Have we got a lot of good people fighting for our vets.
Rep. Bob Filner [D-CA #51], member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee appeared on the Al Franken Show today and came out swinging for our returning veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD].
He talked about the gutting of the VA and how, if left untreated, PTSD contributes to the increase in violent incidents we're seeing today and will continue to see in the coming years.
Details on what he had to say, and what we need to do, below the fold...
The following is a rough transcript relating to the PTSD discussion Rep. Bob Filner had with Al Franken today. Rough meaning: I quickly jotted notes down as they spoke. I didn't catch it word-for-word, but the essence is here. When Air America Radio has a link to audio to today's show, I'll update this diary with it.
Filner: We have veterans out in California who have to wait one year to get a VA appointment. And there are over 1,000 vets currently on a waiting list, waiting for their first appointment. This is a huge problem. Our Iraq veterans are coming back with post-traumatic stress disorder and they're not getting the care they need. Every family needs to be educated on this issue, and they're not getting it. There's lots of violence when they come home, and we need to do more to help them. 67% of troops wounded have brain injuries - and these types of wounds often lead to depression and PTSD.
Franken: When I went over to Iraq and Kuwait a lot of psychologists told me that the stigma of appearing weak keeps a lot of our troops from reporting what they're dealing with.
Filner: Yeah, that's a problem. But here's the solution: we need to screen every returning veteran for it. Every single one of them needs to be screened, no questions asked. That will help to counteract the stigma. The sad thing is: we know how to tread PTSD, we just need the money to do it. The VA needs to have the proper funding for it. PTSD'ss gotten more attention than it has in the past -- more of us know about it than we did during the Vietnam War. Because of this heightened awareness, more vets are coming forward and being diagnosed with it. What's the VA's response to this? They turn around and investigate the diagnosis to try to cut down on the numbers of vets identified as having PTSD. This isn't being done to help our veterans; it's done with an eye towards cutting the VA rolls of those with PTSD, so they can cut corners and save money. Just look at who's been appointed as VA Secretary: Jim Nicholson.
Franken: The former RNC National Committee Chairman.
Filner: Right. And he was sent to the VA to gut it. He says too many vets are being served, we need to cut the numbers. And that's not right.
Although not mentioned during this interview today, Rep. Filner also has a commentary appearing in the February 6th issue of The Nation. In it, he outlines the gradual improvement of the VA medical system under the Clinton Administration -- and worries about where it's going under the Bush Administration.
[U]nder President Clinton the VA system underwent a sea change. Where it had mainly offered inpatient care in often dirty, antiquated hospitals, the VA system was rebuilt to focus on outpatient care in modern clinics built in locations readily accessible to veterans. Equally important, eligibility requirements were changed so that every veteran could enroll. The number of patients doubled to nearly 5 million a year, and the quality of care rose with it. By 2003 a study in The New England Journal of Medicine found that veterans' healthcare, once ridiculed by conservatives as a travesty of "socialized medicine," had come so far that it equaled or surpassed the quality of even the most expensive private healthcare systems in America. VA healthcare had transformed into a promising model for a full-scale public healthcare system.
We're told 'everything changed after 9/11' -- and it looks like that includes funding veterans' healthcare.
[E]ach year brings a new budget fight in Congress to keep it afloat. Every year, President Bush's requests have been far too modest to fund the VA system fully. Despite Democrats' efforts, the Republican majority in Congress refuses to meet the system's needs. As a result, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs has had to take action--most notably, preventing nondisabled veterans with incomes of $25,000 or more from receiving care.
What's the solution to this spiraling problem? Assured Funding of the VA.
The key to building on the VA's improvements is a secure budget that will guarantee--not just promise--that VA healthcare is fully funded every year. Representative Lane Evans has introduced a bill to do just that: the Assured Funding for Veterans' Healthcare Act of 2005 (HR 515). Assured Funding takes into account the most important factors in determining VA funding--inflation, predictable increases in enrollment--and automatically increases the budget each year to meet those needs.
Additional information on what this veteran-friendly representative is working on can be found on his website's Veteran's Issues page. A few tidbits:
Bob is a supporter of the "GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century"
This is a comprehensive package of legislation to improve benefits for our men and women in uniform and for the nation's military retirees and veterans. This legislation will bolster support for our troops in harms way and their families here at home. In addition, included are special provisions for the National Guard and Reserves that provide better education, health care and job training to these men and women whose service has been above the call of duty.
This "GI Bill of Rights" also ends the Disabled Veterans' Tax and provides concurrent receipt of military retired pay and VA compensation to all eligible disabled retirees. Democrats tried to offer this as an amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill, but consideration was blocked by the Republicans.
And our veterans seem to be appreciative of his efforts:
Bob has received several awards for his work for veterans.
In August 2001, the Air Force Sergeants Association presented Congressman Filner with the prestigious L. Mendel Rivers Award of Excellence for his work on behalf of veterans. Previous winners include former Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Sonny Montgomery, for whom the Montgomery GI Bill is named. Other awards have been presented to Bob by the Paralyzed Veterans Association, the Retired Enlisted Association, the American Legion, the Jewish War Veterans, the National Gulf War Resource Center, and the American Gold Star Mothers.
Thank you, Rep. Bob Filner for your tireless efforts in advocating for our veterans.
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Although the topic of PTSD isn't much to celebrate, that it was discussed on Air America today needs to be applauded. Please contact the show and thank them for spending a little bit of time talking about PTSD today. And then consider contacting Rep. Bob Filner's office to say 'thanks' for his continued work on veteran's health issues.
Thank you!