John McCain Will Expand Health Care For Veterans –Obama Distorts The Facts
John McCain Will Expand Options For Treatment. “John McCain has proposed a Veterans' Care Access Card, which would expand access and choice for those veterans with illness or injury incurred during military service, as well as low-income veterans. This supplement to ordinary VA care -- which would not replace or privatize existing programs -- would permit those veterans unable to obtain timely and appropriate VA care under the standards set out above, to receive care at a private facility.” (John McCain for President, “Honoring Our Compact With America’s Veterans” (Fact Sheet), 8/9/08).
John McCain Has Reiterated His Opposition To VA Privatization. “And today, as other occasions, I have stated in the plainest, most straightforward terms that the Veterans Health Care Access Card will expand existing benefits. I don't expect this will deter the Obama campaign from misrepresenting my proposals, but lest there be any doubt you have my pledge: My reforms would not force anyone to go to a non-VA facility. They will not signal privatization of the VA. And they will not replace any scheduled expansion of the VA network -- including those facilities designed to serve veterans living in rural and remote areas.” (John McCain, Remarks At The Veterans of Foreign Wars Annual Convention, 8/18/08).
Yet Barack Obama Still Falsely Alleges John McCain Wants To “Ration Care” And “Privatize” Veterans Health. “My opponent … wants to ration care so the VA only serves combat injuries, while everyone else gets an insurance card…privatization is just not the answer.” (Barack Obama, Remarks At The VFW Annual Convention, 8/19/08).
Joe Biden Has Also Falsely Accused John McCain Of Wanting To Ration Care. “John [McCain] wants to ration veterans’ health care to those with combat injuries, which would mean that millions fewer veterans would have access to VA medical care.” (Joe Biden, Remarks To The National Guard Association, 9/22/08).
Tammy Duckworth Made The Exact Same False Accusation At The Democratic Convention. Tammy Duckworth, Director of Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs: “John McCain wants to ration care. Under his plan, the VA will serve combat injuries, but everyone else gets an insurance card.” (Tammy Duckworth, Remarks At The Democratic National Convention, 8/27/08).
John McCain Advocated Expanding Education Benefits For Veterans – Obama Distorts McCain’s Record
John McCain Fought To Improve the GI Bill To Allow Veterans To Transfer Educational Benefits To Spouses And Children, And Supported Final Passage Of The Bill Once It Included This Feature. “With the addition of the transferability provisions…we will have achieved in offering vastly improved educational benefit while also offering incentives for continued service by the most capable, experienced NCO’s and officers.” (John McCain, “McCain Welcomes Agreement On Benefits Veterans And Servicemembers,” 6/19/08).
The Transferability Of Education Benefits Has Excited Service Members. “The provision generating the biggest buzz among service members is the authorization to transfer their education benefits to spouses and children.” (Fleet Reserve Association, “Post-9/11 Service Members Win Big with New GI Bill,” On Watch, Vol. 9, Iss. 2).
Yet Barack Obama Claims That John McCain “Called” The GI Bill “Too Generous”. “Unlike my opponent, I was a strong and early supporter of Jim Webb's GI Bill for the 21st Century - a bill that Senator McCain called too generous.” NOTE: John McCain never called the bill “too generous” or anything similar. (Barack Obama, Remarks At The VFW Annual Convention, 8/19/08).
Obama’s Attacks Are Disingenuous, Given That The Feature John McCain Fought For—Transferability—Actually Increases The Cost Of The GI Bill. “Transferability adds $10 billion to the 10-year cost of the Webb initiative….” (Military.com, “Webb GI Bill for post-9/11 forces sails to enactment,” June 26, 2008).
John McCain Is Supported By Key Veteran Leaders And Is The Author Of Historic Veterans’ Legislation – Obama Voted Against Funding For Veterans Health And Against Lifesaving Equipment For Troops In The Field
Twenty-One Past National Commanders Of Two Of America’s Largest And Most Esteemed Veterans’ Service Organizations--The Veterans Of Foreign Wars (VFW) And The American Legion –– Have Endorsed John McCain For President. (“Past National Commanders of Veterans Service Organizations Endorse John McCain,” 10/1/08).
The VFW Political Action Committee Has Endorsed John McCain In Every One Of His Races For The House And Senate. (Sam Youngman, “Obama Faces Tough Test In Front Of VFW, The Hill, 8/12/08).
John McCain Received The VFW Congressional Award, The Highest Award That The VFW Can Bestow On A Member Of Congress. (Veterans of Foreign Wars, 1995).
Over 300 Retired Senior Enlisted Leaders And 300 Retired Generals And Admirals Have Endorsed John McCain For President. (John McCain For President, “300 Retired Generals And Admirals Support John McCain For President,” 9/26/08; “Retired Senior Enlisted Leaders Endorse John McCain For President,” 10/1/08).
John McCain Led A Bipartisan Effort, Along With Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), To Pass The Wounded Warrior Act (2007), Which was The First Major Legislation To Address Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome and Traumatic Brain Injury. (S.1606, Introduced 6/13/07, Incorporated Into H.R. 4986/P.L. 110-181).
John McCain Is The Author Of The “TRICARE For Life” Legislation (2000) That Restored Access To Military Health Care For Hundreds Of Thousands Of Medicare-Eligible Military Retirees. (S.2013, Introduced 1/27/2000, Incorporated Into H.R. 4205/P.L. 106-398; Military.com, “TRICARE For Life,” Accessed 9/23/08).
John McCain is a Co-Sponsor of the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform Act, To Provide Advance Funding for the Veterans Administration. (S. 3527, introduced 9/18/08).
Yet Joe Biden Alleges That John McCain’s Record Shows He Hasn’t “Been There” For Veterans. Biden: John McCain voted against billions of dollars in additional funding for veterans’ health care…Being a veteran isn’t the same as being there for veterans. (Joe Biden, Remarks To The National Guard Association, 9/22/08).
The AFL-CIO Has Broadcast Attack Ads That Accuse John McCain Of Voting “Against Increasing Health Care Benefits For Veterans.” (AFL-CIO, “Not Now”, Video Advertisement – Watch The Ad).
But Factcheck.org Criticized The AFL-CIO’s Ad As “False” And An Inversion Of The Truth. Factcheck.org: “The AFL-CIO is attacking McCain with a TV spot saying he voted ‘against increasing health care benefits for veterans.’ Actually, he voted for increases in those benefits.” (Factcheck.org, “AFL-CIO Falsely Attacks McCain,” 7/10/08).
John McCain Has Voted Against “Party Line” Democratic Proposals On Veterans Health. “In each case, McCain supported different amendments to increase veterans' health benefits, either on the same day or the following day.” (Factcheck.org, “AFL-CIO Falsely Attacks McCain,” 7/10/08).
Barack Obama Voted Against A Bill To Provide Both Essential Equipment For Our Troops In The Field And $1.78 Billion For Veterans Health. Key provisions for veterans included $595 medical facilities maintenance, $290 million for facilities construction, $228 million for treatment of Iraq/Afghanistan veterans, $100 for mental health services and $88.8 million for polytrauma care. Key provisions for troops in the field included $3 billion for heavily armored vehicles (MRAPs), $1.6 billion for body armor and $900 million for treatment and research of brain trauma injury (BTI) and PTSD. ((H.R. 2206, CQ Vote #181: Passed 80-14: R 42-3; D 37-10; I 1-1, 5/24/07, McCain Voted Yea, Obama Voted Nay; House And Senate Committees On Appropriations, “Summary Of The Fiscal 2007 Supplemental Funding Legislation,” Press Release, 5/24/07).
