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Veterans Groups Angry at White House

As American troops continue to fight bravely in Iraq, leaders of veterans' organizations recently expressed anger at the Bush Administration and its Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for proposing a budget that shortchanges veterans.

The budget, they say, would worsen the backlog in processing disability claims, reduce the number of nursing home beds in veterans' facilities (just as the demand is increasing) and require some veterans to pay to use the VA health system.

DEPLORABLE. Commander in Chief Edward S. Banas Sr. of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) called the President's 2005 budget for VA health care "deplorable" and "a disgrace and a shame." Banas says the funding package is $2.6 billion short of what's needed. One Bush proposal would require some veterans to pay $250 a year to use VA health services. Another would more than double prescription drug co-pays, from $7 per prescription to $15.

The changes would not affect veterans with service-related health problems, however.

SIX MONTH WAITS. Veterans are being asked to pay for their own health care to make up for shortages in the federal budget, Banas says. He emphasized that thousands of veterans are currently waiting six months or more for basic health care. "This is inexcusable," he says. "Especially when no member of Congress would wait this long for health care.

"It's clear that just as we fought on the battlefields, we must now bring the fight to the halls of Congress. Having traveled throughout the nation," he adds, "I know that the American people will not tolerate this shoddy treatment of America's veterans, especially at a time of war."

UNSUNG HERO. At the same time that Bush was being lambasted by the VFW, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was receiving the American Legion's "Unsung Hero" award. The citation praises Representative Pelosi for championing bills to help disabled veterans and to add funds to the VA's discretionary budget.

Pelosi said her work on these issues is far from over. "This year, President Bush once again submitted a budget that threatens veterans' health care. We must continue to work on behalf of America's veterans to protect and restore the benefits they deserve."

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