MORE--URGENT crisis for disabled Veterans.

[Gimpy]

Just received this from the commander of the DAV. If this dosen't PROVE what I've been saying for years now---then NOTHING DOES! I've been trying to tell everyone that the "mainstream" Republican party is NO FRIEND to the retired and/or disabled military veterans of this country--maybe NOW everyone will see this IS the TRUTH afterall. These NUMBERS tell the story better than I EVER could!

For Gods' sake----EVERYONE CALL, E-MAIL or WRITE your representative with your outrage over this issue!

**********************
M E M O R A N D U M

TO: Action E-List Members

FROM: Joseph A. Violante, National Legislative Director

SUBJ: BUDGET COMMITTEE VOTES

DATE: March 19, 2003

On March 13, 2003, the House Budget Committee voted along party line to adopt and report for a vote by the full House of Representatives an extremely radical budget resolution for fiscal year 2004, which begins October 1, 2003.

The budget resolution is the master congressional plan for generating revenues, the money the Government receives in the form of taxes and other collections, and setting overall expenditures, the money the Government provides to fund programs. The resolution limits the total amount of money the appropriators can provide to operate the Government and its programs.

When Congress wants to reduce spending on discretionary programs, such as VA medical care, for example, the budget resolution may limit the amount of money the VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee has to allocate for discretionary spending. When Congress wants to reduce spending on mandatory programs, those for which permanent law requires Congress to provide the money necessary to pay benefits, such as disability compensation, the budget resolution directs the appropriate authorizing committee, e.g., the Veterans' Affairs Committee, to report legislation to change the law to reduce or eliminate entitlement to the benefit. Congress undertakes spending reductions for two purposes: to reduce deficit spending or to offset the loss of revenues from tax reductions.

The budget resolution passed and reported by the House Budget Committee on March 13, would make deep cuts in almost every agency and program of the Federal Government. To help offset the costs of the President's second massive tax cut plan costing $1.57 trillion, it would make the deepest cuts in veterans' programs that we have seen since the Great Depression. It would cut funding for veterans? medical care, already seriously under funded, by $844 million next year alone and by $9.7 billion over the next 10 years. The budget resolution would require the Veterans? Affairs Committee to report legislation to reduce or eliminate some entitlement to disability compensation and other benefits to save another $15 billion over the next 10 years. Together the cuts in discretionary and mandatory funding for veterans? programs would be approximately $25 billion.

In passing this budget resolution, there were three votes in the Budget Committee that are of concern to veterans. First, Representative Darlene Hooley (D. Oreg.) offered an amendment to the resolution to increase funding for veterans? medical care and to remove from the resolution the cuts in spending on veterans? programs. This amendment was defeated by a vote along party lines of 23 against to 18 for the amendment. Second, Representative Chet Edwards (D. Tex.) offered an amendment to provide enough money to fully cover the costs of concurrent receipt legislation authorizing disabled military retirees to be paid both the military retired pay they earned and the disability compensation they are due for service-connected conditions. This amendment was defeated by a vote along party lines of 23 against to 18 for the amendment. Third, the vote on the resolution itself, with the cuts in veterans? programs, passed by a vote along party lines of 24 for to 19 against the resolution.

This is how the members of the Budget Committee voted:

The 23 members who voted against the Hooley amendment to remove from the resolution cuts in veterans? programs and to increase discretionary funding voted against veterans. They are:


Jim Nussle (R-Iowa) 202-225-2911
Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) 202-225-5541
Gil Gutknecht (R-Minn.) 202-225-2472
Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) 202-225-3706
Jim Ryun (R-Kan.) 202-225-6601
Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) 202-225-6411
Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) 202-225-5816
Rob Portman (R-Ohio) 202-225-3164
Henry Brown (R-S.C.) 202-225-3176
Ander Crenshaw (R-Fla.) 202-225-2501
Adam Putnam (R-Fla.) 202-225-1252
Roger F. Wicker (R-Miss.) 202-225-4306
Kenny Hulshof (R-Mo.) 202-225-2956
Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) 202-225-7882
David Vitter (R-La.) 202-225-3015
Jo Bonner (R-Ala.) 202-225-4931
Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) 202-225-4576
Scott Garrett (R-N.J.) 202-225-4465
James Gresham Barrett (R-S.C.) 202-225-5301
Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.) 202-225-8171
Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) 202-225-2778
Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) 202-225-3484
Virginia Brown-Waite (R-Fla.) 202-225-1002

