Every year on Veterans Day

I always wonder what went wrong

In every war our nation has ever fought

We’ve sent them off with cheers and song

And then no matter what campaign

When our soldiers come marching home

We routinely neglect so many of their needs

And I routinely write yet one more mournful poem

Our government has never spent enough money on their needs

Yearly cuts in our veteran programs have become quite routine

Instead our politicians spend our money on pork barrel projects

Which to me seems so very callous and frankly truly quite obscene

If I had anything at all to say about government veteran policy

I’d only allow those who’ve actually worn an active duty uniform

Legislate what types of benefits our valiant veterans deserve to receive

And soon better health housing and disability benefits would be the norm

Please contact the newly elected House and Senate on their behalf

And let’s finally try to get them the level of benefits that they truly deserve

It is truly time for all of us and for all of our elected officials in this vast nation

To honor and respect those who selflessly served on Active Duty and in Reserves

And Please Visit an Ailing or Aging Vet

Today on This Veterans Day Holiday

Whether in a hospital or in a nursing home

These Americans truly are Our Nation’s Brave

A coalition of national veterans’ organizations has once again called on the U.S. House of Representatives Veterans’ Affairs Committee to schedule hearings on legislation that would replace the current discretionary funding mechanism that puts veteran patients at risk and makes it impossible for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to operate effectively.

And, once again, this request has been denied.

The nine organizations that make up this Partnership for Veterans Health Care Budget Reform have long sought congressional hearings to explore ways to guarantee full funding for veteran care, but these requests have always been denied.

The latest request was made in a Nov. 1st letter taking issue with the Committee Chairman’s recent assertion that the current discretionary appropriations process has been a “successful funding approach” to meeting the needs of America’s sick and disabled veterans.

“The discretionary budget has become highly politicized and puts at risk the VA health care system and its patient population. In the past 12 years,” the Partnership letter noted, “Congress has completed only one regular VA appropriations bill by the start of the new fiscal year. Unfortunately, the norm has become a series of continuing resolutions each year that funds VA at the previous year’s level, holding down spending and finally lumping VA’s budget into an omnibus spending bill.”

“This annual limbo hinders effective staffing decisions, construction planning, and day-to-day management by VA leaders. Additionally, VA funding growth has not nearly kept pace with its patient workload demands,” the letter said.

“A method of assured funding, such as H.R. 515 (Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Act), would eliminate the year-to-year uncertainty about funding levels. Annual fiscal turbulence rarely occurs in comparable mandatory spending programs. It is blatantly unrealistic to expect VA to manage efficiently and carry out its missions expertly without knowing what its projected budget will be or when funds will be approved.”

The Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee has said that that Congress would lose its “oversight clout” of the VA health care system under a mandatory funding mechanism. However, the Partnership believes that guaranteed funding would simply ensure that VA is provided the necessary resources to care for the enrolled veteran patient population.

The Partnership letter also noted that all other mandatory programs still receive congressional oversight. “We would expect your Committee to hold VA accountable for how it spends every dollar and how well VA manages its health care programs.”

Each organization in the Partnership has repeatedly approved resolutions that support guaranteed funding for veterans’ health care, yet nothing ever gets done by our politicians.

The Partnership for Veterans Health Care Budget Reform includes the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, AMVETS, Blinded Veterans Association, Disabled American Veterans, Jewish War Veterans of the USA, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Vietnam Veterans of America.