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Among the last five U.S. presidents, which one has done the most for veterans?

 

 

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I assume that Reagan and Bush got so many votes because so many people in the military immediately identify with the Republican party. I would love to see a list of the things that President Bush did for veterans. Look at the budget he approved for the VA compared to President Obama, the fact that Obama approved advance appropriations for the VA's budget, how little was done under the previous administration regarding PTSD, TBI and care for our wounded warriors in general (all of which were problems early on in Bush's presidency). I would be equally interested in hearing what President Reagan did for veterans. I know people love him because they think he really increased the budget for the DoD, but what does that have to do with veterans?

Submitted by justinconstantine : Feb 17, 2011 3:41pm

All your questions are easily answered via the internet. A simple google search will quickly tell you that GWB was hands down the worst for helping our veterans.

Submitted by thenet (not verified) : Nov 9, 2013 9:02am

Without question, right on ..

Submitted by Cecil (not verified) : Aug 7, 2014 11:12pm

Up until the time Ronald Reagan was elected (all through the Nixon, Ford, and Carter years) it was socially acceptable to spit on Vietnam vets and call them “baby-killers.” Ronald Reagan publicly praised the Vietnam vets for their service, and the big backlash against the old antiwar movement and the liberal media started AFTER Reagan stood up and condemned the liberal treatment of vets. I am not sure what more he could have done at that late date except openly support the vets and express his sincere gratitude for their service. The so-called “silent majority” finally took the hint and slapped the liberals down. For that I’m grateful.

Submitted by Phil M (not verified) : May 5, 2014 8:53pm

Do you mean the "liberals" like FDR, Harry Truman, JFK? George Bush did nothing for the men and women he sent off to wart. part of the VA backlog is that those of us who served during Vietnam finally had a President who recognized Agent Orange and PTSD. It will take time to fix, but Bush and Cheney were no friends of veterans.

Submitted by desertwst : Jul 24, 2014 6:40pm

You are totally correct! Obama, love him or hate him, does good by our vets.

Submitted by Ted B (not verified) : Aug 7, 2014 11:15pm

And yet he is the FIRST President to refuse to attend a dedication to a Veterans Memorial. Conflict of time? He was invited in January to attend a Memorial on Oct. 5. I'm sure the date could have been changed given the 10 month notice. He campaigned on fixing the VA Hospital and yet 6 years later he had conferred with his VA head 2 times and several veterans had died due to lack of care. The only reason there were any changes made at all were because a scandal ensued. Oh yes, he has done well by the veterans. Then of course there is the cutting of benefits to veterans and their families, and nary a word of protest from the President. One has to wonder what horrendous deeds one must do in your mind to do a bad job by our vets...

Submitted by Diane T (not verified) : Sep 17, 2014 2:30am

@Diane T is mistaken. Obama not only attended that ceremony but you can see the photos with him speaking there on the website of the new "American Veterans Disabled For Life Memorial".

Don't take my word for it - go to the avdlm website and see for yourself (I would post a link here but this commenting system disallows links.

Submitted by rewinn (not verified) : Oct 26, 2014 10:29am

Diane, do some fact checking. This is just one of thousands upon thousands of lies that have been spread about this president. He even visited the D-Day Memorial twice in Normandy. Between 1944 and 2014 only four U.S. presidents have attended D-Day memorial ceremonies for a total of seven times. Barack Obama attended two of those seven visits!

Submitted by Cindy P. (not verified) : Jan 9, 2015 7:53am

Your statement is Incorrect and Lacks any kind of research
First, he has cut ZERO Benifits, it was Paul Ryan (GOP) who authored and submitted a Bill to cut COLA and other Bills Cutting other Benifits for Vets. Look up the Bills, Look at the Authors, and Look how many Republicans vs. Democrats voted to cut benifits.

VA Memorial Again, no research done on Current or Past Presidents attendance to these events.

Appearances by U.S. presidents at any of those sites in commemoration of D-Day have been neither a long-established tradition nor a regular occurrence: such visits are a fairly recent phenomenon, and not only is President Obama one of only four U.S. presidents to have attended D-Day anniversary ceremonies in Normandy, and he is the only president to have done so more than once.

Between 1944 and 2014 — a span of 70 years — four U.S. presidents have attended D-Day memorial ceremonies a total of seven times, and Barack Obama attended two of the seven.

In fact, any public presidential activity paying tribute to fallen U.S. and Allied soldiers on the anniversary of D-Day has been an exception rather than the rule in recent years. Available White House presidential schedules for 6 June, going back to the beginning of the George W. Bush administration in 2001, list no public events connected to D-Day in 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2003, or 2002.

This house has 35yrs of Military and 20yrs DoD service, so we are not lambs, just stick to facts.

The first president to travel to Normandy for D-Day was Ronald Reagan, who in 1984 attended commemorative ceremonies there for the 40th anniversary of the Allied landings. Bill Clinton attended D-Day memorial ceremonies in Normandy on the 50th anniversary of the landings in 1994, George W. Bush did so on the 60th anniversary of the landings in 2004, and Barack Obama did likewise on the 65th anniversary of the landings in 2009:

Submitted by Don H. (not verified) : May 23, 2015 11:52pm

Actually, beneficial programs for Veterans and their families have increased under President Obama. And the benefits that HAVE been cut have been cut not by POTUS but by this sorry azz Congress. When he tried to do something...anything, they stonewalled, when he took the lead and signed Executive Orders, the haters lost their collective minds. But no one said "nary a word" when Carter, Bush, Reagan and/or Clinton issued twice as many in half the time. As for the veteran's who died - More than 2200 in 2008. This was a year before the inauguration of President Obama. Unfortunately in life, until you have crisis, you don't see change. The changes were addressed by THIS POTUS and no other. I think it's laughable that people like you want to blame that lack of work ethic of people across the country on a man who has not taken a sick day in almost 8 years and has taken almost half again as man days in that same time than his predecessor did in 4 years. So let me get this correct, when you screw up on your job, slack off and call in sick so you can go to the park and post it on Instagram and Facebook, The leader of the largest free nation in the world should be aware of it? Well, just like the slackers in the VA, what is done in the dark eventually came to the light and believe you me, they have been cleaning house...There are still WAY too many dust bunnies in the middle, but they ain't what they used to be, thank goodness. And the VA has superior health care professionals, they also got a few monkeys in this zoo, but all things in good time. They are slowly but most assuredly getting gone. And THAT'S what happens when you make a commitment to your country to make thing better. Just because some seriously deluded people disagree doesn't take any of the shine off of his chrome.

Submitted by JzzE1 (not verified) : Oct 3, 2015 3:02am

What about increasing the deficit? building the TARP fund to bail out companies going bankrupt? What about the depression of the real estate market that happened under his command?

