Memorial Day Rant

Attributing a problem to a president you don't like when you know the problem has gone on for a long long time before him makes you look sillier than usual. Here's an article from Huffington Post written by H. A. Goodman discussing the matter in a way which would sting a conservative not immune to pointed facts.

41 Republican Senators Voted Against a Landmark Veterans Bill in February, Today They Blame the VA.

Spoiler

Earlier this year, the GOP had a chance to prove that it could fund veterans' health care as eagerly as it borrowed for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Long before the current VA crisis, an event described as "a gift from God" by Dr. Ben Carson, Senate Republicans had a chance to vote on a landmark bill. Before the Senate vote, organizations devoted to the needs of veterans and their families offered widespread support to the Comprehensive Veterans Health and Benefits and Military Retirement Pay Restoration Act of 2014.

On January 21, 2014 the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) wrote a letter to Sen. Bernie Sanders endorsing the legislation. The IAVA believed, "This legislation would accomplish many of the goals for which veterans and military service organizations have been advocating for years, including strengthening the Post-9/11 GI Bill, expanding advance appropriations for more of the VA's budget... and much more." The Veterans of Foreign Wars was just as enthusiastic in its support, and wrote a similar letter explaining how S.1982 would help veterans:

If signed into law, this sweeping legislation would expand and improve health care and benefit services to all generations of veterans and their families. Most notably, it would expand the current caregiver law to include all generations of veterans and provide advance appropriations to ensure monthly compensation and pension as well as education payments are protected from future budget battles. The bill also offers in-state tuition protection for recently transitioned veterans, improves access to mental health and treatment for victims of sexual assault in the military, and authorizes construction of more than 20 Community Bases Outpatient Clinics to serve veterans in rural and remote communities.

Echoing the IAVA and VFW, The Paralyzed Veterans of America stated that "This legislation marks one of the most comprehensive bills to ever be considered in the Senate or House." The PVA went on to state that, "If enacted, S. 1982 would accomplish some of the highest priorities for Paralyzed Veterans and its members." VetsFirst, another group devoted to disabled veterans, also explained "this legislation goes a long way toward fulfilling many of the current and future needs of our disabled veterans."

Furthermore, The American Legion lent "its full support" to the bill since it "addresses several high priority issues for The American Legion, like repealing the 1 percent retiree COLA provision, funding the stalled CBOCs for the VA, increasing access to health care for veterans at VA, employment and education fixes, and other programs that are important to us." In addition, The American Legion explained that the Comprehensive Veterans Health and Benefits and Military Retirement Pay Restoration Act of 2014 was essential to veterans in other ways:

The American Legion also appreciates the many areas in which this bill addresses needed attention regarding Military Sexual Trauma counseling, additional training and assistance for Traumatic Brain Injury victims, improvements and much-needed updates to the Dependency and Indemnification Compensation program, VA's Work-Study program, and its On-the-Job Training program.

Therefore, with so much positive feedback from veterans groups about the bill, it's only logical to assume that Senate Republicans would do everything possible to ensure it became law.

Unfortunately, S.1982 was killed by Senate Republicans, with a vote of 56-41 -- only Republicans Senators voting nay and with only two Republicans voting for the bill. The logic behind every vote against the bill being Republican rests in the following statement from North Carolina Senator Richard M. Burr:

With $17 trillion in debt and massive annual deficits, our country faces a fiscal crisis of unparalleled scope. Now is not the time, in any federal department, to spend money we don't have. To be sure, there's much to like in the Sanders bill. And if those components were presented as separate, smaller bills, as part of a carefully considered long-term strategy to reform the VA, hold leadership accountable and improve services to veterans, we would have no problem extending enthusiastic support.

Also, Republicans called for sanctions on Iran to be included within the veterans' bill, and since it wasn't included within the bill, they voted against the landmark legislation. As stated by Republican Leader Mitch McConnell regarding the Iran sanctions, "There is no excuse for muzzling the Congress on an issue of this importance to our own national security."

So how did veterans feel about the February 26, 2014 vote where 41 Republicans voted against a sweeping bill to help veterans? American Legion National Commander Daniel M. Dellinger expressed his frustration with the outcome by stating, "There was a right way to vote and a wrong way to vote today, and 41 senators chose the wrong way. That's inexcusable."

As for Senator Richard Burr, he recently received a scathing letter from the Veterans of Foreign Wars pertaining to his open letter to veterans groups about the VA crisis. In addition, Burr received another response letter from the Paralyzed Veterans of America stating that, "Rest assured, you do not speak for or represent the interests of Paralyzed Veterans' members-veterans with spinal cord injury or dysfunction or any other VSO."

