Topics in the News: Veterans
Mike Huckabee on Homeland Security
: Sep 27, 2007
Raise enlistment rates with Veterans' Bill of Rights
Q: Regarding declining minority enlistment, what do you say to minorities who are overwhelmingly opposed to the continuation of this war?A: One of the tragedies is that our military veterans have kept their promises to us; we have not kept all of our
promises to them. Many of them have come back to be told to wait in line for their health care, to be told that mental health would be something that might be rationed out. That's not acceptable. And, if I were president, I'd like to see us have a very
plainly written, simple-to-understand veterans' bill of rights that would make sure that every single thing that these veterans have been promised is delivered. And it's delivered as the first fruits of the federal Treasury before anyone else gets their
nose in the trough, the veterans get their benefits paid--not on the basis of a limited budget, but on the basis of making sure that we keep promises to the people who have kept us free. That, I believe, will help people want to be a part of the military
Click for Mike Huckabee on other issues.
Source: 2007 GOP Presidential Forum at Morgan State University
Hillary Clinton on Health Care
: Sep 13, 2007
A plan is necessary; but consensus is more necessary
Q: You have been involved with health care for a long time. Because of your long involvement, you should have been first out of the gate on health care.A: Well, I've been at the gate and out of it for 14 years, and you know when we weren't successful
with the overall reform, I moved ahead and was one of the people responsible for the children's health-insurance program and trying to make sure drugs were safe for kids, and dealing with aftereffects the Gulf War veterans suffered.
So, I've stayed consistently focused on health care and am engaged right now in this battle with the president over his threatened veto of the children's health-insurance program. But I learned, among other things, that we've got to build a consensus.
A plan is necessary but not sufficient. We've got to have a political consensus in order to withstand the enormous opposition from those interests that will have something to lose in a really reformed health-care system.
Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues.
Source: Huffington Post Mash-Up: 2007 Democratic on-line debate
Barack Obama on Homeland Security
: Aug 26, 2007
Support veterans via the Dignity for Wounded Warriors Act
Following reports of neglect at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Obama introduced the Dignity for Wounded Warriors Act. The bill improves the condition of troop housing, streamlines the process for seeking care, provides greater information to recovering
servicemembers, requires the hiring of more caseworkers, and provides more support to family members who care for injured troops:- Sheltering and Rehabilitating Homeless Veterans
One in three homeless males is a veteran. -
Fighting for Disability Benefits
Obama forced the VA to notify veterans about their right to review past claims. - Treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) & Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Easing the Transition of
Veterans into Civilian Life
Obama's legislation would require that the military provide new veterans with electronic medical and service records & monitor health trends.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.
Source: Campaign website, BarackObama.com, "Resource Flyers"
Joe Biden on Homeland Security
: Aug 9, 2007
Don't Ask Don't Tell is antiquated & unworkable
Q: Would you support a repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy which would allow gay, lesbian, and bisexual soldiers the right to serve openly in the military?A: Sen. Biden supports ending the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. It is antiquated and
unworkable. According to recent polls, 3/4 of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan said that they had no problem serving with openly gay people. 24 of the nations serving alongside US forces in Iraq permit open service which has had no negative
impact on these forces or the morale of our brave soldiers. Finally, the US does not have enough troops to fulfill our current missions--it is ridiculous to turn away brave and patriotic Americans who volunteer to serve solely because of their sexual
orientation--especially in light of the Defense Department's recent decision to extend tours of duty in Iraq. Sen. Biden believes that we should treat everyone serving in the military by the same standards regardless of orientation.
Click for Joe Biden on other issues.
Source: 2007 HRC/LOGO debate--written questionnaire
John Cox on Homeland Security
: Jun 11, 2007
Increase the size of the military
Cox says, "I don't believe government is the answer for everything." The government does have some vital roles to play, foremost among them, national security.
