Post by TonyV on Oct 17, 2010 14:08:17 GMT -5
Hello, I would like to bring your attention on a new post published on the
UAWLAP.org Site.
Details of the post follow.
In Solidarity,
Steven M. Stone
Democrats and Republican Records on Veterans Issues September 2010
Submitted by Darrell Martin
The Obama and Democratic Record on Veterans and VA Funding
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Obama stimulus bill
enacted by our Democratic Congress) provides the Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) with .4 billion for VA projects. The bulk of the projects fell under VHA,
which was allotted billion through the stimulus package. Of that amount, 1
million is being used for non-recurring maintenance projects to correct,
replace, upgrade and modernize existing infrastructure and utility systems for
VA medical centers.
Last year Congress passed and President Obama signed the Veterans Health Care
Budget Reform and Transparency Act. The act allows Congress to fund the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical accounts one year in advance of the
regular appropriations process. The advance appropriation gives the VA an extra
year to plan. In return, the Department will be required to report to Congress
whether or not it has the resources it needs for the upcoming fiscal year, so
that Congress can address any funding imbalances. This will help safeguard the
VA against budget shortfalls due to political or legislative delays. It also
will help the VA respond better to health care inflation, costs associated with
the aging of the overall veteran population, and injuries requiring costly and
long-term treatment among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
Democrats sponsored and President Obama signed in May 2010 the Caregivers and
Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act that expands mental health and counseling
services to veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, including National
Guardsmen and reservists. Among the many benefits, the act:
Creates a caregiver support program which provides services such as caregiver
training and education, counseling and mental health services, and respite care
(including 24-hour, in-home respite care).
Provides caregiver support benefits, including lodging and subsistence payments
when accompanying the veteran on medical care visits, health care coverage, and
a monthly financial stipend, to those caring for eligible Iraq and Afghanistan
veterans.
Increases support for veterans in rural areas by providing transportation and
housing they need to reach VA hospitals and clinics.
Expands and improves health care for women veterans, including maternity and
newborn care.
Launches a pilot program to provide child care for veterans receiving intensive
medical care.
Eliminates co-pays for veterans who are catastrophically disabled.
And the Democrats’ Defense Authorization Act of 2010:
Requires mandatory, face to face and confidential mental health screenings for
every returning service member;
Increases the number of mental health providers in the military.
Limits service members' exposure to hazardous waste by severely limiting the
use of open air burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Extends retroactive stop loss payments to Reserve/National Guard.
Grants meaningful voting protections for overseas service members.
Curtails DoD's practice of punishing service members for DoD's own financial
mistakes.
Executive Actions by the Obama administration related to veterans:
The President announced an initiative to create a joint virtual lifetime
electronic record that will improve care and services to transitioning veterans
by smoothing the flow of medical records between the Defense and Veterans
Affairs departments.
Secretary Shinseki has unveiled a five year plan to end veterans' homelessness,
including:
preventive measures like discharge planning for incarcerated veterans
re-entering society,
supportive services for low-income veterans and their families,
a national referral center to link veterans to local service providers, and
expanded efforts for education, jobs, health care and housing.
And just this past July, President Obama announced that the VA will ease rules
to make it substantially easier for veterans who have post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD) to receive disability benefits, a change that could affect
hundreds of thousands of veterans from the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and
Vietnam. The nearly 20 percent of veterans who return from Iraq and Afghanistan
with signs of PTSD will now find it easier to obtain what they earned when they
bravely defended our country. This decision to streamline the process for PTSD
claims illustrates a commitment to our veterans from the Obama administration
that was absent for eight years under Republican leadership.
For example, vets wishing to obtain a PTSD rating had even more impediments
under the Bush administration. In 2008, it was uncovered that the VA was
deliberately misdiagnosing veterans to reduce the cost of treatment and
disability payments.
