Win Without War has released the list of those Members of Congress who voted to cut $25 billion from the VA budget, the day after the House voted to "support the troops and the president." Click here to see a list of the culprits.
According to the non-partisan National Gulf War Resource Center, of the 504,047 eligible Gulf War veterans of the original conflict:
- 185,780 (36%) filed claims against the VA for service-related medical disabilities.
- Of the 171,878 VA claims actually processed, 149,094 (80%) were approved in part (note — most claims are made up of multiple issues, if any one issue is granted, VA considers it approved).
- Of the 504,047 eligible for VA benefits, 149,094 (29%) are now considered disabled by the VA since the start of the Gulf War.
Meanwhile, we are sending more military members into the same region, exposed to many of the same factors, which will only likely increase the amount of claims filed in the next couple of years. Will we see a resurgence in Gulf War Syndrome once the current troops come home? I hope not, but given the government's track record in covering up their mistakes (think: Khamisiyah) or ignoring the sick, I'm not so sure.
It is truly telling that the same House that voted their support of the troops then turned around and cut the benefits they earned as a condition of their service. Support for the troops? More like empty promises.
Thanks for passing that on; I’ll link it today