Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan Write to McCain; Call on him to Reverse Stance on Rationing VA Care
By VoteVets.org
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Press Release
PUBLISHED: July 25, 2008
The full text of the letter is below.
Senator John McCain
P.O. Box 16118
Arlington, VA 22215
Dear Senator McCain,
It was with great disappointment that we read this week that at a town hall meeting in Dover, N.H. you declared that it is time to “concentrate” Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) care on those who suffered injuries that “are a direct result of combat.”
While it is true that the ability for the Department to serve the booming number of veterans seeking care has been hurt by consistent underfunding by the Bush Administration (with your support), we would strenuously disagree that the answer is to create a caste system among veterans, and ration care.
Those who served our nation do not always have injuries that are a direct result of combat, but that does not mean that their injuries are less severe, or that they are less worthy of care. It is fundamentally unfair to those who served our nation in uniform – indeed an insult – to deem some worthy of this nation’s honor and care, and others not.
It is especially disturbing to hear you make such a proposal given your recent opposition to the bi-partisan GI Bill for the 21st Century, which increased education benefits for veterans. As you remember, your opposition was based on wanting to weight education benefits towards those who served 12 years or longer, even if a veteran who served less did three, four, or five tours of duty in war. It is also disturbing since, in the past, you have voiced openness to the privatization of VA care, making veterans care a for-profit business. Your latest comments, given this track record and 20 percent favorability rating from the Disabled American Veterans, leads us to believe this was not a misstatement, but a pattern.
Since 1930, with the establishment of the Veterans Administration, our nation has promised those who served in uniform quality medical care, for their sacrifice. While we have always given priority to those with severe and urgent injuries, we have never discriminated or rationed care depending on whether service-connected injuries were sustained in combat, wartime, or peacetime. We fear you are advocating a radical retreat from that promise.
We sincerely hope you will walk back from your recent statements, and make clear that you support a better-funded Department of Veterans Affairs that is able to serve all our veterans with excellence and timely care. Every veterans organization agrees that is the best way to provide our veterans with the medical and mental health services they deserve.
Sincerely,
Jon Soltz
Iraq War Veteran
Chairman, VoteVets.org
Peter Granato
Iraq War Veteran
Vice Chairman, VoteVets.org
Palm Beach, FL
Brandon Friedman
Iraq and Afghanistan War Veteran
Vice Chairman, VoteVets.org
Dallas, TX
Brian McGough
Iraq and Afghanistan War Veteran
Senior Advisor, VoteVets.org
Terence O'Rourke
Iraq War Veteran
Senior Advisor, VoteVets.org
Boston, MA
Alex Cornell du Houx
Iraq Veteran
Maine State Captain, VoteVets.org
Jim Mowrer
Iraq Veteran
Iowa State Captain, VoteVets.org
Peter O'Brien
Iraq and Afghanistan Veteran
Massachusetts State Captain, VoteVets.org
Richard Hegdahl
Iraq War Veteran
Washington State Team Captain, VoteVets.org
Neil Riley
Iraq and Afghanistan War Veteran
Virginia State Captain, VoteVets.org
Joshua David Denton
Iraq War Veteran
New Hampshire State Captain, VoteVets.org
George Zubaty
Iraq and Afghanistan Veteran
Kentucky State Captain, VoteVets.org
Aaron Bailey
Afghanistan Veteran
Michigan State Captain, VoteVets.org
Miranda Norman
Iraq War Veteran
Oklahoma State Captain, VoteVets.org
Ernesto Estrada
Iraq Veteran
California State Captain, VoteVets.org
David Brignac
Afghanistan Veteran
Louisiana State Captain, VoteVets.org
Casey Howard
Iraq Veteran
Colorado State Captain, VoteVets.org
Chris Lejuene
Iraq Veteran
Utah State Captain, VoteVets.org
Shawn Henry
Iraq Veteran
American Fork, UT
John C. Mooney
Iraq Veteran
Washington, DC
Stephanie Driessel
Iraq Veteran
Milliken, Colorado
Brandon Woods
Iraq Veteran
New York, NY
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Paid for VoteVets Political Action Committee. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. VoteVets Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization which primarily focuses on nonpartisan education and advocacy on behalf veterans and their families. VoteVets Political Action Committee is a federal political committee which primarily helps elect Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran candidates and educates about veterans and military issues aimed at influencing the outcome of the next election.