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WHITE HOUSE TRIES TO HIJACK "NEWS CYCLE"
HEADLINES
ABOUT NEW VA SECRETARY -- Misleading press
release
distorts current administration's support of
veterans.
On the day that President-elect Obama announced
his choice for a new VA Secretary (story here...
http://www.vawatchdo
g.org/08/nf08/nfdec08/nf120708-4.htm
), the White House just had to try and hijack that headline for the news
cycle.
While everything you read in the press release
below is factual... how it came to be is not mentioned. It's a
wonderful piece of misleading public relations BS.
Were VA budgets increased dramatically?
Yes. But, no thanks to the White House. Congress had to battle
for increases in the VA budget.
Former VA Secretary Anthony J. Principi suddenly
turned in his resignation after wondering aloud how come the White House
cut $2 billion he'd asked for.
Former VA Secretary Jim Nicholson lied to
Congress, saying the VA budget was adequate. Congress had to pump in
incredible amounts of money to make sure veterans had proper healthcare.
The press release mentions the Dole / Shalala
Commission and their work for veterans. But, remember, the Dole/
Shalala Commission was formed AFTER the Veterans' Disability Benefits
Commission (VDBC) issued their report that said vets should be getting
something close to 25% more in disability benefits. The VDBC report
was shelved. The Dole / Shalala Commission then rubber-stamped a
pre-written report that has created a two-tiered VA system with any
veteran who served before 9/11 having to wait for services.
All of the above can be researched and verified
by using the VA Watchdog search engine... here...
http://www.yourvabenefits.org/
Shame on the White House. Although I doubt
the word "shame" has any meaning at that address.
White House press release here...
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/12/20081207-5.html
Press release below:
Your comments accepted at bottom of
page.
-------------------------
Fact Sheet: The Bush Administration Has Provided Unprecedented Support for
Our Veterans
On The Anniversary Of Pearl Harbor, Administration Recognizes
Important Steps Forward In Keeping Our Promise To Veterans And Their
Families
In Focus:
Veterans
"One of the things I have treasured the most is to be
the Commander-in-Chief of men and women of courage and character and
decency."
President George W. Bush (December 6, 2008)
 Today,
on the 67th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, all members of the military, past
and present, and their families deserve to be honored for their service,
courage, and sacrifice to protect our Nation and make the world a safer
place. President Bush has remained committed to ensuring all
veterans receive the care and support they need from the Federal
government. Under his leadership, the Administration has:
Dramatically Increased Funding To Support And Care For Those
Who Have Served Our Nation
- Increased funding for veterans' medical care by more than 115
percent since 2001.
- FY 2009 funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) totals
more than $97 billion, nearly double the level of funding when the
President took office and the highest level of support for veterans in
history.
- Provided more than $6 billion to modernize and expand VA medical
facilities and more than $1 billion over the past three years to support
traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder treatment and
research.
- Honored our veterans with a hallowed, final resting place by
implementing and fully funding the largest expansion in the national
cemetery system since the Civil War.
Improved Care And Services For Wounded Warriors
- Created the Commission on Care for America's Returning
Wounded Warriors – co-chaired by former Senator Bob Dole and former
Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala – to ensure
that wounded service members and veterans receive quality care and
services and can live lives of hope, promise, and dignity. Nearly all of
the Commission's recommendations have already been implemented, such as:
- Expanded training, screening, and staff resources to help service
members and veterans suffering from mental health disorders.
- Created a joint Recovery Coordinator Program for seriously injured
service members.
- Initiated a pilot program to replace the cumbersome system of two
separate disability examinations with a single, comprehensive medical
exam.
- Established a Center of Excellence for Psychological Health and
Traumatic Brain Injury and expanded VA's polytrauma system of care to 21
network sites and clinic support teams to provide state-of-the-art
treatment to injured veterans at facilities closer to their homes.
Ensured Those Who Have Served Our Country Receive The Benefits
They Deserve
- Called for and signed a GI Bill for the 21st century, which expanded
education benefits for service members and veterans and made it easier
for those who defend our Nation to transfer unused education benefits to
their spouses or children.
- Increased career counseling services for returning veterans,
particularly those wounded in combat.
- Signed legislation that increased from two to five years a combat
veteran's eligibility to enroll for lifetime VA medical care and allowed
family members of injured service members to take additional time away
from their jobs to care for their loved ones.
- Signed legislation to ensure military retirees with severe
disabilities receive both their military retired pay and their VA
disability compensation.
- Helped more than 1.9 million veterans enroll in the VA health care
system since 2001.
- Reduced the average length of time to process a veteran's disability
claim to under 180 days, down from 230 days when the President took
office.
"The President has done his job since the first day he
took office on behalf of veterans."
Senator John Warner (R_VA)(Sept. 20 2004)
Worked To Decrease The Number Of Homeless Veterans
- Expanded Federal grants and worked extensively with faith-based and
community organizations to help homeless veterans.
- Cut the number of homeless veterans by nearly 40 percent from 2001
to 2007.
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posted by Larry Scott
Founder and Editor
VA Watchdog dot Org
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