Originally posted by st8_o_mind
Here's a couple more.
www.pulsetc.com/ article.php?op=Print&sid=505
It would be nice if you had a clue as opposed to just posting random idiocy.
President Bush Honors Our Veterans
"Our veterans have borne the costs of America's wars and have stood watch over America's peace. And, today, every veteran can be certain: The nation you served and the people you defended are grateful." President Bush, November 11, 2003
Keeping His Word
President Bush has fulfilled, and in many cases surpassed, commitments to veterans on four key issues:
Allowing Veteran Medicare Recipients to Continue Receiving TRICARE Benefits - The President signed the FY 2001 Defense Authorization Bill which allows veterans to continue to receive their TriCare health benefits even when they become Medicare eligible.
Timely Access to Quality Healthcare - The average time that a veteran has to wait to see a primary care physician has dropped 90% since 2001. The waiting list was 300,000 in 2001 and is now below 30,000. With the funding in the FY 2005 request, the VA will meet its goal scheduling non-urgent primary care for 93% of veterans within 30 days and 99% within 90 days.
Reduce the Backlog of Disability Claims - When President Bush took office, the number of claims waiting to be processed had soared to over 600,000 and as a result, many veterans were waiting an average of over 230 days for a claim to be processed. The VA has slashed its inventory of pending disability claims by 58% to 253,000 and reduced the average length of time it takes to process a claim by 30% to about 160 days. In 2005, 2.7 million veterans will receive $24.9 billion of these tax-free benefits from the VA.
Classify Diabetes as a Disability - The President proudly signed the Veterans Education and Benefits Expansion Act of 2001, which allowed diabetes to be considered a service-connected disability for veterans.
Supporting Concurrent Receipts
Concurrent Receipt - On November 24, 2003, President Bush signed legislation providing concurrent receipt of both military retired pay and VA disability compensation for those military retirees most deserving, the combat-disabled, reversing a century of law preventing concurrent receipt.
A Significant Increase in Resources
Making up for the 1990s - President Bush has provided more new funding for veterans in four years than President Clinton did in eight years. President Clinton averaged a 3 percent increase per year in the VA budget while President Bush has averaged an 8 percent increase per year. Since President Bush came into office in 2001 the VA budget has increased from $48 billion to $65 billion.
A Dramatic Increase in Funding - The President is proposing to increase funding for the VA by $5 billion next year - from $60.3 billion last year to $65.3 billion for the next fiscal year. This represents an 8% percent jump and more than 38% increase since 2001.
40% More for Medical Care - The President's $30 billion request for medical care in his FY 2005 budget represents more than a 40% increase from when he took office. As a result, 1.4 million more veterans will receive care in 2004 than in 2000 and 194 new community-based clinics will open to be more responsive to veterans' needs.
Improving Access to Health Care
Creating a Modern, Effeciant, World-Class Helath Care System - Through the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES), President Bush is working to restructure VA hospitals around the country to provide veterans with efficient access to quality health care. The FY 2005 budget more than doubles the amount previously request for construction of new and improved facilities. The President has proposed a 20% increase in outpatient health care services, create 48 new outpatient clinics, and construct two new VA hospitals.
Emergency Care - The President's budget allows the VA to pay for emergency room care for veterans in non-VA hospitals. Veterans with life-threatening illnesses should seek and receive care at the closest possible facility.
Prescription Drugs - The President took the unprecedented step of allowing veterans with a prescription from their private physician to have those prescriptions filled by the VA - saving veterans hundreds of dollars in prescription drug costs. This will benefit approximately 200,000 veterans.
Eliminating Copayments - The President has eliminated copays for veterans receiving hospice care. In addition, the Budget will eliminate all forms of copays for prisoners of war who have provided unique service to our Nation.
Caring for Families
Veterans Benefits Act of 2003. On December 16th, 2003, President Bush signed a bill authorizing $1 billion over the next ten years for new and expanded benefits for disabled veterans, surviving spouses, and children.
Restores Spousal Benefits. The spouses and children of veterans who are killed in action, or die of service related causes will receive Dependents Indemnity Compensation which allows the surviving spouse or dependent children to receive the full amount of accrued benefits if the veteran dies while their claim is still pending. Home loan guarantees are available to surviving spouses.
Education & Health Benefits for Children. Pensions are available to surviving spouses and unmarried children of deceased veterans with wartime experience. Dependents education assistance is available to spouses who have not remarried and the children of veterans who are killed in action, or die of service related disabilities.
Support Today for Tomorrow's Veterans
Better Pay and Housing - President Bush has increased basic salary and payments for food and housing almost 29 percent since taking office. President Bush has provided historic increases in military compensation. Under former President Clinton, military pay decreased an average of almost 2% per year relative to consumer price index. Since President Bush took office, military pay increased an average of 5.2% per year relative to consumer price index. The average compensation is now more than $40,000 for enlisted members and more than $79,000 for officers.
Better Benefits - Service members also receive retirement benefits and health care for themselves and their families at little or no charge.
Tax Relief - On December 16, 2003, the President signed the Military Family Tax Relief Act of 2003 to provide tax relief and other benefits to members of the armed services and their families.
Prevents Double Taxation. This law prevents states from using the income earned by a service member in determining the spouse's tax rate when the spouse works and taxed in a state other than the state in which they maintain their permanent legal residence. Protection from Eviction. Service members and their families are protected from eviction from housing while on active duty due to nonpayment of rents and housing leases up to $2,400 per month - up from $1,200 per month.
Life Insurance. Updates life insurance protections provided to activated Guard and reserve members by increasing from $10,000 to $250,000 the maximum policy coverage that the federal government will protect from default for nonpayment while on active duty.
http://vets4bush.com/BushToVets.shtml
