Congress Gets Paid, Veterans Get Shafted

Every year, Congress needs to pass 12 appropriations bills by October 1st to keep the federal government up and running. If lawmakers don't meet this deadline, the government operates on temporary funding or shuts down.

And Congress rarely meets this deadline. In fact, 19 out of the last 22 years, Congress has failed to pass the VA budget on time. When the VA budget is late, the nation's largest health care provider is forced to wait in limbo, relying on stop-gap funding measures. VA hospitals and clinics can't plan for critical staffing and equipment needs, leading to long waits for appointments and rationed care. As a result, 6 million veterans who rely on the VA for health care pay the price for Congress' bickering and inefficiency.

Despite repeated assurances that the VA budget would be passed on time this year, the September 30th deadline has come and gone. And the only thing that's passed is another milestone: 20 out of the last 23 years, the veterans' health care budget is late. This year, the VA is not alone. The only budget that did pass on time was the one that funds salary checks for members of Congress. So Congress gets paid, and vets get stuck waiting. Again.

If Adam Vinatieri missed 20 out of his last 23 field goals, he'd be out of a job, and all of Indianapolis would be outraged. But Congress repeatedly misses the mark, gives itself a pay raise, and hardly anyone notices.

In the last two weeks especially, veterans have fallen victim to government inefficiency at its worst. First, it was thousands of late GI Bill payments and now it's a late VA budget. Congress has spent months debating new government health care plans, and can't even fund the ones we already have. Wait until Glenn Beck hears about this one. His head might actually explode.

With over half of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans still serving on active duty and poised to flood the VA system in the next few years, we cannot allow this ineffective funding process to continue.

The only way to ensure the highest quality of care our nation's veterans deserve is to provide sufficient, timely, and predictable funding. In recent years, Congress has delivered record increases in VA funding. And when this year's budget is approved, Congress will have increased VA funding by 15 percent over 2009 levels. But that can only happen if the budget is actually passed.

Ironically, the solution to chronic VA budget delays is wrapped up in this year's proposed budget. "Advance appropriations," or approving the VA health care budget one year in advance, is the top legislative priority for IAVA and many other leading veterans groups in 2009 and is included in the pending budget. Advanced appropriations would provide the VA with many more tools to prepare for the surge of veterans coming home and would put the years of tardy budgets behind us.

The men and women who have bravely served our country should not be forced to wait any longer for the care they have earned. If lawmakers aren't pressured into passing the VA budget and advance appropriations, and quickly, this trend will surely continue. And I'll be writing a similar piece again this time next year. Veterans shouldn't have to play this wait-and-see game, while Congress goes to the bank.

Crossposted at www.IAVA.org.

 

Follow Paul Rieckhoff on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PaulRieckhoff

Comments

[Aikaterina]

Mr. Reickhoff

Congress was too busy accepting bribes from defense contrators, paying $100-K mercenaries, and investing (ie profitting from) the war to care for the troops serving this nation. They've been good at only one thing...serving their own interests, pandering to their patrons-be­nefactors, and feathering their own nests.

Congress enjoys a government-run, taxpayer-s­ubsidized, "cadillac" health care plan (which they vilify) free (for life), can go to Bethesda Naval Hospital for their ailments, knowing they'll get the best care on our dime. They won't allow veterans or other Americans those same privileges, however, and will force us to buy private policies on the "free" market, with taxpayer subsidies to the insurers.

Congress will undoubtedly exempt themselves from any taxes on employer-sponsored benefits, which they propose for others, and will limit caps and coverage for the veterans (as well) they sent to war, so they could profit.

They kept funding the war with the mantra "Support Our Troops," yet the money went to private no-bid contractors, mercenaries, while soldiers were sent into battle without armored vehicles, body armor, sufficient (potable) water, and were being electrocuted in showers built by the contractors.

Congress deems veterans as little as they disregard the plight of America's citizens: pawns for their personal gain, profit, to whom the bills get sent, but benefits denied.

[ProudMilVet]

Absolutely amazing ! Even more amazing are the Members of the right wing such as Mike Huckabee who routinely proclaim that America is "The Greatest Nation on the on the face of the Earth." My God, we can't even take care of our Veterans, but these Bums in Congress still get paid on time? Disgusting ! Right now i am Ashamed to be an American ! And some people wonder why the IOC did'nt want the Olympics to come to this country ? It's because the rest of the world is sick of this country's hypocritical BS !!

[DDKAHALAS]

When will Obama shut down the Baucus self defeat machine?? if not soon the democrats will take a stifling and perhaps final blow.
Baucas should really switch parties and help the Republicans to their ruin...

[tbone99]

Young men and women fight for profits for the multi nationals .This is capitalism . Do they really expect union benefits?

[dragonfly2x]

Great Post Mr Reickhoff...