I can fix everything too if i could just print money whenever i want to. Unlike the president, money doesnt fix issues, policy changes and amendments do, without increasing the deficit.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) : Oct 9, 2015 3:54pm

TARP was signed into law by President Bush on Oct 3, 2008, before Obama was even elected. The investments made through TARP were $426.4 billion while the revenue was $441.7 billion. So, while TARP initially increased the deficit, in the long run it reduced the debt by $15.3 billion since the gov't made money on it.

As for the Great Recession, started by the subprime mortgage crisis, that began December of 2007 and hit its stride September of 2008 (again, before Obama was elected). It was, incidentally, caused by fraudulent lending practices of mortgage brokers. There was even an FBI report in 2004 that warned of a potential crisis due to the fraud. And while the agent in charge of the investigation asked for more resources to combat the fraud, those resources were reduced, not increased. Which I guess is similar to the way Bush ignored the "President's Daily Brief" (dated Aug 6, 2001) from the CIA that warned about a potential terrorist attack by Bin Laden on US soil – a month before 9/11. THAT happened on HIS watch! It's convenient so many people ignore that little fact.

As for Obama INITIALLY increasing the deficit, there are two primary reasons for it: (1) the decrease in tax revenue brought on by the recession as more people lost their jobs and (2) the continuing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. So I guess Obama is responsible for... oh, wait. That's right. Bush started those wars.

And BTW, programs aren't strictly annual. Some budgeted expenditures may be for 2 or more years and add to the deficits of the following years; in other words, Obama inherited deficits. Furthermore, a significant percentage of the budget is devoted to paying interest on the national debt which has a significant impact on the deficit. And for the record, these are the percentages the debt was increased by each president for the last 50 years:
LBJ: 13%
Nixon: 34%
Ford: 47%
Carter: 43%
Reagan: 186% (yes, that's one HUNDRED eighty six percent)
Bush: 54%
Clinton: 32%
Bush: 101%
Obama: 53%
Which makes sense because while Democrats are accused of being "tax & spend", the GOP (since Reagan's presidency) have bought into the myth of supply-side economics, what Bush the Elder called "voodoo economics", which is "reduce taxes & spend more". So, Obama is (and Clinton was) forced to pay the interest on the increased debt Republicans racked up.

Oh, and here are the 10 worst deficits on record, as of this fiscal year:
2008-2009, at $933 billion (G.W.Bush)
2009-2010, at $694 billion (Obama)
2011-2012, at $424 billion (Obama)
2012-2013, at $372 billion (Obama)
1943-1944, at $361 billion (FDR)
1942-1943, at $337 billion (FDR)
2010-2011, at $310 billion (Obama)
1944-1945, at $287 billion (FDR)
2007-2008, at $262 billion (G.W.Bush)
1985-1986, at $245 billion (Reagan)
You may have noted that the deficit during Obama's latest term is actually decreasing, whereas the deficit for Bush's last year increased by 256% over the previous year. Incidentally, Obama's last two fiscal year budget deficits have been $155 billion (2013-2014) and $128 billion (2014-2015). So, as you can see, the deficit is being reduced even more.

Submitted by B Scott (not verified) : Nov 22, 2015 2:25am

Geez u can sure tell this is a Lib rag. Geez that Obama was the perfect cult leader and sucked yall in good. Wow. Please turn off CNN.
Wow just wow. Dems will fight all the way to hell to keep supporting our top 4 enemies until they destroy this country

Submitted by chelsiebri : Apr 27, 2020 9:00am

I am a V.N. vet,1967 and 1968,70% S.C.I have used the VA for many years and under Reagan and the bushes it was horrible !! Not until Obama came along did we have an annual budget to work with.Obama has poured millions into the V.A. unlike his predecessor that was cutting benefits and funding at every corner.
is there still problems at the VA..Yes..But at least they are being addressed,something that no recent republican has even attempted.

Submitted by D. Lockhart (not verified) : Oct 25, 2014 3:04pm

Yes Sir, you got that right! GWB & GOP were CUTTING or UNDER FUNDING VA budgets & cut group 8 vets from VA HC system while sending troops off to 2 wars. The hypocrisy of that is deafening. President Obama in his 1st year gave a 11% VA budget increase & RESTORED group 8 vets to the VA system to make up for GW Bush & GOP cuts & under funding. And Obama has increased the VA budget each & every year since. The GWB recession brought in many more older vets to the VA who lost their jobs & healthcare as well in 2008-2009, then add the backlogs known since 2005 & made worse by GOP VA under funding & cuts from 2002 to 2008, Obama was playing catch up with the VA damage by republicans. As one post here said, love Obama or hate him, he has been a genuine friend to vets & it is verifiable & stems from a respect for his Granfathers WW II service. I am shocked how Romney got the support of a vet groups when NO ONE in 5-6 generations of Romney's ever wore a American military uniform. My Grandfather didn't take us to Mexico to avoid war like Romney's did. Same applies to Marco Rubio, NO FAMILY HISTORY of American military service in peace or war time yet they want control of wars, troops & Vets VA benefits, social security, medicare that vets earned. How can these guys relate to vets when they have no family history of any military service???

Submitted by BJN (not verified) : Feb 21, 2015 11:06pm

Hooah! You got that right!!!

Submitted by JzzE1 (not verified) : Oct 3, 2015 3:04am

The armed forces come under the Department of Defense.

Submitted by Micheal "Mike" Grill (not verified) : Jul 23, 2015 3:27pm

Yeah, and . . . ? What is your point? When you are an active soldier, you are DoD. When you have fulfilled your service you are VA.

Submitted by JzzE1 (not verified) : Oct 3, 2015 3:06am

For starters, I had an 18% pay raise under bush one year. He is the reason we make as much or more than our civilian counterparts. Enlisted military are...well were (before Obama) the highest payed occupation for those without a degree. We were vastly underpayed for decades and bush ended that. If you really want to show us you value us, show us the money. Obama has had the smallest pay raises year after year in the last several DECADES.

Submitted by Active duty (not verified) : Nov 21, 2015 1:17pm

Congress funds the Military, not the Presidents. Bulletproof vests did not exist for the average soldier until 2003. 2004 was a year of DOD change unlike any in the preceding 25 years with a complete overhaul of Reserve forces, expanded technologies reaching to the lowest rank, and rank-to-pay re-structuring. Spending money on the VA was greatly increased in the Obama Administration by Congress, but much of it went for projects still not completed, such as the FHCC, while Veteran suicide rates rose. Maybe the question should be: Which Congress did more for Veterans?

