Brief history lesson on VA Budget

Brief history lesson on VA Budget
Left over from the Clinton Administration we had this
Before Afghanistan and Iraq we had Gulf War veterans not being taken care of as well as Vietnam veterans. The American Legion was fighting for the Gulf War veterans.

The Legion has also been fighting for increased funding for so-called “undiagnosed illnesses,” such as “Gulf War Syndrome” and other unexplained sicknesses that plague military veterans.

There were 9,000 Gulf War veterans suffering.

Later on in 2005 with Afghanistan and Iraq producing more wounded veterans, we had this report.
THE IMPACT OF PRESIDENT BUSH’S BUDGET ON VETERANS’ HEALTH CARE just for an idea of how bad it was.

CNN Reported this.

Democrats slam budget cuts for veterans' services
Pa. governor: Bush budget cuts for critical programs 'unconscionable'

Saturday, March 19, 2005

(CNN) -- The governor of Pennsylvania on Saturday said the federal government must do a better job helping America's war veterans and criticized proposed budget cuts affecting them.

"During this time of war, it is absolutely the wrong time for our federal government to step back from any of its commitments to our veterans. To do so would be penny wise but pound foolish," said Gov. Ed Rendell in the weekly Democratic radio address.

"In today's parlance, the cost of health care for these vets may be half a billion dollars but their sacrifice for our nation, priceless," he said.

His remarks followed the weekly radio address of President Bush, who defended the Iraqi invasion and operation and marked its second anniversary. Rendell said that Pennsylvania and other states have programs helping veterans and their families.

"While we the governors do all we can for our vets and our returning soldiers, our federal government still has the primary responsibility for meeting the needs of our veterans. And that's why I find the president's budget cuts for critical veteran services to be unconscionable."

He maintained that budget cuts include "a $350 million reduction in veterans home funding, which wipes out at least 5,000 veterans' nursing home beds."

"If the president's proposed budget cuts are enacted, nearly 60 percent of the 1,600 veterans will lose their daily stipend that allows them to stay in our state's nursing homes, literally forcing them out into the cold."
read more here

Do you think we can finally cut the crap out of our conversations about how bad it is for our veterans by finally acknowledging we've heard it all before and it has gotten worse?

Maybe congress will finally get serious about fixing the VA once and for all the right way so we don't repeat all the mistakes of the past all over again.