The truth about Bush & Military Veterans

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The Bush Record on Veterans

President Bush likes to talk about the tremendous sacrifice offered by American veterans to defend the country. But words are all he's offered them in return. Bush's has repeatedly squeezed the veterans health care system, closed VA hospitals, and imposed new costs on and denied benefits to middle-income vets.

Bush Has Consistently Short-Changed Veterans Health Care

Bush imposes new costs on middle-income vets. Bush's 2005 budget will institute a new annual $250 enrollment fee and an increase in prescription drug co-pays from $7 to $15 for middle-income veterans. In 2003, Bush tried to pass the same charges on middle-income veterans, only to be rebuffed his own Republican-led Congress. And in December 2001, Bush more than tripled the prescription co-payments for nonservice-connected veterans from $2 to $7.1

Bush rejects VA Secretary's plea for more money.

The Department of Veterans Affairs received $1.2 billion less than it requested from the White House when President Bush's fiscal 2005 budget was assembled, Secretary Anthony J. Principi told lawmakers in February 2004. The revelation during the House Veterans' Affairs Committee's first hearing on the budget reaffirmed the view of many legislators, including House VA Committee Chairman Chris Smith (R-NJ) that the administration has underfunded veterans programs in its budget.2

Bush Cuts Waiting List... by Forcing Vets Out of the System

Bush promises to reduce waiting times on the backs of middle-income vets. At a time when demand for VA health care is at its highest point in history, the White House guaranteed "the waiting list for medical care will be reduced from its high of 300,000 to zero in early 2004." Waiting lists may indeed decline if middle-income veteran health care recipients decide not enroll in the VA health care system and others drop out due to the new proposed user fees. VFW Commander-in-Chief Edward Banas said, "The budget seeks to drive veterans from the system by realigning funding, charging enrollment fees for access and more than doubling the prescription drug copayment." DAV and AMVETS estimated that more than 500,000 middle- and low-income veterans would be forced out of the VA medical system, leaving many without access to affordable health care.3

Bush denied health care health benefits to more than 160,000 veterans.

In January 2003, rather than seek additional funding, the VA instituted a new policy that blocked approximately 164,000 middle-income veterans from enrolling in the VA health care system. VA Spokesman Jim Benson said the "temporary adjustment" was needed to relieve a "strain on resources" caused by increased demand.4

Bush proposed closing seven veterans hospitals.

In August 2003, the Bush Administration announced it was closing seven hospitals in its efforts to "restructure" the Department of Veterans Affairs. Hospitals to be closed are in "Canandaigua, N.Y.; Pittsburgh (Highland Drive); Lexington, Ky. (Leestown); Brecksville, Ohio; Gulfport, Miss.; Livermore, Calif.; and Waco, Texas. The administration does plan to open new hospitals in Las Vegas and Orlando. Joy Ilem, assistant national legislative director for Disabled American Veterans said, 'When we have hundreds of thousands of veterans on waiting lists (for medical appointments), we don't want to see facilities closed due to fiscal problems.'" In all, the Bush proposal institutes over 30 mission-changes at VA hospitals and puts approximately 5,800 beds on the chopping block nationwide.5

Sources: 1CQ, 2/2/04, The Times Leader, 10/9/03; 2CQ Today, 2/4/04, 2/13/04, 2/25/04; 3VA FY2005 Budget Proposal; DAV Release, 2/4/04; CQ, 2/4/04; AMVETS release, 2/3/04; VFW Release, 2/2/04; 4Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1/17/03; Washington Post, 1/17/03; 5Associated Press, 8/4/03, 10/28/03, 12/16/03; Department of Veterans Affairs; Draft National CARES plan

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