Submitted by akoluch : Mar 19, 2021 3:15am

Congress, not the President funds the Military. Congress decides on what % of budget will be DOD and then the DOD works within those constraints.
2004 was a year of DOD change unlike any in the preceding 25 years with a complete overhaul of Reserve forces, expanded technologies such as Kevlar reaching to the lowest rank, and rank-to-pay re-structuring. Spending money on the VA was increased in the Obama Administration by Congress, but much of it went for projects still not completed such as the FHCC, while Veteran suicide rates rose. Maybe the question should be: Which Congress worked with the President to provide the best balance for Veterans? A Veteran is defined by the VA as anyone currently or previously in the military, including Reserve components unless discharged before completing training. Of those mentioned, only the Bush family actually served in the military. Interestingly, few in this blog perceive 1991 and 2004 as good years for the Military.

Submitted by akoluch : Mar 19, 2021 3:45am

Congress, not the President funds the Military. Congress decides on what % of budget will be DOD and then the DOD works within those constraints.
2004 was a year of DOD change unlike any in the preceding 25 years with a complete overhaul of Reserve forces, expanded technologies such as Kevlar reaching to the lowest rank, and rank-to-pay re-structuring. Spending money on the VA was increased in the Obama Administration by Congress, but much of it went for projects still not completed such as the FHCC, while Veteran suicide rates rose. Maybe the question should be: Which Congress worked with the President to provide the best balance for Veterans? A Veteran is defined by the VA as anyone currently or previously in the military, including Reserve components unless discharged before completing training. Of those mentioned, only the Bush family actually served in the military. Interestingly, few in this blog perceive 1991 and 2004 as good years for the Military.

Submitted by akoluch : Mar 19, 2021 3:46am

Congress, not the President funds the Military. Congress decides on what % of budget will be DOD and then the DOD works within those constraints.
2004 was a year of DOD change unlike any in the preceding 25 years with a complete overhaul of Reserve forces, expanded technologies such as Kevlar reaching to the lowest rank, and rank-to-pay re-structuring. Spending money on the VA was increased in the Obama Administration by Congress, but much of it went for projects still not completed such as the FHCC, while Veteran suicide rates rose. Maybe the question should be: Which Congress worked with the President to provide the best balance for Veterans? A Veteran is defined by the VA as anyone currently or previously in the military, including Reserve components unless discharged before completing training. Of those mentioned, only the Bush family actually served in the military. Interestingly, few in this blog perceive 1991 and 2004 as good years for the Military.

Submitted by akoluch : Mar 19, 2021 3:48am

Most Veterans serve out of dedication to our Country not entitlement programs that the leftist, socialist use to cripple this great Nation. Am I thankful that the VA exists to support our Service Men and Women - YES! Do I think any of the above but President Reagan was worthy of the office -- NO. No party lines here, we need a Commander-in-Chief like General Norman Schwarzkopf or General Colin Powell.

BTW: It is President Reagan, President Bush, President Obama. Since when did any service men or women lose respect for the office of the President of the United States -- like the Left and Right has today. I may not like the President (list whatever name You like) but, I respect the Office! I am so sick and tired of hearing people refer to the President by his last name. We have fallen so far as a Nation!

D.L. Young
1st Cavalry, 15th Psychological Operations (1980-1999)

Submitted by dyoung11 : Feb 17, 2011 4:06pm

I bet you are collecting a military disability military pension or both and have a civil service job, so are you some socialist living off us taxpayers?

Submitted by Disgusted Taxpayer (not verified) : Feb 2, 2014 7:35pm

You are an asswipe sir!

Submitted by Sara123 (not verified) : Aug 7, 2014 11:18pm

ANY Soldier, Sailor, Marine or Airman who is collecting military disability and/or retirement is not "living off the taxpayers"! They are in fact taxpayers themselves, you donkey and after making the ultimate sacrifice which is to say, taking a job where any fool can lob grenades at you, entitles you to have all or a portion of your SERVICE CONNECTED disability pension excluded as taxable income, 'cause for damn sure skippy, while you were in theater taking those hits, you were paying taxes for the dubious privilege. And anyone who has a job, Civil Service or otherwise, again...is not living off the taxpayers, they are contributing to the tax base.

Submitted by JzzE1 (not verified) : Oct 3, 2015 3:19am

Entitlements (VA benefits, Social Security, Medicare) are called entitlements because people PAID for their benefits. I paid Social Security and Medicare for my entire working life (47 years) when those programs began. Yes! I am entitled to them. Our veterans paid with their service, risking their lives for our country. Yes! They are ENTITLED to them!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) : Jan 9, 2015 8:12am

I so agree with what you said about respect for the office. I thought that it was just me that noticed this; how people refer to the President by his name. I have never saw this done before, until now.

Submitted by Jebond (not verified) : Jul 13, 2015 11:50am

There is no comparison between who has done the most for veterans. Barak Obama has done more. President Barack Obama signed a bill significantly boosting federal support for disabled military veterans and their caregivers. Among other things, the new law expands resources available for veterans' mental health counseling, provides expanded access to hospitals and clinics outside of the traditional Veterans Affairs system and provides stronger transportation and housing assistance for veterans living in rural areas.

Obama passed legislation to improve care and slash red tape for our wounded warriors recovering at places like Walter Reed. He passed laws to help homeless veterans and offered an innovative solution to prevent at-risk veterans from falling into homelessness.

Obama led a bipartisanto try to halt the military's unfair practice of discharging for having a service-connect psychological problems.

Submitted by robertegoss : Feb 17, 2011 4:53pm

I hear about what Obama has done for the military but coming from a president who bows to foreign muslim leaders, did not hold a vigil for the victims at Fort Hood, shakes hands with his military escort and was the first president not to attend the Army Navy Game...his 'support of the vets' smacks of votes buying to me. I'm not fooled by the man's motives. He could care less for the military or their plight. He just wants to protect votes.

Submitted by Drdana : Feb 17, 2011 5:15pm

You're totally off base, not to mention clueless. The internet can provide you with proof about your rhetoric.The statement above, which claims that President Barack Obama was "the 1st president in 110 years to miss the annual Army-Navy Football Game," implies that every single president since Theodore Roosevelt attended the Army-Navy game each year they were in office. This is far from the case: Many presidents took in only one or two Army-Navy games, and several attended none at all. As charted in the sidenotes of a history of the Army-Navy game compiled by the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies, presidents such as Herbert Hoover, Franklin Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush were NOT present for any Army-Navy football games throughout their terms of office. You can read more at Snopes or any Fact Checker sites. As for the bowing, how about Bush holding hands in the garden with the Saudi. Creepy at best. A simple fact check will tell you that Obama has done more than Bush easily for our veterans.

