Lynn C. Woolsey: “the irony could not be thicker or, for that matter, sweeter. Today, the day before Veterans Day, the Republican…”

“the irony could not be thicker or, for that matter, sweeter. Today, the day before Veterans Day, the Republican leadership failed to gather the necessary votes to pass a shameful budget reconciliation bill that will, among other things, decrease funding for veterans. Somewhere Mr. DeLay should be left to wonder how the callously efficient arm-twisting regime that he installed in the House has crumbled so quickly. The sheer audacity of trying to pass a budget reconciliation bill that provides more tax breaks to the wealthy at the expense of important social-net programs for the poor is unbelievable. The programs slated to be cut include health care for veterans, Medicaid, student loans, and child support enforcement. The idea that America's Republican leaders would slash funding for veterans the day before they should be honoring them would be even more appalling than it already is if it were not so commonplace. In fact, this pattern has repeated itself throughout President Bush's tenure in office. The U.S. invasion of Iraq in March 2003 coincided with the sharp decrease in veterans health care and other benefits for those who have bravely served in our Nation's military. The backlog at veterans hospitals had never been greater than when the United States went to war in Iraq. Now, with more than half a million soldiers having served in Iraq, the burden on the VA will only increase. And while the U.S.…”