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Veterans

News and Action from Rep. Rothman On Veterans' Issues May 12, 2006- Rep. Rothman Votes to Eliminate Tax Cuts for Millionaires to Fund Improvements to Veterans' Healthcare March 7, 2006- Rothman Discusses Veterans' Benefits and Iraq War with VFW Members from NJ January 30, 2006- Bush Administration Turned Away Nearly 5,000 New Jersey Veterans Seeking VA Care in 2005 ... more news releases

We, as Americans, owe our very freedom to the veterans who fought for it. I deeply honor and respect the contributions of every one of the brave men and women who have served our great country. I believe it is the responsibility of the United States government and its people to fulfill the promises we made to these soldiers when they first joined the armed services. They not only deserve our sustained appreciation and recognition, but also deserve access to healthcare and the other social services they need upon returning from service to their country.

We Must Fully Fund Veterans’ Benefits

I believe that fully funding veterans’ benefits is the very least we can do for our courageous servicemen and women, and I have continuously fought for increased funding for the services provided by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA). It is unconscionable that some veterans must wait weeks or months for an appointment or simply do not have access to any VA healthcare at all. Unfortunately, this problem will not solve itself. The situation is not going to improve without proper funding, because the demand for these services is increasing.

The “Honor Our Commitment to Veterans Act” Would Reverse Anti-Veteran Decisions by Bush Administration

Despite the reality that the costs for providing medical care to our veterans are increasing, there are those in Congress who believe we should limit VA services. At any time, but especially when our country is at war, I believe that it is both dishonorable and wrong to limit the services provided to veterans. I oppose any rollback of benefits, increases of co-payments, or tightening of regulations on VA services. In fact, on July 20, 2005, I introduced legislation called the “Honor Our Commitment to Veterans Act” that would reverse a decision made by the Bush Administration in January 2003, which limits the access that veterans have to healthcare.

The Administration’s decision essentially froze the enrollment of Priority 8 veterans, or those who do not have a service-related injury and make more than a geographically-specific, VA-designated amount. That amount is $40,600 in Bergen and Passaic Counties and $35,900 in Hudson County for a veteran with no dependents, as of January 1, 2006. As a result of this freeze, over 360,000 veterans have been barred from receiving health care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Over the next 20 years, approximately 847,000 veterans will be barred from receiving health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs if the freeze is allowed to continue, including our heroic service members currently returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

I opposed this decision because far too many Priority 8 veterans now find health insurance unaffordable in the private market and have few other options. Our brave men and women who have faithfully served our country deserve the healthcare they were promised. That is why I will continue to fight to have my legislation enacted and to secure increased funding for the VA. I am proud to support veterans’ programs and I will continue to fight to ensure these programs are fully funded, because I understand that, quite simply, without these brave men and women, our country would not enjoy the benefits of freedom and democracy.

VA Facilities Need to Be Equipped for Complex and Growing Health Care Needs

Our VA facilities are jam-packed, because of the large number of aging veterans of World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the first war in the Persian Gulf. There are also new veterans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan everyday, and the number of soldiers wounded in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, who cannot return to duty is now over 7,000 and is quickly growing. The technology and services that wounded soldiers require are now more expansive and expensive than ever before. Many of these returning veterans have special needs for healthcare services like rehabilitation, prosthetics, occupational therapy, and mental health services.

Posted February 15, 2006