Submitted by URofftrack (not verified) : Oct 21, 2013 10:53am

Many presidents took in only one or two Army-Navy games, and several attended none at all. As charted in the sidenotes of a history of the Army-Navy game compiled by the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies, presidents such as Herbert Hoover, Franklin Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush were not present for any Army-Navy football games throughout their terms of office.

Submitted by getaclue (not verified) : Dec 18, 2013 7:50am

Army Navy game???
My God, man! He has done far more important things for vets than your ridiculous list up there.

Submitted by Short (not verified) : Jan 30, 2014 11:49am

I don't care who attended or didn't attend a football game. I care about which president did the most for our country. Obama is NOT that president. He never was and never will be. He caters to the Muslim community for fear of offending them. He, supposedly, is an American. Then ACT LIKE ONE! Stand up for American. He and Clinton allowed those people to be murdered in Benghazi. Shame on them. AND his stand on abortion is horrible. He will never get my vote.

Submitted by Phil M (not verified) : May 5, 2014 8:58pm

he will never get your vote because you have a small mentality! Where was the outrage over the 80 US citizens that were killed under Reagan and the two Bushes? Non existent. Your just STUPID!

Submitted by chad chaison (not verified) : May 11, 2014 11:00am

He will always get your vote and support because your head is in the sand.How many US Ambassadors died under Presidents Reagan and the two Bush Presidency's? What has been done to prevent that from happening again? What actions were taken while they were under attack? As a Vet, President Obama and his lack of leaderships disgusts me. I respect the office. I do not respect the man.

Submitted by Panama Pitbull (not verified) : May 18, 2014 1:18pm

39 attacks or attempted attacks on U.S. embassies and embassy personnel occurred during the Bush Administration. 20 of these attacks resulted in at least one fatality.

In the 20 incidents with at least one fatality, the total death toll was 87. If you only count those at embassies and consulates, the number of deaths is 66.

Admittedly, the vast majority of these deaths were not Americans. 63 deaths were either of non-Americans or of people whose nationality is unknown. Another three were U.S. civilians. Another 21 were workers at the U.S embassy or consulate, either of American or foreign nationality.

With all that said, is the life of an Ambassador any more precious than that of those who work for him? I bet the family members of those killed would greatly disagree, and you would be wrong in even suggesting it.

Under Obama, there have been 2 embassy attacks and 4 deaths.

Enough said.

Submitted by Oswald Sinclair (not verified) : Aug 20, 2014 10:46am

Thirteen(or twelve) embassies were attacked under George W. Bush with sixty(or 53, depending on your source)deaths. No investigations took place.

Submitted by World Traveler (not verified) : Dec 22, 2014 2:21pm

OR the 1983 bombing of U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon killing 241 American Marines & Navy personnel. Look it up, that was the first we heard of JIHAD terrorist in the American media & at home regarding our Country. President Reagan's response was to cut & run with no retaliation or response for those murders. THAT "NO RESPONSE" IS WHAT EMBOLDENED THE TERRORIST from then on. A UNDENIABLE FACT!

Submitted by BJN (not verified) : Feb 22, 2015 12:07am

You mean You're.... not your....
As in --- you're stupid. js.... LOL.

Submitted by Maury (not verified) : Nov 16, 2015 12:24pm

I would love to find that one shred of evidence proves your position, but it simply does not. You can blame the President for much (not following through on his campaign promise to fix the VA)but he has done more for veterans than the last president. I will still respect both because they are the Commander in Chief, but this relentless allegory about Benghazi is ridiculous.He has two more years. you will not get rid of him, show some respect.

Submitted by desertwst : Jul 24, 2014 6:43pm

The subject is about "VETERANS" nothing more, nothing less! Who gives a crap about games and politics! He, his wife, his VP and his wife have done more for "VETERANS" then any President then I can remember, I am a "VETERAN" approaching 70 years of age, stick to the topic!

Submitted by Mike M (not verified) : Aug 8, 2014 9:09am

so you judge what President Obama has done for veterans by whether or not he attended a ball game??? Rich, really rich!

Submitted by chad chaison (not verified) : May 11, 2014 10:57am

Bravo

Submitted by desertwst : Jul 24, 2014 6:44pm

-President Obama spent a week in Fort Hood consoling the families of those killed at Ft. Hood. He also spoke during the memorial service for them.
-It's true that Pres. Obama did not attend the Army Navy Game. Neither did George H.W. Bush or Dwight Eisenhower during either of their presidencies.
-As far as saluting his military escort. This is true; he didn't. This is something that was started in Regan's administration. Even Eisenhower, who was a 5 star general, didn't salute his military escorts. This was no slight to the military and if he was "buying" military votes don't you think he would not have committed this obvious gaff?
-Bowing to muslims?? What are you talking about??
I'll say to you the same thing I have said to other Republican friends.......you are the ONLY one who can decide if your hatred of this president is more important than the truth. He has had his share of questionable decisions, like every president before him, so base your opinion of him on the TRUTH not some trumped up bullshit!

Submitted by Susan Bower (not verified) : May 26, 2014 1:00pm

Evidently you missed the photos of Bush holding hands with Saudi males and kissing Saudi males.

Submitted by Le (not verified) : Jul 19, 2014 3:26pm

This is utter nonsense. President Bush held hands with the Saudi prince (his business partner in oil)and KISSED him on the mouth! What did you have to say about that? President Obama leans over anytime he shakes hands with someone shorter and he is very tall. The was a childish, right wing photo caption designed to ridicule the president, nothing more.

Submitted by Cindy P (not verified) : Jan 9, 2015 8:16am

At least Obama didn't hold hands with a Saudi Arabian male or kiss one like Bush did.

Submitted by Le Hunt (not verified) : Mar 30, 2015 9:53pm

Really??

Submitted by Jebond (not verified) : Jul 13, 2015 11:52am

Yup, it's party line voting at work, unless some of us just didn't notice the question was about having actually done something , not meant something. I'll give you Ronnie was a great symbol of some kind of American Gothic Great American Dream but when it comes to actually doing something to make servicemen and veteran's lives better, President Obama wins hands down and he is barely half done with his first term! I just really don't get the hero worship for the guy who raised taxes on the Working Class 11 times and created more Debt than ALL of the Presidents before him COMBINED. He tripled the size of the Federal Government. He started the round of VooDoo Economics and de-regulation that has brought our nation very nearly to her knees. I guess it's all that medication I'm on but I just don't get it.

Submitted by bobajabob : Feb 17, 2011 6:43pm

There wasn't much to choose from. I only voted for HW Bush for winning the gulf war as quickly as possible, but his son destroyed any respect I had for that family! It was under George W. that all the VA hospitals fell apart while looking for WMD going on it's 12th year?

