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Congressional joint session for Veterans Cut

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posted on Nov, 13 2005 @ 12:18 AM
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Congress has decided to no longer hold a joint Senate/House hearing for Disabled Veterans. This tradition has been around since the 1950's as an opportunity for Disabled Veterans to testify regarding the needs of their organizations and the major issues that effect our veterans.
 



releases.usnewswire.com
And as if to add insult to injury, House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) recently announced that veterans service organizations will no longer have the opportunity to present testimony before a joint hearing of the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committees. For several decades now, these joint hearings have been held each year to allow the leaders of veterans service organizations to discuss their group's legislative agenda and foremost concerns with the lawmakers who have jurisdiction over federal veterans programs.

Eliminating these joint hearings is an affront to the men and women who have fought and died to protect our Constitutional rights, including their right to petition the government.

Veterans shouldn't have to fight proposals to limit eligibility or means test disability compensation. They shouldn't have to fight negative stereotypes that veterans suffering from PTSD and other mental conditions related to their military service are just "gaming the system." They shouldn't have to fight their own government after fighting America's enemies


Please visit the link provided for the complete story.


It would appear that out of the many different things this administration has cut recently, the voice of disabled veterans is the latest victim. These articles outline a change in congress that takes an important voice away from our Disabled Veterans. I wonder if that change is because they do not want to deal with hearing from newer vets from the Iraq war. If they did, considering the massive injuries including amputations, would they still be willing to through their support so forcefully for the war? I do wonder why it appears the democrats have failed to bring this matter up to the American people.

The timing of this decision just before Veterans day is certainly questionable.

Related News Links:
releases.usnewswire.com



[edit on 11/13/2005 by nativeokie]

[edit on 11/15/05 by FredT]



posted on Nov, 13 2005 @ 01:10 AM
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Here's a more complete explanation of Steve Buyer's motives:



Veterans’ organizations may not testify before the traditional joint session of the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs committees next March.

Rep. Steve Buyer, R-Ind., chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said instead his committee will hold a hearing earlier in the year so the veterans can have greater influence in developing the Department of Veterans Affairs budget.

“I’m going to bring these organizations in and make them material and relevant,” Buyer said in an interview Nov. 8.

In recent years, testimony before the joint session had come late in the budget process after Congress had developed its “views and estimates” response to the president’s proposal. The impact of the joint sessions was limited, Buyer said.

Army Times



Several veterans' groups are opposed to the change, but, not all veterans groups are upset:




The Retired Enlisted Association’s executive director supported it [the change].

“We should be in at the beginning,” said TREA’s president, retired Air Force Master Sgt. Mark Olanoff, in a new release issued by Buyer’s office. “This is good.”

Army Times



The source article is really about the investigation of 72,000 PTSD cases, which has been abandoned because preliminary findings revealed no wrongdoing.


seattlepi.nwsource.com








[edit on 2005/11/13 by GradyPhilpott]

[edit on 2005/11/13 by GradyPhilpott]



 
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