I first want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak with you today. I would also like to thank those of you who helped to put this event together, especially Willis Clifton, Reverend Bob Oliver, Col. Leo Peacock, Capt. Ed. Elliot, Elmer Singely and Command Sgt. Major Carroll Kenney. I want to speak with you today about the continuing struggle surrounding the cutbacks in veteran’s health care funding. As you may know, I raised this issue in my 1996 congressional campaign and I made this a major issue in my Senate campaign. I have already had the privilege of meeting with many veterans from across Georgia. And in our travels across the State we have had a great deal of success in letting the people of Georgia know about the poor treatment that America’s veterans are getting on Capitol Hill. Without the sacrifices that you -- our nations’ veterans-- have made, Americans would not have the peace and enormous prosperity that we enjoy in the United States today. Like many of you-- I have been shocked and angered by the assault that Paul Coverdell and his colleagues in the United States Congress have mounted against your medical benefits: The assault began in 1993 when Coverdell was one of only 27 Senators to vote for a cut in spending on new VA inpatient facilities. The assault continued in 1996 when Coverdell joined 52 other Senators in voting to freeze veterans’ benefits for five years in order to pay for a $122 billion tax cut. Because of inflation and rising health care costs, this freeze is forcing the VA to cut a wide range of medical benefits. This means veterans across Georgia are not getting the treatment, medication and equipment they need. This year, the assault on veterans’ medical care intensified, when Coverdell and 56 of his colleagues voted to pass the 1999 Senate Budget Resolution. This Budget Resolution took over $17 billion out of veterans’ health care and put it into transportation programs. To justify such cuts, Congress declared that veterans who smoked while on active duty had engaged in “willful misconduct.” That is the same category the Department of Veterans Affairs uses to deny benefits to alcoholics and drug abusers. This provision ignores the fact that smoking was encouraged within the military and that cigarettes were provided free of charge to soldiers for decades. There are those in Washington who are on the right side of this issue, but right now they are losing the close votes. On June 25 of this year, Coverdell was one of the 55 Senators who voted to defeat an amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill that would have returned $329 million to VA health care programs. On July 8, a bipartisan point of order was offered to restore the $17 billion taken from medical care for veterans with smoking-related illnesses. Coverdell voted against it, and this was the deciding vote, because, the point of order was defeated 50-48. I am in favor of improving Georgia’s roads and railways but I believe it is shameful to do so on the backs of Georgia’s veterans. Now insurance man Paul Coverdell is behind an idea which would allow veterans to buy into the Federal Employees Health Benefit Plan. How outrageous! Veterans should not have to buy coverage, theirs was paid for through years of honorable service. The federal government should make good on its commitment to you by delivering the lifelong health care you were promised. Paul Coverdell did not want me to be here with you today. In fact, his office made phone calls to the leadership of the American Legion in an attempt prevent us from using this post for our meeting today. This does not surprise me If I had his voting record on veterans issues I would not want you to know about it either. There is one thing I want to make perfectly clear Paul Coverdell can make all the phone calls he wants to try and prevent us from informing the people of Georgia about his record on veterans issues. Paul Coverdell can start as many letter writing campaigns as he wants to try and confuse the issues and hide behind his Republican credentials. When I was growing up my mother taught me that: “Actions speak louder than words.” Paul Coverdell-- at the end of the day, none of these tactics will change the fact made clear by your actions in the Senate that you have failed the veterans of Georgia, time and time again. My position on the status of veterans medical benefits is simple-- the practice of reducing our veterans’ programs for political reasons is simply not acceptable. To me, this struggle is a matter of principle. It is about keeping promises to those who deserve this nation’s greatest admiration and respect. I am running for the United States Senate to do what is right for the people of Georgia. As your Senator, I will fight to ensure that the government honors its commitments, and especially its commitments to veterans. Theodore Roosevelt once said, “A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to get a square deal afterward.” Paul Coverdell seems to have forgotten this enduring lesson. I have not. |
