Obama/Emanuel/Shinseki walk back from VA insurance plan
March 18th, 2009
Sources tell us that the White House called the Veteran Service Organization representatives back for a meeting at 1 PM today to announce that they’re backtracking on their proposal to force veterans into health insurance to pay for service-connected treatment. Despite the fact that the Obama/Emanuel/Shinseki team made it clear that they couldn’t be persuaded, somehow they got persuaded. I guess when their own Congress turned against them, they figured it wasn’t worth the political capital they’d have to expend.
ADDED: Here’s the press release from the American Legion;
The leader of the nation’s largest veterans organization applauded President Obama for dropping his plan to bill private insurance companies for the treatment of military veterans who have suffered service-connected disabilities and injuries.
“We are glad that President Obama listened to the strong objections raised by The American Legion and veterans everywhere about this unfair plan,” said National Commander David K Rehbein of The American Legion. “We thank the administration for its proposed increase in the VA budget and we are always available to assist by providing guidance to ensure a veterans health care system that is worthy of the heroes that use it.”
Following a meeting this afternoon with The American Legion and other veterans service organizations, the White House announced that it will no longer consider billing insurance companies or veterans for their service-connected disabilities.
“Although we disagreed with the proposal, additional revenue streams are needed by VA,” Rehbein said. “I strongly encourage Congress and the administration to allow VA to begin billing Medicare for the treatment of Medicare-eligible nonservice-connected veterans. They paid into Medicare for their entire working careers and should be able to use it in the medical system that was built specifically for them.”
With a current membership of 2.6 million wartime veterans, The American Legion was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism, and the mentoring of youth. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through more than 14,000 posts across the nation.
As I said this morning, whether it would have passed or not, it’s just one more example of the extent that the Obama Administration will go to screw veterans and the military to divert taxpayer money to use to buy votes.
Right out of the box, on Inauguration evening, on bad advice from one of his supporters, he ended a 56-year tradition of the President visiting the living
Medal of Honor recipients at the ball held in their honor. Next, he ended the 18-year-old
ban against the media making props of our returning casualties from war at Dover Air Force Base.
And then Obama/Emanuel/Shinseki want to fund their vote buying on the backs of wounded veterans. Is there anything left that we veterans and military service members hold more dear than the things Team Obama seem to hold in such low regard? Why are any veterans, like John Soltz, still carrying water for the Administration which seems to despise everything we stand for, the reasons we serve(d), the reasons we stay engaged.
Last August, Obama made the comment that
he needed to earn the troops’ trust. It doesn’t seem that it’s particularly important to him now that the election has ended. During the campaign, he said
he wanted to add 65,000 people to the ranks of the military - how is he going to accomplish that while he simultaneously takes away their benefits - the things that make them willing to risk their lives and limbs accomplishing their inherently dangerous missions? Who’ll stay, who’ll join under those conditions?
Honestly. What’s next? Are families going to get a bill for bringing their service member home in a casket?
ADDED a
link from Ed Morrissey on the walk-back http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/...009-03-18.html .
http://thisainthell.us/blog/?p=8896