It should not be overlooked that veterans have been committing suicide, enduring long wait times for disability benefits, and dealing with a wide array of others issues ignored by Congress for the past decade. Also, the most indignant Republicans like Sen. Burr of North Carolina have also voted against S.1982 and now blame bureaucratic issues, rather than funding problems, as the cause of the VA crisis. Therefore, it's safe to say that the latest VA crisis and the deaths of veterans in Arizona served as convenient opportunity for the GOP to feign indignation over issues veterans have faced for years.

What better way to circumvent responsibility for underfunding the VA and voting against veteran's legislation than blaming big government? Somebody should tell Sen. Burr and the GOP that we funded both wars with "money we didn't have" and we should fund veterans health care as enthusiastically as we paid (borrowed) for two war.

 

Nope, you're absolutely right. What you DID say is that you weren't good ENOUGH to serve. Something about the country being better off with you staying safe at home keeping the economy strong (and you apparently suck completely at that as well since the economy went directly into the $hitter on your watch). The simple fact of the matter is that when your country called, you realized you didn't have what it takes to answer. And you don't even have what it takes to admit it.

I can't even BEGIN to imagine what it would be like to have to answer, "I bragged about sitting in a cushy office criticizing my secretary's choice of university while men far better than I died" when asked by my children, "What did you do in that war you so fervantly supported?"

 

Liar,

 

Another embarrassing performance by the clown show.

 

Two years ago, I asked whether the draft should be reinstated because then most Americans would be more vigilant of war-hawk (chicken-hawk) politicians. The majority here disagreed. vaids_13 had a good post for the draft:

I know the draft is impossible to bring back. However, the status quo means an increasing detachment between those who fight and the kingmakers that select the politicians that send them war. This VA scandal would be very different if more Americans fought (I mean grunts not some cushy DoD desk job), especially if those grunts came from the top quintile for income and wealth. You also wouldn't see callous political jokes from the well-heeled in regards to the VA system.

Of course, if the majority of adults in this country actually voted, if they actually were informed about the true healthcare and economical costs, if they followed news from abroad more than watching Modern Family and Dancing with the Stars, they would be less willing to send others to die. A draft is necessary for a citizenry that's apathetic, lost vigilance, and/or lost an effective say in decisionmaking. When a democracy reaches that nadir, a draft is a poor last-minute tool.

 

Hypocritical coming from you since you were the one who brought Obama into this.

 

are you a little hot under the collar? Tap the brakes -- take a breather.

I didn't say I was too good to serve.

 

You guys are a day late, and a few wars short.

 

****ing liar

And too much of a coward to take responsibility for what you said. You couldn't survive in the military.

 

well done guys, you did it again.

You allowed texxiepoo to deflect the discussion towards what he wants.

this is why nobody moderates in here, you guys dont really want to take away the trolls power, you thrive on it.

 

It would be an easy fix. Ban the b*stard.

 

And I didn't say you did. Who knew one could get a University of Rice education with such poor reading comprehension?

What you DID admit is that you weren't good ENOUGH to serve. I couldn't agree more whole-heartedly. There is no doubt whatsoever that in a time of war (and in peace time, for that matter) you, personally, would have absolutely nothing to offer in the way of service to this country as a member of any military branch.

Your country called and you realized you don't have what it takes.

What will you tell your children when they ask why you are incapable of doing your part to defend them?

 

I'm going back for my Masters on the GI Bill. I'm not complaining.

Servicemembers are better compensated now than they ever have been

 

This is positive news, congratulations. Was it relatively easy to choose which school you went to? How does it work?

 

I think Memorial Day should extend to all those who have died due to war.

 

I'm not really late because I was opposed to those wars when they were waged. It is more that I don't have remotely enough power to influence our policies.

But, if any politician wants to improve care for soldiers or avoid waging ground wars, they shouldn't worry too much about constituent opposition from me as a result.

 

Do you guys have no self control? It's not like his agenda is not well known on this site, why not just ignore him?

I definitely agree with the OP's post. Even though I have no one in my family that is a veteran or that has died while fighting for this country, it's definitely sickening seeing people that have given their lives for this country struggle to get proper care when they are brought back to the states.

 

Memorial Day is an American holiday, dedicated specifically to those who served and sacrificed their lives in service to their country. It memorializes those who paid the ultimate price to protect our freedoms. Perhaps you could write the UN and try to get them to sponsor some global holiday memorializing all those billions who have died in all wars everywhere?

 

It is fairly easy. Virtually every school now has an advisor whose job is to handle GI Bill cases and get that money flowing to their university (the payments go directly to the school, the servicemember usually gets a stipend in addition to those payments). They walk the servicemember through the entire process, all you have to do is call them.

 

I have a friend going to school on the GI Bill, he loves that he has a budding career along with his retirement from the military.