OPB News - Two Northwest congressional representatives held a roundtable meeting in Portland today with soldiers and members of the Veterans Administration. The democratic lawmakers criticized President Bush for failing to adequately fund the VA in his budget proposal.
Bush wants to spend $880 million on medical help for both soldiers returning from Iraq and veterans of former wars. But Democrats, Brian Baird of Washington, and Oregon's Darlene Hooley, say another $400 million is necessary in order for troops to be assured prompt and appropriate care.
Hooley calls the budget inadequate.
Hooley says veterans from other wars already have to wait months, if not years, for important operations. And--she says--those waiting lists are only going to grow as 4,000 soldiers return to the Pacific Northwest over the next three months.
"Somewhere around 40 to 50% of the people coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq, will have some kind of reintegration needs, whether that's depression, whether that's post traumatic stress syndrome, just adjusting to life back here."
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