Submitted by Sooners61 : Feb 17, 2011 8:09pm

Obama has not done anything for the vets or the military as a whole. The first thing he threw out when he got into office was that he wanted vets to pay for their own medical care. Dem's in general don't care about the military/vets. There are exceptions, but as a whole, that's the rule for them. Especially the one in the white house today. I don't know if any of them really did anything for vets, but I do know a couple of them wanted to do less.

Submitted by glaing : Feb 18, 2011 12:50am

You are dilusional! The President has increased funding for Vets you idiot! he has provided care for PTSD which W didnt even acknowledge. Dems care les about vets??? Nuts! Republicans didnt even mention them the entire 2012 Republican convention... Get your facts straight!

Submitted by chad chaison (not verified) : May 11, 2014 11:06am

I guess you never learned to read or research the news! Clearly, Obama has done Tons for the Vets, more then any in recent memory!

Submitted by JakeP (not verified) : Aug 8, 2014 9:14am

what news forum do you watch or read? Obama has done a lot for veterans. W surely didn't care about our vets!
~proud wife of army vet who served in desert Shield/ Storm and in Grenada under Reagan.

Submitted by Jchilton (not verified) : Jan 26, 2016 5:47pm

Under President George W. Bush the VA budget was nearly doubled. $48 billion for fiscal year 2001 to $93.7 billion in fiscal year 2009. I'd say "he done good."

Submitted by jimbardjr : Feb 18, 2011 2:35am

Pres. George Bush SENIOR cut VA budgets by the billions.
He cut all medicine and men being able to go to their
local clinic and VA hospital UNLESS IT WAS SERVICE
CONNECTED. He cut all medication for non service connected disabilited including diabetis/parkinsons,etc.NOW, Agent Orange has proved otherwise. That is why he lost the 2nd term to Bill Clinton. It isn't a matter of liking Bill Clinton. He promised the Vets that would be first thing he would do, and HE DID THAT.AS I WAS ONE OF THOSE VETERANS. I am WWII Veteran,age 86. I received the Distinguished Flying Cross. I never felt that qualified me to be VP or President anymore than playing the part on screen as a President qualified Reagan to be Pres of the US.He was an actor.I lost 40% hearing as a Ball Turret Gunner hanging out of the bottom of a B-17,35 missions, including D-Day.I came back to America to retrain for the B29, but failed the physical/Just one of many WWII Vets coming home with no jobs available.

Submitted by BrownieB17 : Feb 18, 2011 3:43pm

As a fellow veteran, I would just like to say, "Thank you for your service". Your courage and honor is what makes me love this country. We are forever in your debt and are grateful for the sacrifices that you have made for all of us.

Submitted by TXWalker (not verified) : Jul 25, 2014 10:13pm

President Reagan was a great man, but if you happened to be a military retiree working for the federal government you may not have felt that way. He began a policy that, whenever there was a military COLA increase a like amount came out your civil service pay. It went on for six years. The good part - you got to pay into civil service retirement based on the money you didn't get.

Submitted by jimbardjr : Feb 18, 2011 2:43am

I figure the question should be "which President proposed more in his budgets" for vets. Since Congress holds the purse strings, then which Congress has done the most for us?

Submitted by Jackz : Feb 18, 2011 10:57am

Clinton. He opened up VA health care for all vets. I am still getting treatment for which I would not otherwise qualify. W. slammed the door on all vets qualifying. Regan talked a good game but he was never in the military as has been widely claimed. He did make military propaganda films. It was democrats who passed getting retirement and disability pay both without penalty, republicans had fought it. If you look at vet funding over the years vets have fared much better under the dems than the repubs.

Submitted by mtlewellen : Feb 18, 2011 1:41pm

Prez Bush 43 signed dual comp. He wins my vote because its about: "all politics are local" (personal). So given that I want it all for me. :-) I agree with several responses above, e.g. party line voting, People just don't know, et al. But even though I voted for B 43 I think Prez Reagon did as much by raising the pay more than anybody which in reality did more for us who retired than anything anybody else did for us. I get the need of combat vets (not retired) for more. Really! I got the Campaign ribbons.
Vets' long term feelings of "OK I can feel well/live good, if not extravagent" are really what (I think) a veteran wants. One day a year to hear the platitudes and a lot of other days to hear "thank yous" that come from our fellow Americans on their own volition. And speaking of party lines; why are votes overwhelming for Reps but the comments mostly from the Dems? That's telling...

Submitted by Dough : Feb 19, 2011 1:38am

Very much for knowing the facts. Bill Clinton did do
more for the disabled veterans, not retirees, than any
other president. He undone what the older Bush took
away from us. Most Vets voted for the old man Bush
because he was in WWII, but then he turned around and
knifed us in the back. His son only followed in ole
Dad's foodsteps. Obama is trying, but the Republicans
with their propaganda cannot stand the fact that a black
man is in the white house. They lose sight of the fact
that his mother was White. I do not agree 100% with any
president we have ever had, but there isn't enough money
in this world to make me take that ungrateful job. Let's face it, our grandchildren and great grandchildren
are spoiled and many are LAZY. There are many that are
good and work and have joined the military to help keep us free, and I am thankful for those who still care about America. I do not like the fact of no raises the
past two years, Everything is higher.

Submitted by BrownieB17 : Feb 21, 2011 2:36am

02/03/12 President Obama unveiled his latest initiative to reduce veteran unemployment: a $6 billion jobs corps program which, if approved by Congress, will create opportunities for returning service members to serve their country in a new capacity — as policemen, firefighters, and employees of the National Park Service.

In addition, General Eric Shinseki, the Secretary of the Department of Veteran Affairs and himself a wounded war veteran, announced that the Small Business Administration will begin offering online entrepreneurial training courses to veterans and their families.

These initiatives are the latest example of the Obama administration’s deep and ongoing commitment to taking care of our men and women in uniform, even as they transition out of the service. Since coming into office, President Obama has substantially increased funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs. It is the VA that assumes responsibility for service members as they leave the force and transition back to civilian life, and its programs will only become more essential as more men and women return from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Last November, Obama signed the VOW to Hire Heroes Act, which provides companies with a substantial tax credit if they hire unemployed or disabled veterans. And the President has also used his executive authority to establish a national Veterans Job Bank, authorize 6-months of career counseling at locations across the country, and create My Next Move, an online database that helps connect veterans with jobs that build off their military experience.

Perhaps most importantly, President Obama, the first lady, and Dr. Jill Biden have brought public attention to the problem of veteran unemployment and the valuable skills that our service members possess. All the president and his administration have done to highlight this issue appears to have prompted employers to take a second look.

