RHETORIC:

"At this time when we celebrate our freedom, let us stand with the men and women who defend us all."
-President Bush [Bush Speech at Ft. Bragg, 6/28/05]

FACT:

1. BUSH SENT SOLDIERS TO WAR WITHOUT NEEDED EQUIPMENT

*Soldiers Not Given Body Armor Needed.

Over year after the beginning of the Iraq war soldiers being deployed to Iraq were still buying their own body armor. Responding to pressure from Senators, the Administration then sent soldiers to war with body armor they knew had failed ballistics tests, leading to a recall of more than 5000 armored vests in May 2005. [Periscope Daily Defense News, 5/11/05; AP, 3/26/04; FNS, Hearing of the Defense Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee, 5/12/04; Marine Corps Times, 5/9/05]

*Army Study Suggests One-Fourth of Deaths in Iraq Could Have Been Prevented If Troops Were Properly-Equipped at Beginning of War.

Newsweek reported that many U.S. deaths and wounds in Iraq simply did not need to occur. According to an unofficial study by a defense consultant, as of April 15, 2004, perhaps one in four of those killed in combat in Iraq might be alive if they had had stronger armor around them. Almost all those soldiers were killed while in unprotected vehicles. Thousands more who were unprotected have suffered grievous wounds, such as the loss of limbs. [Newsweek, 5/3/04]

2. ...AND THEY STILL DON'T HAVE WHAT THEY NEED

*Marines Still Lack Equipment Necessary To Do Their Job In Iraq.

A Marine Corps Inspector General report said that the estimated 30,000 Marines in Iraq need twice as many heavy machine guns, more fully protected armored vehicles, and more communications equipment to operate in a region the size of Utah. The Marine Corps leadership has "understated" the amount and types of ground equipment it needs, according to the investigation, concluding that all of its fighting units in Iraq "require ground equipment that exceeds" their current supplies, "particularly in mobility, engineering, communications, and heavy weapons." [Boston Globe, 6/21/05]

*National Guard Units In US Recently Forced To Give Up Equipment.

Already suffering from manpower shortages, the National Guard's overstretched forces are being confronted with another problem: not enough equipment to supply Guard troops at home. "To fully equip troops in Iraq, the Pentagon has stripped local Guard units of about 24,000 pieces of equipment. That has left Guard units at home, already seriously short of gear." [Detroit Free Press, 6/13/05]

*Commanders Acknowledge Continuing Shortages In Iraq.

Facing a shortage of helicopter squadrons in Iraq, the Pentagon announced plans for three navy helicopter squadrons to be transferred to Southern Iraq, though they are "more accustomed to plucking downed aviators out of the water." Commanders acknowledged the shortages on the ground. Navy officials would say only that the squadrons will augment Army air units because of an "emergent capability shortfall in Operation Iraqi Freedom." [Navy Times, 6/13/05]

3. REPUBLICANS VOTING AGAINST TROOPS AND VETERANS

*Republican Senate Voted Against Improving Health Care for Veterans and Republican Congress Refused To Consider $2.6 Billion Increase in VA Health Care Funding.

The Republican Senate voted against making a portion of VA funding mandatory or automatic, like other health related programs. They also repeatedly voted against efforts to increase overall funding for veterans' medical care by almost $2 billion. In addition, Republicans in the House repeatedly voted to block efforts to increase VA funding by about $2.5 billion. Just this week Republicans admitted that they had underfunded veteran's health care by $3.7 billion over the next two years. [Roll Call #145 S 2400, 6/23/04; Roll Call #89 and #90, HR 1268, 4/12/05; Roll Call #40, SCR 95, 3/10/04; H.R.2528, Vote #223, 5/26/0l5; H CON RES 95, Vote #82, 3/17/05; H.J.Res. 107, Vote #478, 9/29/04; Washington Post 6/24/05; AP 6/28/05]

*Republicans Opposed Expanding TRICARE to National Guard & Reserve Volunteers.

Republicans voted against expanding access to the military's TRICARE health insurance program to all reservist and National Guard members. The proposal would have expanded military health care to provide access to TRICARE to members of the Guard and Reserve and their families for a low fee. [HR 1815, Roll Call #221, 5/25/05; Leadership Document, "DOD Authorization Previous Question on Rule"; S. 2400, Roll Call Vote #105, 6/2/04]

*Republicans Opposed $100 Million Increase for Military Personnel.

Republicans voted against a proposal to the budget to increase funding for military health care by $100 million and transitional job training for military personnel by $50 million. [HR 1268, Roll Call #76, 3/16/05; CQ.com vote reports]

*Republicans Voted Against Increased Funding for Humvee Armor For Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Republicans voted against an additional $213 million for armored Humvee production remains at its maximum level through the fiscal year. [Roll Call #108, SA 520 4/21/05]

4. BUSH PROPOSED TAXES ON VETERANS

*Bush Proposed New $250 User Fees and Double Prescription Drug Co-Payments For Veterans.

Bush's proposed 2006 budget would more than double the co-payment charged to veterans for prescription drugs and would require some to pay a new user fee of $250 a year for their health care. Bush would also increase the co-payment for a month's supply of a prescription drug to $15, from the current $7. Veterans' groups said that at least 200,000 veterans would be driven out of the system entirely, and would cost veterans remaining in the system more than $2 billion over five years. [New York Times, 2/7/05; Office of Democratic Leader Pelosi; www.va.gov/vetdata; Budget of the US Government, 2/05]

*Bush Budget Retains Disabled Veterans' Tax, Does Not Do Enough For Troops And Families.

The Bush 2006 budget includes no targeted pay raises for senior noncommissioned officers, petty officers and warrant officers; has no money to fund the 2006 costs of proposed increases in death benefits; and would make no further progress in eliminating the so-called disabled veterans' tax, which requires military retirees to forfeit a dollar of retired pay for every dollar they receive in veterans' disability compensation. "Simply put, this budget could do more for our troops and their families," Rep. Ike Skelton said. [Army Times, 2/21/05]