[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 48 (Thursday, March 22, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E425]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


        MARKING THE 9TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE START OF THE IRAQ WAR

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                           HON. JIM McDERMOTT

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 22, 2012

  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the 9th anniversary 
of the start of the Iraq War. Nine years ago this month, members of the 
U.S. Armed Forces invaded Iraq in what became one of the bloodiest and 
most protracted missions in our military's history. Today, our country 
is still paying the extraordinary price for the nine years in Iraq, 
both in terms of lives lost and trillions of dollars that could have 
gone toward nation building here at home.
  For many veterans, coming home marks the beginning of another fight--
fight for treatment, care, and integration into civilian life. 
Invisible wounds of war, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, affect 
one in five veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
  Mr. Speaker, I also submit an article by Jon Soltz, a former Iraq War 
veteran, on the need for my colleagues on the other side of the aisle 
to own up to the promise to care for veterans instead of paying lip 
service. The title of his article, ``GOP Budget Doesn't Even Say The 
Word `Veteran,' '' speaks for itself.

           [Published in the Huffington Post, Mar. 22, 2012]

            GOP Budget Doesn't Even Say the Word ``Veteran''

    (By Jon Soltz, Co-Founder of VoteVets.org and Iraq War veteran)

       Do Republicans care about keeping our promise to veterans?
       Looking at the recently released GOP budget, written by 
     Rep. Paul Ryan, it's hard to see how they do. In fact, 
     looking at the nearly 100 page document, the word ``veteran'' 
     doesn't appear once. Not once.
        Today is the 9th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War. 
     Last night, I spoke with someone who served with me in Iraq 
     during my first tour. And for the first time in almost nine 
     years, she wanted to talk to me about an incident where she 
     drove through an IED and a soldier was killed. It was a 
     profound moment that shows how war and sacrifice stay with 
     us, always. For those of us who served, in many ways, 
     yesterday is today. And today, we read that the GOP doesn't 
     even talk about veterans in their budget.
       But, without saying the word ``veteran,'' the budget tells 
     us a lot about what they think about veterans. The budget 
     calls for across the board spending freezes and cuts. If 
     enacted, the Ryan GOP budget would cut $11 billion from 
     veterans spending, or 13 percent from what President Obama 
     proposes in his own plan.
       It's unconscionable that they'd do this at a time when so 
     many Iraq veterans have just come home and rely on veterans 
     care. Over 45,000 US troops were wounded in Iraq and 
     Afghanistan, and more will come who will rely on VA services, 
     on top of veterans of other wars and eras who depend on the 
     VA. But, this shortsightedness isn't new.
       Back in 2005, President Bush underfunded the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs by about a billion dollars, despite its 
     need. The result? Secretary Jim Nicholson was forced to crawl 
     before Congress and plead with it to pass emergency 
     supplemental spending, just so it could keep the doors open. 
     After that debacle, I have to admit, I never thought 
     Republicans would do the same thing again, if for no other 
     reason than that it just looks bad politically, leaving aside 
     the horrible effect it would have on veterans in need.
       Additionally, after the backlash against ending Medicare 
     the last time Paul Ryan released a budget, they're at it 
     again. That, too, affects veterans. I was speaking with one 
     veteran in Missouri, who lost both of his legs in Iraq. His 
     entire primary care now relies on Medicare. It pays for all 
     of his primary care, as it does for so many veterans with 100 
     percent disability. So, no, I couldn't believe that Paul Ryan 
     and the GOP would again propose ending Medicare.
       Yet, here we are. A budget from the GOP that short changes 
     veterans, horribly. And where does that money go? Not to 
     reducing the debt. The debt as a share of GDP would actually 
     increase under the Ryan plan. The money doesn't go towards 
     anything, really. But it does go towards some people. As in 
     $3 trillion in tax giveaways to the richest Americans and 
     corporations. People like Mitt Romney, who already pays a tax 
     rate lower than most of our troops.
       That's the choice the Ryan plan presents to America--do we 
     want to fund the wealthiest Americans and corporations, or 
     keep our promise to our veterans? Ryan and the GOP say the 
     former. I can't believe that most Americans wouldn't say the 
     latter.

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