The Republican Record on Veterans and VA Funding
Also in July of this year three amendments were submitted by Minority Leader
Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, to the House Rules Committee that would have slashed
2011 Veterans Affairs Department funding by more than million.
But when he realized it wasn’t politically expedient to do that in an election
year, all three amendments were abruptly withdrawn just moments before the
committee was set to approve them for consideration by the entire House.
Bush stacked the VA with political cronies, such as former Republican National
Committee chairman Jim Nicholson, who as VA Secretary defended a measure that
sought major cuts in staffing for healthcare and at the Board of Veterans
Appeals; slashed funding for nursing home care; and blocked four legislative
measures aimed at streamlining the backlog of veterans’ benefits claims.
Of the 84,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic
stress disorder by VA, only half, about 42,000, had their disability claim
approved by VA. Instead of expediting PTSD claims, Bush’s political appointees
at VA actively fought against mental health claims.
Bush’s appointees also obstructed scientific research into the causes of Gulf
War illnesses dating back 18 years to Operation Desert Storm and opposed medical
research on treatment for 210,000 of those veterans.
As for funding, Bush proposed a 0.5 percent budget increase for the VA for
fiscal year 2006, which amounted to a “cruel mockery” of Bush’s promises
to do everything to support veterans and soldiers, Rep. Lane Evans, D-Illinois,
said at the time.
In early 2007, the Washington Post put a spotlight on the human consequences
resulting from the combination of Bush’s wars and the budget squeeze.
The Post published a series of articles documenting the deplorable conditions at
the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, which is located less than five miles
from the White House. Wounded vets were housed in rooms with moldy walls, leaky
plumbing and an infestation of roaches and rodents.
In response to complaints that some veterans under VA care were being neglected,
Nicholson said in March 2007 that such cases were “anecdotal exceptions.”
“When you are treating so many people there is always going to be a linen
towel left somewhere,” he said.
In May 2007, the AP revealed that while Nicholson was pinching pennies on
treatment costs, he awarded “.8 million in bonuses to top executives in fiscal
2006.?
In May 2007, Bush threatened to veto legislation that sought a 10 percent -- .2
billion – increase in the VA budget, calling it too expensive. Bush proposed a
2 percent increase, far below what lawmakers and VA officials said was needed to
treat a dramatic increase in traumatic brain injury and PTSD cases.
And in November 2008, internal watchdogs discovered 500 benefits claims in
shredding bins at 41 of the 57 regional VA offices around the country.
Here are some other highlights of the Bush and Republican record on veterans:
Bush Administration cuts .5 billion from military family housing. The Bush
Administration cut .5 billion for military family housing, despite Department of
Defense statistics showing that in 83,000 barracks and 128,860 family housing
units across the country are below standard.
Republicans support millionaires instead of military veterans. Bush allies in
Congress stopped efforts to scale back the tax cut for the nation's millionaires
by just five percent - a loss of just ,780 for the year - in order to restore
this funding for military family housing.
Bush Administration underfunded veterans' health care by billion. The Bush
Administration's 2004 budget underfunded veterans' health care by nearly
billion.
Bush Administration proposal would end health care benefits for 173,000
veterans. More than 173,000 veterans across the country would be cut off from
health care because of Bush Administration proposed budget cuts and its plan
requiring enrollment fees and higher out-of-pocket costs.
Bush Administration opposed plan to give National Guard and Reserve Members
access to health insurance. Despite the war efforts of America's National Guard
and Reserve Members, the Bush Administration announced in October 2003 its
formal opposition to give the 1.2 million Guard and Reserve members the right to
buy health care coverage through the Pentagon's health plan. One out of every
five Guard members lacks health insurance.
Bush Administration cuts 2 million allotted for educating the children of
military personnel. The Bush Administration's 2004 budget cut 2 million of
impact aid funding. Impact aid funding assists school districts by making up for
lost local tax revenue from tax-exempt property, such as military bases. These
education cuts will especially affect school-age children of troops serving in
Iraq who reside on military bases.
Link to the post:
uawlap.org/building-chairpersons-report/committees/veterans/democrats-and-republican-records-on-veterans-issues-september-2010.php
Link to UAWLAP.org: uawlap.org
UAWLAP.org Site.