As a result of the President’s policy, the jobless rate among post-9/11 veterans — as this blog noted earlier today — fell four percent in January, from 13.1 percent in December to 9.1 percent today. This is a tremendous improvement from one year ago, when the unemployment rate for these veterans stood at about 15 percent. And the initiatives announced by President Obama today will continue to target veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, who suffer from unemployment rates significantly higher than those facing the broader veteran population.

President Obama has made much progress in tackling veteran unemployment. But much work remains to be done. The unemployment rate for veterans under the age of 25 is nearly 30 percent, more than twice the rate of civilians their age.

Moreover, with the war in Iraq over and U.S. involvement in Afghanistan coming to a close, the Pentagon has announced that it plans to reduce the ground forces to near their pre-war levels. This process will entail shedding about 100,000 ground troops, a move that will further increase the number of service members looking for civilian jobs.

Over the past decade, in the name of supporting our troops, Congress has steadfastly passed war supplemental after war supplemental. But it is imperative that this support does not end when our men and women in uniform come home. Congress should approve President Obama’s veterans jobs corps and allow these men and women who have served so admirably overseas to reinvest their efforts at home.

Tags:
Jobs
Veterans

Submitted by vvillanu : Jun 9, 2012 4:59pm

Love Obama or Hate Obama, he and his administration has done more for Veterans then any President since FDR! Look it up before you speak! End of story!!

Submitted by Donald Kay (not verified) : Aug 8, 2014 9:21am

To you Donald! Short & to the point. No doubt, Obama wins hands down. WHY? Follow the money then the cuts of of group 8 vets & who restored them back to system after GOP 2007-09 recession causing many older vets to lose their jobs & healthcare.

Submitted by Uh rah (not verified) : Feb 22, 2015 2:05am

Obama won't even salute his escort soldiers. WTF. Even Hitler respected his troops. Think, Obama is very anti-American. How can you be Commander and Chief of the military and disrespect them? US Army retired, the law is "Return the Salute". Unless you are STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!!

Submitted by SFC (Ret) (not verified) : Feb 7, 2016 11:29pm

President Obama doesn't salute his escort soldiers because a. he is not in uniform and b. he is uncovered. (No Hat). Any veteran would know the difference. It always pissed me off when ANY president saluted Any soldiers. A simple "As you were" or "Carry on" would do...but a camera can't capture that. A salute by any president is simply show.

Submitted by MarshVegas (not verified) : Mar 10, 2016 10:18pm

Commander in Chief or not the President of the United States is still a civilian. Always has been and (hopefully) always will be.

BTW, Hitler respected his troops so much he sent them off to die in the frozen wasteland of the Russian Front. Screw the salute. I'd rather have my life, thank you very much.

Submitted by JLL (not verified) : Apr 18, 2016 6:22pm

Dude, you need to stop watching Fox "news", get out of the house and maybe try reading a book. Your post is so completely nonsensical and asinine. . . maybe even borderline moronic.The President of the United States is a civilian. He is not a member of the US Military and is therefore not entitled to salute. The military salute is a privilege earned by honorable service in the military.
The truth (which is that President Obama has actually done a lot for our troops/vets) must really suck for you to hear, you're probably in some denial. Educate yourself, making ignorant assumptions only makes you and your political beliefs come off gullible and misinformed.

Submitted by Smart-ass (not verified) : Jun 5, 2016 6:47pm

Today he got a taste of failure, just because you sign a pen doesn't make it law. And fact checking, you need to educate yourself and stop watching Clinton New Network(CNN).

Submitted by Liberalsarebabies (not verified) : Jun 23, 2016 2:15pm

All participants in a proper regulation salute must be in uniform.
You do the math.

Submitted by USN-VET (not verified) : Jul 23, 2016 2:17pm

Reagan opened the door for a lot of things that are just plain wrong. He saluted, he was the first sitting POTUS to do so. The POTUS isn't supposed to salute, never has. He has some illegal laws on the books that makes it okay for the government to spend Social Security surplus, and he made it okay to use God as a tool to get elected. Reagan stole 2.6 trillion dollars, but all I ever hear about is the raise he gave to the military after he did that, other than that Reagan didn't care if we lived or died, as long as we were more impressive than the Russians that is all that mattered to him.

Submitted by TSgt Faust (ret) (not verified) : Jul 25, 2016 6:57am

Wow...really? Does even one of you understand that Obama doesn't write the defense budget? You know the actual bill that has all that help for veterans! GWB is vilified for a bill written by a Democratic House and you give credit to Obama for a bill like the one just passed that is presented by a Republican House....all those really good things have nothing to do with his administration and has everything to do with the House of Representitives....lets give credit qhere it's truely due....Obamacare....The lovel Trade deal and let's not forget this excellant immigration idea with open borders...now those are Obamas personal ideas from his pen....not to sound like a parrot but.....Look it up before you speak! End of story! I myself prefer...Nuff said!

Submitted by Ed Stone (not verified) : Dec 23, 2015 8:08am

the official recordz at the library of congress. (those would be known as "facts") prove differently and show you have no clue what you are talking about. you can argue until youre blue. you cant fight the factz, but i can fight ignorance. good day o/

Submitted by joker brown (not verified) : Feb 7, 2016 5:00pm

So what are you commenting on? Obama is not the one or is it someone else?? I wonder if you can actually read since your English grammar is atrocious....reading and writing....first grade English 101.

Submitted by Hopper (not verified) : Feb 26, 2016 12:05pm

To paraphrase an old expression, "The President proposes and Congress disposes" Over the last 7 years (the span of the Obama administration) Republicans in Congress have blocked or voted down bills that would have increased or improved Veterans benefits 9 times.

Submitted by Michael R (not verified) : Feb 16, 2016 2:11pm

Bush lowered retirement benefits for veterans to fulfill his promise to balance his budget. He actually said that the veterans would understand because he had to pay for a war.
When Bernie Sanders presented a bill to restore these benefits to retiring veterans, it was blocked by a minority Republican Congress. This was clear and undeniable obstructionism, simply to block something that was presented by Bernie Sanders. This bill supported by an unprecedented 95% of Americans, and all but two Republicans voted against it.
Next time you mouth off about how great your Republicans are, get your goddamn facts straight or shut the fuck up.
Look up "THE COMPREHENSIVE VETERANS HEALTH AND BENEFITS AND MILITARY RETIREMENT PAY RESTORATION ACT OF 2014"

Submitted by T_Ketcham (not verified) : Mar 17, 2016 10:41am

Ed, You should probably get your facts straight--what you hear on Fox, Limbaugh, read on Breitbart, Washington Times, etc...is like the National Inquirer...

