Congressman advocates adequate health care funds for troops, vets

WASHINGTON – Democrats and Republicans in Congress must set aside partisan differences to adequately fund health care services for active U.S. troops and military veterans, Rep. Chet Edwards of Texas said Saturday in the weekly Democratic radio address.

At the same time, Edwards scolded Bush administration economic policies that the congressman said favored the rich at the expense of veterans.

“We will continue to speak out that a country that can afford tax breaks for people making over $1 million a year can surely afford to reduce months-long waiting lists of veterans who deserve and need VA health care,” said Edwards, whose district includes Fort Hood, a major Army post.

The Veterans Affairs Department provides quality care to retired military personnel, Edwards said, and “the VA and the veterans it serves deserve more resources to ensure quality, timely care for all our vets.”

A lame-duck Congress returns to Washington this week to tackle unfinished work on various spending measures, including the bill funding veterans health care. The House Appropriations Committee has approved $30.3 billion, an amount that veterans groups say is too low.

Edwards, the son of a World War II veteran, said the VA’s health care budget doesn’t keep up with costs that are rising because of inflation.

“We Democrats should and will put partisanship aside when it comes to supporting our troops, their families and our veterans,” he said.

“At the same time, we will not be silent, when, during our war on terrorism, Benedict Arnold corporations can rent $10,000-a-year post office boxes in Bermuda just to avoid paying their fair share of U.S. taxes, while quality of life programs for our military families have been cut by $500 million since the Iraqi war began,” he added.