The MAIN REASON not to vote for Bush!

[Gimpy]

Just got this from the DAV...................it should help convince any doubters of the "Bush agenda" that continue to do harm and cause untold misery to millions of sick and disabled veterans and their dependents.

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FEBRUARY 13, 2004

Action List/ DAV

In response to the current crisis in VA health care, the DAV and eight other veterans service organizations formed the Partnership for Veterans Health Care Budget Reform. We strongly believe that mandatory funding will provide a comprehensive solution for VA?s health care funding crisis and that all enrolled veterans should be included under a mandatory funding mechanism.



Because of their extraordinary sacrifices and contributions, veterans have earned the right to free health care as a continuing cost of national defense. Mandatory health care funding would not create an individual entitlement to health care, nor change the VA?s current mission. Guaranteeing veterans? health care funding would, however, eliminate the year-to-year uncertainty about funding levels that has prevented the VA from being able to adequately plan for and meet the growing needs of veterans seeking treatment.



We urge House members to support H.R. 2318, the Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Act of 2003.



We urge Senators to support S. 50, the Veterans Health Care Funding Guarantee Act of 2003.



TO MAINTAIN SERVICES FOR VETERANS, CONGRESS MUST PROVIDE FUNDING

ABOVE THE LEVEL IN THE PRESIDENT?S BUDGET



The President?s budget request for fiscal year 2005 would make deep cuts in spending on veterans? programs and would thereby degrade benefits and services to our Nation?s veterans, particularly sick and disabled veterans seeking medical care and disability benefits.



Those special few who fight our wars and serve in our Armed Forces do so at great risk to their own health and life and make extraordinary sacrifices for all other citizens of our country. Only through their willingness to serve and sacrifice do we enjoy the freedoms we have, in the strongest and most prosperous nation on earth. All citizens do not personally serve in our military, but each of our citizens has a responsibility to provide for the common defense. Veterans? benefits are a continuing cost of war and national defense. Accordingly, citizens willingly and gratefully contribute to this national burden in part through their support of veterans? programs. Veterans? programs are a priority for the American people, and they should always be a priority for our representative government. Unfortunately, the President? budget does not reflect this time-honored principle.



To many veterans, the availability of medical care through the Department of Veterans Affairs means the difference between health and sickness, life and death. The difference between prompt medical care and delayed medical care can also mean the difference between recovery and chronic illness, life and death. Under-funding of the VA?s medical care system has already resulted in long waiting times for many sick and disabled veterans needing medical attention. If Congress does not provide funding substantially above the amount the President requested for veterans? medical care, the already bad situation will only be made much worse. Veterans needing medical attention fo r illnesses will wait longer for appointments, and some veterans will be denied care altogether. For them, the course Congress chooses means the difference between health and sickness or, for some, life and death.



The President?s budget requests $26.9 billion in appropriations for veterans? medical care. Because this amounts to only 1.2 % above last year?s appropriation, it is less than the rate of inflation and actually represents a reduction in funding. The Independent Budget?which is prepared by the DAV, AMVETS, PVA, and VFW and which is based on real resource needs rather than political considerations?recommends a minimum of $29.791 billion in appropriations (apart from money VA collects) for veterans? medical care.



The President?s budget also seeks to shift the costs of veterans? medical care from the Government to veterans themselves, by imposing a $250 annual enrollment fee and higher co-payments for some veterans. This departs from the fundamental principle that veterans? benefits are provided to veterans free by a grateful nation in return for their service and is just another way of reneging on the Government?s moral obligation to care for veterans.



In addition, the President?s budget threatens veterans? programs by requesting a reduction in personnel to process and decide benefit claims. VA has struggled for years to overcome large claims backlogs and consequent delays in the delivery of benefits, such as disability compensation, to veterans who have immediate needs for the benefits. Moreover, VA projects substantial increases in the number of benefit claims in FY 2005. For VA?s Veterans Benefits Administration, the President?s budget requests 829 fewer employees for FY 2005 than VBA had at the end of the fiscal year we have just completed, FY 2003. The President?s budget recommends 12,198 full-time employees (F TE) for VBA in FY 2005. The Independent Budget recommends 13,184 FTE for VBA in 2005.



Congress should provide $29.791 billion in appropriations for veterans? medical care in FY 2005


Congress should not impose any additional charges upon veterans for medical care


Congress should provide appropriations for 13,184 FTE in VBA for FY 2005


SUPPORT FULL CONCURRENT RECEIPT FOR ALL DISABLED

CAREER MILITARY RETIREES



For nearly two decades, disabled military retirees have fought to end the unfair law that requires forfeiture of career retirement pay in order to receive veterans? disability compensation. Many disappointing years passed before Congress even acknowledged that the offset between the two benefits was unfair. Then, for a number of years, majorities in both the House and Senate proclaimed the unfairness should end, but still did nothing substantive to resolve the problem.



Now, measures have been taken to slowly ease the offset by phasing out the unfair law that bans concurrent receipt, but only for a portion of disabled military retirees. The move is in the right direction, but far from adequate. All career retirees should receive all the benefits they have earned immediately. This unfair law should also be repealed for everyone affected by it; there should be no eligibility criteria, based on a veteran?s level of disability, to determine entitlement to justice. What is unfair to a veteran who is 50 percent disabled is equally unfair to a disabled veteran with a 40 percent disability.



Congress and the President must fix the concurrent receipt problem now, and for good. The issue will not go away as long as the injustice continues.



Support a full repeal of the unfair prohibition on the concurrent receipt of military retired pay and VA disability compensation for all disabled career military retirees.

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