Senator seeks $300M for brain injury care

[babylonsister]

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/03/apvetbraincare070302/

Senator seeks $300M for brain injury care

By Audrey McAvoy - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Mar 2, 2007 6:46:34 EST

HONOLULU — Citing a TV news special by wounded journalist Bob Woodruff, Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, said Wednesday he wants Congress to approve $300 million more to treat brain injuries.

Akaka, chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, alleged in a news release that the Bush administration has underestimated the cost of caring for veterans who have suffered brain injuries and other severe wounds.

He added the Veterans Affairs Department was “wholly unprepared” to deal with veterans returning from Iraq.

Akaka issued the statement in response to a television news special by Woodruff, the ABC News anchor and reporter who suffered a brain injury while reporting in Iraq.

The program highlighted Woodruff’s recovery and showed how veterans with similar wounds are coping back home.

“Looking at these young soldiers with such devastating injuries, we are reminded of the true costs of war,” Akaka said in a news release issued by his Washington office.

The senator said he would raise his strong concerns about government care for troops with brain injuries at a meeting with VA Secretary Jim Nicholson on Thursday.

more...

[youngdem]

1. Considering many TBI's result in million dollar plus care bills, this is crumbs

This may provide care for less than 300 severely injured soldiers. Stunning thought, really. We will need TENS OF BILLIONS more to properly provide for these men and women.

[babylonsister]

2. It's a start. At least someone's paying attention! nt

[RaRa]

3. Yeah, but tens of billions doesn't buy anything

in terms of weapons. And that's what our economy is becoming based on. Build it. Use it (war). Build some more. Disgusting.

[Tuttle]

4. better link

LINK

yours gave me an AWOL (404) - DU's software chops off the slash at the end of a URL unless you use the HTML formating

Tut-tut

[babylonsister]

5. Thank you. I need to learn how to do that formatting. nt

[indepat]

6. The neocons must first provide for the Halliburtons of the world before worrying about

the care of combat veterans who have suffered serious brain injuries: the proof is in their works which mirror their souls.

[aquart]

7. "You break it, you bought it."

I'd like to hear "Support our troops" explain why the best medical care on the planet isn't being rolled out for the people we sent into war.

Of course, I'm still trying to understand where we got the fucking nerve to bill a soldier for getting blood on his uniform.