Obama vows to shield veterans from budget axe

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President Obama has promised not to support any cuts to veterans benefits when Congress reconvenes next week. Here's the story:

Obama: Veterans’ Programs Must Survive Cuts
By Kate Andersen Brower - Aug 30, 2011 1:05 PM ET

President Barack Obama told a military veterans group that he’ll maintain funding for their health and welfare programs amid the drive to cut the federal deficit.

“We’re facing some tough choices as we put our fiscal house in order,” Obama said in remarks at the American Legion’s93rd National Convention in Minneapolis. “I want to be absolutely clear: We cannot, we must not, we will not balance the budget on the backs of our veterans.”
The president said the nation is “still digging out” from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and “it’s taking longer and been more difficult than any of us imagined.”

“We have to create more jobs, and do it faster,” said Obama, who plans next week to outline a set of proposals to spur hiring. “Most of all, we have to break the gridlock inWashington that’s been preventing us from taking the action we need to get this economy moving.”

Even with the nation’s fiscal challenges, he said, the U.S. must make sure it’s “taking care of our veterans as well as you’ve taken care of us.”

Deficit Debate

When Congress returns next week, lawmakers and the administration will be debating ways to cut the nation’s long-term debt, including defense spending. The administration is reviewing how to slash $420 billion in national security spending, including $330 billion from the Pentagon budget over 10 years.

As part of legislation Obama signed into law earlier this month, the Defense Department would be subject to an additional $500 billion in automatic spending cuts unless a bipartisan supercommittee can agree on a plan to reduce the government’s deficit by $1.5 trillion over 10 years.
Future military pay and benefits are being reviewed as Pentagon officials seek cuts. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has called the automatic cuts a “kind of doomsday mechanism” that could “result in a further round of very dangerous cuts across the board.”

The Defense Department requested $671 billion for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1, including $117.8 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Obama, who will attend ceremonies this year in New York,Pennsylvania and Washington for the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, said the nation must honor, along with the victims, the sacrifices of those who went to war after the terrorists struck.

“Never before has our nation asked so much of our all-volunteer force -- that 1 percent of Americans who wears the uniform,” he said.

War Casualties

As of yesterday, 1,742 U.S. military personnel have been killed in Afghanistan since the war began in 2001 and 13,447 have been wounded, according to the Pentagon. There have been 4,477 U.S. military personnel killed in Iraq since the war began in 2003 and 32,175 wounded.
“Despite 10 years of continuous war, it must be said, America’s military is the best it’s ever been,” he said. “It will continue to be the best.”
Obama said his administration has made the welfare of veterans and their families a top priority across the federal government, not just for the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.

The president also highlighted efforts to assist veterans find jobs when they leave the armed forces, including education and training assistance and initiatives to encourage the hiring of veterans by government agencies and private businesses. Among those is a proposed tax credit for companies that hire unemployed veterans with disabilities.

The American Legion has more than 2.4 million members making it the largest veteran’s service organization in the U.S.

Here is a link to the story: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-...ograms-will-be-preserved-in-budget-fight.html
 
I don't believe it either. This smells of trying to get more voters in 2012...
 
I do believe it. This is actually clever politics (cynics might argue that this was made to provide political cover for the later demands for the active-duty budget cuts). I would expect that not a single Republican will oppose this statement. And I would expect that no right-minded Democrat (who wants to be re-elected) will oppose it either. Instant consensus!
 
I do believe it ... because it is smart ... and the right thing to do ... whatever the political affiliation.
 
Well; I believe he is simply spewing whatever he thinks the crowd wants to hear. When the time come for cuts, whatever the military leaders; along with the secretary of defense decides and presents; it what will be followed. Possibly even deeper depending on if congress wants to use the military as one of their battle grounds. And no matter what is decided, Obama WILL NOT, list up...... WILL NOT step in and say that military pay, retirement, and benefits is off the table. He will sign whatever congress agrees on. That is his nature. He's a fence rider.