Cox supports increasing the size of the military and offering veterans vouchers so they can choose the hospital where they are treated. He also supports vouchers for school choice and health care.
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Source: John Kozoil, in "The Citizen", Laconia, NH
Barack Obama on Homeland Security
: Jun 3, 2007
The cost of the Iraq war should not shortchange VA benefits
We tried to tell the Bush administration you need an additional $2 billion to provide services to troops who are coming home. They said no. Everything's covered. Six months through, they had to come back and say, it turns out we did need it after all.
Part of the reason is because they have been trying to keep the costs down of this war and have not fully factored in the sacred obligation that we have to make sure that every single veteran has the services that they need.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.
Source: 2007 Dem. debate at Saint Anselm College
Barack Obama on War & Peace
: Jun 3, 2007
Spending on the Cold War relics should be for the veterans
Keep in mind that there is a difference between the Pentagon budget and the size of the military. So it may be that, for example, there are weapon systems that are outmoded relics of the Cold War; but what
I want to make certain of is, is that our troops are not going on these repeated tours, lengthy tours, that we are providing them with all the support they need when they're on the ground. And we can't do that currently.
When they come home we are treating them with the dignity and honor that they deserve. Whether you were for the war or against the war, we can all agree to, and the Bush administration has not done that because they tried to do it on the cheap.
Folks who have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, folks who have disability payments that are due are not getting the kinds of services they deserve. I have some specific plans to address that.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.
Source: 2007 Dem. debate at Saint Anselm College
Bill Richardson on Homeland Security
: Jun 3, 2007
Provide veterans with health care anywhere they want
Under my health care plan, if you have served this country - enlisted, a veteran - I would give you a hero's health card so that you could get health care anywhere they want, with any doctor, with any hospital. Our VA system is good, but we have to offer
our veterans that choice. What we have in our VA system is cost-of-living increases for other benefits but not for VA health care, and today a lot of our vets coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan - PTSD, mental health - we cannot do enough to help them.
Click for Bill Richardson on other issues.
Source: 2007 Dem. debate at Saint Anselm College
Barack Obama on Homeland Security
: Jun 3, 2007
Address the deficiencies in the VA system
We don't have a full-service VA system, so a lot of troops that have been injured are having to travel elsewhere, and that's something that we have to address. There are important efficiencies that we can obtain by having a VA hospital system; for
example, prescription drugs. But we have to have a VA that serves everybody. In some rural communities that the veterans don't have access to the services needed, we've got to make sure that they do have the option for a private hospital that is close by
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.
Source: 2007 Dem. debate at Saint Anselm College
Barack Obama on Homeland Security
: Jun 3, 2007
Make sure the outpatient facilities work for veterans
I visited Walter Reed repeatedly. Typically what would happen is we would go to visit troops in the medical facility, and people will acknowledge that the medical facility at Walter Reed does great work. Unfortunately, it turned out that the outpatient
facilities were disastrous. That's why we now have legislation to make sure not only that we're just painting over some of the mold in there, but also making it easier for families & veterans to negotiate the system once they're outpatients.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.
Source: 2007 Dem. debate at Saint Anselm College
John Edwards on Health Care
: Mar 24, 2007
Dysfunctional health care system needs bold, dramatic change
We have is a dysfunctional health care system. And what we need is a big, bold, dramatic change, not small change. And we do not just fix our health care system, we need to fix our military & veterans' health care system.Basically what we do is cover
all Americans. In my plan there's shared responsibilities. The employers are required to either cover their employees or to pay into a fund that will help pay for coverage for their employees. The government plays an important role. The government will
set up health care markets all across America, and in each of those markets if you're the consumer, you can go in and choose what your health care plan would be. Some of the choices are private insurers, and then one choice is a government plan,
basically a Medicare Plus plan. And the idea is to determine whether Americans actually want a private insurer or whether they'd rather have government run Medicare Plus kind of single-payer plan. And we'll find out over time which way people go.