Submitted by Mike R-US Army ... (not verified) : Mar 25, 2016 8:23am

I like it how some people claim the President has nothing to do with Vets' Benefits, when they don't like the president. The facts are the facts, read 'em and weep.

Submitted by R. Cook (not verified) : Apr 2, 2016 9:47am

You are very ignorant with your statement trying to discredit President Obama, it's a bill and in order for that bill to become law the president has to use his pen in order to sign it into law Congress does not have the authority to sign a bill into law only the president does. So your statement is totally wrong and like I tell all the haters to stop spreading that fox news propaganda because that's what you watch and believe you folks kill me especially veterans who forgot what they learned in us government back in high school you all had to pass that class to graduate high school if you didn't you would not been able to serve in the military

Submitted by Petty officer 733 (not verified) : Jun 30, 2016 4:16am

Hear! Hear!

Submitted by Lewis Richardso... (not verified) : Feb 7, 2016 2:52pm

Fuck Obama!

Submitted by Steve Bering (not verified) : May 14, 2016 11:24pm

You speak as if you are an idiot, oh, you are!

Submitted by Quetal (not verified) : Jun 14, 2016 10:55pm

Once all of the atrocious scandals- which continue to this day- came out and went viral over the news networks, the administration could no longer ignore the problems and pretty much had to do something.

Submitted by USN HM (not verified) : Jun 6, 2016 12:43pm

Then how come so many of us are dying under his watch just waiting to get into the system?

Submitted by Charles Summers (not verified) : Jul 3, 2016 12:11pm

If you look just at his campaign promises he has about a 60% success rate (which in politics is damned good) in fulfilling them. About a 20% success rate in finding reasonable compromises and a bout a 20% failure rate.

Perhaps the most important is the establishment of the Opening Doors project which has allowed the Housing First movement to effectively end veterans homelessness in 3 states, 7 cities and decrease veteran homelessness by 33% - 50% (depending on who is saying) overall. Salt Lake City, New Orleans, and Phoenix solved this “unsolvable” problem within six months of initiation of Opening Doors.

Obama was also the one that established the anti-maritime piracy policy that is in place, an issue that the Bush administration booted down to him having taken little or no action. When Obama took office there were upwards of 300 attacks a year on AMERICAN shipping off Africa. By 2014 that number was 245 attacks against ALL Shipping worldwide (not just off Africa). Yes, as a Navy and Merchant Marine vet, I do consider the MM veterans - even if they aren't DOD.

Successfully increase the VAs funding.
Expand veterans centers to rural areas
He expanded the investigation authority to crack down on employers who were abusing reservists because of their service.
The Veteran's Job Corp is still in the works. But the GOP doesn't want to fund it. To the tune of a lousy $50M.
Pushed for a tax credit for employers who hire veterans.
GAVE ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY the biggest raise he could when Congress blocked a larger one.

The GOP on the other hand has blocked by various means 8 veterans welfare bills in the past few years.

Submitted by Todd - Army, Na... (not verified) : Apr 6, 2016 9:38am

If you look just at his campaign promises he has about a 60% success rate (which in politics is damned good) in fulfilling them. About a 20% success rate in finding reasonable compromises and a bout a 20% failure rate.

Perhaps the most important is the establishment of the Opening Doors project which has allowed the Housing First movement to effectively end veterans homelessness in 3 states, 7 cities and decrease veteran homelessness by 33% - 50% (depending on who is saying) overall. Salt Lake City, New Orleans, and Phoenix solved this “unsolvable” problem within six months of initiation of Opening Doors.

Obama was also the one that established the anti-maritime piracy policy that is in place, an issue that the Bush administration booted down to him having taken little or no action. When Obama took office there were upwards of 300 attacks a year on AMERICAN shipping off Africa. By 2014 that number was 245 attacks against ALL Shipping worldwide (not just off Africa). Yes, as a Navy and Merchant Marine vet, I do consider the MM veterans - even if they aren't DOD.

Successfully increase the VAs funding.
Expand veterans centers to rural areas
He expanded the investigation authority to crack down on employers who were abusing reservists because of their service.
The Veteran's Job Corp is still in the works. But the GOP doesn't want to fund it. To the tune of a lousy $50M.
Pushed for a tax credit for employers who hire veterans.
GAVE ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY the biggest raise he could when Congress blocked a larger one.

The GOP on the other hand has blocked by various means 8 veterans welfare bills in the past few years.

Submitted by Todd - Army, Na... (not verified) : Apr 6, 2016 9:42am

Vote 3rd party so that the country is not so divided any longer. maybe then we will all just get along again(do you really think white people were so divided between 1935-1965)? No, they were not!

Submitted by Anonomous (not verified) : Apr 13, 2016 5:46pm

Vote 3rd party so that the country is not so divided any longer. maybe then we will all just get along again(do you really think white people were so divided between 1935-1965)? No, they were not!

Submitted by Anonomous (not verified) : Apr 13, 2016 5:48pm

3rd party? You mean like Independent? The party that consists of like 39% of people and barred from voting by most states?

Submitted by Corey Yates (not verified) : May 11, 2016 11:14am

"Barred from voting?" I hope (for your sake) that I can assume that you're speaking about the primaries, as independents, along with everyone else, have a Constitution right to vote in every general election. Primaries are party-specific, so only members of that party can vote in them. This is part of how the system is rigged for the two parties.

Submitted by The Flash (not verified) : Jun 2, 2016 10:27am

George W. B was the worst but now the republicans have trump and he will most likely sink us all if he becomes president. When I was in WWII we would have spit on trump, the guy is a total ass clown.

Submitted by army boy red wh... (not verified) : May 12, 2016 10:10pm

There is a lot of great information in the comments alone, not a big fan of President Obama, but he has at least done great things for the Veteran community. I still can't believe that people think the Gipper did anything other than steal $2.6 trillion from Social Security to pay for raises to active duty.

Submitted by TSgt Faust (ret) (not verified) : May 24, 2016 9:02am

Well, it could have been worse. At least the Gipper didn't give it as a reward for laziness.

Submitted by USN HM (not verified) : Jun 6, 2016 12:30pm

Current POTUS appears to have done so much in 2 terms because there was so much that needed doing - it was embarrassing and a national disgrace. Let's not forget - A lot of the slack was picked up by volunteers and charitable organizations and grassroots programs - still is today. Very hard to quantify the national outcomes especially with congressional infighting and the legacy support systems that still need more major tune-ups. The government has also empowered and funded some marginally effective new programs that are not demonstrating the power to remediate the problems they propose to reduce. The net result IS a positive if not overwhelming trend and, at least, in 7 years Mr Obama has kept Vets, family and AD Military issues in his sights. Any winners in the upcoming National Elections should only get ONE term to show continued major improvements in Vet, AD and family support programs. That is still the only single electoral litmus test that reflects everything lawmakers do, because it impacts on everything else - up to and including the Peace and Safety of the USA. If Every VET, family member, and those Americans that support them VOTES that's what will happen.

