And if you look farther you will find that instead of Reagan and Bush wasting money on weapons systems that are out dated and obsolete before they hit the ground (B1 bomber anyone?) and put the money in the VA's they would be in much better shape as well.
Wow...just like people buying Playstaion...technology advancements are a ####....
Bush had 6 years to fix the VA system if it was broken. The fact that he did nothing means that he too did not give a damn or did not have his handlers look to see if there were any problems that needed to be dealt with. Either wy, Bush has had 6 years and this is another ball he dropped.
you're full of DooDoo....maybe he wasn't aware....you know,crap like this stays hidden from superiors all the time...I saw it first hand at US Air....Government is different 
He was fixing the shortages the military was dealt under BJ Clinton.....you still have an election Hard-on Dude....go spank your monkey and feel better...
NEWS RELEASE
House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
Chairman Bob Stump, 335 Cannon House Office Building, Washington D.C. 20515
IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: DAN AMON
MARCH 26, 1999 (202) 225-3664
http://veterans.house.gov
House Budget Increase
Saves Veterans From Clinton/Gore Cuts
WASHINGTON, D.C. –- Congressman Bob Stump called passage of the House budget resolution for fiscal year 2000 "a great victory for veterans."
Stump (R-AZ), chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, praised Budget Committee Chairman John Kasich (R-OH) for agreeing to an "unprecedented" $1.1 billion increase over the President’s recommendations at a time when veterans needed it the most.
The Clinton/Gore VA budget was opposed by the entire veterans’ community and shunned even by Democrats. Nearly all parties agreed the Clinton/Gore budget seriously threatened the quality of VA health care and would not even keep pace with inflation.
"When we made the VA a cabinet-level department we thought veterans would have the president’s ear," Chairman Stump said, "It certainly wasn’t the case in the budget the White House sent to us this year. There was a spending wish list for some 70 programs in the State of the Union speech in January, but nothing for veterans."
"As historic as this increase is, I would have liked an even higher figure," said Stump, who had asked for $1.9 billion in additional spending, "We could have gotten it, too, with more of the bipartisanship we usually have on veterans’ issues. But I’m encouraged by the fact that the Senate budget includes even more for veterans. That makes it possible to build on what we did in the House."
Stump said the House budget would prevent VA health care personnel employee layoffs, and the closure of needed programs and facilities threatened by the Clinton/Gore budget. He said it would permit increased funding for long-term care and treatment of the anticipated increase of hepatitis C among veterans.
"We made it clear we weren’t going to balance the budget on the backs of veterans," Stump said, "We also made it clear that we weren’t going to cheat future veterans, today’s men and women in uniform, by gutting the defense budget to boost spending on veterans. That’s robbing Peter to pay Paul. What the House did last night keeps us on track to balance the budget while doing what’s right for veterans. I’m proud of that, and glad for veterans."
"As historic as this increase is, I would have liked an even higher figure," said Stump, who had asked for $1.9 billion in additional spending,
Things were bad enough then that they needed more money to fix Clinton/Gore military budget raiding.....Poor old Bush had his hands full from his first day in office....
VA Official Calls Cuts in Clinton's Vet Budget "Staggering"
Smith continues fight for Central Jersey veterans
Washington - The regional director of the Clinton Administration's Veterans Administration said that if the President's budget was implemented, there would be Asubstantial loss," and the effects would be "staggering" and "fairly draconian."
Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Vice Chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, questioned top VA officials at a Congressional hearing on veterans health care. Smith has been fighting to block proposed cuts in veterans health care services and has been working for the restoration and protection of a number of services at the Brick clinic in Ocean County.
"After today's Veterans' Affairs Health Subcommittee hearing, we are now to the point where the Clinton Administration's own lieutenants are admitting that their boss's budget would not be good for veterans," said Smith following the hearing.
James Farsetta, Director of the Veterans Integrated Service Network Three (VISN 3) and Dr. Thomas Garthwaite, the VA's Deputy Under Secretary for Health answered Congressman Smith's questions on the impact Clinton's Fiscal Year 2000 budget would have on veterans health care in New Jersey. VISN 3 includes VA health care services in parts of New Jersey and New York -- making Farsetta in charge of Central and Northern Jersey's health care services for veterans. Farsetta made his strong comments about the $963 million shortfall in what the VA requested for health care services and what Clinton has proposed for next year.
"New Jersey has over 713,000 veterans -- 60,000 of whom reside in Ocean County," Smith stated. "The Brick clinic alone cares for an average of 40,000 patient visits per year. Specialty services need to be provided for these Central Jersey veterans."
Director Farsetta said that the Brick clinic Areflects the direction the VA is moving in," and that the clinic was "efficient." That not withstanding, Deputy Under Secretary Garthwaite stated that the cuts to the region would present Areal challenges" and are "out of proportion."
"The message is out that veterans need and deserve quality health care services in Central Jersey," Smith said. "It is encouraging that top VA brass in Washington and New Jersey feel that the Administration's budget is a bad deal for veterans. Now we need to ensure that the proposed cuts by their boss never see the light of day."
