The Republicans are playing with people's lives. With threats of a government shutdown, especially being promoted by some of the newly elected Tea Party Republicans, veterans and veterans groups worry about the results if the Republicans follow through with their threat.
An article in the ArmyTimes explains what happened the last time Republicans shut down the government. Sen. Patty Murray gave the details:
....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.”
.....But a shutdown would close veterans’ benefits offices, including claims processing and people answering questions, and could lead to delays in non-emergency medical appointments....
While the Republicans discuss ways to cut federal spending so they can give more tax cuts to their corporate millionaire friends, veterans and their families pray that the Republicans are not successful in shutting down the government.