Details of the post follow.
In Solidarity,
Steven M. Stone
Democrats and Republican Records on Veterans Issues September 2010
Submitted by Darrell Martin
The Obama and Democratic Record on Veterans and VA Funding
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Obama stimulus bill
enacted by our Democratic Congress) provides the Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) with .4 billion for VA projects. The bulk of the projects fell under VHA,
which was allotted billion through the stimulus package. Of that amount, 1
million is being used for non-recurring maintenance projects to correct,
replace, upgrade and modernize existing infrastructure and utility systems for
VA medical centers.
Last year Congress passed and President Obama signed the Veterans Health Care
Budget Reform and Transparency Act. The act allows Congress to fund the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical accounts one year in advance of the
regular appropriations process. The advance appropriation gives the VA an extra
year to plan. In return, the Department will be required to report to Congress
whether or not it has the resources it needs for the upcoming fiscal year, so
that Congress can address any funding imbalances. This will help safeguard the
VA against budget shortfalls due to political or legislative delays. It also
will help the VA respond better to health care inflation, costs associated with
the aging of the overall veteran population, and injuries requiring costly and
long-term treatment among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
Democrats sponsored and President Obama signed in May 2010 the Caregivers and
Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act that expands mental health and counseling
services to veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, including National
Guardsmen and reservists. Among the many benefits, the act:
Creates a caregiver support program which provides services such as caregiver
training and education, counseling and mental health services, and respite care
(including 24-hour, in-home respite care).
Provides caregiver support benefits, including lodging and subsistence payments
when accompanying the veteran on medical care visits, health care coverage, and
a monthly financial stipend, to those caring for eligible Iraq and Afghanistan
veterans.
Increases support for veterans in rural areas by providing transportation and
housing they need to reach VA hospitals and clinics.
Expands and improves health care for women veterans, including maternity and
newborn care.
Launches a pilot program to provide child care for veterans receiving intensive
medical care.
Eliminates co-pays for veterans who are catastrophically disabled.
And the Democrats’ Defense Authorization Act of 2010:
Requires mandatory, face to face and confidential mental health screenings for
every returning service member;
Increases the number of mental health providers in the military.
Limits service members' exposure to hazardous waste by severely limiting the
use of open air burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Extends retroactive stop loss payments to Reserve/National Guard.
Grants meaningful voting protections for overseas service members.
Curtails DoD's practice of punishing service members for DoD's own financial
mistakes.
Executive Actions by the Obama administration related to veterans:
The President announced an initiative to create a joint virtual lifetime
electronic record that will improve care and services to transitioning veterans
by smoothing the flow of medical records between the Defense and Veterans
Affairs departments.
Secretary Shinseki has unveiled a five year plan to end veterans' homelessness,
including:
preventive measures like discharge planning for incarcerated veterans
re-entering society,
supportive services for low-income veterans and their families,
a national referral center to link veterans to local service providers, and
expanded efforts for education, jobs, health care and housing.
And just this past July, President Obama announced that the VA will ease rules
to make it substantially easier for veterans who have post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD) to receive disability benefits, a change that could affect
hundreds of thousands of veterans from the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and
Vietnam. The nearly 20 percent of veterans who return from Iraq and Afghanistan
with signs of PTSD will now find it easier to obtain what they earned when they
bravely defended our country. This decision to streamline the process for PTSD
claims illustrates a commitment to our veterans from the Obama administration
that was absent for eight years under Republican leadership.
For example, vets wishing to obtain a PTSD rating had even more impediments
under the Bush administration. In 2008, it was uncovered that the VA was
deliberately misdiagnosing veterans to reduce the cost of treatment and
disability payments.
The Republican Record on Veterans and VA Funding
Also in July of this year three amendments were submitted by Minority Leader
Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, to the House Rules Committee that would have slashed
2011 Veterans Affairs Department funding by more than million.
But when he realized it wasn’t politically expedient to do that in an election
year, all three amendments were abruptly withdrawn just moments before the
committee was set to approve them for consideration by the entire House.
