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President Trump Signs Major Veterans Healthcare Overhaul Bill Into Law - The VA MISSION Act.

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posted on Jun, 7 2018 @ 08:44 AM
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a reply to: Irishhaf




For those saying congress did it, let me ask this... since people have been fighting for VA reform for 30+ years why is this only happening now.


Whether or not this turns out to be actual reform remains to seen. They still have to figure out where the funding is coming and who its' going to go to, what "conditions" and "rules" would regulate who could and who could not go outside the VA for private care.

Right now, it looks like it puts the burden on Medicare to pick up the VA's slack.



posted on Jun, 7 2018 @ 09:02 AM
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originally posted by: Sookiechacha
a reply to: Irishhaf




For those saying congress did it, let me ask this... since people have been fighting for VA reform for 30+ years why is this only happening now.


Whether or not this turns out to be actual reform remains to seen. They still have to figure out where the funding is coming and who its' going to go to, what "conditions" and "rules" would regulate who could and who could not go outside the VA for private care.

Right now, it looks like it puts the burden on Medicare to pick up the VA's slack.


That seems a good assessment. Funding and the mechanism is next. I'd guess Trump wants a direct option to private medical services, although Medicare could end up the compromise result.

If Trump stays on this, Congress would almost be forced into co-operation on this. After all, the hypocrisy of passing this bill and then not funding the bill they passed is almost too much for even this Congress to ignore.



posted on Jun, 7 2018 @ 09:11 AM
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It's about frickin time someone actually did something to fix this problem. Well done.



posted on Jun, 7 2018 @ 09:18 AM
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I'm constantly impressed by Trump. Seeing as he isn't and never was a "true conservative" I was skeptical on what he would actually deliver on. But with the tax breaks and taking care of the military, he continues to get it done.



posted on Jun, 7 2018 @ 09:19 AM
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a reply to: Sookiechacha


I am just stating that congress has ignored the problem for 30+ years, Trump if nothing else brought it up several times during the campaign which helped shine a spot light on the problem.

He also has signed an executive order or two to try and help get rid of people in the VA that have routinely screwed up, causing pain discomfort and sometime death to Vets using the VA.


The guy has attempted to help with the VA problem while congress has pretended throwing money at it will fix the problem for decades.



posted on Jun, 7 2018 @ 09:25 AM
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a reply to: Irishhaf

The biggest issue in all of this is that Trump isn't thinking like a politician.


In my opinion, politicians address problems in a way that will benefit their party, their elections.

They never look for solutions, because if the problem was solved, then what would they run on next time?


Trump just looks at fixing the problem.


It's like pharmaceutical companies. They look for treatments, never cures. Because cures won't guarantee them life-long customers like treatments would.



posted on Jun, 7 2018 @ 09:30 AM
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a reply to: DBCowboy

I've been saying for over a decade that businessmen, not lawyers, should be running the govt's today. Trump didn't move me at first because of the Twitter madness. He's cut down on that thankfully. I don't agree with all he's done but I gotta say he's kinda winning me over.



posted on Jun, 7 2018 @ 09:37 AM
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a reply to: intrepid

I think what has people upset is that he might actually get things done despite congress and the entrenched people in DC who prey at the altar of ideology.

(and yes, I did spell "prey" correctly)



posted on Jun, 7 2018 @ 09:51 AM
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a reply to: peter vlar

I am sorry about your difficulties and I hope you find some resolution soon.

Nothing is going to change everything overnight. It doesn't work that way. It happens in stages and takes time. But it never happens if the POTUS won't get it started. People have known the system was broken for a long time. You can attest to that yourself. But no sitting POTUS has done anything about it. Even when it came to light that our vets were stuck on waiting lists so long they ended up dead still nothing changed. Now we have a POTUS who said he would change it and he is doing it.

I am sorry it won't happen soon enough for everyone in need. But at least it is finally happening. And still, even now, there are dems like pelosi who repeatedly tried to block this type of legislation because they wanted a dem to do it, not Trump. They had their chance and blew it. The honorable thing for them to do now is get behind the legislation and think about the people who need it, not their political scorecard.



posted on Jun, 7 2018 @ 09:53 AM
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a reply to: DBCowboy




In my opinion, politicians address problems in a way that will benefit their party, their elections.

They never look for solutions, because if the problem was solved, then what would they run on next time?


Precisely stated. This also illustrates the lack of genuine intellect in the political class, that they believe abdicating their responsibilities is how to get re-elected.

We could use more solutions-oriented people in government...Like Donald Trump.



posted on Jun, 7 2018 @ 10:03 AM
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originally posted by: Vroomfondel
a reply to: peter vlar

I am sorry about your difficulties and I hope you find some resolution soon.

Nothing is going to change everything overnight. It doesn't work that way. It happens in stages and takes time. But it never happens if the POTUS won't get it started. People have known the system was broken for a long time. You can attest to that yourself. But no sitting POTUS has done anything about it. Even when it came to light that our vets were stuck on waiting lists so long they ended up dead still nothing changed. Now we have a POTUS who said he would change it and he is doing it.

I am sorry it won't happen soon enough for everyone in need. But at least it is finally happening. And still, even now, there are dems like pelosi who repeatedly tried to block this type of legislation because they wanted a dem to do it, not Trump. They had their chance and blew it. The honorable thing for them to do now is get behind the legislation and think about the people who need it, not their political scorecard.



