“The cost of war must include caring for the warrior”
U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is calling for an immediate and independent examination into the Bush administration's ability to provide long-term health care for members of the armed forces who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Angered by conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Giffords and 42 fellow freshman members of Congress have asked the U.S. Government Accountability Office to investigate whether the federal government is meeting the medical needs of all returning soldiers while caring for veterans of previous wars.
Giffords, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, visited Walter Reed last month as part of a private visit organized and conducted by the Army. The congresswoman met wounded soldiers in the main ward of the hospital but was not shown Building 18, the area that is now the focus of a congressional inquiry.
As a result, Giffords said today she wonders if the omission was deliberate.
“This situation is intolerable,” the Tucson lawmaker said. “I am committed to working with my colleagues on the Armed Services Committee to ensure that no American veteran will ever again have to endure the indignities now coming to light at Walter Reed.”
In their letter to GAO Comptroller General David M. Walker, the freshmen members of Congress wrote that Walter Reed's problems in providing adequate outpatient health care “may be the tip of the iceberg in terms of lack of readiness.”
“We believe the cost of war must include caring for the warrior,” the lawmakers wrote. “A thorough examination of this issue is critical to ensure that we meet our moral obligation to those who have answered the call of duty.”
Giffords has been an active advocate for military men and women since taking office in January. She recently formed a Veterans Advisory Committee and visited the Polytrauma Network Site at the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System in South Tucson.
Giffords has co-sponsored numerous pieces of legislation to provide troops and career military professionals the benefits they have earned, including the Military Retirees Health Care Protection Act. The act will prevent the Pentagon from raising health care premiums for service members and retirees.