Barletta help veterans?

I recently received a letter in the mail from Lou Barletta’s campaign. I have attached what he sent me which can be seen on his website, www.loubarletta.com.



VA Hospital

I know the Veterans’ Administration medical center in Wilkes-Barre Township plays a critical role in the health care of thousands more veterans across Northeastern Pennsylvania. The local VA hospital serves one of the largest populations of veterans in the nation. It is critical that the VA hospital not only remain open, but that it provides the best possible care with the most modern equipment. If I am fortunate enough to represent you in Washington as your Congressman, I give you my word that I will fight to protect the VA Medical Center. I will prevent it from being closed. I will make sure that veterans are never shortchanged when it comes to medical care here in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Thanks to Rep. Kanjorski, it stayed open when the Republicans controlled congress tried to close it. So in this statement didn’t Rep. Kanjorski already do this?

BEYOND BASIC HEALTH CARE

We have to go beyond providing basic medical care. We need to expand the drug and alcohol counseling services we offer our veterans. So many have returned home from duty, only to be wracked by the horrors of drug and alcohol abuse. We cannot – we should not turn our backs on these men and women. A few years ago I was shocked to learn that one of every four homeless people in this country is a veteran. Today, veterans make up about one-third of the adult homeless population in America. The VA estimates that on any given night in the United States, 107,000 veterans are homeless. Over the course of a year, more than twice that number of veterans will experience homelessness. This is a secret tragedy – and a national shame. We need to provide more resources to community-based, non-profit, veterans-helping-veterans groups and transitional housing programs.

PROTECTING FUTURE VETERANS

We need to do more for our future veterans – the members of the current active duty military. We need to provide them with fair wages, adequate housing, a college education or job skills training when they complete their service, and the best equipment money can buy while they’re in harm’s way. From body armor to bullets and from bachelor’s degrees to BOQs, our servicemen and servicewomen deserve the best. If I’m elected to Congress, I promise that our active-duty military have the tools and training they need to succeed, both while they’re in the service and for the rest of their lives.

PTSD/TBI RESEARCH AND TREATMENT

We also have an obligation to increase funding to research two of the most harmful and potentially damaging injuries our servicemen and servicewomen can receive – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injuries. With so many members of our military involved in active fighting over the past decade, we’re seeing more of them suffer wounds that extend beyond the physical. The injuries caused by PTSD and TBIs are not always physically apparent, but they are just as damaging and potentially destructive to the veteran and to their families and friends. We can no longer ignore Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injuries. The VA must work with the civilian medical community to study these areas and develop treatments for them.

THE G.I. BILLThe G.I.

Bill provides very real benefits to our nation’s veterans. I will fight to protect the G.I. Bill – especially the transferability of its benefits to the dependents of veterans.

Paul Kanjorski has led the charge of veterans rights ever since he took the oath of office 15 years ago, for the people of NEPA. The current servicemen and women, their families, and veterans are well protected by Paul Kanjorski duties to server our area. He has not posted it on the internet he proved it with actions. How can a freshmen congressman honestly promise to protect our vets as well as Paul had done?
All of the veteran’s positions Lou Barletta writes of here are indeed great positions to have. I only wish his colleagues on the right side of the house would agree with him.