Senate Passes Kerry Amendment to Increase Critical Funding for America’s Veteran Support Centers

[kerrygoddess]

Senate Passes Kerry Amendment to Increase Critical Funding for America’s Veteran Support Centers
November 14th, 2006 @ 4:02 pm

The Senate passed Senator John Kerry’s amendment today which provides $18 million in critical funding to the nation’s Veteran’s Administration (VA) Centers.

Veteran Centers provide readjustment counseling and outreach services to any veteran who has served in a combat zone. Kerry’s additional funding will cut waiting lists and ensure that facilities are not forced to limit services as they respond to an increased workload caused by soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Approximately one-third of the veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan seek help for mental health concerns from the VA. According to published reports, the number of returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan who have sought help for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) services and readjustment concerns has doubled over the past year. This increased caseload has forced many centers to limit services or establish waiting lists for needed services. The National Military Family Association and the Vietnam Veterans of America support the amendment, which is included in the Senate FY 2007 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, and is co-sponsored by Senators Kennedy (Mass.), Akaka (Hawaii), Boxer (Calif.) and Jeffords (Vt.).

Senator John Kerry’s floor statement is below:

Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, it is our obligation to do everything possible to ensure that veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan can make the transition home successfully.

FULL FLOOR STATEMENT HERE - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=4753

[karynnj]

1. This is great -

Seeing this I can only think of the great documentary NECN made on this. Kerry's and Cleland's speeches on this are wonderful. I wish I would have thought to post this a few weeks ago - this is Kerry and the veterans.

http://ksgaccman.harvard.edu/iop/events_forum_video.asp?ID=2973

[Island Blue]

3. Thank you so much for posting this again.

I'm like you - I wish I had thought about it two weeks ago. :banghead: I just went back and watched parts of it - the last ten minutes or so when Kerry speaks says it all about how he truly feels about the troops who are currently serving in Iraq & Afghanistan as well as veterans from all eras.

It is just so much easier for the media, the right-wing and many on the left to take a John Kerry soundbite out of context and make a big deal out of it than it is for them to actually listen to what he has to say.

[karynnj]

5. It;s also that most reporters and most politicians

are too busy thinking of politics as a game. They follow the fact that that smear knocked Kerry down as he was attempting to re-emerge. What's sad id that the best people are those who are there to serve and genuinely care.

Al Gore is like that on the environment. For Kerry, I believe him when he spoke about the war in 1972 in the terms of one man. The RIP Russ story and the way Kerry are likely why both the Republicans and the Clintonistas attacked Kerry on this joke. Bill Clinton's comment in the 60s/70s about loathing the military was likely overstatement, but neither of them have the genuine gut level attachment Kerry does.

[fedupinBushcountry]

6. You should post

that link over at the JK blog. There may not be many posts but I'm sure there are many lurkers as there are here.

[karynnj]

8. good idea

I really regret not looking that up 2 weeks ago. It would have been perfect to pair with the RIP RUS story to post in other forums -

This was with NH and MA vets who knew his long commitment. Thst and the fact that Cleland, who even more than Kerry was committed to veterans, was so close to him and that there was such obvious kindness in their relationship means a lot. (I love the little part when Kerry wheels him off stage - and they spoke for about 30 seconds before they realized their was a mike.)

[fedupinBushcountry]

9. I had forgotten about it too

You know the bill that JK originally drafted asked for $100 million, and look how to get anything he had to go down on the amount. Also there are no other noted "P" supposedly nominees as co-signers. They don't get it, JK does. We need to bring this out more.

Yeah the 30 seconds and Max saying that he loved John and JK saying we need to do this more often and lets have dinner.

[karynnj]

10. My guess is he had to take what he could get and

then they can try for more. That little conversation is precious because it clearly was not intended to be heard.

The whole Del story is also amazing. For all those people who thought Kerry an elite snob, it shows the exact opposite. That Del even called him when he had all but decided to commit suicide even though their main bond was decades before showed a huge level of trust. That Kerry made such a concerted effort to save him - when Del was to anyone else who would have seen him - a homeless drunk, says a lot. Kerry, at that point, was a wealthy, successful, happily married Senator - the contrast couldn't have been greater in a novel. (I loved Kerry mentioning after Del spoke of having difficulty sleeping - that cutting the coffee could help)

[fedupinBushcountry]

11. The whole story

is told by Del somewhere, I remember reading it. JK checked on him daily and made sure he was being taken care of, it was just another untold story of JK and helping those who need it most. It makes me angry that so many do not or care not to really find out about the real John Kerry. IMO, they don't know what they're missing.

I knew very little about JK back in '03 when I started looking at all (except Lieberman)the candidates. I went to his site and started reading and from that I knew I found my guy. The funny thing is I got the link from here on DU and I saw the crap going on here then, and you know their complete fabrications made me more energized to get out there and talk JK up. I know for a fact, that with my 3 kids who were all of voting age, and one that actually voted for Nader in 2000, that I needed to tell them and their friends about the real man who should be President. It was pretty gratifying when my kids friends came over and would walk in chanting, Kerry, Kerry. They got to know the real JK from just a mom, I loved it.

[TayTay]

12. That was one of the more fascinating events I have seen Kerry at

in this whole year. That event occurred the day before the Senator appeared at a dinner in Nashua NH that I and a few others from this group attended. That video is, in many ways, just shattering. First of all there was the obvious emotion of appearing with Max Cleland. He just brings out a different side of Kerry that is both more open and more down-to-earth. (Odd but, it's like having yin and yang all there in nice harmony.)

I know that event had people from Military Families Speak Out protesting at it and they were pressuring Kerry to be more of an opponent of the war and to come out for withdrawing the troops. Remember, this took place in March and there were very few people who advocated this position. I see a lot in the Senator's face when he is up there on the podium, after the film. I swear, you can see the conflicting and painful emotions that did, 3 weeks or so later, lead him to come out against this war so much more strongly and to use that soaring language that invoked morality and 'doing the right thing.' The Senator gives a nice speech, but his body language and facial expressions while he is listening to everyone else speak is even more interesting.

Gawd, at one point it looked like he couldn't get far enough away from the podium and still be on that stage. Arms folded over each other, eyes sometimes focused, sometimes all inward, good humor in evidence, but also that sense that there was an inner struggle going on. I saw that. It was one reason I was not surprised to see the NYTimes Editorial a few weeks later that said, 'we must withdraw our troops.' It was all there that night, all those emotions, so visible, yet so personal too. What an odd public moment, and it was so much more revelatory about the man that that silly joke episode.

[karynnj]

13. I need to re-watch it

I remember that his comments on the protester and how - this was not the forum for that discussion.

His expressions when Cleland was speaking were fascinating - it had seemed to me that he was simply trying very hard to avoid being a distraction as he was standing directly behind him. I loved his laugh at Cleland's joke where he spoke of all he didn't have then saying so "I did the obvious thing. I ran for the state senate". (appox quote)

There was a sense though of Kerry speaking as "one of them" to the vets there. It was different than other speeches - he wasn't trying to impress them with eloquent words - just acting as the real public servant he is.

[SouthernBelle82]

2. Great news!

I hope you make a post about this to GD. :bounce: More proof that Kerry cares more about the troops than George Bush does.

[beachmom]

4. After just reading that utterly petty "story" about Kerry getting in the

way of the leadership shot, it's nice to read about something real. This amendment will make a difference in people's lives. God bless the junior senator from Massachusetts who always keeps his eye on the ball -- the people of this country.

[BlueIris]

7. Excellent. nt