Like the "
Tombstone Bonus" politicians set for Veterans after the First World War, Mr. Buyer's created his own "
Tombstone Dialogue" and Veterans are not standing for it. You see, the original "
Tombstone Bonus" was promised to WW1 Veterans as to be delivered in 1945, decades after the war was over. The Veterans gave this bonus such a title because it was believed that by the time they received any of their promised benefits they would be deceased.
More than half a century after the
Hoovervilles were constructed and
Veterans took to our Nation's Capital in protest, some
Representatives still believe they should be censored from having their voices heard in DC.
a tale of two opportunists (Buyer/Delay), below the fold
Cross-Posted at:
Deny My Freedom.
Representative Steve Buyer (R - IN-4), as head of the
House VAC, has moved to eliminate an annual joint Congressional Veterans Affairs Committee hearing from Veterans Service Organizations. In its place, he has implemented a meeting with solely the House VAC Committee that requires VSO representatives to submit their testimony
before (!) they can be briefed on White House VA budget figures, disallowing them from commenting on the WH budget in their testimony. When the
DAV,
AMVETS,
American Legion, and the
Veterans of Foreign Wars raised complaint, Buyer called their concerns a "
Political Stunt."
This all comes into perspective once it is noted that Buyer was appointed as to head this Committee under the leadership (if we may use the term loosely) of the recently disposed
Tom Delay. He was instilled to replace the vehement Veterans Affairs advocate, Representative Chris Smith (R - NJ-4). During his four years as head of the committee, Smith tailored twenty-two bills in support of veterans. The
benefits include: increased GI bill education funding by 46%, one billion dollars for homeless veterans, one hundred million for spouses surviving veterans, and 1.4 billion towards expanding Veterans health care programs.
Smith was
silenced in 2005 when he offered a
2.6 billion dollar budget estimate concerning how much it would cost to pay for the benefits of veterans returning from
Iraq and
Afghanistan. The Administration believed this figure to be incredibly over inflated. Buyer was then selected, ahead of two more senior members of Congress, as someone who would go along with Bush Administration policy, no matter how illegitimate.
After Buyer's appointment, and his reassurances that Smith was
out of line, it was determined Smith was right all along with his exact call for an additional
2.6 billion. Allowing for yet another glimpse into the Culture of Corruption, as an adamant Representative is removed merely to prove a point to other Republicans: allegiance to the party is far more important than allegiance to Veterans and the American public.
These Citizen-Soldiers do not take kindly to being used as political fodder and simultaneously asked to keep quiet their grievances from a system that has promised them justice. This type of behavior is even more telling when such manipulation is orchestrated by a Congressman who voted for both (
1,
2) of the major conflicts those Veterans are currently
returning from.
When one
tampers with Veterans benefits and moves to silence the dialogue surrounding said benefits, especially during a time of armed conflict abroad, they cannot expect Americans to turn a blind eye. On November 7th, please let Mr. Buyer know that you disapprove of such "
Political Stunts" taking place in the U.S. House of Representatives.
In the coming election Indiana's 4th district has an incredibly qualified candidate,
Dr. David Sanders, who has made it a top priority to reestablish a voice for Veterans in the House of Representatives and guarantee that they receive the benefits to which they are entitled.
If you cannot regionally vote or
volunteer for David Sanders and you still feel as though this campaign deserves your support, please donate to the campaign through
his website or through
ActBlue and Candidates for Colbert.
Together we can make certain that Mr. Buyer knows this sort of political posturing is unacceptable and will register a profound response.