President Bush’s Stated Commitment to Veterans Not Reflected in Budget

President Bush often emphasizes his commitment to veterans, saying in 2001, “My administration understands America’s obligations not only go to those who wear the uniform today, but to those who wore the uniform in the past: to our veterans.”1

But the 200,000 veterans waiting six months or more for their first appointment at a VA facility would be denied access to VA health care under Bush’s plan. Others would be charged $250 annual enrollment fees, doubled prescription costs and increased co-payments.2

The same day the President met with wounded soldiers and said that America “should and must provide the best care for anybody who is willing to put their life in harm’s way,”3 the Veterans’ Administration explained that it could solve the backlog problem by limiting enrollment. “VA would avoid very significant additional medical benefits costs and begin to bring demand in line with capacity, which will reduce the number of veterans on wait lists.”4

The administration would also reduce costs by denying access to “better-off”5 veterans - those who do not have service-related disabilities and with incomes as low as $21,050.6

Estimates suggest this would likely more than triple the number of veterans denied health care by FY 2005 to more than half a million7, and the VA anticipates that 55%8 of veterans who already participate in the VA health care plan, numbering 1.25 million, may be unable to continue participation due to the enrollment fee.9

Congress has called for $1.8 billion beyond what the administration requested for FY 2004 funding beyond the White House request.10

While funding for VA 2004 remains unresolved, Congress sought to include $1.3 billion in veterans’ health care and extending reservists benefits who have been called up in the $87 billion emergency funding bill. The administration “strongly opposed” the provisions, articulated in a letter from White House Budget Director Joshua Bolten, which were later stripped.11

For Sources see: http://www.misleader.org/daily_mislead/read.asp?fn=df11102003.html

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And on ripping off America:

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Bush Investment Plan: Profits for Halliburton, Nothing for Workers

By: Bracken Hendricks and Skye Perryman
November 6, 2003

Republican allegiance to corporate interests has distorted the direction of US policies both at home and abroad. But there is a better way: it is time for a new vision on energy policy and national security. It is time for an Apollo Project that reinvests in American communities, creates jobs at home, and ends our dependence on foreign oil and its corrupting political influence once and for all.

In a victory for civic participation and government accountability, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced today that it would cancel its contract with Halliburton Corporation for oil transportation into Iraq. This comes after several weeks of pressure by Democratic Congressmen Waxman and Dingell, who have led the charge to uncover the truth about Halliburton’s no-bid contract with the U.S. Government. Reports suggest that Halliburton has been charging the US government more than twice the actual cost of importing fuel into Iraq, a move that has cost millions in taxpayer dollars.

In a convenient coincidence, the cancellation of Halliburton’s contract comes just two days after House Republicans stripped the Iraq supplemental bill of an anti-profiteering provision which would have held companies holding contracts with the U.S. government criminally accountable for price gouging. Once again, the Republicans have failed to hold businesses accountable.

Get the Full Report: http://www.apolloalliance.org/strategy_center/halliburton_report.cfm