The answer to our problems with the VA backlog now seems to be that we must throw it out with the bath water and hand it over to a large for profit corporation – probably owned by the Koch Brothers or Monsanto – also making sure to destroy unions, pensions, and federal bureauRATS running it. BTW, most of the bureauRATS in the VA are veterans, so Republicans also get to increase unemployment among our veterans. After all if we have learned nothing, we at least have learned that throwing money at things matters in everything BUT health care and education.
What I find most interesting about this article from DAILY KOS is that it was written over two years ago. I do not know how many more times Republicans voted to not support our veterans between then and February of this year,but we do know Republicans voted against supporting our veterans on February 27th 2014 to increase veteran support by $21 billion including adding 27 more VA hospitals to help alleviate the waiting list. 99% of Republicans loudly and proudly rejected it.
One last thing. As a veteran having hundreds of veteran friends over the years there is something most outsiders do not consider. The vast majority of veterans, and the majority of wounded veterans, do not use the VA. The VA is used primarily by our veterans who are at the low end our economic structure, who are unemployed, who who cannot afford health insurance or until last year could not be insured for preexisting conditions.
GOP Voted Against 7 Bills to Help Veterans
H.R. 466 – Wounded Veteran Job Security Act – This bill would actually provide job security for veterans who are receiving medical treatment for injuries suffered while fighting in defense of their country. It would prohibit employers from terminating
employees who miss work while receiving treatment for a service-related disability.
H.R. 1168 — Veterans Retraining Act – This bill would provide for assistance to help veterans who are currently unemployed with their expenses while retraining for the current job market.
H.R. 1171 – Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program Reauthorization – This bill would reauthorize programs in support of homeless veterans, to assist them with job training, counseling, and placement services through the Department of Veterans Affairs through 2014.
H.R. 1172 — Requiring List on VA Website of Organizations Providing Scholarships for Veterans which does nothing more than direct the Department of Veterans Affairs to include information about scholarships for veterans.
H.R. 1293 — Disabled Veterans Home Improvement and Structural Alteration Grant Increase Act of 2009 – Here’sanother bill in support of those who have fought for their country, passed by House Democrats and blocked from becoming law by Republicans.
This would increase the amount paid by the VA to disabled veterans for necessary home structural improvements from $4,100 to $6,800 for those who are more than 50% disabled, and from $1,200 to $2,000 who are less than 50%, disabled. This means, if a veteran lost the use of his legs in service of his country, the country will pay for the wheelchair ramp so that he can live at home.
By the way, the last time this ceiling was lifted was in 1992. There isn’t even a fiscal reason for being against this bill, as the total cost of this bill, according to CBO estimates, would be a “whopping” $20 million. That’s about a quarter (25 cents) per family of four.
H.R. 1803 — Veterans Business Center Act – This bill would set up a Veterans Business Center program within the Small Business Administration, which would specialize in such programs as grants for service-disabled veterans, help them develop business plans and secure business opportunities. In other words, folks, it would create jobs and offer opportunities those who have fought in defense of our country.
H.R. 2352 – Job Creation Through Entrepreneurship Act – This bill essentially combines a number of other bills that Republicans had blocked in the Senate previously, and adds a few elements. The bill would again establish a Veterans Business Center Program; …. it would establish a Military Entrepreneurs Program; …