On Day of Iraq Speech, House Conservatives Gouge Vets

[WillyT]

And the hits just keep-a-comin!!!

<snip>

This just in from the Hill. On the same day President Bush will use the soldiers at Fort Bragg as a backdrop for his address on Iraq, conservatives in the House have voted to underfund veterans’ health care by at least $1 billion.

The backstory: Last week, the Washington Post revealed that the budget for veterans’ health care was suffering a billion dollar shortfall this year, a fact unearthed “only during lengthy questioning” of a Veterans Affairs undersecretary.

The Bush administration had claimed on multiple occassions that the current budget was enough to provide full care. Back in February, Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson testified that he was “satisfied that we can get the job done with this budget.” Later, when Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) tried to add funds into the VA budget, Nicholson wrote her a letter assuring that the VA did not “need emergency supplemental funds in FY2005 to continue to provide timely, quality service that is always our goal.”

Yet today, even after the administration’s misleading claims had been exposed, and despite brand new data showing that demand for veterans health programs had grown twice as fast as the VA predicted earlier this year, House conservatives still voted to block any additional funding for veterans’ care.

<snip>

Link: http://thinkprogress.org/2005/06/28/on-day-of-iraq-speech-house-conservatives-gouge-veterans/

Damn... talk about being "wrong-footed"!!!

Pump this up folks, the public is finally feeling a tad queasy!!!

Conservative Ipecac for all kool-aid drinkers!

:puke:

[Rainscents]

1. Do you by chance have bill # and all the names who voted againsr it?

We must pass the name of people who voted against this bill to everyone we know.

[WillyT]

2. Here Ya Go !!!

Link: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll325.xml

Link: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.res.00341:

Hope that helps.

:hi:

[Rainscents]

3. Thank you, thank you and thank you!!!

:hi:

[Rainscents]

5. I have questions... Isn't Aye mean, they voted for it and Nay mean

they voted against it? I'm confused!

BTW... 2nd link didn't work.

[WillyT]

6. I Guess They 'Agreed' To Shoot Down The Amendment ???

I'm not really sure here, but I'm goin off of this article.

Link: http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/politics/12000630.htm

Will look for more info!

[zapp]

4. Watch for a turn-around tomorrow

Tomorrow the Right will begin to acquiesce. Theu\y are going to see the handwriting on the wall and with re-election coming up look out!

[WillyT]

8. Man... Did YOU Call It !!! - NYT Version...

<snip>

WASHINGTON, June 28 - Scrambling to avoid political embarrassment, leading Congressional Republicans on Tuesday promised to increase spending on veterans' health care by $1.5 billion to make up for a shortfall that is driven in part by thousands of wounded soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

In the Senate, several top Republicans said they would try to tack an amendment onto a bill covering spending for the Department of the Interior. The bill could pass as early as Wednesday. Senator Larry E. Craig, Republican of Idaho and chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, who is leading the effort, said he had discussed the $1.5 billion with White House officials, who he said had earlier resisted the idea of emergency spending. "They blinked," Mr. Craig said, adding, "The message to veterans is very clear, and it is a strong bipartisan message, that they will be served."

In the House, where Republicans at first said no action was necessary, party leaders were meeting into the evening to figure out how to proceed. A spokesman for Representative Jerry Lewis of California, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said it was possible that an emergency bill could go to the House floor as early as Wednesday.

But earlier in the day, House Republicans voted down an effort by Democrats to increase health spending for veterans by $1 billion. Mr. Lewis and Representative Tom DeLay of Texas, the House majority leader, told reporters in the morning that they did not believe an emergency spending measure was required.

<snip>

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/29/politics/29vets.html

And look who's fingerprints were all over the denying of funds:



Things are movin fast folks!!!

:bounce:

[LSK]

7. and of course the Yahoo headline spins it

Senate GOP Plans Spending Boost for Vets

"WASHINGTON - Struggling to prevent political damage, Senate Republicans intend to raise spending on veterans programs by $1.5 billion to make up for a shortage caused partly by the return of troops from
Iraq and
Afghanistan, officials said Tuesday.

"I'm glad they have seen the light," said Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada. He said majority Republicans had refused to provide the money when members of his party called for it earlier in the year.

Sen. Larry Craig (news, bio, voting record), R-Idaho, who chairs the Veterans Committee, said a vote was likely Tuesday or Wednesday.

The decision to approve the funds came in response to last week's disclosure that the
Department of Veterans Affairs needs $1 billion more for veterans health care this year.

Republicans swiftly retreated on the issue in the Senate, but not in the House.

There, the GOP defeated a Democratic effort to provide an extra $1 billion for veterans health care. The 217-189 vote was along party lines."

snip

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050628/ap_on_go_co/congress_veterans_7

[Sugarcoated]

9. Anyone have a concise list of Bush's record on Vets?

[Sugarcoated]

10. Kick

[LightningFlash]

12. Yeah. It was mostly AWOL. He was in the reserves. n/t

[Mandate My Ass]

11. Nominated

Republicans support our troops. :grr:

[FreedomAngel82]

13. Disgusting pigs!

Use and dump them! ARGH!!!!!! Watch them find some way to blame the democrats!

[Deja Q]

14. Peak oil; they will sacrifice all but themselves.