Is There No Sanity Left
In Washington D.C?By David Truskoff
07 September, 2006
Countercurrents.orgAs Bush continues his illegal war in Iraq and the military men keep telling him he will not have enough troops to proceed unless he institutes the military draft, he continues to offend returning veterans.
More and more wounded are coming home in need of continuing medical treatment over loading the veteran’s hospitals and the administration keeps cutting the budgets for those services.
A rebellion looms ahead. Lame duck Presidents are impervious to the anger and hate that builds In the country, but Congressional candidates will feel it this coming election day.
BUDGET PROCESS BILL THREATENS VETERANS’ PROGRAMS
By Richard Kogan and Martha CovenThe Senate Budget Committee has approved a bill (S. 3521) that would radically alter federal budget procedures and could lead to deep cuts over time in the vast majority of domestic programs, including veterans’ programs Budget Committee Chairman Judd Gregg, has been co-sponsored by 26 other Senators (including Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist), and was approved by the Budget Committee with the support of all 12 majority party members — as a "vision statement."[1]
Senator Judd said the President’s budget also calls for cuts in 2009 in other, smaller appropriations accounts that are important to veterans, including:
a 9 percent ($8 million) cut in grants for the construction of state veterans homes, including domiciliaries, nursing homes, and adult care facilities;
a 9 percent ($3 million) cut in grants for the construction of veterans’ cemeteries;
a 6 percent ($10 million) cut in funding for the National Cemetery Administration;
a 10 percent ($5 million) cut in training programs for veterans administered by the Department of Labor; and
a 5 percent ($80 million) cut in the funds used to administer the veterans’ compensation and pension programs. Cutting these funds is likely to lead to delays in eligibility determinations and the appeals process. The funds used to administer veterans’ housing loan programs also would be cut, by 10 percent ($16 million) in 2009.
The bottom of the barrel has been scraped and recruiters can not make their quotas of new military men to fight in Iraq. Congressman John Murtha of Pennsylvania, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, has given the President an ultimatum. "Re-think your objectives in Iraq or institute the Draft because you will need more troops."
