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thedrifter
01-19-03, 07:10 AM
State Directors and Officers,
Below is a response letter to Don Desanto's State Senator. With his permission I encourage you to send the same or edited copy as soon as possible. Send it to your Senators and Representatives. Be sure to ask your members to do the same. We are in the beginning stages of putting the pressure on the Congress. Many more letters similiar to this will follow with different subjects. We have learned from past years that pressure causes action. Send your letters by FAX and Email which is the best. I have heard that Snail mail (US Post office) is still being checked in the Washington area and delays in delivery are common. We nearly have all State Directors in place so lets get this ball rolling.


The Honorable Richard J. Durbin (Your Senator or Representative names)
United States Senate
332 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-1304


Re: Guarantee Funding for Veterans


Senator Durbin:

On January 7, 2003, Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) introduced S. 50. This
measure would guarantee an adequate level of funding for the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system. We encourage you to co-sponsor,
actively support, and ensure the passage of this important legislation this
year. Additionally, a leadership bill (S. 19), introduced by Senator Tom
Daschle (D-SD), also recognizes the need for guaranteed funding for VA
health care.

The House is in recess until January 27, 2003; however, we expect a
guaranteed VA health care funding bill to be introduced in the House some
time after it reconvenes. Ask your State's congressional delegation to get
behind these efforts.

Access to priority health care for our nation's service-connected disabled
veterans has been seriously eroded over the years due to insufficient
health care funding. The veterans health care system is in crisis.
Continued budget shortfalls, combined with rising costs for medical care
and increased demand for VA health care, have resulted in unprecedented
waiting times for routine and specialty care nationwide.

According to VA, nearly 236,000 veterans are either waiting for their
first appointment or must wait at least six months for care. Additionally,
VA reports that many of its facilities have reached capacity with closed
enrollment at some hospitals and clinics. But most disturbing are reports
of severely disabled veterans having to wait months, and, in some cases,
more than a year, for basic health care and specialized services.

It is disingenuous for our government to promise health care to veterans and
then to make it unattainable because of inadequate
funding. Rationed health care is no way to honor America's obligation to
the brave men and women who have so honorably served our nation.
Guaranteed funding for VA health care will help to ensure timely access to
quality health care for our nation's service-connected disabled veterans.
It would also ensure that VA receives its new funding level on October 1,
the first day of the new fiscal year, instead of being forced to operate
under last year's spending level until Congress can pass an appropriations
bill. Currently, VA is funded at last year's level until the new Congress
passes an appropriations bill in January or February of 2003. Therefore,
to avoid the uncertainties of the annual appropriations process, we are
pressing for funding for veterans' health care to be mandated in permanent
law.


Sincerely,



Sempers,

Roger