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By Marty Conatser
Members of Congress returned to their home states and districts throughout America last weekend to pay tribute to the men and women who have served our nation in uniform. They stood among aging veterans whose blood was spilled across the shores of Iwo Jima and Omaha Beach. They looked into the eyes of men who nearly froze to death at the Chosin Reservoir. They stood behind podiums at war memorials across the land and addressed crowds of men and women - some in wheelchairs, some with post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury - who left part of themselves forever in the jungles and deserts of places like Vietnam, Grenada, Beirut, Afghanistan and Iraq.
These top elected officials brought good news to the veterans they represent. But the news came with a catch.
First, the good news. Both houses of Congress overwhelmingly passed the greatest budget increase in history for the Department of Veterans Affairs last summer. The Senate vote was 92-1. The House vote was 409-2. The appropriations committees in both houses gave the budget a green light, and President Bush said he would sign it, even though the $87.7 billion total commitment exceeded his own request for VA by $3.6 billion. Congress did pass a continuing resolution that allows VA to operate on the 2007 budget and they did add $2.9 billion. This is good news, however, a clean appropriations bill would have been the right thing to do.
The 2008 fiscal budget year began Oct. 1, and this historic VA budget was still tangled up in Washington, not yet signed, by Veterans Day. A top congressional leader personally promised me that the funding measure would be passed by then. But it wasn’t. And so, as elected officials spoke of their legislative accomplishments before hometown veteran constituents, VA doctors, nurses and administrators everywhere were once again trying to figure out how to treat a growing number of patients with a stagnant amount of resources.
Long-awaited construction projects at VA hospitals remain tabled. Waiting times for appointments continue to expand. VA hospitals in over-burdened communities are turning away veterans and sending them elsewhere. Greatly needed mental-health counselors are not yet hired. Undecided VA benefits claims continue to balloon, to nearly half a million. This is all because of the failure of Congress to pass the 2008 budget.
What’s holding it up? Honestly, that’s what The American Legion and veterans across this country would like to know. Since the VA budget breezed through Congress last summer, with a promise of support from the White House, there have been efforts to latch other, unrelated spending measures to it, creating one big omnibus bill. Why an omnibus bill? Because while Congress added the much-needed $3.6 billion, the administration has said that the money needs to be offset from another appropriations bill.
In this questionable strategy, America’s sick, disabled and benefits-deserving veterans - from the “greatest generation” of World War II to the “newest greatest generation” of the global war on terrorism - would be asked to carry on their backs the financial burdens of other federal programs that have nothing to do with the ongoing cost of war, or with the debt a grateful nation owes to those who put their lives on the line for it.
This holdup must end now. The past-due VA appropriations bill for 2008 must be dislodged immediately, on its own, with nothing more clinging to its back than appreciation, respect and dignity for the men and women our nation honors on Veterans Day.
Comments (10)
One of our major problems in this country is that a lot of people don't bother to tell the truth anymore. They promise to do what is right for the veterans, and then a few days later they start to backtrack to cover their tracks or so as not to offend anyone. IT is too bad that so many Americans and American politicians in particular have forgotten how to tell the truth.
Posted by jeff nohre | 11/14/07 9:32 PM |
I agree with Commander Conaster totally.
In the past, when Congressman Chris Smith was Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, if the adminsitration submitted an inadequate budget, he would see to it that additional necessary funding was provided.
Now this administration is insisting on an offset of the $3.6 billion the Congress added to the VA budget, from some other funding bill.
WHY??? The Commander is right in saying that the VA budget should be passed on its own, WITHOUT ANY OFFSET from any other agency budget.
As has been said so well before, "The cost of the VA is part of the cost of war".
Posted by V.Bevilacqua | 11/15/07 8:18 AM |
"The cost of the VA is part of the cost of war"
Another thing the current administration forgot.
Why does Bush keep apponting incompetent people to head up the DOVA?
Posted by Dan | 11/15/07 9:55 AM |
The shell game continues.
When is this admistration going to realize their commitment to "Our Veterans"
and put the proper monies in the VA Health Care Budget
without any conditions or off set. I'ts no wonder I believe that the entire "Brain Trust" of this administration could fit inside a thimble.
Posted by K. Connors | 11/15/07 12:26 PM |
It is plain to see from this other story the reason the budget for the VA has not passed is that the Democrats lie.
http://www.legion.org/vision/currentevents/2007/10/veterans_assured_funding_by_ve.html
Posted by B Barlow | 11/15/07 1:45 PM |
I need to clarify the my previous statement regarding Congressman Smith.
He was removed from his chairmanship of the House Veterans Affairs Committee due to his continued insistance of support for mandatory funding for the VA Health Care System, in direct opposition to then Speaker Hastert. Not only did he lose his chairman's position, but he was removed from the Veterans Affairs Committee entirely.
Posted by V. Bevilacqua | 11/19/07 2:28 PM |
Stay on them Commander Conatser...It is one thing for these Congressmen and Senators to run home and tell everyone they passed a bill to increase funding for the VA and blame the President for not signing it...and it is totally another when the 3.6 Billion increase is padded with other things that the Leadership of both houses know will prevent it from getting signed...I agree with you...Let the funding increase stand alone and send it to the President for signature, he has already said he will sign it...Keep up your great work.
Posted by Robert E. Claypool | 11/20/07 7:19 PM |
TO: Jeff Nohre
YOU SAID IT!!!!
Posted by V.Bevilacqua | 11/21/07 10:43 AM |
Dear Sir:
I would like to strongly recommend the book entitled, "Because They Hate." by Brigitte Gabriel, to all of your viewing audience. Mrs. Gabriel, is a survivor of islamic terror. Many in America have been blinded by the lies and deceit of those who profess to be peace-loving and tolerant muslims currently living in our country. I would be curious just how many are illegal that our government knows nothing about. Regrettably, there are Axis of Idiots on Capital Hill who chose to ignore the real threat that currently exists in our country today posed by muslim radicals who are waiting for the right time and place to strick again. The collective-stupidity of Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Carl Levine, Barbara Boxer,Diane Feingold, Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy, Church Schumer, John Kerry and Bill Clinton just to name a few are destroying our nation with their self-serving politics and terrorist-abetting news scoops. I question their loyalty to America. I would say to President Bush that our country has two enemies; those who want to destroy us from the outside and those who attempt it from within. America needs to wakeup before its too late. The American Legion could do a better job of exposing the organizations and individuals'in our country who have been linked to terror organizations. The one question that all Americans must consider would be that if Islam is this peace-loving and tolerant religion, than why are they still killing each other and why is the American Muslim Communities silent, where is their outrage at the senseless terror and death that is being perpetrated on the innocent in the world today. Why hasn't Congressman Keith Ellison spoken out. I forgot, Congressman Ellison is a Muslim and his support of our troops would go against his muslim beliefs and the doctrine of Islam. America! educate yourself on the subject of Islam.
Posted by Rick Bradley, SFC, U.S. Army Retired | 01/25/08 4:02 PM |
We all need to stop the blame game and learn government processes. When view this beast of burden at ten thousand feet we see inept attitudes from the top to the lowest ranks of government. As much as I hate to admit it there are many who just don't feel the pain and sacrifice many veterans live in and live by. Don't put all of the bad apples in the same hand-basket even though they all do a rotten job at times.
Posted by Marvin Walthall | 02/19/08 1:44 PM |