Obama Signs Law Ending Budget Delays for Veterans Care

Washington Post

President Obama signed legislation to speed up money for veterans health care, making good on a promise he made as a candidate to break through the delays common in Washington.

At a ceremony in the East Room, Obama signed the Veterans Health Care and Budget Reform and Transparency Act. He called the legislation, which he helped sponsor as a senator, "a victory" for all veterans.

"For the VA, this means timely, sufficient and predictable funding from year to year. For VA hospitals and clinics, it means more time to budget, to recruit high-quality professionals, and to invest in new health care equipment," he said. "And most of all, for our veterans it will mean better access to the doctors and nurses and the medical care that they need."

This was a promise that Obama made during the campaign. This is such good news for our veterans. Congress has been late passing a budget in 20 of the last 23 years. This move by Obama will make it so that that doesn't happen in the future.

[edit on 22-10-2009 by Benevolent Heretic]

I don't really care if it was promised or not. This is something I expect from every President.

Take Care of the Troops

“Keeping faith with our veterans is work that is never truly done,” he continued. “Today’s veterans expect and deserve the highest quality care, as will tomorrow’s veterans, especially our men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

www.defenselink.mil...

A big thumbs up for Obama on this one.

Here it goes: Kudos to him on following through with this promise. Chalk one up for Obama. Our vets deserve nothing less.

I call hoax! There is no way that Obama would do anything to help veterens. I know it's true because I see it here all the time!

Yay! A good thing for sure....

Its the least he can do since he is giving his union worker friends, community organizations and bankers gazillions of dollars.

Now maybe we will wake up tomorrow and not hear about him ramming another stimulus bill through so he can give them all another gazillion dollars so they can make a "contribution" in 2012 to his Presidential reelection.

He needs to give me a little more change for my tax dollars before I start to feel warm and fuzzy.

Bravo Mr. Obama (never thought I would say that)

-E-

And now, Al Franken's first piece of legislation will add to helping the vets by providing them with service dogs. I hope this program can expand in the future.

Service Dogs for Vets - Nearly a Law

Sen. Al Franken's first piece of legislation--the Service Dogs for Veterans Act--is on its way to the White House for approval.

The Veterans Administration would develop partnerships with organizations that provide disabled veterans with service dogs. Franken said he introduced the legislation after meeting a veteran who said his service dog improved his quality of life.

This one is close to my heart.

I haven't had a chance to see this bill or to note what the effects will be on the VA in terms of patient care and other benefits.

I will say that at my VA, services have been so seriously curtailed by a shortage of staff since Obama took office that I initiated a congressional investigation through my congressman.

We will see now how this pans out in the face to face relations between the bureaucracy and the veteran.

I certainly will not hesitate to congratulate the president on his efforts to uphold our nation's commitment to veterans.



[edit on 2009/10/23 by GradyPhilpott]

Now its just a matter of waiting to see whether-or-not the bill was worth the paper it was written on. If the bill does what it is intended to do, then I say kudos to Obama - but remember this... it takes more than a single egg to make a cake. Obama has a very long way to go before I will be able to admire him or respect him for anything.

Obama Signs Law Ending Budget Delays for Veterans Care

He did WHAT..

I told you he was out to destroy Ameri......... oh, nevermind.

reply to post by Rhetoric


While veterans are extremely happy that this legislation has the potential to positively affect VA benefits and services, it is but one piece of legislation.

Veterans on the whole don't look at their benefits as something that should be held hostage by politics nor do they see their benefits as handouts.

Therefore, many veterans, while glad to see this legislation effected, are still leery of the Democrat agenda and the hubris of the Democrat party in trying to make America into a socialist state. Our values are not for sale, if that is the intention of the administration.

While you may find humor in these circumstances, this is serious business.

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott
Therefore, many veterans, while glad to see this legislation effected, are still leery of the Democrat agenda and the hubris of the Democrat party in trying to make America into a socialist state.

I, for one, don't expect anyone. veteran or not, to see this legislation and turn around their anti-Obama stance and start cheering for him. I don't expect it to have any effect on people's views of Obama.

I just think it's important to keep up with what Obama is doing, whether it's "good" or "bad". ATS has the "bad" covered ten times over.

A little humor is a good thing.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic

I, for one, don't expect anyone. veteran or not, to see this legislation and turn around their anti-Obama stance and start cheering for him.

A little humor is a good thing.

I'm certainly not in the anti-Obama camp as my post history will affirm. I am most certainly against much of his agenda, many of his tactics, and the actions of the runaway Congress.

You will not find me attacking Obama on anything but the issues.

Humor is a good thing, I agree, but not when it is mean-spirited and meant to ridicule those who genuinely worry about the future of America.

[edit on 2009/10/28 by GradyPhilpott]

You mean Obama did something right? He actually kept a promise? Welp looks like I lost a bet... Time to pay up

Whenever I ask a friend or someone how to sign up for some G.I. Bill program or medical benefit, the most common response is a 'Good luck' and uncontrolled laughter.

In fact, it happened last week.

I really hope that this provides a bit of actual change. I guess, in dealing with the VA, I have grown a bit cynical.