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On March 12, CNN reported online that Veterans Affairs Secretary and retired Gen. Eric Shinseki had confirmed that the Obama administration was considering a controversial plan to make veterans pay for service-related injuries with their private insurance, which assumes they have it.
The plan was to be incorporated into the 2010 budget. On March 18, the Obama administration reversed course on the plan.
Thankfully, Congress had let the administration know that any such legislation proposed by the Obama administration would be dead on arrival.
Although correctly rejected, the plan proposed by the Obama administration begs two greater questions:
1. There is no citizen of this great nation who deserves government-paid health care more than an injured veteran, whether his injury is combat-related or training-related. Government-provided health care for injured veterans must be honored.
By proposing this plan, the Obama administration has sent a deleterious message to our active and reserve military, many of whom have persevered through multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
What was the administration thinking to even contemplate such a plan?
2. President Obama has proposed national health care, including a $635 billion "down payment," yet simultaneously proposed compelling injured veterans to use private insurance, assuming they have it, for service-related injuries.
Abject hypocrisy. What was the administration thinking?
Our commander in chief and most of his administration are non-veterans. Do they truly understand and support the grassroots military? If yes, their judgment is skewed.
Dave Furtnett
Stafford