The 18 members who voted for the Hooley amendment and who voted for veterans are:


John M. Spratt, Jr. (D-S.C.) 202-225-5501
James P. Moran (D-Va.) 202-225-4376
Darlene Hooley (D-Ore.) 202-225-5711
Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) 202-225-2906
Dennis Moore (D-Kan.) 202-225-2865
John Lewis (D-Ga.) 202-225-3801
Richard E. Neal (D-Mass.) 202-225-5601
Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) 202-225-3661
Chet Edwards (D-Texas) 202-225-6105
Robert C. Scott (D-Va.) 202-225-8351
Lois Capps (D-Calif.) 202-225-3601
Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) 202-225-3311
Brian Baird (D-Wash.) 202-225-3536
Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) 202-225-4311
Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) 202-225-4061
Artur Davis (D-Ala.) 202-225-2665
Denise Majette (D-Ga.) 202-225-1605
Ron Kind (D-Wis.) 202-225-5506

Edward L. Schrock (R. Va.) and Harold E. Ford, Jr. (D. Tenn.) did not vote on the Hooley amendment.

The 23 members who voted against the Edwards amendment to provide money for full concurrent receipt and who voted against veterans are:


Jim Nussle (R-Iowa) 202-225-2911
Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) 202-225-5541
Gil Gutknecht (R-Minn.) 202-225-2472
Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) 202-225-3706
Jim Ryun (R-Kan.) 202-225-6601
Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) 202-225-6411
Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) 202-225-5816
Rob Portman (R-Ohio) 202-225-3164
Edward L. Schrock (R-Va.) 202-225-4215
Ander Crenshaw (R-Fla.) 202-225-2501
Adam Putnam (R-Fla.) 202-225-1252
Roger F. Wicker (R-Miss.) 202-225-4306
Kenny Hulshof (R-Mo.) 202-225-2956
Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) 202-225-7882
David Vitter (R-La.) 202-225-3015
Jo Bonner (R-Ala.) 202-225-4931
Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) 202-225-4576
Scott Garrett (R-N.J.) 202-225-4465
James Gresham Barrett (R-S.C.) 202-225-5301
Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.) 202-225-8171
Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) 202-225-2778
Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) 202-225-3484
Virginia Brown-Waite (R-Fla.) 202-225-1002

The 18 members who voted for the Edwards amendment and who voted for veterans are:


John M. Spratt, Jr. (D-S.C.) 202-225-5501
James P. Moran (D-Va.) 202-225-4376
Darlene Hooley (D-Ore.) 202-225-5711
Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) 202-225-2906
Dennis Moore (D-Kan.) 202-225-2865
John Lewis (D-Ga.) 202-225-3801
Richard E. Neal (D-Mass.) 202-225-5601
Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) 202-225-3661
Chet Edwards (D-Texas) 202-225-6105
Robert C. Scott (D-Va.) 202-225-8351
Harold E. Ford, Jr. (D-Tenn.) 202-225-3625
Lois Capps (D-Calif.) 202-225-3601
Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) 202-225-3311
Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) 202-225-4311
Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) 202-225-4061
Artur Davis (D-Ala.) 202-225-2665
Denise Majette (D-Ga.) 202-225-1605
Ron Kind (D-Wis.) 202-225-5506

Repesentatives Henry E. Brown (R. S.C.) and Brian Baird (D. Wash.) did not vote on the Edwards amendment.

