wayne Ford v. Eric Shinseki, 471 F. App'x 600 (9th Cir. 2012).unpublishedSee 38 U.S.C. § 511 (a) (VA decides all issues under any law affecting the provision of benefits to veterans); id. § 7104(a) (Board of Veterans Appeals has exclusive jurisdiction over VA’s benefits decisions); Tietjen v. U.S. Veterans Admi…
- Vets. for Common Sense v. Eric K. Shinseki, 644 F.3d 845 (9th Cir. 2011).published (construing section 511’s predecessor to foreclose all review of claim that VA violated due process by ignoring its own regulations)
- Vets. for Common Sense v. Shinseki, 663 F.3d 1033 (9th Cir. 2011).published(construing section 511's predecessor to foreclose all review of claim that VA violated due process by ignoring its own regulations)
- Gary Kendall v. Dep't of Vets. Affairs, 360 F. App'x 902 (9th Cir. 2009).unpublishedSee 38 U.S.C. § 511 (a); Tietjen v. U.S. Veterans Admin., 884 F.2d 514, 515 (9th Cir.1989) (order) (affirming dismissal for lack of subject matter jurisdiction where the district court “properly examined the substance of [the plaintiff’s]…
- Bradley v. Vets., 106 F.3d 383 (1st Cir. 1997).unpublishedSee, e.g., Zuspann v. Brown, 60 F.3d 1156, 1159 (5th Cir.1995), cert. denied, 116 S.Ct. 909 (1996); Sugrue v. Derwinski, 26 F.3d 8, 11 (2d Cir.1994), cert. denied, 115 S.Ct. 2245 (1995); Larrabee by Jones v. Derwinski, 968 F.2d 1497, 1500-…
- Roland S. Weaver v. United States, 98 F.3d 518 (10th Cir. 1996).publishedFederal law provides that such decisions are unreviewable in the federal courts: The Secretary [of Veterans Affairs] shall decide all questions of law and fact necessary to a decision by the Secretary under a law that affects the provision…
- Weaver v. United States, No. 95-3244 (10th Cir. Apr. 29, 1996).publishedFederal law provides that such decisions are unreviewable in the federal courts: The Secretary [of Veterans Affairs] shall decide all questions of law and fact necessary to a decision by the Secretary under a law that affects the provision…
- Larry J. Olson v. Charles Cragin Daniel J. Stein U.H. Ang, M.D., 46 F.3d 1143 (9th Cir. 1995).unpublished Tietjen v. United States Veterans Admin., 884 F.2d 514, 515 (9th Cir.1989); Rosen, 719 F.2d at 1423 .
Show 14 more citing cases
- Zuspann v. Brown, 864 F. Supp. 17 (W.D. Tex. 1994).publishedId. at 1500; Pappanikoloaou v. Administrator of the Veterans Admin., 762 F.2d 8, 9 (2nd Cir.) (per curiam), cert. denied, 474 U.S. 851 , 106 S.Ct. 150 , 88 L.Ed.2d 124 (1985); Tietjen v. United States Veterans Admin., 884 F.2d 514, 515 (9t…
- Barrett Bailey v. Dep't of Vets. Affairs, 33 F.3d 58 (9th Cir. 1994).unpublishedTietjen v. United States Veterans Admin., 884 F.2d 514, 515 (9th Cir.1989); Rosen, 719 F.2d at 1423 . 7 Here, Bailey contends that the VA failed to amend his records to reflect his eligibility for an increase in service-connected benefits.
- Barrett Bailey v. Dep't of Vets. Affairs, 33 F.3d 58 (9th Cir. 1994).unpublishedTietjen v. United States Veterans Admin., 884 F.2d 514, 515 (9th Cir.1989); Rosen, 719 F.2d at 1423 . 7 Here, Bailey contends that the VA failed to amend his records to reflect his eligibility for an increase in service-connected benefits.
- Paul Ortiz v. Dep't of Vets. Affairs, 24 F.3d 248 (9th Cir. 1994).publishedTietjen v. United States Veterans Admin., 884 F.2d 514, 515 (9th Cir.1989); Rosen, 719 F.2d at 1423 . 7 Here, Ortiz challenges the decision of the VA concerning his benefits by alleging various constitutional violations in the actions take…
- Willie Lee Pree v. Jesse Brown, Sec'y, of Vet. Affairs, 19 F.3d 1440 (9th Cir. 1994).unpublished Tietjen v. United States, 884 F.2d 514, 515 (9th Cir.1989) (citations omitted).
- David F. Razo v. U.S. Vets. Admin., 2 F.3d 1157 (9th Cir. 1993).unpublishedTietjen v. United States Veterans Admin., 884 F.2d 514, 515 (9th Cir.1989); Rosen, 719 F.2d at 1423 . 8 Here, Razo's action challenges the decision of the VA concerning Razo's benefits, not the constitutionality of the statutes governing b…
- Dennis M. Chinnock v. Thomas K. Turnage, Adm'r, Vets.' Admin., 995 F.2d 889 (9th Cir. 1993).published(Section 211(a), predecessor to § 511, “pre-eludes judicial review of the Administrator’s decisions of law or fact concerning the administration of benefits legislation.)
