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WE NEED TO KEEP OUR PROMISES TO VETERANS

The President announced his budget a month ago and it proposes deep funding cuts for a number of services American families depend on. But the most severe cuts are to health care for veterans.  Our nation has long promised that the men and women who wear our nation’s uniform would receive medical care for the wounds or injuries suffered while serving our nation.  Moreover, after leaving the service, veterans would receive excellent healthcare as they grow older.  Yet the President’s budget would renege on these promises.

For the fourth year in a row, the President wants veterans to pay more for their health care.  Imposing yet more new fees will cause an estimated 1 million veterans to pay more than $2.6 billion over five years for the health care they need.  Early estimates show that 200,000 veterans will be forced out of the system because they will be unable to afford the new fees.

Co-pays for prescription drugs would almost double from $8 to $15.  Given that many of our senior veterans take multiple medications, some will face the choice of paying for prescriptions or paying for other basic expenses.  Also, the President has proposed an enrollment fee of $250 a year for category 7 and 8 veterans, who make as little as $26,902 a year.  It is appalling that the President and the Republican would deny veterans the healthcare promised them upon enlistment.  

The budget increases TRICARE health care premiums for 3.1 million of the nation's military retirees under 65. Premiums will double for senior enlisted retirees and triple for officer retirees by 2009 and drug co-payments will increase -- costing military retirees $2.4 billion over five years. These fee increases of more than $1,000 could drive more than 144,000 military retirees out of the TRICARE system, leaving them without the health care they earned through 20 years of service.

Moreover, as long as we continue military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, we will have even more veterans returning home in need of healthcare.  A recent Army study shows that about one in six soldiers in Iraq report symptoms of major depression, serious anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD.)  Some experts predict that the number eventually requiring mental health treatment could exceed 170,000. It is estimated that up to one-third of Iraq war veterans are suffering from some degree of PTSD. And yet, the President's budget calls for only about 14 percent more for post-traumatic stress disorder and mental health services than last year.

Finally, the President’s budget would cut $13 million from medical and prosthetic research this year. This would set the research grant program back years, just as many of our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are coming home with terrible injuries that require this expertise.  We should do everything possible to make sure our wounded veterans can readjust to life here at home.  I do not see how cutting these funds accomplishes that goal.

Last year, only the efforts of veteran’s groups and Democrats in Congress increased the funding for the Veteran’s Department.  We need to honor the promises we have made to our fighting men and women.  The President’s budget does not do this and you can rest assured that I and other Democrats will fight for the funding veterans deserve.

 

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Congressman Charles A. Gonzalez
327 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-4320
Phone: (202)225-3236
Fax: (202)225-1915
Congressman Charles A. Gonzalez
B-124 Federal Building
727 East Durango
San Antonio, TX 78206-1286
Phone:  (210)472-6195
Fax:      (210)472-4009
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