April 26, 2008
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VETERANS
AT A GLANCE
A Sacred Trust
Barack Obama believes America has a sacred trust with our veterans. He is committed to creating a 21st Century Department of Veterans’ Affairs that provides the care and benefits our nation’s veterans deserve.
Help for Returning Service Members
Obama will improve the quality of health care for veterans, rebuild the VA’s broken benefits system, and
combat homelessness among veterans.Improved Mental Health Treatment
Obama will improve mental health treatment for troops and veterans suffering from combat-related
psychological injuries.THE PROBLEM
Wounded Troops Suffer
The Walter Reed scandal showed that we don’t always provide returning service members with the care they
deserve.Veterans Budget Shortfalls
In 2005, a multi-billion dollar VA funding shortfall required Congress to step in and bail out the system.
Benefits Bureaucracy is Broken
There are currently more than 400,000 claims pending with the Veterans Benefits Administration. VA error rates have grown to more than 100,000 cases a year.
There is a Shortage of Care for PTSD
Veterans are coming home with record levels of combat stress, but we are not adequately providing for them.
BARACK OBAMA’S PLAN
Ensure a Seamless Transition
Obama will demand that the military and the VA coordinate to provide a seamless transition from active
duty to civilian life.Fully Fund VA Medical Care
Barack Obama will fully fund the VA so it has all the resources it needs to serve the veterans who need it, when they need it. Obama will establish a world-class VA Planning Division to avoid future budget
shortfalls.Allow All Veterans Back into the VA
One of Obama’s first acts will be reversing the 2003 ban on enrolling modest-income veterans, which has
denied care to a million veterans.Strengthen VA Care
Obama will make the VA a leader of national health care reform so that veterans get the best care possible.
He will improve care for polytrauma vision impairment, prosthetics, spinal cord injury, aging, and women’s health.Improve Mental Health Treatment
Obama will improve mental health care at every stage of military service. He will recruit more health professionals, improve screening, offer more support to families and make PTSD benefits claims fairer.
Improve Care for Traumatic Brain Injury
Obama will establish standards of care for Traumatic Brain Injury, the signature injury of the Iraq war.
Expand Vet Centers
Obama will expand and strengthen Vet Centers to provide more counseling for vets and their families.
Fix the Benefits Bureaucracy
Obama will hire additional claims workers, and improve training and accountability so that VA benefit decisions are rated fairly and consistently. He also will make the paper benefit claims process an electronic
one to reduce errors and improve timeliness.Combat Homelessness among Our Nation’s Veterans
Obama will establish a national “zero tolerance” policy for veterans falling into homelessness by expanding
proven programs and launching innovative services to prevent veterans from falling into homelessness.Fight Veterans Employment Discrimination
Obama will crack down on employers who commit job discrimination against guardsmen and reservists.
OBAMA RECORD
Record of Advocacy
As a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Obama passed legislation to improve care and slash red tape for our wounded warriors recovering at places like Walter Reed. He passed laws to help homeless veterans and offered an innovative solution to prevent at-risk veterans from falling into homelessness. Obama led a bipartisan effort in the Senate to try to halt the military’s unfair practice of discharging service members for having a service-connected psychological injury. He fought for fair
treatment of Illinois veterans’ claims and forced the VA to conduct an unprecedented outreach campaign to disabled veterans with lower than-average benefits. Obama passed legislation to stop a VA review of closed PTSD cases that could have led to a reduction in veterans’ benefits. He passed an amendment to ensure that all service members returning from Iraq are properly screened for traumatic brain injuries. He introduced legislation to direct the VA and Pentagon to fix disjointed records systems and improve outreach to members of the National Guard and Reserves.