The following 24 members voted for the resolution and against veterans:


Jim Nussle (R-Iowa) 202-225-2911
Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) 202-225-5541
Gil Gutknecht (R-Minn.) 202-225-2472
Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) 202-225-3706
Jim Ryun (R-Kan.) 202-225-6601
Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) 202-225-6411
Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) 202-225-5816
Rob Portman (R-Ohio) 202-225-3164
Edward L. Schrock (R-Va.) 202-225-4215
Henry Brown (R-S.C.) 202-225-3176
Ander Crenshaw (R-Fla.) 202-225-2501
Adam Putnam (R-Fla.) 202-225-1252
Roger F. Wicker (R-Miss.) 202-225-4306
Kenny Hulshof (R-Mo.) 202-225-2956
Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) 202-225-7882
David Vitter (R-La.) 202-225-3015
Jo Bonner (R-Ala.) 202-225-4931
Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) 202-225-4576
Scott Garrett (R-N.J.) 202-225-4465
James Gresham Barrett (R-S.C.) 202-225-5301
Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.) 202-225-8171
Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) 202-225-2778
Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) 202-225-3484
Virginia Brown-Waite (R-Fla.) 202-225-1002

The 19 members who voted against the resolution and for veterans are:


John M. Spratt, Jr. (D-S.C.) 202-225-5501
James P. Moran (D-Va.) 202-225-4376
Darlene Hooley (D-Ore.) 202-225-5711
Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) 202-225-2906
Dennis Moore (D-Kan.) 202-225-2865
John Lewis (D-Ga.) 202-225-3801
Richard E. Neal (D-Mass.) 202-225-5601
Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) 202-225-3661
Chet Edwards (D-Texas) 202-225-6105
Robert C. Scott (D-Va.) 202-225-8351
Harold E. Ford, Jr. (D-Tenn.) 202-225-3625
Lois Capps (D-Calif.) 202-225-3601
Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) 202-225-3311
Brian Baird (D-Wash.) 202-225-3536
Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) 202-225-4311
Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) 202-225-4061
Artur Davis (D-Ala.) 202-225-2665
Denise Majette (D-Ga.) 202-225-1605
Ron Kind (D-Wis.) 202-225-5506

The DAV encourages those of you who have members in their states that voted against veterans to let them know of your displeasure. Tell the member how deeply disappointed you are by his or her votes against our Nation?s disabled veterans. Question how the member could support a $1.57 trillion tax cut but not support paying disabled veterans who have devoted 20 or more years of their lives defending our Nation the retired pay they earned. Remind the member that, were it not for the service and sacrifices of our veterans, there would be no prosperous citizens to benefit from this tax cut. Explain that the member?s votes against veterans were all the more objectionable at a time when our Government has thousands of our sons and daughters in hostile environments fighting terrorism and enforcing our global political goals in nations around the world and at a time when thousands more are facing perhaps chemical and biological weapons and a dirty, bloody battle in Iraq. Remind them that, after politicians rightly or wrongly start wars, it is the members of our Armed Forces who must then fight and win those wars at all costs, and that it is unconscionable for the politicians to betray those ?who shall have borne the battle? tomorrow when they are veterans in need of compensation and medical care. If you had a House member from your state that voted for veterans, the DAV encourages you to contact that member?s office to express your sincere appreciation for his or her steadfast support of America?s disabled veterans.

We expect a vote by the full House of Representatives as early as tomorrow. Thank you for your continued support and involvement on this crucial matter.

JOSEPH A. VIOLANTE
National Legislative Director

************************

[Arrow]

Thank you Gimpy. It's not a pretty picture. But it should motivate us to ask what the ???????????

Arrow>>>>>>

[Gimpy]

It's not a pretty picture. I called my Rep. from Florida who just happens to be on the committee, Virgina Brown-Waite and got her assitant chief of staff on the phone about 4:15 this afternoon. I let her have it with BOTH BARRELS. I told her that if she continued on her present course and voted for this budget in the full House upcoming vote I was going to call every damn person in her district, contact every local TV station in the Tampa, St. Pete, Clearwater and Sarasota area, every damn newspaper in the area nad make DAMN SURE she NEVER gets elected again. She told me that she would forward my message to the Congresswoman and tried to "reassure" me that the Congresswoman was a true friend of Veterans and would do everything in her power to see that the final vote was reflective of her suuport of veterans. I told her it had sure as hell better be or otherwise I would follow through with my plans to unseat her.