Click for John Edwards on other issues.
Source: SEIU Democratic Health Care Forum in Las Vegas
Bill Richardson on Homeland Security
: Mar 24, 2007
Hero's health card gives veterans access anywhere, anytime
We should give our military veterans the access they need anywhere they want, any time they want. And I would have a hero's health card that would enable our veterans when they get out to get coverage choices anywhere they want.
They should not have to drive 200 miles to the nearest VA hospital.
Click for Bill Richardson on other issues.
Source: SEIU Democratic Health Care Forum in Las Vegas
John Edwards on Homeland Security
: Mar 14, 2007
End $250 registration fee for veterans getting healthcare
A few years ago, there was a registration fee put in place for veterans. Veterans were required to pay a $250 registration fee to get the healthcare they were entitled to. Men and women who have served this country, who have worn the uniform of the
United States of America, asked to pay a registration fee to get healthcare? Let me tell you my view: they paid their registration fee when they put on the uniform of the United States of America.
Click for John Edwards on other issues.
Source: 2007 IAFF Presidential Forum in Washington DC
Barack Obama on Homeland Security
: Mar 14, 2007
Comprehensive plan for our veterans healthcare
Washington says that they support the troops. They give long speeches about valor and sacrifice. But when it comes time to sending our troops into battle with the proper equipment and ensure that veterans have what they need when they get home, they
don't do anything except slap a yellow ribbon on the back of their SUV. That's how come our men and women have to use scrap metal to protect their Humvees.Our veterans end up living among mice and mold. They stare at stacks of paperwork. They thought
they left the frontline in Iraq but they came home to a new frontline of red tape and bureaucracy.
This is unacceptable. When our veterans come home, I don't want them crawling around a dumpster for a meal or a box for shelter. I don't want them
drowning in whiskey to silence the PTSD. I don't want that for our veterans. We know they deserve more.
So let's make a promise today--and say that, right here and right now, is when we begin to put together a comprehensive plan for our veterans.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.
Source: 2007 IAFF Presidential Forum in Washington DC
Chris Dodd on Homeland Security
: Mar 4, 2007
Transfer funds from $2B weekly in Iraq, to helping veterans
Q: Sen. Lieberman suggested he would be open to raising taxes to get more money for veterans, for troops coming home, if necessary, to make sure they get world-class treatment. Are you open to raising taxes to help the veterans?A: You don't have to
necessarily raise the taxes, just some different priorities. We're spending $2 billion a week in Iraq. Frankly, by redeploying those forces soon, not doing what we're doing today here, a lot of those resources could be used to deal exactly with these
veterans. You don't have to raise taxes to do that. You have to re-order our priorities.
Q: The Congress, led by the Democrats, took $3 billion out of the budget that was designated for the facilities for returning troops from Iraq and spent that money
on domestic projects.
A: That's because the Republicans who controlled the last Congress didn't get a budget done, including the amendment that I offered for $20 billion, to deal exactly with this issue, which were rejected by the Republican majority.
Click for Chris Dodd on other issues.
Source: CNN Late Edition: 2007 presidential series with Wolf Blitzer
Mike Gravel on Homeland Security
: Dec 25, 2006
Raze Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib prisons to the ground
The Gravel Agenda: When elected President by the American people, I will:- Raze Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib prisons to the ground;
- End the war against America's veterans; and
-
Organize and leading an intelligence and police organization of willing nations, similar to NATO, to root out terrorism and addressing its causes through aggressive diplomacy.
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Source: Campaign website, www.gravel2008.us, "Issues"
John Edwards on Homeland Security
: Jun 2, 2005
Iraq/Afghan soldiers shouldn't beg or pay for benefits
We don't think it's right for our soldiers to come back from Iraq or Afghanistan and have to beg for their back pay. We don't think it's right for our veterans to have to pay $250 registration fee to get the health care that they're entitled to.