Just to be clear and reiterate what I tried to get across in my original post, I daily every POTUS since GHW Bush and this includes Clinton and Obama as well as every congressman and Senator who has claimed to represent me for the last 28 years. Every last one of them was full of feces laced false platitudes that offered little more than what others seek to think I should be on my knees thanking Herr Trump for finally deigning to grace us wretched throwaways with some token lip service. I’m done calling Senators and Congressmen and I’m sure as hell not going to suddenly be filled with gratitude for someone pretending to do what was promised me in 1990. If something actually comes of this and there’s ever a plan to fund this then I’ll soften my tone. Until then though, I’m not asking anyone else’s gods to bless the POTUS for barely attempting to make right in a situation that has been wrong since at least the Civil War with no end in sight. It’s more promises that I’m not counting on being kept.



posted on Jun, 7 2018 @ 10:25 AM
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Well, well, well...how soon you all forget.

thehill.com...

"President Obama on Thursday signed a $16.3 billion bill to overhaul the troubled Veterans Affairs Department, saying the country had a “sacred duty” to protect its military service members.

The bill, approved by Congress last week, would allow veterans to seek private care outside VA facilities, and would also provide money for the VA to hire more doctors and nurses. The effort came after reports that some veterans had waited months to get care from the VA."

It is not that Obama did nothing. In fact Obama would have done more but couldn't get more past the Republican Congress at the time. But now that a Republican is President, they are willing to give the more. It is a good thing to keep improving VA care, but you all shouldn't be so quick to dish Obama and give Trump full credit.



posted on Jun, 7 2018 @ 10:30 AM
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a reply to: sligtlyskeptical


Actually I did mention that the choice program has been around a while... I also implied the program was difficult to use, and difficult to find doctors willing to deal with the VA madness.


Also Obama could have easily gotten more done, he just never thought us plebeians could put pressure on congress, he stayed safe in his bubble and never even tried to make things happen.



posted on Jun, 7 2018 @ 12:02 PM
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originally posted by: sligtlyskeptical
Well, well, well...how soon you all forget.

thehill.com...

"President Obama on Thursday signed a $16.3 billion bill to overhaul the troubled Veterans Affairs Department, saying the country had a “sacred duty” to protect its military service members.

The bill, approved by Congress last week, would allow veterans to seek private care outside VA facilities, and would also provide money for the VA to hire more doctors and nurses. The effort came after reports that some veterans had waited months to get care from the VA."

It is not that Obama did nothing. In fact Obama would have done more but couldn't get more past the Republican Congress at the time. But now that a Republican is President, they are willing to give the more. It is a good thing to keep improving VA care, but you all shouldn't be so quick to dish Obama and give Trump full credit.


Not unlike every recent President promised to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem or the Republican controlled Congress passed bill after bill to get rid of the A.C.A.....until Trump took over, that is.

There's your 'lip-service'.

Whether for or against the ones I mentioned, it's 'dones' that count, not 'I voted for'. Even when they knew it wasn't going to happen. Just pointing that out.

This IS a 'done'. Yes, just the first that's needed. Without a 'first' there isn't a 'second', is there?



posted on Jun, 7 2018 @ 12:48 PM
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Trump just keeps on keeping his promises.
To get so much done in such a toxic environment is stunning, really.



posted on Jun, 7 2018 @ 12:49 PM
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originally posted by: jjkenobi
I'm constantly impressed by Trump. Seeing as he isn't and never was a "true conservative" I was skeptical on what he would actually deliver on. But with the tax breaks and taking care of the military, he continues to get it done.


Your sentiment is echoed by many who ware waking up. I heard a DEMOCRAT Senator this morning say that he might vote for President Trump in 2020.



posted on Jun, 7 2018 @ 01:14 PM
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What I find most sad is that anyone would base their opinion of this on party affiliation.

It's either a good thing or it's not a good thing. It simply does not matter which party is involved and in this case its bipartisan, which in any rational persons book would be a good thing. The key word being "rational".



posted on Jun, 7 2018 @ 01:18 PM
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originally posted by: intrepid
a reply to: DBCowboy

I've been saying for over a decade that businessmen, not lawyers, should be running the govt's today. Trump didn't move me at first because of the Twitter madness. He's cut down on that thankfully. I don't agree with all he's done but I gotta say he's kinda winning me over.



That mirrors my thoughts on this almost exactly.



posted on Jun, 7 2018 @ 02:40 PM
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a reply to: jjkenobi

He's been consistent on core issues for the past 30 years, which is probably more important than being "True Conservative" or not.



posted on Jun, 7 2018 @ 02:58 PM
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Further in to your USA Today source, it also says:


Working out the details of exactly how and when that will happen is now up to agency officials tasked with drawing up regulations under the law.


And from:

federalnewsradio.com...

...we have


The new law gives VA an additional $5.2 billion to continue Choice through May 2019 while the department implements the new, consolidated community care program. But the MISSION Act doesn’t authorize additional resources to pay for the new program past May 2019 and into 2020.


From:

www.military.com...


"Make that guy in the White House keep his promise to all of us veterans, lest we all fall by the wayside and be left on the battlefield," said a former Army staff sergeant who served in Vietnam.


and further attacks on veterans (these are links to additional articles in Military.com)


Related content:

Budget Calls for Cuts to VA Programs as Tradeoff for Extending Choice
Legion on Proposed VA Benefit Cut: 'Stealth' Privatization Attempt VA's Disability
Compensation Individual Unemployability (IU) Benefit


Decide for yourself if this is keeping the promise or not.



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