[Gimpy]

Let's see some more action on this issue. The full Congress (House) is going to be voting on this today or tomorrow sometime and we need to send a message to these jerks that it is UNACCEPTABLE for them to pass it as it is now proposed!

I know that the War in Iraq is forefront in everyones mind right now. But, unless WE can convince Congress to do the "right" thing here there will be many, many more casualties coming back from that war who'll have to depend on a VA system that WILL NOT be able to take care of their needs or their families in an equitable and fair manner.

CALL, E-MAIL and WRITE your Congressman (or woman), Senators and the Whitehouse-----NOW!

Thanks----and God Bless our troops!

[Boats]

OK I called I raised hell and I told them we vets felt he should reconsider his vote and support us or look for other employment.

[Gimpy]

Hope he got the "message"!

[mikey30919]

well our government is attempting to bend us over and slide it to us without the vaseline again, our last hope is the senators, I urge you all to write your senators, or future veterans will lose compensation and those of us drawing VA and soc sec will lose now. I find it hard to believe our government is treating veterans like this at such a crucial time. While they send troops in harm's way, they vote to cut their benefits, it's disgusting to me. I expect this from a 3rd world country, not from America.

[Gimpy]

What did I tell everyone? Looks like the Republicans in Congress sure as hell don't give a S--T about disabled veterans or their dependents. There were a few Democrats that voted for this crap as well, but the overwhelming majority of "yea" votes came from those so-called "compassionate conservatives". Just like mikey said before me. Get out the vaseline folks---we're screwed BIG TIME this time. I hope all those veterans that supported Republicans in Congress are willing now to take a stance that will get these jerks OUT OF OFFICE!
************************
FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 82
(Republicans in roman; Democrats in italic; Independents underlined)

H CON RES 95 YEA-AND-NAY 21-MAR-2003 2:54 AM
QUESTION: On Agreeing to the Resolution
BILL TITLE: Congressional Budget for FY 2004


YEAS NAYS PRES NV
REPUBLICAN 214 12 3
DEMOCRATIC 1 199 5
INDEPENDENT 1
TOTALS 215 212 8



--- YEAS 215 ---
Aderholt Garrett (NJ) Nussle
Akin Gerlach Osborne
Bachus Gibbons Ose
Baker Gilchrest Otter
Ballenger Gillmor Oxley
Barrett (SC) Gingrey Pearce
Barton (TX) Goode Pence
Bass Goodlatte Peterson (PA)
Beauprez Goss Petri
Bereuter Granger Pickering
Biggert Graves Pitts
Bilirakis Green (WI) Pombo
Bishop (UT) Greenwood Porter
Blackburn Gutknecht Portman
Blunt Hall Pryce (OH)
Boehlert Harris Putnam
Boehner Hart Radanovich
Bonilla Hastert Ramstad
Bonner Hastings (WA) Regula
Bono Hayes Rehberg
Boozman Hayworth Renzi
Bradley (NH) Hensarling Reynolds
Brady (TX) Herger Rogers (AL)
Brown (SC) Hobson Rogers (KY)
Brown-Waite, Ginny Hoekstra Rogers (MI)
Burgess Hulshof Rohrabacher
Burns Hunter Ros-Lehtinen
Burr Hyde Royce
Burton (IN) Isakson Ryan (WI)
Calvert Issa Ryun (KS)
Camp Istook Schrock
Cannon Janklow Sensenbrenner
Cantor Jenkins Sessions
Capito Johnson (IL) Shadegg
Carter Johnson, Sam Shaw
Chabot Jones (NC) Shays
Chocola Keller Sherwood
Coble Kelly Shimkus
Cole Kennedy (MN) Shuster
Collins King (IA) Simmons
Combest King (NY) Simpson
Cox Kingston Smith (MI)
Crane Kirk Smith (NJ)
Crenshaw Kline Smith (TX)
Cubin Knollenberg Souder
Culberson Kolbe Stearns
Cunningham LaHood Sullivan
Davis, Jo Ann Latham Sweeney
Davis, Tom LaTourette Tancredo
Deal (GA) Leach Tauzin
DeLay Lewis (CA) Taylor (NC)
DeMint Lewis (KY) Terry
Diaz-Balart, L. Linder Thomas
Diaz-Balart, M. LoBiondo Tiahrt
Doolittle Lucas (OK) Tiberi
Dreier Manzullo Toomey
Duncan McCotter Turner (OH)
Dunn McCrery Upton
Ehlers McInnis Vitter
Emerson McKeon Walden (OR)
English Mica Walsh
Everett Miller (FL) Wamp
Feeney Miller (MI) Weldon (FL)
Ferguson Miller, Gary Weldon (PA)
Flake Murphy Weller
Fletcher Musgrave Wicker
Foley Myrick Wilson (NM)
Forbes Nethercutt Wilson (SC)
Fossella Ney Wolf
Franks (AZ) Northup Young (AK)
Frelinghuysen Norwood Young (FL)
Gallegly Nunes

