Help Is On The Way!-----again!

[Gimpy]

For the second time in less than two months, the Democrats in Congress have INCREASED FUNDING for the Department of Veterans Affairs!---Just a few weeks ago they added more than $3 billion to the 2007 fiscal year VA budget over what the previous Congress had failed to do.

And now THIS news about the fiscal year 2008 VA budget!

I hate to say this (Naw I really don't)----

But, I TOLD YOU SO-----DIDN'T I...............


---START---


Democrats Succeed in Increasing Budget for Veterans

Democratic Budget Resolution includes $43.1 billion in funding for veterans, increases administration spending on veterans by $3.5 billion



March 15, 2007
For Immediate Release:


(Washington, D.C.) - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a key member of the Senate Budget Committee, succeeded in helping to increase the Fiscal Year 2008 Budget for the care of our nation's veterans. Under the budget introduced in the Budget Committee today, veterans spending will total $43.1 billion, an increase of $3.5 billion over the President's budget request. The $43.1 billion also represents a full 98 percent of the Independent Budget that is devised by several Veterans Service Organizations including Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), Disabled American Veterans (DVA), and AMVETS.


"With the country at war, and with failures in veterans' care being exposed each day, it is an absolute imperative that we take this step to correct the administration's funding failures," said Senator Murray. "Shortchanging our veterans has become an unfortunate pattern in past budgets and I am so pleased that we are breaking that cycle. This budget takes significant steps forward to help veterans get the care they were promised when they signed up to serve."


Senator Murray is the second-ranking Democratic member of the Budget Committee, a member of the Senate Democratic Leadership, and a senior member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee. She has been an outspoken leader on veterans' care including her work in highlighting a $3 billion shortfall in veterans care in 2005 and 2006.


"As we begin the fifth year of this war, the lack of administration spending on our nation's veterans is everywhere you look ," said Senator Murray. "Whether it is veterans struggling to get mental healthcare, long waiting lines for initial benefits claims, or a lack of focus on TBI care, we are seeing what happens when veterans care does not get the funding it deserves. By increasing funding for veterans, this budget does what the administration has long failed to do - recognize our service members as a cost of this war."

The Democratic resolution also rejects the President's proposals to impose new fees and higher drug co-payments on certain veterans. It has been estimated that those increases would result in more than 100,000 veterans leaving the VA health care system.

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Maybe now we'll start getting the funding we've been denied these past six years under the current administration and correct many of the problems that the last majority in Congress allowed to continue and grow worse!

[Packo]

Gimpy, again this is wonderful news. I am grateful to Patty Murray and the rest.

My ONLY concern is that once the ferver of Walter Reed and the VA dies down, and the elections are over, Veterans will be allowed to fall through the cracks again. So, my only , and I say ONLY Caveat to this is, Congress and whoever the next POTUS is, KEEP FOLLOWING THROUGH! It's all well and good now that this is a hot potato, but we can never allow this kindof treatment of our Veterans and AD people again!

Thanks for posting this. I got my new DAV magazine the other day and read it cover to cover. It is an eye opener, even though my eyes opened a while back.

Pack

[Boats]

Packman - your correct but it will take some time to take back the allocated funds. Or something else will take up the capital needed and come from some other fund or organization - right now we should be happy we got a little more pie.

[Advisor]

Originally posted by Boats Packman - your correct but it will take some time to take back the allocated funds. Or something else will take up the capital needed and come from some other fund or organization - right now we should be happy we got a little more pie.

Question is, who's going to eat the pie? Bureaurats or vets?

[Gimpy]

Originally posted by Packy Gimpy, again this is wonderful news. I am grateful to Patty Murray and the rest.

My ONLY concern is that once the ferver of Walter Reed and the VA dies down, and the elections are over, Veterans will be allowed to fall through the cracks again. So, my only , and I say ONLY Caveat to this is, Congress and whoever the next POTUS is, KEEP FOLLOWING THROUGH! It's all well and good now that this is a hot potato, but we can never allow this kindof treatment of our Veterans and AD people again!

Thanks for posting this. I got my new DAV magazine the other day and read it cover to cover. It is an eye opener, even though my eyes opened a while back.

Pack

I read my DAV magazine last week also Packo and I agree with you --it WAS an eye opener alright!

I really believe that this current bunch in Congress won't allow us to "fall through the cracks again".

[Gimpy]

needs to see this!..................