“President Bush has failed to live up to his promise to do all he can to support the troops, from the Walter Reed scandal to the growing lines and waitlists for veterans health care,” Congressman Joseph Crowley said.  “Instead of providing the necessary resources for military health care to accommodate wounded troops, President Bush for too long has swept his continued blunders under the rug.  By seeking $3.4 billion over the President’s request for military health care, this Congress is taking a first step to make sure our troops receive the medical care and treatment they need.”

Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney said, “The shocking Walter Reed scandal highlighted the inadequate attention this administration has paid to our nation’s war veterans. ‘Support the troops’ should be more than political mantra, and it should be evident in the care we give our injured soldiers. To make sure our military health care system does not continue to be stretched thin, it is important that Congress act this week to increase the military health care spending by $3.4 billion over the president’s proposal.”
 
Last week, in the wake of the Walter Reed Military Hospital scandal, the Government Accounting Office released a report showing that the Bush Administration’s current efforts to relieve backlogs will not be enough to serve veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.  Backlogs, cumbersome paperwork and ballooning costs have pushed the system to breaking point, investigators found.  Legislation, supported by Reps. Crowley and Maloney, will be voted on in the US House of Representatives next week to provide a total of $3.4 billion above the President’s budget requests to remedy this unacceptable situation facing injured service men and women.

The legislation includes $1.7 billion more than the President’s request to maintain the VA health care facilities and reduce the backlog of roughly 600,000 claims nationwide.  It also includes another $1.7 billion more for defense health care to enhance medical services for active duty forces, and mobilized personnel and their family members.  The combined total provides $3.4 billion above the President’s request of $1.2 billion for wounded troops and veterans.

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