TPG; I definitely think there is a lot of abuse in the VA. I have spent a lot of time around some VA's and I know quite a few vets who use their services, and there's definitely a lot of fraud and waste. And it starts with them jumping on us like vultures when we're retiring, telling us to file everything. They made us go through a retirement seminar where they had everyone there from showing you how to market yourself in the civilian world for a job; to financial education; to the VA and education. When the VA came, they asked us a lot of questions individually trying to get us to fill out our forms. In 21 years in the military, I've had a number of broken bones, scars, cuts, etc... And when the VA tried to get me to fill out the paperwork for disability percentage, I wouldn't do it. You'd have thought I just mugged a grandmother. They gave me the whole lecture of what I did for my country and this was a benefit I was entitled to. I told them that no one broken bone, scar, cut, etc... was related to any of my time in the sandbox, central/south america, or related to any of my military duties. I even showed them my medical records.

Sorry; but having some broken fingers and torn Achilles from playing baseball; even though it was on the Base Team, does not constitute "In the line of duty" for me. Putting a knife through my hand, while cutting a watermelon, just because I was on active duty, does not mean I should be looking a disability. I'm surprised with all the drinking I did when I was in the military, that they didn't try to get me to claim I was an alcoholic and entitled to disability. After all; the liberals will tell you that it's a "Disease".

Bottom line: I thanked them; through ALL the paperwork in the garbage; and quietly left the briefing. And when I get my monthly retirement check, without any cost of living adjustments going on 3 years; I feel good inside, knowing I have "Some" integrity.
 
All the talks is cuts, until he talks to a veterans group, then all of the language is about how he's with them. I don't believe a word of it.
 
Well; I believe he is simply spewing whatever he thinks the crowd wants to hear. When the time come for cuts, whatever the military leaders; along with the secretary of defense decides and presents; it what will be followed. Possibly even deeper depending on if congress wants to use the military as one of their battle grounds. And no matter what is decided, Obama WILL NOT, list up...... WILL NOT step in and say that military pay, retirement, and benefits is off the table. He will sign whatever congress agrees on. That is his nature. He's a fence rider.
Couldn't agree more. The latest speech by the President should not provide any reassurance to vets. If he was addressing a group of pacifist voters he would likely suggest the military has outlived it's usefulness and the savings should be given to the UN. :rolleyes:
 
Exactly. It's not politically advantageous to "stand in the way" when congress has agreed on cuts, and sent a bill to his desk, regardless of past promises.
 
I do believe it ... because it is smart ... and the right thing to do ... whatever the political affiliation.

But do you really believe that he's doing it because it is the "right thing to do?"

Don't get me wrong, I hope he follows through (mostly) to keep genuine claims from rejection, but we're discussing motive here.
 
His voting record doesn't really illustrate anything at all since, he was busy campaigning for the majority of the time he was in the Senate.

Additionally when he was a state Sen. for Ill., his voting record was filled with "present", but not a yea or nay.

That being said, I believe he will follow through because it would be stupid not to.
 
He is just saying what he thinks his current audience wants to hear.
 
I personally could care less what the underlying reasons are for why politicians do what they do. At least for me, the motives are really not that important. The only thing that really affects me is what they actually do (that is, when they are doing something!).
 
Exactly and I do not think the man does/means what he says so why bother listening. In the world of politicians he is not exactly unique.
 
Wow ... really? What does he have to do? He supports the troops. His wife supports military families. I believe that. I see that. He repeatedly says so, and proposes and supports benefits for the military. There's waste in every aspect of government ... particularly in contractors who are bent on extracting maximum profits. That's the nature of the "for profit/private sector" taking over military operations. If the military did the miltary thing (at less profit margin) more money would be available to help the troops. THAT's a long-term problem ... not one initiated by this president.
THis country is in a mess because of two wars that were entered into with no plan to pay for them (and who was president then?) Oh, the "don't tax the wealthy folks ...
 
I'm surprised with all the drinking I did when I was in the military, that they didn't try to get me to claim I was an alcoholic and entitled to disability. After all; the liberals will tell you that it's a "Disease".

Actually, the DSM-IV will tell you that alcoholism is a disorder.

At any rate, alcohol or other substance abuse, when not a manifestation of a service-connected disability (such as PTSD, for example), is barred from service connection. VA qualifies it as "willful misconduct," and will not pay compensation for it. Of course, VA does offer excellent substance abuse rehabilitation programs that have helped a ton of veterans.
 
MJO,

Regarding contractors, President Obama stopped a lot of that last yr. Most defense contractor jobs, esp. at the Pentagon were converted back to govt (Clinton was the one that converted them to contractor from govt back in the 90's).

