WH: MORE MONEY FOR VETS MEANS CUTS FOR OTHER AGENCIES

[babylonsister]

http://vawatchdog.org/07/nf07/nfJUN07/nf061507-6.htm

WHITE HOUSE: MORE MONEY FOR VETS MEANS CUTS FOR

OTHER AGENCIES -- "If Congress increases VA funding above

the president's request and does not offset this increase with

spending reductions in other bills, the president will veto

any of the other bills that exceed his request..."


As Congress keeps pushing through more bills that increase funding for veterans, the White House is saying "NO."

If vets get more funding, it must come out of the budgets of other agencies...these are called offsets.

In a Statement of Administration Policy, the Office of Management and Budget at the White House has stated: "If Congress increases VA funding above the President’s request and does not offset this increase with spending reductions in other bills, the President will veto any of the other bills that exceed his request until Congress demonstrates a path to reach the President’s topline of $933 billion." White House statement here... http://www.whitehouse.gov/
omb/legislative/sap/110-1/hr2642sap-h.pdf

This is politics at its dirtiest!

The White House is saying veterans, if properly funded, will be taking money from other agencies and programs.

Once again, veterans are being used as pawns in a cynical political game.

There's enough money to properly fund veterans' needs and the other agencies, as well. They found the money to fight a war...they can find the money to care for veterans.

Caring for veterans is just another cost of war!

Story here...

http://www.wacotrib.com/
news/content/news/stories/2007/06/
14/06142007wacchetva.html

[BlooInBloo]

1. The repubicans have been holding the troops hostage for years. Evil bastards.

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. Now I'm rilly, rilly confused.

I thought that Congress just signed a bill that gave Bush his extended war and extended finance for the war, in return for, like 25 Billion dollars for social programs?

So, what is he doing now? Reneging?

[atreides1]

4. You're Confused????

Or are you being sarcastic?

[The Backlash Cometh]

7. Confused. I'm pretty damn sure this is what confused feels like.

I thought the Dems sold us out to Bush over this war, in return for lots of money for social programs. And now Bush is saying that because they approved to extend this war, they better be prepared to cut money for social programs?

Please feel free to correct and provide a better explanation.

[MikeNearMcChord]

3. Speaker Pelosi, Senator Reid, CALL THEM OUT ON THIS!

Force the conservatives, RW Talk, Freepers and others to defend this tactic.
How can any vet or serviceman or their families defend this evil, rotten administration, after this. Democratic Party you can win everlasting support of the troops if you stand up to these bastards!

[rusty charly]

5. "starving the beast"

[TahitiNut]

6. Well God know repealing the Paris Hilton inheritance tax is more important than veterans!!!

Why do you hate America?!??!?

:grr:

For absolutely EVERY rape of veterans, the poor, and working people, they should have that thrown in their face. Abominable!

[blondeatlast]

8. Add blackmail to the list... Does RICO apply to these cockroachers? nt

[frogcycle]

9. If, for the sake of argument

you stipulate that it was/is in our essential national interest to recruit these people and send them there to die; that "emergency supplemental spending" outside the already-deficit laden budget is needed because of this national emergency that the bogeyman is coming, then the fucking cost of caring for the people AFTER you blow off their arms and legs, cause brain damage, and psychological damage they and their families will struggle with for the rest of their lives is part of the deal. Not negotiable. This fucker can't get it through his head that members of the species of which he pretends to be a member actually CARE about each other. Hell, we care about the right-wing redneck bush voters who joined up and fought and now are back home with no legs and three little kids. He not only does not care about anyone who is "on the other side" - he doesn't care about anyone, period. He is a classic sociopath. We'd be better off with Ted Bundy as president.

[babylonsister]

10. Great post that makes me so damn sad and angry. nt

[frogcycle]

11. you and me both

its just appalling. It's like he's the plantation owner and we're the field hands. we watch our comrades being beaten and killed, and we can't do a damned thing about it. and he just goes on smirking.