Murray: Government shutdown would hurt veterans

[w8liftinglady]

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2011/02/military-veterans-hurt-by-government-shutdown-patty-murray-says-020311w/

The new Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee chairwoman warned Thursday that veterans could be hurt if a dispute about funding federal agencies leads to a government shutdown.

Temporary funding is now due to expire at midnight March 4. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said veterans she is representing as the committee leader “are worried when they hear us playing politics with running the government. They are coming home from this war. They are coming back into civilian life. They are trying to get their benefits checks, and they are struggling mightily to get a job again.”

The last time the government was shut down as a result of a political standoff was in 1995, and Murray said veterans felt the impact.

“More than 400,000 veterans saw their disability benefits and pension claims delayed,” she said. “Money that they were counting on didn’t come to them. Payment of GI Bill education checks were delayed for hundreds of thousands of our veterans. Telephone calls from our veterans to veterans’ benefits offices went unanswered. Mail from veterans to our VA offices wasn’t opened. It wasn’t answered.”

[napi21]

1. It wouldn't only be vets who are harmed! All who receive SS checks

would be harmed as well. There are millions of peple whose lives depend on getting that $$ as it's their ONLY INCOME! If the Pubs REALLY want to play that game, they're not only playing with the most vulnerable of us, but those with the longest memories.