From U.S. Senator Patty
Murray
April 8, 2005
Stand Up for America's
Veterans!
....................................................................................
- Tell Congress that Veterans
Deserve Emergency Funding
- Help Pass "The Murray
Amendment"
- Spread the Word – It’s
our last chance this year.
..........................................................
Read This Alert
Online at: http://murray.senate.gov/vetupdates/update2.html
Dear Friend:
If you care . . .
- about America's veterans,
- about overcrowded VA facilities and long
waiting lists,
- and about our newest veterans returning home
from Iraq . . .
. . . then the United States Senate needs to
hear from you now.
On Tuesday, April 12th U.S.
Senator Patty Murray of Washington state will lead a fight on
the Senate floor to boost veterans funding by nearly $2 billion.
It will be the last
opportunity this year to increase funding for veterans
healthcare.
And right now, it's
going to be an uphill fight.
If you care about our veterans, we need you
to take the steps outlined in this email in the next 24 hours.
What's At Stake
Tuesday's vote on the Murray Amendment will determine:
- whether returning veterans get access to
mental health services,
- whether the VA will build new community
clinics to reach more veterans closer to home,
- whether the VA will lift the hiring
freeze and hire more doctors and nurses,
- and whether every state will get
millions of dollars to care for veterans from Operation
Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
Veterans Deserve Better
Anyone who's dealt with the VA in recent years
knows that federal funding has not kept up with the growing demand
for services.
- Facilities have not been upgraded.
- New clinics have not been opened.
- Veterans face waiting lists for medical
care, and
- New doctors have not been hired.
Meanwhile, new veterans are coming home every
day – to a VA system that can't handle the patients it currently
has. We need to pass the Murray Amendment and keep the promise
to America’s veterans.
At A Glance - The Murray Amendment
The Murray Amendment increases funding for veterans
healthcare by $1.98 billion. It is an amendment to the bill that
funds military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and Tsunami
aid. This bill is called the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations
Bill.
The Murray Amendment provides funding to:
Expand Mental Health Care
$525 million for expanded mental health
services. Including $150 million specifically to treat Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Help Veterans Returning from
Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom
The current VA budget does not include funding
for these returning veterans. Murray’s amendment will
provide $610 million to help our newest veterans.
Meet Local Veterans Needs in
Every State
The Murray amendment gives $40 million to
each VISN (Veterans’ Integrated Service Network). This
will allow each region to make long-needed investments in
staff and facilities. On average, each VISN has a shortfall
of $40 million. The Murray Amendment eliminates that shortfall
and puts money where local communities need it most.
Veterans Groups Support the Murray
Amendment
Many Veterans Service Organizations support the
Murray Amendment, including:
-
Veterans of Foreign Wars
-
AMVETS
-
Disabled American Veterans
-
Paralyzed Veterans of America
-
American Federation of Government Employees
An Uphill Fight for Veterans
Over the years, Senator Patty Murray has worked
to increase veterans funding, but it has not been easy. Time and
again, Congress has passed small, symbolic funding increases --
instead of the major investments that Veterans Service Organizations
have called for.
It has been an uphill battle. Just look at the
fights that Senator Murray has led in the past month.
Video
Who's Against More Veterans
Funding?
We know that some Senators will vote against
the Murray Veterans Amendment.
That's because Senator Murray previewed her amendment
before the Appropriations Committee on April 6th.
Here was the reaction . . .
Several Senators said they are committed to
helping veterans, but they don't feel the extra funding is needed
right now because veterans funding has already been increased,
the VA hasn't asked for more money, and veterans health care
is not an emergency.
Friends, these are honest, caring Senators
who genuinely want to do right by our veterans.
But if they vote against Murray's Veterans
Amendment, it will hurt veterans in every state.
Unless Senators hear from you, they will assume
that there is no emergency, and we will lose our
last chance this year to
boost veterans funding.
- No new clinics will be opened.
- No major investment in mental healthcare
for post-traumatic stress disorder.
- No chance for the regional VA networks to
relieve their backlogs.
We can't let that happen.
Congress Needs To Hear
From You:
If you believe that America's veterans deserve
the healthcare they were promised, take
these three steps now:
-
Send this message to everyone who cares
about our veterans especially the veterans organizations you
belong to. We really need to reach veterans in all 50 states.
You can forward this e-mail or share this link: http://murray.senate.gov/vetupdates/update2.html
-
Share your story with Senator Murray here:
http://murray.senate.gov/veterans/comments.cfm
-
Contact your United States Senators and
tell them to support the Murray Veterans Amendment. Tell them
that veterans healthcare is an emergency
and you are watching their vote on the Murray Veterans Amendment.
Contact your Senators here:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
If you received this email from a friend, get
on our update list here: http://murray.senate.gov/vetupdates
About Senator Murray
Senator Patty Murray represents Washington state's
700,000 veterans. She is the daughter of a disabled World War
II veteran. During the Vietnam War, she interned at the Seattle
Veterans Hospital. She is the first woman to serve on the Senate's
Veterans Affairs Committee. Over the past two years, she helped
save three VA hospitals in Washington state from being closed.
Details: http://murray.senate.gov/veterans/PM-CARES-Timeline.pdf
In March 2005, she traveled to Kuwait and Iraq,
where she met with American troops.
See her personal diary here: http://murray.senate.gov/middleeast
Senator Murray has been named:
- “Person of the Year” by Washington’s
Veterans of Foreign Wars (2004)
- "Legislator of the Year," American
Ex-Prisoners of War (2003)
- "Legislator of the Year," Vietnam
Veterans of America (1998)
