A day or two ago, I read on a friends Facebook wall - a somewhat hysterical transcript of Pres. Trump with the Finland President at a press conference, held 10/2/2019. A reporter from Reuter’s asked a question and set off another one of Pres. Trump’s incomprehensible, rambling obscure rants. If you want a transcript of the rant or a link to the press conference - to hear for yourself what he said - send me a private message and I’ll give you links.
When I read the transcript - I felt it was my duty to go watch the press conference to see if the transcript matched his words. I know how easy it is falsify things that President Trump might have said - because it’s predicated on the knowledge that most people never do their own fact checking. But I always do.
I listened to the press conference the above incident, he tried again to show the world how “wonderful” he is - at 28 minutes and 30 seconds of the same press conference he says:
“Our vets are now taken care of, we got Choice. Nobody thought we could ever could get Choice. That’s when you have to wait online as a vet. You go outside, you get a doctor. We pay the bill. You don’t have to wait for three weeks to see a doctor if you are a vet. We cherish our vets, at least, this administration does.”Why would that make me angry? Well, because he is flat out lying and no one is challenging him. Let’s take the name he calls the program: Choice. The bill he signed, June 2019 is called: the VA Mission Act. He says nobody thought we could ever get Choice. Choice is a program that allows veterans to seek medical treatment outside of the VA hospitals, in part because of the waiting lines, and lack of specialist. Not sure why he says it’s about waiting online. The Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act was signed in 2014. I’ll let all of you do the math on who signed that one.
My personal experience with Choice is that we still have to wait in long lines to get outside doctors, therapists, etc. I remember receiving my first Choice card when I lived in Wisconsin - prior to 2016. Do I need to point out that what was said “nobody thought we could ever get Choice” is a flat out lie?
The bill that President Trump signed in June 2018 is called the VA Mission Act. Note: MISSION (Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks) President Trump magnanimously signed this bill that will cost, you the taxpayers, 55 Billion dollars. But he continues to call it Choice - yeah, sure I get it - we veterans get a Choice - but why would Pres Trump continue to call something he signed by the other name? A bill that really did happen and signed by a former democratic president? My guess? He really doesn’t even know what he signed. But he wants it to go down in history that Choice was all his.
And how is that VA Mission Act working for veterans? It still has not been fully funded and “nobody” knows when it will be funded. In September 2018 - congress looked over the VA budget and felt they could allot 1.5 billion to the Mission Act - with a proviso that they reserve the right to take the money back if they need it elsewhere. Why? Because President Trump told them they could not raise the limit on the VA Budget - yet, he signed the bill to include 55 Billion in funding. Ironically, one article I read cited the reason why the Choice Act didn’t live up to it’s design was from “lack of funding”. Hmmm...sound familiar?
*I hear all too often that I write too much. For those complainers? Sorry, I think all of you are just too lazy to read to the end.
References:
Kassraie, Aaron, March 19, 2019, Veterans
Cheer Push for Private Health Care Options but Worry About Funding (Some veterans and lawmakers say it’s still not enough), AARP, https://www.aarp.org/home-family/voices/veterans/info-2019/mission-act-funding-concerns.html
Sisk, Richard, 24 May 2019, VA Ready to Roll
Out Mission Act Program on June 6 But Expect Glitches: Officials, Military dot
com, https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/05/24/va-ready-roll-out-mission-act-program-june-6-expect-glitches-officials.html
Sisk, Richard, Jun 6, 2018, Trump Signs $55
Billion Bill to Replace VA Choice Program, Military dot com, https://www.military.com/daily-news/2018/06/06/trump-signs-55-billion-bill-replace-va-choice-program.html
VFW, March 06, 2019, VFW Concerned With VA MISSION Act Implementation (Congressional testimony reveals VA ignored vital input from veterans’ service organization community) https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2019/3/vfw-concerned-with-va-mission-act-implementation
Wentling, Nickki, September 11, 2018, Mission
Act gets funding under historically high VA budget agreement, The Stars and Stripes, https://www.stripes.com/news/mission-act-gets-funding-under-historically-high-va-budget-agreement-1.547070
