“For weeks, student veterans across the country have raised an alarm about delayed or incorrect GI Bill benefit payments, which the Department of Veterans Affairs has blamed on computer issues. But on Wednesday, the department told congressional staffers that it would not reimburse those veterans who were paid less than they were owed,” NBC News reported Wednesday. The controversy involved housing allowances paid to student veterans; tuition payments are paid directly to schools.
Well, that has changed. “After a day of pressure from members of Congress, the Department of Veterans Affairs reversed course on Thursday and announced that it would pay veterans the full amount of benefits they are due under the Forever GI Bill,” NBC News reported Thursday.
Republicans have a history of mistreating soldiers and veterans. In 2002, they defeated Sen. Max Cleland, who lost both his legs and an arm in Vietnam, by attacking his patriotism. In 2003, President George W. Bush tried to terminate combat pay for troops fighting in Iraq just a few weeks into a war that dragged on for many more years. In 2004, they defeated Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry by attacking his Vietnam record through a smear campaign that became known as “swift boating,” which was spearheaded by Jerome Corsi, who is now facing indictment in the Mueller probe for his operative role in the 2016 Trump campaign’s collusion with Russian spies. Earlier this year, it was revealed that wealthy friends of Trump were secretly running the V.A. behind the scenes. In 2014, Senate Republicans blocked a $21 billion spending bill to improve health, education, and other benefits for veterans. Around the same time, Republicans in Congress cut unemployment benefits and food stamps for veterans. And, of course, there’s Trump’s infamous attacks on the late Sen. John McCain, who was brutally tortured while a POW in North Vietnam. For a description of how the Trump administration is treating veterans now, read this article.