Honoring our Veterans

HONORING OUR VETERANS
4/26/05

While we rightly honor the brave Americans who are currently serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, it is important that we not forget those who served in past wars, the serious problems they are currently facing and, in fact, how today's soldiers will be treated after they leave the service. Several weeks ago, veterans from across the state came to the State House to attend a Congressional Town Meeting on Veterans Issues - a meeting that featured speakers from the American Legion, the VFW, the Disabled American Veterans, the Vietnam Veterans of America, the Military Order of the Purple Heart and the Paralyzed Veterans of America. It was gratifying to see so many veterans coming together to discuss the incredible challenges they face.

Today, on Capitol Hill, veterans are facing some of the most difficult challenges that they have ever confronted. Despite all the sound-bites and photo-opportunities telling us how much he respects the men and women in the military, President Bush has proposed a disastrous veterans' budget that would substantially cut-back on the needs of those who have sacrificed so much to defend our country. His proposal has been condemned by every veteran's organization in the country and members of Congress from both political parties. Randy Pleva, for example, the National President of the Paralyzed Veterans of America called Bush's proposal, "a callous disregard for the services of America's veterans…." Let's take a quick look at exactly what the President's budget proposes.

At the same time as President Bush wants to extend huge tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires he is asking veterans, mostly middle-class and working class citizens, to pay new fees (taxes) for the health care benefits which had been promised to them. The President's budget raises health care costs for 2.2 million veterans by more than doubling their co-payments on prescription drugs from $7 to $15. In addition, for the first time, he would establish a new enrollment fee of $250 for VA health care. What would be the result of these new fees? According to the Administration's own figures, if this proposal is adopted 213,000 veterans will be driven out of the VA health care system. That's on top of the 165,000 so-called "higher income" veterans - some with incomes as low as $25,000 - that the Administration barred two years ago from getting any health care from the VA.

Further, as our country continues to welcome a new generation of veterans home from Iraq and Afghanistan, the President's budget shortchanges veterans' health care programs by billions of dollars. His budget proposes to spend $28.1 billion which is $3.5 billion less than veterans' organizations believe is needed. If Congress rejects the President's call to increase fees on veterans, the VA health budget would receive only a 4/10 of 1% increase over last year. This would take place at a time when health care costs are soaring and when more and more veterans, some with very serious health problems, are now entering the system.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that without the increased fees, the President's budget provides $762 million less than is needed to maintain current services for veterans' health care and other discretionary programs. Because of this cut the number of medical personnel, mostly nurses, serving our veterans would be reduced by 3,000. And, over five years, the budget for veterans programs, primarily health care, is $15 billion below the amount needed to maintain services at current levels. The Vietnam Veterans of America, in Congressional statement, say that adopting this budget will result in over 1.1 million veterans eventually being pushed out of the VA system.
The President's budget proposal also slashes $351 million from veterans' nursing homes by serving 28,000 fewer patients. It also virtually eliminates state grants, which would have a very negative impact on the Vermont Veterans' Home in Bennington. This proposal will limit any VA-provided or sponsored nursing homes to only the most highly service-connected disabled veterans and those with short-term needs, and eliminate more than half of the people currently funded in payment for state homes. These cuts will leave many older and disabled veterans with no place to go.

The President's budget cuts $9 million from medical and prosthetic research this year. This would set the research grant program back years, just as many of our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are coming home with terrible injuries and amputations that require this expertise.

It is very easy for politicians to stand in front of American flags and give speeches about how much they "honor" our veterans. It is, unfortunately, much harder for many of them to support the funding that veterans' programs need and that addresses the serious problems veterans face. Today, in Vermont and all across the country, there are long waiting lines for veterans who are trying to access VA health care. People who suffered and sacrificed for our country are unable to see the doctors and nurses they require in a timely manner. The President's totally inadequate budget will only make that situation much worse. Today, there is a huge backlog of almost 500,000 compensation and pension claims, including those from veterans of the current war on terrorism. The President's budget does nothing to improve that situation and allow veterans to receive a prompt response to their claims.

The time is long overdue for the U.S. government to honor its veterans not just in words, but in deeds. Short term, the disgraceful veterans' budget submitted by the President must be rejected by Congress, and billions more added. Long term, instead of fighting over a veterans' budget every year we should make VA health care a mandatory program. In other words, the promises made to those who have served our country must be kept. That's how we can honor our veterans.

http://bernie.house.gov/statements/20050426180130.asp