Posted on 09/16/2007 10:42:19 AM PDT by Right Winged American
For more Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans/Agent Orange Info, go here:
Discussions/Forum about Blue Water Navy Vets, Here:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BlueWaterNavy
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1894837/posts
And so, the question I asked in my previous post is answered. S.B.2026 was submitted by the President for whom I voted in the last two elections. Clearly, President Bush has been, at the very least, extremely ill-adivised. And in the middle of a war!
It seems obvious to me, and it should be to any veteran, that the consequences of the passage of S.2026 would be catastrophic to ALL veterans of ANY war. Once the precedent is set of retroactively selecting, isolating, and then denying a group or class of veterans from benefits they earned by their service, then it follows that every time a budget reduction is considered, veterans will be the first ones on the block. I can foresee a time when Tankers might 'qualify' for compensation due to exposure to depleted uranium 'silver bullets', but the accompanying infantry would not. Or perhaps infantry close to burning chemical weapons bunkers would be compensated, but the Helo or A-10 pilots flying through those clouds of smoke would not. If I can think of some, I guarantee some politician or their staff can come up with more and better.
Regardless of it's origin, this bill is unconscionable attempt to 'end run' around the likely favorable outcome of the 'Haas vs. Nicholson' case before the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. As a 'Blue Water Navy' veteran who has been denied compensation for my Agent Orange induced Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, I will go to my grave, once again abandoned and forsaken by the country I served with honor.
Do I sound bitter? Uh, well yes, I am.
If only Akaka had been defeated in the Democrat primary last year. His primary opponent (Ed Case), while no prize, would never have done something like this.
Agreed.
On the other hand, dare I point out that the Senator submitted this bill at the request of President Bush! I can understand why he went through a Democratic Senator, considering Craig's problems. And I'm guessing that Burr, his Republican replacement as Ranking Member, wouldn't touch this with a ten-foot pole.
Face it, this is so politically stupid, one can see why we're called the Stupid Party....
Absolutely. And won't it be interesting when more of THOSE veterans discover that they have been legislatively excluded from the Agent Orange Act of 1991? And by a REPUBLICAN President?
Here is the full bill:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=s110-2026
In Akaka’s speech where he said he submitted this at the request of the President, he listed three other bills that were decent. How do we know he is only saying that this was a Presidential request by lumping his own bill with the others?
Bush is pusing this? I never would have guessed. Damn!
I’ll be so glad when Bush leaves. Lately, he’s done one screw-up after another.
Mr. President?
...
Bush may have requested this, or Akaka (D) may have lied and lumped this bill in with others that were requested to try to sneak in this bill and blame it on President Bush.
I don’t believe akaka
The other bills Akaka submitted at the same time ‘as a courtesy’ were S. 1757, S. 2025, and S. 2027. This is the only bill that reduces or limits benefits.
S1757 extends benefits for people who were injured during chemical or biological tests, more funding for gravestones for vets, and more training.
S2025 extends what vets can receive full pension.
S2027 adds more programs honoring veterans.
Something just doesn’t smell right here.. The other bills Akaka says he submitted for the President all increased benefits and honors to vets except this one. I need more information before I believe Akaka and blindly knee jerk blaming the Administration.
Uh, as stated in the Democratic Press Release above, because he so stated on the floor of the Senate? Were no Republican Senators paying attention? Wouldn't the White House Press Secretary immediately deny it?
I'm afraid that what was stated was exactly what happened.
Ping 12,
Do you have anything to show the Administration actually gave these to Akaka to submit versus, say, Akaka being full of Bravo Sierra? That would really be important now.
Because he lumped it in with a bunch of other bills... see post #12.. something just doesn't smell right here.
I’m trying to understand this bill. Is it saying that those who were never in Vietnam and never exposed to agent orange can’t sue for being exposed to agent orange?
I say again my last:
Considering Sen. Akaka made that claim, in public, on the floor of the Senate in front of God, CSPAN, and all of our Distinguished Republican Solons; WHY have we not heard a RINGING DENIAL from ANYONE?
No, it’s saying that people who were offshore, flying above or in other places like Guam that were exposed cannot sue.
..unless, another thought was S1757 was meant to provide the benefits and S2026 was simply mean to separate where the benefit came from???????
Just too many questions now to blame the administration.. Right now, the blame for me goes to the name on the bill, Akaka.
Note: This bill was introduced in the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, not the Floor of the Senate. This bill has NO COSPONSORS, and Senator has gone on record ON THE FLOOR of opposing his own bill. At the same time, to clarify the reason he DID submit it, he had to do so ON THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE due, hopefully to mine and my "Blue Water Navy" comrades LOUD protests!
Again: If not true, why has no-one said so?
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