11 January 2008
Bush pulls out the veto pen again. On the 28th of December he announced that he would veto the defense authorization bill over a provision that he thinks could jeopardize Iraqi assets in U.S. banks. Bush claims that it is a pocket-veto which can be used when congress is not in session and cannot be overridden. But congress is not out of session and plans are in the works to try to override it. While there is partisan wrangling in congress troops and veterans could lose out on better better health care.
Without the defense bill, Iraq and Afghanistan vets could join the 1.8 veterans without health insurance. Other provisions in the bill include: A commission to fight fraud and waste by military contractors, Pre and post deployment assessment for Traumatic Brain Injury (many of these injuries are going undiagnosed and untreated), expanded job protections for family members of severely wounded troops, many of which could lose their jobs if they spend more than 3 months caring for a loved one and last but not least, a new research center for PTSD and TBI, better education benefits for National Guardsmen and Reservists. All of these benefits are up in the air because of this veto. It seems like Bush doesn’t give a damn for our brave military who have given so much in this unnecessary war.
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