Here's what we believe: we believe those men and women paid their registration fee when they put on the uniform of the United States of America. That's what we believe.
Click for John Edwards on other issues.
Source: 2005 Take Back America Conference
John Edwards on Homeland Security
: Aug 10, 2004
Keep our promises to American veterans
There are countless veterans who fought our wars who are now fighting year after year for the benefits they earned. Bush refuses to fully fund veterans' health care. While boasting of cutting waitlists for VA health care, the Bush administration has done
so by excluding nearly 500,000 veterans from enrolling. Bush has strongly opposed granting our nation's veterans full disability and retirement pay. We will end the game of playing politics with funding for veterans health care by making it mandatory. We
will end the "disabled veterans tax," under which military retirees who receive both veteran's pensions and disability compensation must surrender a dollar from their military retirement pay for every dollar they get for military compensation. America
deserves a commander-in-chief who will fight for a constant standard of decency and respect for those who serve their country in our armed forces-on active duty and as veterans. It should be no other way and in our administration, it will be no other way
Click for John Edwards on other issues.
Source: [Xref Kerry] Our Plan for America , p. 22
John Edwards on Homeland Security
: Aug 10, 2004
Ensure Americans in uniform receive benefits they deserve
We will enact a Military Family Bill of Rights that includes a commitment to full, mandatory funding of veterans' health care; a commitment to competitive pay for service members, including special compensations for those in combat zones; up-to-date and
accurate notice to military families about deployments and rotations that send troops away from home or back home; financial help for families affected by extended deployments; a guarantee of adequate housing for military families, beginning with the
accelerated construction by private developers of new housing on or near military bases; full access for all military personnel, whether active duty, National Guard, or Reserves, to TRICARE; full funding for Department of Defense schools serving military
families, which Bush has sought to cut; a new $250,000 gratuity for families of service members killed in a combat zone; and doubling the period during which families of service members killed in action can continue to live in military housing.
Click for John Edwards on other issues.
Source: [Xref Kerry] Our Plan for America , p. 21
John McCain on Principles & Values
: Aug 5, 2004
Denounces "Swift Boat Vets" ads as dishonest
John McCain, a former prisoner of war in Vietnam, called an ad criticizing John Kerry's military service "dishonest and dishonorable" and urged the White House on today to condemn it as well. "It was the same kind of deal that was pulled on me," McCain
said, referring to his bitter primary fight with Bush.The 60-second ad by a group called "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" accuses Kerry of lying about his decorated Vietnam War record and betraying his fellow veterans by later opposing the conflict.
McCain said he's speaking out against the anti-Kerry ad because he believes it's bad for the political system. "It reopens all the old wounds of the Vietnam War, which I spent the last 35 years trying to heal," he said. "None of these individuals served
on the boat Kerry commanded. Many of his crew have testified to his courage under fire. I think John Kerry served honorably in Vietnam.
A Bush spokesperson said, "The Bush campaign never has and will never question John Kerry's service in Vietnam."
Click for John McCain on other issues.
Source: Ron Fournier, Associated Press in Denver Post
John Edwards on Homeland Security
: Jul 28, 2004
We must and we will treat our veterans better
The real test of patriotism is how we treat the men and women who have put their lives on the line to protect our values. The 26 million veterans in this country will not have to wonder when we're in office whether they'll have health care next week
or next year. We will take care of them because they have taken care of us. We will invest in the new equipment and technologies so that our military remains the best equipped and best prepared in the world. This will make our military stronger.
Click for John Edwards on other issues.
Source: Acceptance speech to the Democratic National Convention
John McCain on Principles & Values
: Apr 1, 2004
Humility from surviving veterans is remarkable
"I don't like to be called a hero," Benavidez complained, and then, in the familiar refrain of veterans from all wars, he offered the observation, "The real heroes are the ones who gave their lives for their country." That kind of humility from
surviving veterans who distinguished themselves in combat is so commonplace that we've come to expect it from them. We don't take it seriously. We even suspect that it's false. We don't see how remarkable it is. They mean it. Every word.
