Large Veterans’ Organizations Speak Out on Major Issues
On Veterans’ Health Care Funding in FY 2004: “Veterans are condemning House Republicans’ failure to deliver a $3.2 billion boost for the Veterans Affairs Department that would have shrunk the agency’s waiting list for medical care. ‘A shameless betrayal’ is how AMVETS sums it up. ‘A moral outrage,’ the American Legion said. ‘Abominable’ is the word from the Non Commissioned Officers Association.” (Gannett New Service, 8/18/03)
On the Republican’s Partial Plan on Disabled Veterans’ Tax “Creating a two-tiered benefits system, that favors one group of service-disabled military retirees over another, is not the answer. Creating a commission to study VA’s disability-compensation system – a system which requires medical evidence to prove a claim and is scrutinized by congressional Veterans’ Affairs committees, an appeals process, and a federal court – is not the answer. The answer is to repeal the tax for all service-disabled military retirees.” (American Legion Press release, 10/16/03)
On President’s FY 2005 Budget “The President ignored veterans in the State of the Union Address and with today’s release of his 2005 budget, it is further evident that veterans are no longer a priority with this administration…This funding package is a disgrace and a sham,” VFW Commander-in-Chief Edward S. Banas, Sr. said. “This deplorable budget will do nothing to alleviate the many thousands of veterans who are waiting six months or more for basic health care appointments with VA. Instead, the budget seeks to drive veterans from the system by realigning funding, charging enrollment fees for access and more than doubling the prescription drug co-payment. This is inexcusable, especially when no member of this administration or Congress would wait this long for their health care.” (Veterans of Foreign Wars, 2/2/04)
“It is clear that veterans are not a national priority to this administration, and the President’s budget plan attempts to shift the burden for funding veterans health care to those brave men and women who have served and sacrificed for our country. It is utterly disgraceful to shortchange America’s veterans at a time when this government has placed so many of our troops in harm’s way in the war on terror, considering that many of them will need VA medical care for decades to come.” (The Disabled American Veterans, February 4, 2004)
“The budget proposed by the President for veterans’ health care for the next fiscal year is not only inadequate, it’s an insult to veterans. It represents a clear-cut case of misplaced priorities. The same budget that calls for generous funding to wage war ignores the real needs of those who return from the war zone, and will impose undue hardship on them.” (Vietnam Veterans of America, February 4, 2004)
House Budget Resolution FY 2005 “This budget will do nothing to help the thousands of veterans waiting six months or more to see a primary care physician; in fact, it will drive many out of the system all together. You or I would not accept this type of health care so why should America’s veterans? Again, I encourage you and your colleagues to vote this budget down! Veterans Health Care funding must be increased if this nation is to meet its obligation to those men and women who have so valiantly served her.” (Veterans of Foreign Wars, March 24, 2004)
“The budget resolution does not provide adequate funding to meet the needs of sick and disabled veterans seeking care from the system. The proposal is an insult not only to current veterans who served their country honorable, but also to the men and women at this moment all over the world protecting democracy. BVA questions the priorities of this Congress…. If you truly support our men and women in uniform, and are concerned about defending this great Nation, you will vote against this budget resolution. Defeating the current proposal is the patriotic action to take. (Blinded Veterans of America, March 23, 2004)
“In May 2003, the President’s Task Force to Improve Health Care Delivery for Our Nation’s Veterans reported chronic under-funding that left VA unable to meet its obligations to veterans. The entire situation is intolerable and is certainly no way for Congress to express our nation’s gratitude for the sacrifice and service of its military veterans. AMVETS strongly urges members of the Committee to support [Representative Chet Edward’s] proposal and lift spending for FY 2005 to the bipartisan level recommended by the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. This level of funding is essential and without it those services sick and disabled veterans earned and deserve will not be there when they need them.” (American Veterans (AMVETS), March 10, 2004)
“If the House Budget Resolution cannot arrange priorities within a $2 trillion budget to meet the benefits veterans earned and richly deserve, something is wrong with their priorities.” (AMVETS March 23, 2004)
Budget Enforcement Measure & Entitlement Caps (Kirk Amendment) The sham GOP budget enforcement bill will deny veterans the necessary funding they deserve. The Paralyzed Veterans of America opposes the GOP budget enforcement bill because it “would deny the Department of Veterans Affairs the ability to properly care for veterans and to provide them with the benefits that have earned and deserved.” (Letter from the Paralyzed Veterans of America, 6/24/04)
“Enacting severely restrictive caps on entitlement spending could result in billions of dollars in cuts to VA benefits, including compensation, pension, education, and special grants. Such entitlement caps would likely prevent Congress from even enacting annual cost-of-living increases. Enactment of this amendment would show Congress’ utter disregard for the men and women who have served this nation and continue to serve in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan.” (Paralyzed Veterans of America: June 24, 2004)
“Notifying a multiple-amputee or paraplegic that his or her country cannot afford to continue full compensation for the life-changing combat wounds would be a national disgrace. Informing a combat veteran that after 30 years of honorable service of risking life and limb, family separations, and other personal hardships and sacrifices that America cannot guarantee the payment of his or her retirement pay or health care benefits would be a direct betrayal of confidence of this nation.” (The American Legion)
