Opinion ID: 510975
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Lack of Subject Matter Jurisdiction With Respect to the

Text: Veterans Administration 26 A different type of question arises with respect to Napier's claim against the Veterans' Administration: whether the district court possessed subject matter jurisdiction over the complaint. The district court dismissed Count 3 of the complaint, which alleged error in the Veterans' Administration determination of Napier's total disability benefits, on the ground that 38 U.S.C. Sec. 211(a) divests the federal courts from reviewing VA determinations. 5 Section 211(a) provides that: 27 the 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 of mandamus or otherwise. 28 38 U.S.C. Sec. 211(a) (1982). Despite the 211(a) proscription against federal court review of veterans' benefits determinations by the VA, Napier contends that the federal court has constitutional jurisdiction over such determinations. Napier Br. at 16. Although Napier is correct that the jurisdictional limitation of Sec. 211(a) is inapplicable to a constitutional attack on veterans' benefits legislation, Johnson v. Robison, 415 U.S. 361, 94 S.Ct. 1160, 39 L.Ed.2d 389 (1974); Rescigno v. Walters, 773 F.2d 47 (3d Cir.1985), Napier has not made such a claim in this action. Napier has alleged that [t]he psychic trauma emanating [from segregated military service] is the subject of constitutional right and recognition in his case. Napier Br. at 21. A simple assertion such as that, however, will not enable Napier to bypass the clear prohibition of Sec. 211(a). The district court was correct in dismissing the complaint against the VA for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. 29 Having concluded that the district court correctly dismissed the complaint against all defendants on one ground or another, we turn to the decision to impose a Rule 11 sanction against Bass. 30