Click for John McCain on other issues.
Source: Why Courage Matters, p. 11
Al Gore on Homeland Security
: May 11, 2000
$1.2 billion in new education money for veterans
Al Gore courted veterans yesterday with $1.2 billion in new education money for them, their families, and their survivors. “Those who fight for our security should never have to fight for the education they need to succeed,” Gore said at a VFW post.
Gore’s plan would increase monthly payments to veterans and families by 25%, from $536 to $670. Gore said that would be the largest increase in their education funding since the program began 16 years ago as part of the GI Bill.
Benefits also would be indexed to inflation and veterans could use the money for other types of learning during school breaks. Gore said no new money would be needed to pay for the increased benefits since they would be covered
by the money available from the Veterans Administration. “We don’t give our veterans anything,” Gore concluded. “You have earned what you get with blood, sweat, and tears.”
Click for Al Gore on other issues.
Source: Associated Press in Boston Globe, p. A36
Al Gore on Social Security
: May 10, 2000
Ensure health care & retirement security for aging veterans
Gore highlighted his record of fighting for veterans and his plans for saving Social Security and strengthening Medicare to ensure health care and retirement security for aging veterans. “We have a responsibility to each and every one of our veterans,”
Gore said. “America must do more for those who have risked everything to keep us free. I will fight for an unshakeable national commitment to our veterans.” Noting the number of Social Security enrollees is expected to double over the next 30 years,
Gore highlighted his plan for saving Social Security. Gore’s balanced budget plan uses the entire Social Security surplus, $2.2 trillion over ten years, to improve Social Security and pay down the debt -- and dedicates the billions of dollars in interest
saved from debt reduction to shore up the Social Security Trust Fund until at least 2050. Gore would strengthen prescription drug coverage for military retirees, and provide a comprehensive prescription drug plan for all seniors.
Click for Al Gore on other issues.
Source: Press Release in Jacksonville, Ark.
John McCain on Homeland Security
: Feb 26, 2000
Disagrees with Perot: No more POWs in Vietnam
Like a lot of POWs in Vietnam, McCain came to know Ross Perot after the POWs were released in 1973. By then, Perot had become well-known for his efforts to help POWs and their families.Both McCain and Perot remained active in POW matters after the
war. But over time they found themselves at opposite ends of the most important issue: Whether American servicemen were still being held in Southeast Asia. Through the early 1990s, Perot insisted that government officials had ignored evidence of
servicemen still in captivity, while McCain doubted a conspiracy occurred and believed much evidence of prisoner sightings was discredited. Perot [was accused of] the rash pursuit of conspiracy theories, while McCain became angered by
people he thought were creating false hopes that missing servicemen were still alive. Their disagreement led to sharp words at a Senate committee hearing in 1992.
Click for John McCain on other issues.
Source: New York Times, p. A10
Al Gore on Budget & Economy
: Dec 20, 1999
Economic slowdown would prompt Reinvention push
On how an economic slowdown might change his budget priorities: I’m a veteran of the Reinventing Government push, one who believes that eliminating waste doesn’t have to be a meaningless mantra.
That kind of fiscal challenge -- which I hope doesn’t occur -- could serve as an opportunity to push much more dramatic re-engineering of the way the government operates.
Click for Al Gore on other issues.
Source: Interview in Business Week, p. 42-43
John McCain on Homeland Security
: Dec 13, 1999
Women have proven themselves in combat-no restrictions
Q: Do you think it’s a good idea to prohibit women from combat? A: No, I don’t and it’s already been proven in the Persian Gulf War that women performed extraordinarily with heroism and skill and courage including in a POW experience.
