Shortchanging Veterans

The Bush Administration demonstrates its support for veterans by lowballing the budget of the Department of Veterans Affairs and voting down the Democrats' proposals to increase it.

From the Washington Post:

The Bush administration, already accused by veterans groups of seeking inadequate funds for health care next year, acknowledged yesterday that it is short $1 billion for covering current needs at the Department of Veterans Affairs this year.

Their "policies are inconsistent with a nation at war," said Steve Robertson, legislative director of the American Legion. They violate the basic military value of "an army of one, teamwork, taking care of each other," he said.

Veterans groups are particularly angry with [House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Steve] Buyer [R-Ind], who was specially chosen by the House leadership to chair the House Veterans Affairs Committee to keep spending down...

Buyer recently sparked new controversy in an interview published by the American Legion Magazine in which he said the department should concentrate on serving a "core constituency," and he disputed assertions that "all veterans are veterans and all veterans should be treated the same."

...

Traditionally [Legislative director of the Disabled American Veterans Joseph A.] Violante said, "Republicans have been supportive of defense," but he said Bush administration policies and votes in the House and Senate suggest that the GOP does not view the care of veterans as "a continuing cost of war."

This Administration doesn't care about soldiers, it only cares about sending soldiers to war.

The next time a Bush loyalist questions your patriotism and support for the troops, ask them why Mr. Bush is shortchanging veterans.

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