The Obama Administration Continues to Fail Our Military Veterans. President Obama has made many promises to America’s military veterans during his time in office, and our veterans are still waiting for the fulfillment of those promises. Today’s veterans are faced with an increasing rate of unemployment, more expensive healthcare, and a backlog of health claims, with many claims being six months old, or older. What is the plan for the large amount of returning servicemen and women from overseas, many of whom will need to assistance in converting to civilian life?
Failing our Military Veterans – Veterans Face Higher Unemployment
Thousands of our servicemen and women are returning from abroad. We are thankful for their service and so happy to have them home. But what are they coming home to? Many of our returning veterans will be faced with a slew of challenges. One of the most important challenges is their conversion from military life to civilian life and civilian employment.
However, according the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the unemployment rate for our veterans, especially our newest veterans, continues to inch ever higher, with the unemployment rate for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans alone currently hovering at 17%.
“The Bureau of Labor and Statistics report shows 10.3 percent of post-9/11-era veterans were jobless in March, 2012, up from 7.6 percent in February. For all veterans, the unemployment rate increased only slightly, to 7.5 percent from 7 percent.
The jobless rates for men and women were similar: 7.5 percent of all male veterans and 7.4 percent of all female veterans, with 10.2 percent of post-9/11 male veterans and 10.8 percent of post-9/11 female veterans.
After a 2011 peak of 13.1 percent in December, unemployment figures for recent veterans declined in both January and February. The March numbers represent a regression toward the 12.1 percent average monthly rate from last year.”
In fact, the unemployment rate among veterans may continue to rise:
The gap may widen as the U.S. economy recovers. Tens of thousands more troops will be coming home over the next two years from Afghanistan, where the U.S. plans to withdraw most combat forces by the end of 2014. At the same time, the Pentagon intends to reduce the U.S. military by 123,900 troops, or 5.5 percent, by fiscal 2017 to meet budget-cutting goals.
The unemployment burden tends to fall harder on enlisted veterans, especially those who lack technological skills. Most military officers have college degrees and are better equipped to make the transition to civilian careers. Younger veterans who left high school, with or without diplomas, to bear the brunt of combat in infantry or armor units often return to the civilian workforce with no readily marketable skills.
“In August of 2009, President Obama, standing alongside soldiers at George Mason University, promised that the post-9/11 G.I. Bill would help “those who have borne the heaviest burden lead us in to the 21st century.” Under President Obama, that promise has gone unfulfilled.
Too many young veterans report difficulty securing the tuition assistance and housing stipends promised in the bill. For tens of thousands, the post-9/11 G.I. bill is not working, forcing them to rely on savings or to take on debt.”
Failing our Military Veterans – Veterans Face Increased Healthcare Expenses
Spending under the Obama Administration has dramatically increased, however, the only spending cuts the President seems to be on board with are cuts to military spending. The last thing our current and returning military veterans need is expensive healthcare, and definitely not increased healthcare costs. Under President Obama’s proposed 2013 Budget is his plan to cut $1.8 billion from the TRICARE health insurance plan in 2013 alone, and an additional $12.9 billion by 2017, thus requiringmilitary families to pay even more for their health care.
The families of active duty military will be forced to pay significantly higher prices for prescription drugs, and retirees will see their premiums spike. Some retirees could see their health care costs quadruple over the next five years. Needless to say, veterans groups are rightfully outraged.
Cuts to military spending don’t just involve military hardware, they also target human beings. ”The most shameful cuts involve dramatic increases to health care costs for veterans. TRICARE provides medical benefits to active duty personnel and their families, as well as veterans. With military salaries that are below average for Federal workers, those who serve and have served their country depend on it. After ten years of war and fifteen thousand wounded men and women, TRICARE is a small payment on the debt that can never be repaid.”
Failing our Military Veterans – Veterans Face Huge Backlog of Medical Claims
The Department of Veterans” Affairs has declared that the backlog for veterans healthcare claims has risen to 853,831 pending cases, an increase of 100,000 over last year, and an increase of 500,000 over the past three years. This number has exploded due to the number of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, and due to a policy change making it easier for Vietnam veterans to file Agent Orange-related claims. However, with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs also facing possible budget cuts, it appears the number of backlogged claims will only increase.
Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, states that the Obama Administration still refuses to say if the VA will indeed be subject to the proposed spending cuts. “This issue arises due to an ambiguity in the law and the Obama administration’s refusal to answer basic questions on whether VA would be part of this historic cut,” Miller said. “For months I’ve been trying to get clarity about this issue to no avail, and that is why I want to thank you, Cmdr. Samuels, and all members of the DAV, for joining other veterans groups in pleading with the president to direct the Office of Management and Budget to give us, and the nation, the administration’s interpretation of the conflicts in law so we can protect veterans healthcare and benefits.”
“Nearly 1 million veterans today are stuck in the backlog and more than half wait at least half a year to find out if their claim has been processed,” said Rep. Miller.
Although the VA has processed nearly a million claims over the past year, another 1.3 million new claims were filed during the same period.
Of the approximately 2.2 million veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, 624,000 have filed disability claims and many more are expected. In addition, more than 200,000 Vietnam War veterans have filed claims based on new regulations adopted in 2010 making it easier to get compensation for health problems caused by exposure to defoliants such as Agent Orange.
The Obama Administration Continues to Fail Our Military Veterans
Our military veterans and their families deserve leaders who keep their promises. Our country and its citizens owe these heroes so much, and our leaders owe it to them to keep their word.
At a speech in Houston in February 2008, then-candidate Obama said that “maintaining the finest military in the world” requires “caring for our troops when they come home, not forgetting about our troops.” He’s right, and he would do well to remember that, otherwise, the looming crisis for all of our veterans will become reality.
Military Veterans.
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