Unfortunately, on this Veterans Day we are still engaged in battles in Afghanistan and Iraq. To date, more than 2,800 American service members have been killed in Iraq; more than 300 have been killed in Afghanistan; and, 21,200 have been wounded; many of them permanently. These men and women, and their families, have tremendous needs and we must ensure that they have the support of a grateful nation.
To that end, I have lent my support to the comprehensive New GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century. In 1944, Congress enacted the original GI Bill of Rights to honor the “Greatest Generation,” providing returning troops with educational benefits, loans to buy a home, and medical assistance. And in each major military conflict since, we have honored our veterans through an improved GI Bill. The New GI Bill will strengthen benefits for men and women in uniform today, and provide more responsive benefits for those who have already served.
The New GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century focuses on improving veterans’ health care, including mental health care, to meet the needs of our returning troops. Unfortunately, veterans face considerable obstacles obtaining the quality health care they were promised when they joined the service. The Administration has proposed nearly doubling pharmacy co-pays for military families. And, since January 2003, more than 270,000 veterans have been shut out of the VA health care system entirely. This health care crisis will only get worse with the growing numbers of returning service members from Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. In 2006 alone, the Department expects to treat 5.2 million veterans, double the number in 1995.
This year, I pledged to help veterans in South and Central Texas get the health care services they need. We are fighting to meet the demand for current services and medical inflation this year, and because of our efforts, House leadership finally acknowledge that funding for veterans’ health care was nearly $3 billion short.
Many of us in Congress have also been calling to end the Disabled Veterans’ Tax that forces military retirees with service-connected disabilities to give up one dollar of their pension for every dollar of disability pay they received. We have been successful in getting a partial repeal, but this unfair tax should be repealed for the remaining 400,000 disabled military retirees.
Our troops deserve a new direction and we will honor their service with a New GI Bill of Rights worthy of our great country. Our troops, veterans, and the families of those who have given their lives in defense of our country deserve the gratitude, respect and support of the American people and their government.
On the battlefield, the military pledges to leave no soldier behind. As a nation, let it be our pledge that when they return home, we will leave no veteran behind.
