So Much For Respecting Vets & Their Sacrifices

Veterans May Face Budget Cuts in 2008

At least tens of thousands of veterans with non-critical medical issues could suffer delayed or even denied care in coming years to enable President Bush to meet his promise of cutting the deficit in half — if the White House is serious about its proposed budget.

Being a veteran, I know that what the VA considers "non-critical medical issues" is not the same as what most reasonable people would consider non-critical. The VA has been in the business of denying care to veteran's for years. They denied care for agent orange-related illnesses. They have wrangled the issues of PTSD as illegitimate for Vietnam, Desert Storm, Afghanistan and Iraqi invasion veterans. The VA is never fully funded and often runs out of its budget before the end of the fiscal year. Now we have war veterans coming home that may be denied care, as well as vets that faithfully performed their duties and were promised care in return for their honorable service. We are a nation that has a habit of praising our veterans and then denying them the services that were promised as part of their sacrifice for our nation. World War I vets had to march on Washington to get their pay as promised. Civil War vets were denied care and benefits.

After an increase for next year, the Bush budget would turn current trends on their head. Even though the cost of providing medical care to veterans has been growing by leaps and bounds, White House budget documents assume a cutback in 2008 and further cuts thereafter.

In fact, the proposed cuts are so draconian that it seems to some that the White House is simply making them up to make its long-term deficit figures look better. More realistic numbers, however, would raise doubts as to whether Bush can keep his promise to wrestle the deficit under control by the time he leaves office.

Is that really surprising. Where is the genuine thankfulness and appreciation for the service of our veterans? Veterans put their lives on hold, risk their lives and well-being every day while serving--even those serving during times of peace--and we do not give them their due. Shame!

"Either the administration is proposing gutting VA health care over the next five years or it is not serious about its own budget," said Rep. Chet Edwards (news, bio, voting record) of Texas, top Democrat on the panel overseeing the VA's budget. "If the proposals aren't serious, then that would undermine the administration's argument that they intend to reduce the deficit in half over the next several years."

In fact, the White House doesn't seem serious about the numbers. It says the long-term budget numbers don't represent actual administration policies. Similar cuts assumed in earlier budgets have been reversed.

"Instead, the president's subsequent budgets have increased funding for all of these programs," said White House budget office spokesman Scott Milburn. "The country can meet the goal of cutting the deficit in half and still invest in key programs for vulnerable Americans, and claims to the contrary aren't supported by the facts of recent budget history."

The veterans' medical care cuts would come even though more and more people are trying to enter the system and as the number of people wounded in Iraq keeps rising. Even though Iraq war veterans represent only about 2 percent of the Veterans Administration's patient caseload, many are returning from battle with grievous injuries requiring costly care.

Say it here, spin it there, but never deliver anywhere!