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Exercise caution this summer when ranting about the Concurrent Receipt issue

As most will recall, on June 27th, the full Senate passed an amendment to the NDAA of 2003 which provides concurrent receipt for all those rated 10%-100%. Unlike the House, the funds for this full Concurrent Receipt amendment are not identified and the Senate proposal costs four times the House Version.

Earlier, the House passed their funded version for those rated 60%-100%.

We keep reading advisories and alerts from wide spread sources to contact the White House because President Bush threatened in a letter on June 19th to veto Concurrent Receipt. The President has not threatened to veto Concurrent Receipt, only someone in the Administration has "recommended" a veto. This communiqué to recommend veto was an unsigned letter dated June 19th from OMB.

The House Bill will likely prevail because the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and Veterans Affairs, Rep. Bob Stump has championed the funds for partial Concurrent Receipt. However, the Senate amendment identifies no budget detail.

Persistently harping for the whole enchilada, is disaffecting those in Congress. The "all or nothing" approach will end up just like that - nothing!

The Senate bill lacks the funding for this "all or nothing" plea and if push comes to shove, those in Congress who are up for reelection this year, will simply fold their cards and send a signal to the President, who is itching for his first veto, to let President Bush be the fall guy for Concurrent Receipt. The President isn't up for reelection for another two years and short term memories exist with the voters.

Concurrent Receipt isn't even out of conference yet, and like Missile Defense, it will be hotly debated between the Congressional Leadership and SECDEF Rumsfeld, who has a forty five year record of getting his way!

Continued mindless rhetoric demanding quadruple the House funding for full Concurrent Receipt will only serve to alienate the very people we are seeking to help.

My partner on the "Hill" speaks to those members in Congress very frequently (just as he did on July 2nd with Sen. McCain's senior staff.) He recently spoke with a six term Representative from Florida who although a cosponsor of HR303, had no idea as to the history or present status of concurrent receipt.

Veterans Service Organizations are their own worst enemies by demanding full Concurrent Receipt. Their endless optimism without a clue of the difficulty of funding an extra $41B to fund Concurrent Receipt down to those with minor disabilities, could result in the final demise for Concurrent Receipt.

Other sources such as a Congressional Research PhD responsible for tracking this issue further recently told my partner that he feels the Veterans stand to lose it all if they keep asking for the $41B package.

Reality sets in as views are shared almost daily because folks are very concerned that the push for $41B could kill the current "nose under the tent" approach.

Hot off the wire for example, is a July 2nd Budget bulletin from the Senate Budget Committee's "Republican staff talks down concurrent receipt." It is basically noting that it isn't funded and faces a veto threat.

Concurrent Receipt was signed into law last December so if we wisely play our cards right, at least partial funding will be seen this October! Next Year, we can continue lobbying for the remainder based on the partial funding precedent.

Don Tyson

CRlegislation.com