The Senate's failed, irrelevant plan to throw $20 billion at Veterans Affairs problems

Washington Examiner ^ | 06/01/2014 | Byron York

[SeekAndFind]

Last February, before the Veterans Affairs health care scandal broke, Sen. Bernard Sanders, chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, joined with 28 Democratic co-sponsors to offer a bill increasing funding for the VA by $20 billion -- even though the agency had failed to use all the money Congress had given it in the form of big budget increases in recent years.

Sanders' bill, S.1982, officially titled the Comprehensive Veterans Health and Benefits and Military Retirement Pay Restoration Act of 2014, was a hodgepodge of several previous bills. "The package would improve VA health care and dental care, expand educational opportunities, help the VA address a disability claims backlog and help veterans find jobs," Sanders' office said.

The bill would essentially offer VA health care services to all veterans, including those who do not have service-related problems and have incomes above current cutoff levels. It would also greatly expand a program that pays caregivers of disabled veterans a monthly stipend. Congress originally passed the measure for veterans of post-Sept. 11 wars; Sanders would expand it to all veterans.

[SpaceBar]

The left believes in rewarding failure. This money will be sucked up like water into a Sham-Wow by entrenched fat cats within the bureaucracy and all other manner of paper pushing vermin down the government food chain. We all know it.

[musicman]

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[DIRTYSECRET]

Goodness!There may be something in it for me! I’m voting Democrat.

[EQAndyBuzz]

It will go to Feinsteins husband for subpar construction of VA facilities and kicked back to Feinsteins campaign.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Buy stock in office furniture, liquor and electric cart manufacturers.

[KarlInOhio]

If lack of money was the primary problem then the VA would have been shouting about their long waiting times to the rooftops. Instead they hid them in order to collect their bonuses. The administration of the VA considered their checkbooks were more important than the veterans. Money won't cure that - only a complete clean out of the that Augean stable. And on top of firings there should be criminal prosecutions because filing false reports of wait times to get that bonus money is fraud in anyone's law book.

[The Antiyuppie]

This is ALWAYS the knee-jerk reaction by all liberals and RINOS. It’s almost Pavlovian.

Problem >>>> Throw money at >>>>Problem seems to get better >>>>Throw more money at it >>>>repeat until no one squeals.

[The Antiyuppie]

“Buy stock in office furniture, liquor and electric cart manufacturers.”

Open strip bars near VA facilities.

[GeronL]

Not a money problem

[Rome2000]

Money won't cure that - only a complete clean out of the that Augean stable.

It's all over but the shouting for the 1st American Republic, it is predictably self destructing due to the imposition of Universal Suffrage.

Honest Ape mortally wounded the Republic when he brutally attacked and murdered the sons of the Founders, the last 150 years has been merely death rattle.

[FreeInWV]

I have a simpler and cheaper idea. Have the multimillion dollar appointment software email them their appointment date and a link to complain if their appointment is ever postponed more than a week. Make sure any delays are reflected in any possible bonuses. And include the email address to their congressman.