--- NAYS 212 ---
Abercrombie Gutierrez Napolitano
Ackerman Harman Neal (MA)
Alexander Hastings (FL) Oberstar
Allen Hefley Obey
Andrews Hill Olver
Baca Hinchey Ortiz
Baird Hinojosa Owens
Baldwin Hoeffel Pallone
Ballance Holden Pascrell
Bartlett (MD) Holt Pastor
Becerra Honda Paul
Bell Hooley (OR) Payne
Berkley Hostettler Pelosi
Berman Houghton Peterson (MN)
Berry Hoyer Platts
Bishop (GA) Inslee Pomeroy
Bishop (NY) Israel Price (NC)
Blumenauer Jackson (IL) Quinn
Boswell Jackson-Lee (TX) Rahall
Boucher Jefferson Rangel
Boyd John Reyes
Brady (PA) Johnson (CT) Rodriguez
Brown (OH) Johnson, E. B. Ross
Brown, Corrine Jones (OH) Rothman
Capps Kanjorski Roybal-Allard
Capuano Kaptur Ruppersberger
Cardin Kennedy (RI) Rush
Cardoza Kildee Ryan (OH)
Carson (IN) Kilpatrick Sabo
Carson (OK) Kind Sanchez, Linda T.
Case Kleczka Sanchez, Loretta
Castle Kucinich Sanders
Clay Lampson Sandlin
Clyburn Langevin Schakowsky
Conyers Lantos Schiff
Cooper Larsen (WA) Scott (GA)
Costello Larson (CT) Scott (VA)
Cramer Lee Serrano
Crowley Levin Sherman
Cummings Lewis (GA) Skelton
Davis (AL) Lofgren Slaughter
Davis (CA) Lowey Smith (WA)
Davis (FL) Lucas (KY) Solis
Davis (IL) Lynch Spratt
Davis (TN) Majette Stark
DeFazio Maloney Stenholm
DeGette Markey Strickland
Delahunt Marshall Stupak
DeLauro Matheson Tanner
Deutsch Matsui Tauscher
Dicks McCarthy (NY) Taylor (MS)
Dingell McCollum Thompson (CA)
Doggett McDermott Thompson (MS)
Dooley (CA) McGovern Tierney
Doyle McHugh Towns
Edwards McIntyre Turner (TX)
Emanuel McNulty Udall (NM)
Engel Meehan Van Hollen
Eshoo Meek (FL) Velazquez
Etheridge Meeks (NY) Visclosky
Evans Menendez Waters
Farr Michaud Watson
Fattah Millender-McDonald Watt
Filner Miller (NC) Waxman
Ford Miller, George Weiner
Frank (MA) Mollohan Wexler
Frost Moore Whitfield
Gephardt Moran (KS) Woolsey
Gonzalez Moran (VA) Wu
Green (TX) Murtha Wynn
Grijalva Nadler

--- NOT VOTING 8 ---
Buyer McCarthy (MO) Thornberry
Gordon Saxton Udall (CO)
Lipinski Snyder