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Democratic Leaders Want Role in Veterans' Commission
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ShareMarch 07, 2007 6:26 PM
ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf Reports: At the very same moment her office announced she was sending a letter to the president this afternoon, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi D-Cali., was physically inside the White House meeting with President Bush and other Congressional leaders. A press release on the letter from Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid does not say if Pelosi hand delivered the letter.
The letter praises the President for appointing the special commission, headed by former Sen Bob Dole R-Kans., and former HHS Secretary Donna Shalala (a Democrat) to assess the care of veterans. But it also says the President has not gone far enough. More than simply consulting with veterans groups, the Democratic leaders feel like veterans and family members should actually sit on the commission.
They also want the president to "work with the Congress in selecting the Commission's members and determining its responsibilities in order to ensure it attainst the greatest strength and highest credibility." Demorcrats point to the formation of the 9/11 Commission as a model of such a commission. An effective inquiry "...must be truly bipartisan or, even better, non-partisan," write Reid and Pelosi.
The White House must strive, say the Democratic leaders, to remove any "political taint" from the Commission. Never mind that Reid and other Democratic senators held a press conference yesterday where Reid pointedly said of the White House, "Its their fault."
March 7, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (2)
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Overheard somewhere in Iowa:
"C'mon everybody! Get on the [variable] bandwagon. [variable] is very important to all Americans, and we should all be looking at ways we can improve [variable].
It is important for us leaders to let the American people know that we care very deeply about [variable] and we fully intend to improve the current [variable] policy, to ensure adequate [variable] for all Americans, now and in the future.
It is times like these that truly makes us appreciate [variable] and reflect fondly on our heritage as Americans, and that [variable] was one of the reasons our forefathers fought so bravely in past and present wars.
God bless America and God bless [variable]."
Posted by: georgembush | Mar 7, 2007 8:17:14 PM
What difference does it make if Democrats have a role in the Veterans' Commission? Just as the Republicans have been doing for years the Democrats are going to give just enough extra funding to the VA to solve some current problems and make themselves look like they are really going to make sure our veteans are taken care of.
What they are doing is similar to passing emergency funding Bills for the VA which was done in 2006. It really is just another temporary fix. Hearings and investigations are a waste of time. Veterans need help now. It's clear what has to be done, and the disgracefully under funded VA surely needs no investigation. Veterans organizations have been making that clear to Congress for years. Why have investigations and hearings on issues that Congress already understands what has to be done to resolve the problems involved?
The VA needs a change in the way it is funded in order to catch up with caring for the veterans who need help now and for the great magnitude of veterans who will be entering the VA system for help and care during the course of the Iraq war and any future wars our government decides to get involved in militarily.
Posted by: Brian | Mar 10, 2007 4:29:24 PM
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