Marilyn Strickland: “The leader of the Nation's largest military veterans organization reacted strongly to the effects that President Bush's…”

“The leader of the Nation's largest military veterans organization reacted strongly to the effects that President Bush's budget plan will have on veterans. He called it a smokescreen to raise revenue at the expense of veterans. 'This is not acceptable,' said Thomas P. Cadmus, national commander of the 2.7 million member American Legion. 'It is nothing more than a health care tax designed to increase revenue at the expense of veterans who served their country.' The fact is that when the President first came into office, most veterans were required to pay $2 for a 30-day prescription. The President increased that almost immediately after coming to office from $2 to $7, and in this budget, he is asking that the price to veterans be increased from $7 to $15.”