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Source: Des Moines Iowa GOP Debate
John McCain on Education
: Nov 22, 1999
Enlist retirees for tutoring
McCain wants to create a pool of military veterans, retirees and others who would tutor students in math, science and English. “You really need to have a lot more people helping kids get their education,” McCain said. Tutors can help reinforce
the message that education is important and give students the support they need to succeed, McCain said. If tutors aren’t available in some neighborhoods, the Internet may be able to link them with students, he said.
Click for John McCain on other issues.
Source: Associated Press
John McCain on Homeland Security
: Nov 21, 1999
Keep health care promises to aging veterans
McCain fears the dying generation of WWII veterans is being shortchanged in health care at an age when the old soldiers’ medical needs are more expensive than ever. “Our WWII veterans, the greatest generation, they’re dying at 30,000 a month, & they’re
not getting the care they’ve been promised,” McCain said. “If you’ve got a flat budget, and millions of Americans who need expensive long-term and geriatric care, it doesn’t match up.” McCain said he plans to announce soon a “Contract with Veterans.”
Click for John McCain on other issues.
Source: The Sunday Enterprise (Brockton, MA), p. A7
John McCain on Principles & Values
: Nov 9, 1999
Refused release to hurt Vietnamese & remain loyal to POWs
I spelled out the reasons [to my fellow inmates] why I should not [accept the Vietnamese offer of release from the POW camp]:Just letting me go is a propaganda victory for them. I can tell they really want me to go. And if they want something that
much it’s got to be a bad thing. I can’t give them that satisfaction.
Second, I would be disloyal to the rest of you. I know why they’re doing this-to make every guy here whose father isn’t an admiral think the [Army’s Code of Conduct] is shit. They’ll
tell all of you, “Your father’s not an admiral and nobody gives a damn about you.” And I don’t want to go home and see my father, and he wouldn’t want to see me under those conditions. I’ve got to say no.
Eventually, [the Vietnamese asked if I
considered their release offer]. “What is your answer?” “No, thank you.” “Why?” “American prisoners cannot accept parole, or amnesty or special favors. We must be released in the order of our capture.. My final answer is no.”
Click for John McCain on other issues.
Source: “Faith of My Fathers”, p. 235
John McCain on Principles & Values
: Nov 9, 1999
Survived as POW by faith to a higher cause
[Before being captured in Vietnam], I thought glory was the object of war, and all glory was self-glory. No more. For I have learned the truth: there are greater pursuits than self-seeking. Glory is not a conceit. It is not a prize for being the
most clever, the strongest, or the boldest. Glory belongs to the act of being constant to something greater than yourself, to a cause, to your principles, to the people on whom you rely, and who rely on you in return. No misfortune, no injury,
no humiliation can destroy it. This is the faith that my commanders affirmed, that my brothers-in-arms encouraged my allegiance to. It was the faith I had unknowingly embraced at the Naval Academy.
It was my father’s and grandfather’s faith. A filthy, crippled, broken man, all I had left of my dignity was the faith of my fathers. It was enough.
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Source: “Faith of My Fathers”, p. 257
Al Gore on War & Peace
: May 2, 1999
Serbs committing crimes against humanity.
Gore reminded everyone [in a campaign speech in Salem NH] that he is a Vietnam veteran and spoke of the war in Kosovo. He denounced the crimes against humanity being committed by the Serbs.
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Source: Boston Sunday Globe, 5/2/99, p. A6, col. 5
John McCain on Budget & Economy
: Jul 2, 1998
List of budgetary spending priorities
McCain would “maintain status” on spending for:- AIDS programs
- Environmental programs
- Foreign aid
- Housing projects
- Job training programs
- Medicaid & Medicare
- Student loan programs
McCain would “slightly increase” spending
for:- Education (K-12)
- Law enforcement
- Military & Veterans Benefits
- Border Control
McCain would “slightly decrease” spending for:- NASA
- Welfare
McCain would eliminate spending for:- Arts funding
Click for John McCain on other issues.
Source: Project Vote Smart, 1998, www.vote-smart.org