GOOD ON YOU!

[thatguy2009]

What is happening to this country? Our men and women in uniform desrve more than this. Get it done right (looking at you democrats) and don't just say you support the troops and then do nothing (looking at you republicans)

[demfriend]

I find anyone who spouts the "they volunteered" as an excuse to treat the vets or even active duties badly repulsive. If anyone who uses that excuse for mistreatment can say that about our persons who guard and protect our freedom looks at themselves then are you not volunteering to work at your job and who cares if YOU get paid or treatment for any injuries? It is a time when the wars are not on the front pages nor do the persons doing their absolute best to do the jobs given them by the military and us, get their "Thanks" or "Great Job" from anyone but a few and we all should step up and do just that. If they are what stands between our being attacked again then why is the media and are we allowing this back page reporting to happen? If someone local dies then it's news for that locality but we all should be saddened by the individual losses too. Please write the local papers and call the local stations and let them know the front pages are where these VA issues as well as the wars must be. Write/email your congresspersons and let them know they are getting paid at the expense of our vets and troops!

[tbone99]

What is it exactly these troops are fighting for?

They aren't fighting to keep the country safe for ordinary citizens , because we've just seen two different presidents ( supposedly on opposing sides) open up the Treasury and hand taxpayer money to criminal banks.
They aren;t fighting for "free markets , because those banks would have been allowed to fail if that were so.
They weren't fighting for justice because very few of the Corporate CEOs who robbed us are even being accused.
They aren;t fighting for the people because the president and Congress have given their consent to evicted us , leave us jobless and go without healthcare so theat corporations can make more profits. They aren't fighting for our land because national parks are being opened up to drilling and logging.
If I recall no one in Iraq or Afghanistan requested our help , our money or our lives.
If these soldiers really wanted to help America they would come home and help put this country right .

[bronceye]

"They volunteered".

[vlm1948]

So what? Do you work for free? There won't be any volunteers if this crap keeps up. Would you rather they re-instated the draft?

[boyleebob]

What a damn shame! This is really how we support the troops.

[vhhsawb]

the very best congress money can buy...too bad it is not OUR money that bought it...

[StacyM]

This is just shameful behavior. Allowing the people who serve this country to go without necessary care, our people living and dying in the streets like wild animals. Why are the Congress earning a paycheck when they're not even doing their jobs? If only we could all vote on our paychecks....

[terramartom]

Keep up the good fight.
Only some type of revolution will knock these greedy clowns off their perch.
The public needs to take notice because these same Politicians will be asking your sons, daughters, Mothers and Fathers to go to war again in the near future. Perhaps Africa, perhaps Asia, but guaranteed they will be asking and give some bogus reason like, National Security, when in fact it is all for profit warfare just like we have now in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In American war is good business for Politicians. They line their bank accounts and keep themselves in power through false Patriotism!

http://www.richmonk31.blogspot.com

[NoFactsJustTruth]

Its almost like a type of annual hostage terrorism, Paul, as OUR country's funding (especially anything humanitarian) is held by the pro-corporate forces in CONgress, to be ransomed ONLY by providing 'their' funding and budget considerations - 'first'.

And, they unfortunately know its not exactly the situation where we can just say, "We don't negotiate with terrorists."

[ReealOne]

This is ABSOLUTELY appalling, and I agree with Paul... IT CANNOT CONTINUE.

Here we have men and women who have already, and are putting their lives on the line for this country, and all services available for them should be given priority. They should not have to wait or beg for assistance.

This is EXACTLY why status quo or "business as usual" in our government CANNOT be allowed to continue to operate. I say that if congress cannot get it's act together, let's demand that every last one of 'em do tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, utilizing the SAME support services our Vets and enlisted men and woman are "rationed", and maybe they'll learn the importance of getting these service on time and on a regular basis. Until congress literelly put themselves in others shoes, they will never know what the disappointment feels like.

Enough of congress making sure that THEY get taken care of before everyone else... and with our taxpayer dollars... while everyone else will just have to wait and make do.

[vippy]

In this day and age we know what our leaders are doing and we complain and complain yet
with the next election we keep voting them in office again. I give up!

[ReealOne]

What we DO NOT want vippy is to give up. That is EXACTLY what they rely on. Changing status quo is NEVER easy.... and those who are use to status quo, usually go out kicking and screaming... but it CAN be done.

Let's STOP allowing them to discourage us, and be persistent. It's the ONLY way. In the end.. the ONLY thing that wins is persistence.

[belly dancer]

Great article Mr. Rieckhoff... My sweet husband is a vet...he has not had one day pain free since he was stabbed, suffered 3rd degree burns and broke his back in Panama as a young Army Ranger...he is so grateful for the VA and his local VA hospital and people out there like you making sure they are taken care of...