October 24, 2004 1:08 am
There have been recent articles in this newspaper and others concerning delays on the part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in responding to claims made by veterans returning from Iraq.
Once discharged from the military, these veterans rely on the VA for medical treatment and for disability benefits to replace lost earnings caused by their injuries.
The problem causing delays in processing their claims stems largely from a shortage of adjudication personnel in the VA. Those are the people who review incoming claims from veterans and authorize payment of benefits.
When there are not enough people to perform that task, long delays in processing claims occur, and veterans are forced to wait many months before receiving benefits to which they are entitled.
The president must recognize that caring and providing for those injured in war is a cost of war.
President Bush is always accusing opponents of failing to vote for money to fund his war in Iraq by saying that they are not supporting our troops. At the same time, the president and many members of his Republican Party treat appropriations for the VA as "domestic spending," which they say must be cut to balance the budget.
While Iraq veterans are waiting for the VA to process their claims, the president has proposed in his budget to further cut funds for the VA that could be used to hire more adjudication personnel and speed up the processing of claims.
In this instance, the president is falling far short in supporting the troops after they have been injured and are recovering from the wounds they received fighting his war.
Terence D. Harrigan
Stafford
Copyright 2004 The Free Lance-Star Publishing Company.
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