Washington Report — Salute Hospitalized Veterans This Valentines Day

This Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity for area residents to say ‘thank you’ to military veterans. Since 1978, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has encouraged people to visit hospitalized veterans in VA medical centers, nursing homes and state veterans homes during the week of Valentine’s Day as part of a National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans. It is a way to express our appreciation and let these veterans know that their service has not been forgotten.

We have hundreds of veterans receiving care at the Waco VA hospital and thousands more visit our VA medical centers throughout our district every year. Many of them have families in the area, but some do not. All of them would be greatly cheered by a short visit from you or your family. It’s a great opportunity for kids to talk with these hospitalized veterans and learn first hand about American history from people who participated in some of the most significant events of the last half-century. The VA staff at the hospital will furnish you with valentines and balloons to give to the veterans. If you can’t make it in person to thank these veterans, please remember them in your prayers.

We must remember not only those who serve today, but those who served in yesterday’s Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. America owes its military veterans an immeasurable debt of gratitude for their sacrifice for our country. That’s why I have always fought so hard as a Member of Congress to make sure that America honors that debt; that we keep our promises to those who have protected our country in times of war and peace.

At the end of the day, it is our actions that matter most. If you can spend part of your Valentine’s Day at a VA hospital, you will walk away from this rewarding experience having lifted the spirits of veterans who will be reassured that America is a country that respects their service and cares about their future. Every time I visit our troops and veterans in hospitals, I come away humbled and inspired by their spirit and service to country.

In Washington, the Administration’s budget recently submitted to Congress unfortunately includes a provision to double the co-payment charged to many veterans for prescription drugs and requires some veterans to pay a new enrollment fee of $250 a year to enroll in the VA health care system, even if they don’t receive any health care services.

Another proposal would increase health care premiums by up to $1,000 a year for military retirees, who have served in uniform for 20 years or more. Members of Congress and the President’s Cabinet aren’t being asked to pay $1,000 more for their health care premiums, so I find this double standard to be extremely unfair to those who have already sacrificed so much for country.

Doubling prescription drug co-payments, imposing new enrollment fees on veterans, and raising health care premiums on military retirees by up to $1,000 a year during a time of war breaks the promise to honor those who have protected America throughout our history. As a member of the Budget Committee and Chairman of the Subcommittee that funds the Department of Veterans Affairs, I intend to fight hard to see that these misguided proposals never see the light of day.

America’s veterans have shown their commitment to us. Now it