Cutting Veterans Benefits: Does GI Joe need Public Assistance - Essay Example

Cutting Veterans Benefits There are heroes living amongst us. They may look like you and I, but they are different. These are the veterans who haverisked life and limb to preserve the ideals of our nation. They have fought in foreign wars and taken the full measure of what it means to be an American. They are happy to serve, but they also require our support. The work that they do is extraordinary and their service requires an extraordinary response. We need to provide them with the benefits to make their transition into civilian life as good as it can be.

There are nearly 23 million veterans in the United States and they need our help. While many people support veterans' benefits, there are some problems in the current economy. The truth is that money is short these days. There are many needy groups who require benefits and the government is running a massive shortfall. The national debt is climbing at unsustainable levels. Members of Congress have a difficult choice to make: who should get proper benefits? But is this choice really so difficult?

Veterans should come first. Many veterans have made the ultimate sacrifice. Many have had to leave their families behind for months and years to help serve the United States in its wars against its enemies. The truth is that money spent on veterans issues is not wasted. In California, for example, one expert estimates that “$3.5 billion a year in federal money flows into California in the form of veterans’ benefits, and those are dollars that go back into the economy as families spend them” (St John).

This is important to remember. The truth is that more and more Americans are returning from war. After several decades of little military activity, the U.S. is fighting a number of wars. As the ranks of veterans swell, we need to be sure that we are there for them. They have a number of concerns. Some are upset about the lack of job training for veterans transitioning into civilian life, and Others are concerned about the president’s proposed reduction in spending for construction and non-recurring maintenance in VA funding research.

Several are concerned that cuts to the information technology budget will undermine the effort to streamline the exchange of electronic medical records between the Department of Defense and VA systems (The Hill). Only those on the fringe, such as Michelle Bachmann, a congresswoman from Minnesota, would serious argue in favour of cutting veterans' benefits. These are people who are out of touch with mainstream America and do not understand the role that veterans play in keeping us strong and safe.

She suggested she would freeze veterans' healthcare spending. In response, the executive director of Veterans for Common Sense, said that “cutting veterans’ health care spending is an ill-advised move at a time when the number of veterans continues to grow as troops return from Iraq and Afghanistan. Sullivan said he finds it difficult to see how VA could freeze health care costs without hurting veterans” (Maze). We need to remember who are heroes are. We need to support veterans' benefits.

These are men and women who have served out country. Work consulted Cohn, Alicia. “Veterans: Don’t cut military benefits.” The Hill. March 15, 2011. http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/149805-veterans-dont-cut-our-benefits-in-budget-fight Maze, Rick. “Bachmann plan would cut veterans benefits.” Marine Corps Times. January 28, 2011. http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2011/01/military-michele-bachmann-veterans-budget-cuts-012811w/ St John, Alison. “State Cuts Affect Veterans’ Access To Federal Benefits.” KPBS. January 18, 2011.

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2011/jan/18/state-cuts-program-help-veterans-get-federal-benef/