VA says veterans' benefits would stop in long shutdown

In combat, they lived and died for each other. Didn't matter where the other guy was from, how he voted or what he did for a living before. All that mattered was they were all in it together. Imagine that. Now imagine how they feel when they did all that deployed into combat to fight the battles members of Congress decided had to be done, then see all this crap going on in Washington. We elected children playing a game with the country the veterans risked their lives for. This continuing disgraceful, unacceptable behavior should not be tolerated by anyone especially when our veterans may end up paying for what Congress screws up yet again!

VA says veterans' benefits would stop in long shutdown
Posted by
CNN's Kevin Bohn
September 28, 2013

Washington (CNN) – The Department of Veterans Affairs clarified itself Saturday, saying that if a government shutdown occurs, and lasts at least a month, not all compensation and pension payments would continue.

“Those benefits are provided through appropriated mandatory funding, and that funding will run out by late October. At that point, VA will be unable to make any payments,” spokeswoman Victoria Dillon said in a statement to CNN.

The agency earlier this week said all payments would be handled.

She said the agency has excepted certain workers - meaning they can work if there is a shutdown. That means claims can be processed and beneficiaries can receive payments during a shutdown that lasts less than a month.

Among the benefits in question would be disability and GI Bill payments.
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UPDATE
Defense Secretary Hagel calls government shutdown threat shortsighted
Associated Press
Lolita C. Baldor
September 28, 2013

ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel criticized Congress on Saturday as “astoundingly irresponsible” and said that using threats to shut down the government to satisfy a political whim is dangerously shortsighted.

Hagel, who oversees as much as half of the government civilians who would be furloughed next week if Congress doesn’t reach a budget agreement, said the impasse threatens to delay paychecks to troops serving in Afghanistan.

“When you look at the greatest democracy in the world, the largest economy in the world and we’re putting our people through this — that’s not leadership. That’s abdication of responsibilities,” Hagel said en route to South Korea to meet with with top defense and diplomatic leaders. “This is an astoundingly irresponsible way to govern.”
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