Frequently we hear from elected officials in both Congress and the Administration – especially in this election season – about how invaluable are the services of those who currently wear, or at one time wore, an American uniform. The valiant efforts of my brothers and sisters in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard earn them praise and medals and parades. Unfortunately, what it has not yet earned them is the absolute assurance that VA health-care will be available whenever they need it.
The VA gets its money from Congress through discretionary funding, that is what Congress and the Administration haggle about every year- How much to provide for veterans health-care. If NASA needs a little more, veterans get a little less. If veterans need a little more, then Congress or the Administration can recommend higher co-payments from veterans themselves. Does this sound like the expression of a grateful nation?
Many veterans service organizations, including United Spinal Association and our VetsFirst program, believe that the Nation can best express its gratitude to veterans by:
- Removing VA health-care from the discretionary budget process and making VA health-care funding mandatory;
- Ensuring that the VA is prepared and funded to treat more than 85,000 new veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and will seek VA care this year;
- Protecting the specialized services that are available to our most seriously injured veterans (i.e. spinal cord injury, blinded veterans, traumatic brain injuries, amputations, mental illness);
- Opening the VA health-care system to more than 1,870,000 honorable veterans who have been denied access to VA health-care since inadequate funding forced the Secretary to close the VA’s doors to them in 2003;
- Providing $325M for the improvement of mental health services and traumatic brain injury care – the signature injuries of our wounded heroes from Iraq and Afghanistan; and
- Making the government’s words and actions converge regarding its commitment and its gratitude.
Please show your support for our Nation’s veterans and help us secure mandatory VA funding.
Paul J. Tobin
President and Chief Executive Officer
United Spinal Association