Dr Bob Roland, COL USA Retired Operational Psychologist PO Box 601, Pebble Beach Ca 93953

Submitted by Dr Bob Roland, ... (not verified) : Jul 9, 2016 5:13pm

Its not the Prez but the Congress that supports the troops and veterans. BHO and Dems would never fully support the troops or vets if not for a Republican House & Sen

Submitted by RB (not verified) : Jul 9, 2016 8:18pm

Completely clueless comment from RB, Senate and Congressional Republicans have the WORST record where we veterans are concerned.
correct record d-o-t org and look at the gop on veterans issues

Stop commenting here until after you do your research, 'RB'. You're looking like your a paid troll with drivel like that.

Submitted by Brian Beckmann (not verified) : Jul 20, 2016 10:56am

Unfortunately, this poll allows non-veterans to vote on how they feel we are being treated. I have a big gripe with civilians telling me how good I have it, yet they never did one thing for our country. Another problem with this poll is that it allows trolls to vote multiple times and skew the poll results in support of whoever they vote for.

Submitted by Mark Stolarski, USMC (not verified) : Jul 13, 2016 11:34am

Amen. You're absolutely right, it's not a reliable poll. You got bleeding-heart, left-wing, Democratic, liberal douchebags, voting multiple times on this. Fact is, Obama has done squat for veterans because he does not respect the military at all! When I was serving my country, Obama was running around with his hoodlum friends in Hawaii. Frankly, it should be a requirement: if you're the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, IE the president, and you're not a vet, you should be required to go through a modified basic training once taking office.

Submitted by Joe P (not verified) : Sep 9, 2016 1:54am

When Obama was running for his first term as president, I pulled up his senatorial voting record. He did not vote in favor of one single veterans item. He either voted "naye" or "present not voting" on every single one. The "present not voting" has the same effect as voting "naye" (because a define quantity of "aye" votes are needed to pass) but allows him to say either "I didn't vote against that" and "I didn't vote for that" on each item, depending on what he thinks the people in the conversation want to hear.

Submitted by Mark Stolarski (not verified) : Jul 13, 2016 11:40am

Ou mean when the Republican lesdership offered up marginal inadequate token pats on the head.. unless you're going to identify the bills.. .. your statement is meaningless

Submitted by Celeste (not verified) : Aug 1, 2016 7:53pm

This poll is a farce. How many Obama supporters that have never served are voting on this multiple times? I've been a member of the American Legion for over 25 years and learned about this poll on Facebook, where a non-veteran Obama supporter was publicizing it. I'm sure she and her cohorts voted on it without even taking the time to see what any president has done or not done for us.

Submitted by Tex Knight (not verified) : Jul 13, 2016 11:43am

You have not read a newspaper in those 25 years either. Stop watching Faux News, it rots your brain.
This explains what Obama has done for the VA: Google Obama Funding of VA, if you can.

Submitted by COL Young (not verified) : Jul 25, 2016 12:51am

You can't even spell Fox News....lol

Submitted by PK (not verified) : Aug 15, 2016 8:12am

what's actually funny, is that you don't know what "Faux" means. Read a book genius...lol

Submitted by scottytb19 (not verified) : Aug 20, 2016 11:34am

Although the VA should never have been covering up the "short comings" the VA has taken VERY good care of me. I don't know what I would do w/o their help!
Thank you VA!

Submitted by A Atkins. (Ssgt... (not verified) : Jul 25, 2016 12:29pm

Facts are facts. Refuting it your way doesn't change the facts! OK!

Submitted by attl (not verified) : Aug 15, 2016 6:08pm

Why have republicans consistently, (documented) defunded veteran programs?

Submitted by Demorat (not verified) : Aug 16, 2016 7:21pm

rs and not have a higher rise in vet disabilities. Also, why is it that everytime something needs to be cut, they start threatening the Seniors and V.A.? If Congress would give the V.A. the right budget to take care of busines, there would be a whole lot oess frustrations with the V.A.

Submitted by Ken Hatley (not verified) : Aug 31, 2016 12:26pm

The ole "it's rigged" argument...trump voter, I assume. lol

Submitted by scottytb19 (not verified) : Aug 20, 2016 11:31am

The most common defense when people don't like the truth is to make a comment it is "rigged" or "Liberal (or "Conservative") agenda.

You may be a member of American Legion, but you certainly don't stay up to date with the news of the government treatment. Name on thing that Republicans have done for vets in the last 7 years... What they have done is put a freeze on military pay, cut $1.4 billion from VA budget causing doctors to be laid off, clinics to close and stop construction on several homeless shelters for vets.

Submitted by Tim Tompas (not verified) : Sep 12, 2016 1:56pm

If you think Republicans have done nothing for veterans, then you obviously don't understand how appropriations for funding actually work under our Constitution. Budgetary money is first appropriated in the House of Representatives. Congress controls the purse strings. Obama couldn't do anything if Congress didn't appropriate the money for it, so to say that the Republicans have done nothing for veterans is a farce because we have both a Republican majority in both the House and Senate and have since 2014. Before that, we had a Republican dominated House and a Democrat dominated Senate since 2010. Every time we have a Republican president, he gets the blame for overspending but we have a Democrat president, he gets the credit for the good stuff that happens. It is Congress, and not the president, through appropriations, that has helped homeless veterans. The president can only ask for money and propose programs. Congress can ignore his requests. In this case, they chose to fund it, but it was a Republican majority congress that funded veterans programs, not the president.

Submitted by Jinger Jarrett (not verified) : Sep 18, 2016 10:07pm

I Don't know how 56% of you people out can feel Obama has done much for the military- refer to triple w dot navycs dot com/charts/ (Careful you have to use your brain to figure that out)and look at his pay raise record. Also think about Iran and that Fiasco? you people better pull your heads out- Otherwise we are going to have Hillary for the next four and you may as well take our guns, open the gates, and beware of all the military downsizing when there isn't enough jobs now.

Submitted by Keith- Retired USAF (not verified) : Sep 19, 2016 4:24pm

This may be old news...but the obama/Biden admin stopped cola increases for the first 3 years of the 1st term and only pushed funding for many BA programs after the deaths of vets waiting for care in AZ and other places. I worked at the VA at the time with VISN6 and saw nothing for the 1st 3 years other than the union pushing democrats even while stopping gov employees raises, while giving directors big bonuses

Submitted by Oneadamnoah1 : Oct 31, 2020 11:41am