Text 17797, 100 rader
Skriven 2006-02-09 09:49:22 av BOB SAKOWSKI (1:123/140)
Ärende: Support the troops republican style
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Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Senate Republicans Screw Veterans Again
What in the world is Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist going to do with
those wacky Democrats? Don’t they understand that war is supposed to make
America’s richest people more wealthy and not actually make them sacrifice
for the war effort?

Despite Senate Democrats spending much of 2005 getting shot down by the GOP
majority as they attempted to secure funding for active military, Veterans
and first responders, Senators Christopher Dodd (D-CT) and Jack Reed (D-RI)
decided to take another kick at the can last week.

Dodd proposed S.AMDT.2735, which was intended to "…support the health needs
of our veterans and military personnel and reduce the deficit by making tax
rates fairer for all Americans." In short, the measure proposed additional
funding to shore up the failing infrastructures at Veterans hospitals all
over the country and was cosponsored by eight other Democrats including
John Kerry (D-MA) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA).

"We know last year that over 100,000 Iraqi veterans returned home. Yet the
administration's fiscal year 2006 budget for the VA was only prepared to
handle 23,000 veterans," said Dodd in arguing for his amendment. "There are
shortfalls in every state across the country. There are shortfalls in
private facilities as well as public ones. This amendment is for us finally
to say let's do something for these people."

The American Legion agreed with Dodd, writing a letter for formal
introduction into the record supporting the Democratic amendment.

"Your amendment acknowledges the need for adequate funding to ensure our
nation's veterans receive the healthcare and other benefits to which they
are entitled," said Steven Robertson, of The American Legion.

So what's the big problem with Dodd's legislation? It asks for a minor
rollback in the capital gains tax cuts the Bush administration has given to
the richest one-fifth of one percent of Americans – or those who, in 2007
and 2008, will receive yet further capital gains and dividends tax
reductions.

"If you think we ought to do something on behalf of our veterans, then we
ought to have the courage to pay for it," said Dodd. "You have to make
choices. A modest reduction in the capital gains and dividends tax
reduction for 2 years, coming from less than one-fifth of 1 percent of the
population making over $1 million a year is very little to ask for."

Apparently it was too much to ask, as the amendment went down by a vote of
53-44, with only one Republican (Lincoln Chafee) voting for the funding and
one Democrat (Ben Nelson) voting against. Good Lord, can we just stop this
charade and do a straight-up trade across the aisle – Chafee for Nelson –
and get it over with?

And here's the real kicker: With the Iraq War currently ringing up a price
tag in the $230 billion to $300 billion range– depending on whose numbers
you go with – how much do you think Dodd’s bill was asking for over five
years? A little under $7 billion to help care for the Veterans that will
result from what may ultimately be a $500 billion war.

Daniel Akaka (D-HI), one of the amendment's cosponsors, told his Senate
colleagues that this funding simply acknowledges the reality of Vets
needing help when returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan and that it will
avoid the emergency funding that has been necessary lately due to the GOP’s
stinginess with our war wounded.

"This amendment we offer today allows the VA to provide care for returning
troops--without displacing those veterans currently using the system," said
Akaka. "Let us never forget the budget disaster last year. Early in the
year, we knew VA was not making ends meet. The administration, however,
took months to come to that realization. And just last week, the President
signed a declaration of emergency funding for $1.2 billion for fiscal year
2006."

The other kick in the teeth for America’s Veterans came in the form of
Republicans also rejecting S.AMDT.2737. Sponsored by Senator Reed, the
amendment also sought a rollback in capital gains tax cuts -- but this time
to purchase much-needed equipment for troops serving in the Middle East.

"We have the responsibility to be responsible, not only give the troops
what they need but pay for it so we do not increase the deficit," argued
Reed on the Senate floor. "I hope we respond by supporting my amendment
which takes care of the troops but does so in a responsible way by
providing the resources to pay for this necessary equipment."

"This equipment is not new equipment, it is not transformational, it is the
equipment they need. I commanded a paratrooper company in the 82nd Airborne
Division. I can tell you the worst thing for morale is to have soldiers
with poor and inadequate equipment. We owe it to them."

Reed's legislation was also killed by the GOP leadership by a vote of
53-44.

Do you ever wonder, as I do, how many Republican Senators have "Support the
Troops" magnets on their cars?

http://bobgeiger.blogspot.com/2006/02/senate-republicans-screw-veterans.html

Filthy bastards, support the troops?  More like f*ck the troops.


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