This bill would create a guaranteed, mandatory funding stream for veterans’
health care, not subject to the vagaries of the annual appropriations
process. Veterans are becoming increasingly angry that their benefits are
being cut in order to fund large tax breaks for the wealthy. Ask Senators
Levin and Stabenow to support.
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Dear Senator ________,
As a member of Veterans for Peace, I am deeply concerned with issues that
military service men and women and veterans face. One of those issues is the
full funding of veteran’s benefits.
As the veteran population continues to age, there is increasing attention on
veterans' health care needs. In particular, with the increases in health
care costs, there is a pressing need for greater funding for veterans health
care programs. The FY '04 appropriations struggle began in early 2003 when
President Bush submitted a budget proposal to Congress that cut funding for
veterans' health care programs by $1.8 billion. Both Democratic and
Republican leaders in the House of Representatives vowed to restore the $1.8
billion. But when the time came to do so, the appropriations bill crafted by
House GOP leaders did not contain this extra $1.8 billion. Thanks to our
allies in the Senate, most of the $1.8 billion was restored in the Senate
version of the appropriations bill and made it into the final appropriations
conference report.
To avoid the difficulties involved in the annual fights over funding for
health care, veterans groups support legislation introduced by Senator
Johnson (D-S.D.), entitled "Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Act of
2003" (S. 50). This bill would create a guaranteed, mandatory funding stream
for veterans’ health care, not subject to the vagaries of the annual
appropriations process.
Please don’t let the majority cut veterans benefits to pay for their tax
break for the rich. This issue is of deep importance to me as a voter, and I
look forward to hearing your thoughts on this.
Sincerely,
_______________
member Veterans for Peace, Washtenaw County chapter
address
telephone##
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Contact Sen. Carl Levin at:
http://www.levin.senate.gov/emailform/
477 Michigan Avenue, Suite 1860
Detroit, MI 48226-2594
Phone (313) 226-6020
Fax (313) 226-6948
Contact Se. Debbie Stabenow at:
e-mail: senator@stabenow.senate.gov
280 East Saginaw Hwy
East Lansing, MI 48823
Phone: (517) 203-1760