Bush stacked the VA with political cronies, such as former Republican National
Committee chairman Jim Nicholson, who as VA Secretary defended a measure that
sought major cuts in staffing for healthcare and at the Board of Veterans
Appeals; slashed funding for nursing home care; and blocked four legislative
measures aimed at streamlining the backlog of veterans’ benefits claims.
Of the 84,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic
stress disorder by VA, only half, about 42,000, had their disability claim
approved by VA. Instead of expediting PTSD claims, Bush’s political appointees
at VA actively fought against mental health claims.
Bush’s appointees also obstructed scientific research into the causes of Gulf
War illnesses dating back 18 years to Operation Desert Storm and opposed medical
research on treatment for 210,000 of those veterans.
As for funding, Bush proposed a 0.5 percent budget increase for the VA for
fiscal year 2006, which amounted to a “cruel mockery” of Bush’s promises
to do everything to support veterans and soldiers, Rep. Lane Evans, D-Illinois,
said at the time.
In early 2007, the Washington Post put a spotlight on the human consequences
resulting from the combination of Bush’s wars and the budget squeeze.
The Post published a series of articles documenting the deplorable conditions at
the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, which is located less than five miles
from the White House. Wounded vets were housed in rooms with moldy walls, leaky
plumbing and an infestation of roaches and rodents.
In response to complaints that some veterans under VA care were being neglected,
Nicholson said in March 2007 that such cases were “anecdotal exceptions.”
“When you are treating so many people there is always going to be a linen
towel left somewhere,” he said.
In May 2007, the AP revealed that while Nicholson was pinching pennies on
treatment costs, he awarded “.8 million in bonuses to top executives in fiscal
2006.?
In May 2007, Bush threatened to veto legislation that sought a 10 percent -- .2
billion – increase in the VA budget, calling it too expensive. Bush proposed a
2 percent increase, far below what lawmakers and VA officials said was needed to
treat a dramatic increase in traumatic brain injury and PTSD cases.
And in November 2008, internal watchdogs discovered 500 benefits claims in
shredding bins at 41 of the 57 regional VA offices around the country.
Here are some other highlights of the Bush and Republican record on veterans:
Bush Administration cuts .5 billion from military family housing. The Bush
Administration cut .5 billion for military family housing, despite Department of
Defense statistics showing that in 83,000 barracks and 128,860 family housing
units across the country are below standard.
Republicans support millionaires instead of military veterans. Bush allies in
Congress stopped efforts to scale back the tax cut for the nation's millionaires
by just five percent - a loss of just ,780 for the year - in order to restore
this funding for military family housing.
Bush Administration underfunded veterans' health care by billion. The Bush
Administration's 2004 budget underfunded veterans' health care by nearly
billion.
Bush Administration proposal would end health care benefits for 173,000
veterans. More than 173,000 veterans across the country would be cut off from
health care because of Bush Administration proposed budget cuts and its plan
requiring enrollment fees and higher out-of-pocket costs.
Bush Administration opposed plan to give National Guard and Reserve Members
access to health insurance. Despite the war efforts of America's National Guard
and Reserve Members, the Bush Administration announced in October 2003 its
formal opposition to give the 1.2 million Guard and Reserve members the right to
buy health care coverage through the Pentagon's health plan. One out of every
five Guard members lacks health insurance.
Bush Administration cuts 2 million allotted for educating the children of
military personnel. The Bush Administration's 2004 budget cut 2 million of
impact aid funding. Impact aid funding assists school districts by making up for
lost local tax revenue from tax-exempt property, such as military bases. These
education cuts will especially affect school-age children of troops serving in
Iraq who reside on military bases.
Link to the post:
uawlap.org/building-chairpersons-report/committees/veterans/democrats-and-republican-records-on-veterans-issues-september-2010.php
Link to UAWLAP.org: uawlap.org