by Tina Grazier
Listen up America!
SALISBURY (AP) A nurse responsible for monitoring care of frail military veterans didn’t visit patients as required for two years and filed one report that listed a dead patient in stable condition, according to a federal inspection obtained by The Charlotte Observer.
The little snippet was taken from an article VA nurse lists dead patient as ‘stable’ out of Virginia. It is one of many stories we will no doubt be seeing in the coming weeks as Americans are massaged into blaming the Bush administration for the shameful conditions of our VA hospitals. But before we start condemning republican leaders lets look at the recent history concerning Congressional efforts on healthcare issues for our veterans.
June 4, 1996 House Passes VA Medical Construction Bill – HR. 3376
January 14, 1998 Chairmen Unveil Proposal to Expand Health Care Access for Veterans
May 20, 1998 House Passes Veterans’ Legislation – Bills Expand Programs for Homeless Veterans And Authorizes Construction of Medical Facilities for Providing High Quality Care to Veterans
March 26, 1999 HOUSE BUDGET INCREASE SAVES VETERANS FROM CLINTON/GORE CUTS
(find the full list in the continue reading section of this post)
I hope you did indeed wade through the partial list of investigations, hearings, and bills that our politicians have considered since 1996 in the continue reading section of this article. It demonstrates an Herculean effort in the republican managed Congress to ensure that veterans will receive the care they deserve. I am reminded too of the way the democrat minority party was bent on blocking all legislation (not written by them) no matter how worthy the cause. They speak of bipartisanship…they fail to execute when given the opportunity to cooperate.
And so now, after all the effort…suddenly we have these big problems and complaints at Walter Reed? What exactly is going on?
I submit that this is either about politics in an election cycle or the inefficiency, red tape, waste and fraud that accompanies government run institutions. These conditions didnt just show up in the last two weeks; the bureaucratic monster has been blocking progress for decades. So I think its safe to assume this is yet another dirty political ploy brought to us from the democrat dirt machine; a machine that, when it cant find dirt, simply manufactures some. But we need not speculate when we have proof:
MSNBC reports on the AP story “Walter Reed gives Democrats political ammo”:
Army hospital scandal provides weapon against Bushs plans for Iraq
This is the Katrina of 2007, said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., comparing the hospital scandal to the 2005 hurricane that left Gulf Coast residents stranded for days without federal assistance.
There is a pattern here that were just not focused on what needs to be done to help these young men and women, said Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., a 2008 presidential contender.
Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., said the Bush administration failed to plan adequately for the long and bloody war.
And now theyre failing those who have sacrificed so much, said Kennedy.
Blah Blah Blah….
Enter President Bush to appoint Bob Dole and Donna Shalala to co-chair a commission to review VA medical conditions:
The president announced last Friday he had ordered a comprehensive review of conditions at military and veterans hospitals, which have been overwhelmed by injured troops from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The review came in the wake of disclosures of shoddy outpatient health care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, one of the nation’s premier facilities for the wars’ wounded.
Yes, the president offers more busy work. After all, what more can he do? What do the democrats expect him do…wash the floors and paint the walls himself? In 40-50 years the very thing the democrats have failed to do, pass legislation, complete with funding to support quality care for our veterans and FIX THIS PROBLEM… can hardly be accomplished by another commission.
This is AN ELECTION CYCLE…and the beast must have it’s blood…and the rhetoric piles up as dung from that beast!
ArghhhhhhIm exhausted, arent you?
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May 17, 1999 HEALTH SUBCOMMITTEE SCHEDULES LEGISLATIVE HEARING ON REFORM OF VA HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
September 10, 1999 HOUSE OKAYS ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ $1.7 BILLION INCREASE IN VETERANS’ HEALTH CARE SPENDING
November 16, 1999 HOUSE PASSES COMPREHENSIVE VETERANS’ HEALTH AND BENEFITS PACKAGE
September 21, 2000 HOUSE PASSES PAY HIKE FOR VA NURSES AND INCREASED ACCESS TO VA HEALTH CARE.
March 1, 2001 SMITH CALLS FOR $550 MILLION TO REPAIR VAS CRUMBLING HEALTHCARE BUILDINGS
March 21, 2001 HOUSE VA COMMITTEE ACTS ON BENEFITS, HOSPITAL REPAIR BILLS
September 5, 2001 CONGRESSMAN TERRY EVERETT SAYS ARREST OF THREE ATLANTA VA EMPLOYEES FOR EMBEZZLEMENT OF $6 MILLION IN VETERANS BENEFITS INICATES THE VA IGNORED HIS WARNINGS TO TAKE ACTION TO PREVENT SUCH FRAUD.
March 11, 2002 VETERANS COMMITTEE CALLS FOR $3.2 BILLION BOOST FOR VA HEALTH CARE
(January 29, 2003) The “State of Veterans’ Health Care” was the subject of a hearing before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. With record numbers of veterans seeking medical care at VA facilities, the Committee examined how well VA is meeting their obligations to provide comprehensive and timely care to veterans.
(May 6, 2003) Two new bills to increase revenue for veterans health care services were approved by the Veterans Affairs Health Subcommittee today.
(May 7, 2003) Fugitive felons collecting veterans benefits and part-time doctors being paid without records of work being performed are two topics to be discussed at a House Veterans Affairs Committee hearing to be held tomorrow
(June 16, 2003) – Saying its time to fix veterans health funding,bill embodies the central recommendation of a two-year Presidential task force on veterans health care which found an alarming mismatch between demand for services and available resources threatening the quality of VA health care.
(October 15, 2003) Tomorrow, Thursday, October 16 at 10:00 AM an investigative hearing arising from disturbing reports of gaps in health care coverage for transitioning veterans.
(October 30, 2003) The House of Representatives today unanimously passed new legislation authorizing $1.4 billion for the construction and repair of critically-needed veterans medical care facilities.
(July 8, 2004) Legislation to authorize leases for 16 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) outpatient clinics was approved today by the Veterans Affairs Health Subcommittee.
(September 30, 2004) The House of Representatives has approved two new bills to improve the quality and timeliness of VA medical care services. H.R. 4231, the Veterans Affairs Nurse Recruitment and Retention Act of 2004, would establish new and enhance existing VA programs designed to improve the recruitment and retention of nurses…
(November 17, 2004) The House of Representatives today gave final approval to a three bills to expand access to VA health care services, boost veterans benefit programs, and strengthen legal protections for servicemembers and veterans.
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