Christopher Smith gets the boot...

[Jersey McJones]

Though I do not share Congreesman Smith's ultra-right-wing-Christian views on most things, our New Jersey representative has stood up for veterans on the veterans affairs comitee honorably and ably for 24 years. For that, I applaud him. The GOP gave Mr Smith the boot last night because he stood up against the planned $63 billion in cuts to the VA. All Republicans and all AMericans should be appalled by this disgusting turn of events. Please write to your congressmen and tell them that you are ashamed of their actions for America and for the fine men and women who serve this country, especially in a time of war. All Republicans should hang their heads in shame today.

 

[HumbleMan]

Do you have a source for this? I work for the VA, and I know alot of people would be interested if this was another display of politics over principle.

 

[Grizzly]

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/nj04_smith/hillarticle010505.html

 

[charmtrap]

Does anyone have any links to details on this? Grizzly: your link is 404.

How they can even consider cuts to the VA at a time like this is shocking. As a vet myself, I'll be writing everyone I can track down to protest.

 

[Grizzly]

Does anyone have any links to details on this? Grizzly: your link is 404.

How they can even consider cuts to the VA at a time like this is shocking. As a vet myself, I'll be writing everyone I can track down to protest.

Really? I just clicked on it and it worked.

 

[Lillithspeak]

This is dispicable. However, the DOD really has a history of treating the vets badly-every since Vietnam.

 

[HumbleMan]

This is dispicable. However, the DOD really has a history of treating the vets badly-every since Vietnam.

Our budget is seperate from the DoD. We're the second largest department behind them, but usually one of the last to get funded.

 

[lucid42day]

Do you have a source for this? I work for the VA, and I know alot of people would be interested if this was another display of politics over principle.

Here's an article I pulled up about the ousting:

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/112-01072005-428437.html
http://www.app.com/app/story/0,21625,1166487,00.html

As for the budget cuts, the closest I found was out of this Washington Post story:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58762-2004May26.html

The Department of Veterans Affairs is scheduled to get a $519 million spending increase in 2005, to $29.7 billion, and a $910 million cut in 2006 that would bring its budget below the 2004 level.

The article seems to indicate that the VA gets almost $30 billion currently, so a cut of $63 billion would seem to be some kind of tax on veterans.