Is
There No Sanity Left
In Washington D.C?
By David Truskoff
07 September, 2006
Countercurrents.org
As
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 Coven
The 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."
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