Obama - On Veterans Affair

Presidential candidate Barack Obama offers in his “Blueprint For Change” a number of things to assist our veterans of our various military organizations. While America, as a country, has not rewarded our brave former military members fairly for their service Obama is hardly one to carrying the banner for them.

In his “Blueprint For Change” the following is reprinted from it.

AT A GLANCE

A Sacred Trust
Barack Obama believes America has a sacred trust with our veterans. He is committed to creating a 21st Century Department of Veterans’ Affairs that provides the care and benefits our nation’s veterans deserve.

Help for Returning Service Members
Obama will improve the quality of health care for veterans, rebuild the VA’s broken benefits system, and combat homelessness among veterans.

Improved Mental Health Treatment
Obama will improve mental health treatment for troops and veterans suffering from combat-related psychological injuries.

THE PROBLEM
Wounded Troops Suffer
The Walter Reed scandal showed that we don’t always provide returning service members with the care they deserve.

Veterans Budget Shortfalls
In 2005, a multi-billion dollar VA funding shortfall required Congress to step in and bail out the system.

Benefits Bureaucracy is Broken
There are currently more than 400,000 claims pending with the Veterans Benefits Administration. VA error rates have grown to more than 100,000 cases a year.

There is a Shortage of Care for PTSD
Veterans are coming home with record levels of combat stress, but we are not adequately providing for them.

These are all noble and warranted commitments, make no doubt about it. However, Obama has served on the Senate’s Veterans' Affairs Committee for nearly four years. This is the very committee that proposes changes to the VA, holds investigation hearings on VA issues, and is the chief congressional proponent on VA issues.

Obama has attended less then 50% of their meetings and has offered nothing to correct any of the issues he claims he cares so deeply about now. This is one more piece of “something for everyone” dribble from Obama.

He had four years to show some kind of leadership on VA issues and showed zero.