Together, we're building a movement for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, and our voices are being heard. Yesterday, after months of mounting pressure from concerned citizens like you, the President finally addressed the issue of our broken veterans care system.
The President stood with former Senator Bob Dole and former Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala in the Rose Garden and said, "Our system for managing this care has fallen behind. It's an outdated system that needs to be changed."
The President's remarks illustrate the incredible progress we've made. President Bush announced a plan to streamline veterans care and fix the problems that allowed so many wounded warriors to fall through the cracks. But our fight is not over. The next few weeks will be critical as the White House reveals the details of its plan, and presents its suggestions for turning it into law.
Watch the video of the President's comments, and read the New York Times article, featuring IAVA.
It has been eight months since the Washington Post's reporting on the deplorable conditions at Walter Reed brought veterans issues to the top of the national agenda. In that time, many of you have taken action to turn that initial attention into a fever pitch. You wrote hundreds of letters to the editors of your local newspapers, you added thousands of names to our petition, and most recently, you helped us launch a television ad demanding that Congress and the President take immediate action to get veterans the care they deserve.
And yesterday, Senator Dole and Secretary Shalala wrote their own editorial in the Washington Post, urging elected officials to ensure that this momentum is turned into real results. They wrote, "With Veterans Day only a few weeks away, we can think of no better tribute than to give our new veterans a system that truly meets their needs…Nothing's going to happen unless Congress steps up to the plate."
Our efforts are forcing lawmakers to do just that.
We face many big challenges ahead, and the next few weeks will reveal just how committed the President and Congress are to improving veterans' care. But we have seen exciting developments this week, and we are making significant progress. With your help, we are building a movement of people who refuse to abandon our wounded warriors. And for that, we can't thank you enough.
Sincerely,
Paul
Paul Rieckhoff
Iraq Veteran
Executive Director
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
