Bernie Sanders: “the amendment the majority leader and I are offering today is the first step in our effort this Congress to undo a…”

“the amendment the majority leader and I are offering today is the first step in our effort this Congress to undo a fundamental unfairness that affects over 300,000 disabled veterans in this country who also happen to be military retirees. In short, this amendment creates a reserve fund that will allow this Congress to once and for all eliminate the offset that exists between military retiree pay and VA disability benefits. At a time when we have men and women in harm's way in Iraq, Afghanistan and in other locations around the globe, it is appropriate that the budget resolution we pass out of the United States Senate acknowledge and seriously address the unmet needs of our Nation's veterans. It is wrong that our veterans are enduring long waiting lines to receive health care from the VA due to inadequate funding. It is wrong that the Bush administration slammed the doors of the VA health care system on hundreds of thousands of so-called ``higher income'' veterans--veterans who in reality make as little as $28,000 a year. And it is wrong for this administration to try to impose higher copayments and enrollment fees on our veterans. As someone who sits on both the Budget Committee and the Veterans Affairs Committee, I am incredibly proud that on all these issues, this budget resolution is on the side of veterans and rejects administration proposals that short-change and nickel and dime those who have served.”