OBAMA TO FULLY FUND THE VA

In an effort to reach across the aisle on the issue of VA Funding, President Obama was almost fooled into privatizing Veteran's Health Care.

As of Wednesday evening, word has gotten out, that the continued efforts of our many veterans advocacy groups to steer the administration away from this potential disaster, has worked. The proposal is no-longer on the table.

American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) has made the case for full VA funding, even in the face of this economic crisis. The main sponsor of the private/voucher system of veterans healthcare? Sen John McCain.

There have been efforts to dismantle the VA since it's inception. We know what political party has continually pressed for the elimination of this department.
They insist this notion that if the government provides, manages and subsidizes health care to any US citizens, regardless of the military service they provided our country, reeks of socialism.

For the last eight years, the level of funding has dwindled in hopes to push the level of service below public tolerance with the intent to sway public opinion to their view. It almost worked.

McCain serves as the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee. He offered an often attempted notion to introduce a voucher system to supply Vets Healthcare. An idea that is another thinly veiled step toward dismantling the current Veterans Health Administration. Until now, Obama was tepidly interested.

AFGE President John Gage told watchdog groups: “Senator McCain is one of the most prominent veterans in the country and should understand the severity of acting against the stability and well-being of his fellow veterans. We respect his years of service, we just hope that he can respect the service of the 23 million other veterans living in the United States.”

To get their message out clearly, the folks at AFGE put together this video in hopes to convince McCain and the other members of the committee to fully fund the VA and step away from the Voucher/Private proposal. The VA is ideal in that it focuses on problems unique to veterans issues. McCain, as their membership states, should know that he is jeopardizing the services of those he claims to support.




My hat is off to Obama for seeing the wisdom of a fully funded VA. With an expected 400 thousand peace-keepers, half ours, about to flood Afghanistan for the next decade, we need a reliable VA.