Believe it or not IMPO, they aren't saving any money at all. Bullet now gets @ 45 days of leave/sick/comp a yr compared to the 23 he got as a contractor. He now has COLA, which is not taxable, and about 25% of his pay, so it hurts the country from a tax revenue position. The govt is matching his 401K, whereas that came out of the contracting company. TDY pay is on the govts dime now. Health, Life Insurance...govts dime. Disability, workers comp...govts dime. His pay is the exact same amount as it was when he worked as a contractor, actually because of COLA we make more since our tax base was reduced. His desk didn't move, his phone number didn't change, all that changed was who cut the check.

People forget that most salaries have a very large hidden cost to employees and those are the benefits that I just illustrated, traditionally it is @35% of the salary. So, if a company charges before you decide that is ridiculous they charge this, understand that they are not profiting 100%, it is actually less when you remove what the govt would actually be paying. Granted the contractors make a profit, but let's be honest it is a business, that is the way are world works.

OBTW, remember since Obama increased the amount of govt employees by converting jobs, they also now had to increase the infrastructure to support the employees, mainly finance and personnel. Another item that reduces their cost savings.

People also have the right to feel this way because there were many campaign promises regarding the military op tempo that has yet to be realized. Remember that promise within 100 days Gitmo would be closed? It is still open. Remember we would be out of Iraq, still there, granted less members, but still there.

Michelle Obama does support the troops, but so did every other First Lady before her. It is not as if she is blazing the trail. Most people who were AD when the Bush's were in the office know they were huge supporters of the military. They were known to visit Walter Reed without the media weekly when in DC during their 8 yrs here. They are known to still do this in Texas. Bush just finished riding a long bike tour with Wounded Warriors. He was interviewed by many media outlets, and when asked about his thoughts politically he shut them down immediately and told the interviewer this is about Wounded Warriors and their stories.

I am not saying, nor will I ever say the Obama's don't support the troops. I don't think anyone would say that, but for many of us this was a smart political decision and had little to do with their support of the troops.

Here's 2 stories of how Presidents show their support to troops in the little ways.

President goes overseas and is greeted by an AF liaison to a certain country. The President being informed that this officer had greeted another President yrs earlier when his wife was 9 months pregnant, asked the officer how was his son doing?

True story, Bullet knows the guy! That was Bush 43, and it was Bush 41 that told the officer to leave the function and go home to his wife, the officer stayed. They had a boy and named him George. Bush 43 actually asked how was his namesake doing?

President goes on vacation and for whatever odd reason, his spouse takes off 4 hrs earlier than him. Wasting not only our taxpayer dollars, but also creating additional missions for the military members.

That is a true story.

Please tell me why Michelle Obama had to leave 4 hours earlier? How about going to NYC for dinner and a play on a Sat. night, or Chicago for Valentine's Day. I am not saying they don't have the right to do that, but let's remember their plans for personal reasons impacted the people who get them there. They take them away from their family, and it isn't just a few hours no matter
how short the flight is. There is a lot of pre-planning and debriefs that go into it.

That to me is the difference between the Obama's and other Presidents.

Can you imagine if Laura took off 4 hrs earlier than 43, the outcry there would have been? I remember the left making a huge deal that 43 played 28 rounds of Golf in 8 yrs, Obama has beat him 3 times over in 3 yrs. I am not begrudging Obama, that is his form of exercise. Just saying that there seems to be an attitude that you can't say anything negative of this President when he has done the same thing or more than his predecessor.

JMPO, flame me that's okay. Just saying, I think that was an empty action since he knows the outcry would have been insane if he touched the vets.
 
sprog said:
Actually, the DSM-IV will tell you that alcoholism is a disorder.

At least in the real estate world this is one that I find very interesting. If you are an alcoholic you are covered by the Civil Rights Act for Disabilities and cannot be denied based on being an alcoholic. HOWEVER, if you are recovering, you can be denied!

Never understood why we penalize them for straightening out their life!
 
Folks I'm sorry that I didn't see this thread when it first was posted- I want to remind all of you that this forum is not a political platform. The President may be a politician and the head of a political party, but he is also the Commander in Chief. If you have to post on this subject- please do so with respect for the President and for other posters. We are surrounded every day with slinging around political insults- they don't have any place here on the US Service Academy Forums. So please try and keep this in mind while posting.
 
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