- Peavey v. Gonzalez, No. 2005-0819 (D.D.C. Sept. 28, 2009).published(finding that the court lacked jurisdiction over the appellant’s claims, even though they were brought as constitutional challenges, because the substance of the appellant’s claims required review of a VA decision on a q…)
- Peavey v. Holder, 657 F. Supp. 2d 180 (D.D.C. 2009).published(finding that the court lacked jurisdiction over the appellant’s claims, even though they were brought as constitutional challenges, because the substance of the appellant’s claims required review of a VA decision on *18…)
- Hale v. United States Dep't of Def., 68 F. App'x 56 (9th Cir. 2003).unpublishedSee Tietjen v. United States Veterans Admin., 884 F.2d 514, 515 (9th Cir.1989) (order) (construing former version of § 511(a), previously codified at 38 U.S.C. § 211 (a)).
- Belton v. Principi, 52 F. App'x 963 (9th Cir. 2002).unpublishedSee Tietjen v. United States Veterans Admin., 884 F.2d 514, 515 (9th Cir.1989) (order).
- Larry E. Belton, Sr. v. The Dow Chem. Co. Scott B. Wheeler Vets. Admin. United States Dep't of Def., 103 F.3d 137 (9th Cir. 1996).unpublishedSee Tietjen v. United States Veterans Admin., 884 F.2d 514, 515 (9th Cir.1989).
- Larrabee v. Derwinski, 968 F.2d 1497 (2d Cir. 1992).publishedSee Johnson, 415 U.S. at 367 , 94 S.Ct. at 1165-66 . 19 Since Johnson, we have distinguished between attacks upon the statute as drafted and the statute as applied; and we have held that section 211(a) precludes judicial review of non-faci…
- Larrabee ex rel. Jones v. Derwinski, 968 F.2d 1497 (2d Cir. 1992).publishedSince Johnson, we have distinguished between attacks upon the statute as drafted and the statute as applied; and we have held that section 211(a) precludes judicial review of non-facial constitutional claims, adding “that one may not circu…
Other citing cases
- Larry E. Belton, Sr. v. The Dep't of Vets. Affairs, 107 F.3d 14 (9th Cir. 1997).unpublished
v.
UNITED STATES VETERANS ADMINISTRATION; Thomas K. Turnage, Administrator of Veteran’s Affairs, Defendants-Appellees
ORDER
Appellant William H. Tietjen had been receiving 100% disability benefits because of a service-connected disability. In 1981, the Veteran’s Administration initiated a review program, in the course of which appellant’s benefits were reduced to 40%. Appellant claims that the Administrator’s own regulations prevent him from reducing his disability entitlements, and that the Administrator’s action thus constitutes a due process violation. The three regulations in question are 38 C.F.R. §§ 3.327(b)(2) (no reexamination of disability recipient whose condition is deemed to be “static”), 3.343(a) (no reduction of disability without examination showing material improvement), and 3.344 (generally no reduction of disability rating based on one examination).
38 U.S.C. § 211(a) states in part:
[T]he decisions of the Administrator on any question of law or fact under any law administered by the Veterans’ Administration providing benefits for veterans and their dependents or survivors shall be final and conclusive and no other official or any court of the United States shall have power or jurisdiction to review any such decision by an action in the nature of mandamus or otherwise.
Section 211(a) thus precludes judicial review of the Administrator’s decisions of law or fact concerning the administration of benefits legislation. It does not, however, bar review of “constitutional attacks on legislation governing the provision of VA benefits.” See Rosen v. Walters, 719 F.2d 1422, 1423 (9th Cir.1983) (citing Johnson v. Robinson, 415 U.S. 361, 367, 94 S.Ct. 1160, 39 L.Ed.2d 389 (1974)). The appellant attempts to receive judicial review by characterizing his claim as a constitutional challenge.
In a published order, found at 692 F.Supp. 1106 (D.Ariz.1988), the district court below provided an exhaustive analysis of appellant’s challenge. The court properly examined the “substance” of appellant’s action to ascertain whether it challenges a “decision of the Administrator on a ‘question of law or fact concerning a benefit provided by a law administered by the Veterans Administration,’ or instead challenges the constitutionality of an Act of Congress.” Devine v. Cleland, 616 F.2d 1080, 1084 (9th Cir.1980) (quoting Moore v. Johnson, 582 F.2d 1228, 1232 (9th Cir.1978)). “Only actions within the latter category are reviewable.” Id. The district court persuasively reasoned that appellant’s action falls within the former category and thus escapes judicial review.
Accordingly, we affirm the district court’s dismissal under section 211(a) on the basis articulated in part B of the district court’s order. Because we conclude that we are without jurisdiction, we do not reach the issue discussed in part C of the order.
Affirmed.