Vets Funding Proposal Slammed; Will 'Severely Hamstring' Services

WASHINGTON, July 17 /U.S. Newswire/

"Totally unacceptable" is how AMVETS (American Veterans) National Commander W.G. "Bill" Kilgore described legislation proposed by a House subcommittee for funding veterans' healthcare and related services.

Kilgore said the recommendation by the House Subcommittee on Appropriations is $2 billion below the nearly $30 billion that the congressional budget resolution had called for in April. " Coming at a time when our military personnel are putting their lives on the line in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places around the world, the FY 2004 VA-HUD appropriations bill is unconscionable."

According to the AMVETS leader, the bill, which provides for only a $1.4 billion increase, will "severely hamstring" efforts to serve, not only the needs of current veterans, but also those of "this new generation of veterans we're creating."

Kilgore, whose organization-together with the Disabled American Veterans, the Paralyzed Veterans and the Veterans of Foreign Wars-coauthors The Independent Budget, said adequate funding is absolutely essential if the Department of Veterans Affairs is to deliver quality health care to "the men and women who have sacrificed in the service of their country." ---

Ride Don’t Drive It’s Global Cool

just died on active duty. It would have been the right thing to do. Not to mention fiscally sound.

the vets! Get your butt shot off for me and then go die in the gutter.

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My step-dad has had to pay a lot more for his meds and has had longer waits for appointments. Right now, he received a letter about tests for Agent Orange, but can not get in because of the backlog. Bush, who dodged the Viet Nam war, is cutting the benefits of the men who went in his place. He makes me sick.

yes folks we could ALL, everyone of us, be 270 Million dollars richer.. <$80 billion divide 292 million> EACH, without the war. and the compassionate republicans say raising the minimum wage $0.50 an hour would bankrupt the country. we could have bought them off a hell of a lot cheaper, but then we wouldnt have been able to use up all tha old ammo. Bush nixed the increase of the DEATH BENEFIT to WAR WIDOWS from $6,000 to $12,000. Bush prides himself in being a Compassionate Conservative, he has big promises, never follows thru, because he is a heartless liar!! he is running this country like a drunk on a benge with our credit cards.

What a mess.

The Republican wet dream is to cut all social/medical services to everyone but the wealthy. I suspect traitor Franks gets good benefits.