Political Quotes

“as a new generation is being created in Iraq and Afghanistan, Republicans are underfunding programs that are vital to our Nation's veterans. The Bush administration has tried to increase the cost of health care for veterans which would have forced 1 million veterans from the system. Their budget slashed funding for staff needed to process disability claims and cut funding for prosthetic research and long-term care. House Republicans passed a budget that underfunds veterans health care by $1 billion, and they rejected efforts by House Democrats to fully fund VA health care. Their budget cuts do not stop there. The Bush administration, in order to make room for tax cuts for the wealthiest 5 percent in our Nation, their plan for the 2006 budget includes a $900 million cut in funding for veterans health care. That would be catastrophic for the VA and for our Nation's veterans. Last month, Secretary Principi and President Bush announced they had closed three VA hospitals, one in Mississippi, one in Pittsburgh, and one in my district in northeast Ohio in Brecksville. The Ohio facility serves 48,000 veterans and is a national leader in programs that treat substance abuse and mental illness. The Brecksville VA hospital is critical for ensuring the health and well-being of the thousands of homeless veterans who rely on Brecksville and who now will be forced to find another way and go somewhere else.”