Op-Ed: A Real Way to Honor America's Troops-- By John Kerry and Lane Evans

[bigtree]

2/4/2006 8:00:00 AM

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=60501

Contact: Kathryn Seck, 202-224-9431 or 202-380-6508 (cell)

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Following is an Op-Ed by John Kerry and Lane Evans:

A Real Way to Honor America's Troops

By John Kerry and Lane Evans

For America's veterans, 2005 was like the movie "Groundhog Day." Day after day in Congress we have had to fight for the health care and benefits that our veterans have earned, but after every minor victory we seemingly have to fight the battle again the next day against the forces of resistance.

The year began with a shockingly irresponsible budget sent to Congress. Incredibly, the Administration sought a flat-lined budget full of proposals that would have increased fees and co- payments and shifted the burden of care onto the backs of veterans -- in spite of Department of Veterans Affairs statements in the past that a 13 to 14 percent increase in federal funding is needed annually just to keep up with the rising cost of health care. It only got worse. After months of repeated warnings by Democrats and veterans' advocates that the VA faced a dangerous funding shortfall, the VA during the summer finally acknowledged that these warnings were accurate and that it lacked the funds to adequately meet the health care needs of our veterans. In fact, the VA was over $1 billion short for the year and the Bush administration only reluctantly, under intense political pressure, agreed to request additional funding to provide the resources needed for basic veterans' health care.

Veterans still must suffer a Republican-controlled Congress and an administration that likes to use veterans as backdrops for speeches but fails to deliver in substance time and again. Unfortunately, just like "Groundhog Day," we have witnessed example after example of the failure by both the White House and the Congress to address the needs of veterans - from providing assured funding for health care to helping veterans affected by Hurricane Katrina to comprehensively addressing issues relating to the diagnosis and treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, an illness that may affect nearly one-in-four veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The Bush Administration refuses to enforce a contracting program for service-disabled veteran-owned small firms, costing these businesses almost $8 billion in Federal contract dollars annually. Additionally, the Bush Administration continues to block legislation offering tax relief to small business owners that employ military reservists called up to active duty.

What is most shocking to us are the countless pork projects and special interests that have been put ahead of our veterans -- whether it is $14 billion in hand-outs to big oil in spite of record profits, or $20 billion in capital gains and dividend tax cuts that overwhelmingly benefit those making more than $200,000 per year. In fact, 53 percent of the benefits of these tax cuts go to households with incomes over $1 million. While these handouts and tax breaks increase our federal debt, vital obligations to our veterans go unmet.

We must end this vicious cycle now before we begin yet another year hearing the same old Republican refrain of tax cuts for the wealthy and pork projects ahead of veterans. Veterans are tired of living through this Republican version of "Groundhog Day."

---
Lane Evans is a Congressman from Illinois and is the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs.

full op-ed: http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=60501

[demdiva]

1. That's great

thanks for sharing

[bigtree]

2. John's still fighting

for us

[FlemingsGhost]

3. How about working toward bringing them home ... NOW!

No war, no need for VA benefits, you morons.

[blm]

4. Yeah - they are real morons for getting the truth out where they can

regarding Bush's REAL treatment and neglect of ALL VETERANS, from EVERY WAR.

Try using some sense of proportion before you attack. These guys are saying what NEEDS to be said and your response is to call them morons?

[JI7]

6. WW2 , Vietnam, Gulf War Vets need benefits as do others

whether or not there is war.

[Mass]

8. There are veterans from wars going from WWII

to those who are already veterans of the current Iraq War, passing by Korea, VietNam, Iraq I, ... . Do you suggest that they dont need anything, that they are fairly treated?

Sometimes some people are so unique-issue that they cant see the rest of the picture? Yes, we need to bring troops home, but the problem this editorial describes will still exist.

[FlemingsGhost]

5. Doesn't this belong in the "Editorials & Other ..." Forum? (n/t)

Flem.

[bigtree]

7. right

I'm sure you object to all of the rest of the 'editorials' posted here.

I like to know what our presidential candidate is up to. As you can see, he's still fighting for us.